28/11/2014 Daily Highlights - NATO confirms Ukraine's right to join the Alliance

28/11/2014 Daily Highlights by the news agency "Digests and Analytics - Ukraine"

Topics of The Day

Presidential Impeachment Bill is introduced to Verkhovna Rada. NATO confirms Ukraine's right to join the Alliance. Russia continues to build up its forces in the Donbas at the same time eliminating its breakaway mercs.

In Ukraine

• Verkhovna Rada has registered a Presidential Bill of Impeachment and NATO membership.
• The Ministry of Defence has introduced short-term contracts for the military, meant to accept patriots who are ready to fight the agressor during the war, but will not continue their service after war ends.

• Ministry of Air Transportation banned flights by “Aeroflot” (Russian Airline) to Kharkov and Dnepropetrovsk.
• National Bank set the official hryvnia exchange rate against major currencies: UAH 14.97 / $ (+0.01 UAH), 18.68 UAH / € (+0.01 UAH), UAH 3.14 / 10 rubles. (-0.08 UAH).

War in Ukraine

• DNR(People's Republic of Donetsk) and LNR(People's Republic of Luhansk) continue shelling attacks on the positions of Ukrainian troops. During the day, Ukrainian forces repelled 12 attacks on the Donetsk airport. The Lugansk village and Avdeevka, Donetsk got bombarded again by "Grad" from the Russian Federation territory. Luhansk Thermal Power Station has stopped in Shchastya..
• Russia continues sending it’s troops and military equipment onto the territory of Ukraine. OSCE (Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe) detected advancement of military convoys on the occupied territory. Another "humanitarian" convoy preparing to cross the border unchecked.
• According to the "Right Cause" NGO in the Krasny Luch, armed forces of LNR (People's Republic of Luhansk) supported by Russian special forces and allied armed forces of "Don Cossacks" attacked each other. Previously, similar situation happened in Anthracite and Stakhanov, also under the control of "Don Cossacks". LNR (People's Republic of Luhansk) militants detained leader of the "Cossacks" gang Kozitsin.
• Military aid from Canada, sent to Ukraine includes devices for demining, secure communication, night vision devices, field medicine and winter clothes.
• According to the UN, 4356 people have died in Donbass since the conflict began and more than 10 thousand were injured.

Ukraine and the World

• NATO's Secretary General Stoltenberg, said that Ukraine has every right to make their own choice about joining the Alliance. He called Russia's demand for Ukraine to guarantee to not join NATO that is encroachment on the sovereignty of Ukraine. According to Stoltenberg, there is no military solution to end conflict in Ukraine. Stoltenberg urged Russia to fulfill Minsk Agreement and withdraw its troops from the territory of Ukraine. NATO does not want the Cold War with Russia, that the decision is entirely up to Moscow.
• According to the future Head of the European Parliament, Russia has turned from EU's partner into a strategic problem due to Russia's encroachment on the sovereignty of the Ukraine.
• Parliamentary Secretary of the Minister of Defence of Canada, James Bezan, said that his country supported the initiative of Ukraine to join NATO.
• World Trade Organization has adopted an agreement to simplify it's regulations estimating to increase world trade by $ 1 trillion a year.

Trends

• Verkhovna Rada continues trading Minister Cabinets and operates as if in time of peace.