06/29/2015 Ukraine: Daily Highlights - Canada imposed additional sanctions against Russia and the Crimea

Canada imposed additional sanctions against Russia and the Crimea

06.28.2015 Daily Highlights by the Digests & Analytics Ukraine News Agency

Topics from Media and Social Networks

• Canada imposed additional sanctions against Russia and the Crimea.
• The President of the Venice Commission insists on early introduction of changes to the Constitution of Ukraine.
• Swarms of locusts attacking Russia.
• The Greek financial crisis distracts Europe’s attention from Ukrainian problems.

Key Events In Ukraine

• President Poroshenko signed a decree on appointment of Vovk a Chairman of the National Commission for regulation in the field of energy and utilities (NKREKU).

Ukraine at War

• Fighting in the Donbass does not stop. The positions of the Ukrainian army were shelled and attacked by the militants, using heavy artillery and MLRS, ten times. According to the official reports, five soldiers were wounded.

Ukraine and the World

• The President of the Venice Commission said that it is necessary to introduce changes to the Constitution of Ukraine as soon as possible in order to adopt them before the local elections. He pointed out  that the political reform is the part of the Minsk Agreements.
• The Government of Canada introduced additional sanctions against Russia. The list of companies under sanctions includes "Gazprom", "Gazpromneft", "Surgutneftegaz" and "Transneft". In addition, any transactions with the occupied Crimea are prohibited.
• Russian Prime Minister Medvedev signed a decree on granting a discount for the natural gas for Ukraine in the third quarter of 2015. The natural gas selling price remains at the level of the 2nd quarter - $247 per 1000 m3. Russian natural gas should be cheaper, taking into account the drop in oil prices.
• The financial crisis in Greece is gaining momentum. European Central Bank  refused to grant multi-billion loan to the Bank of Greece due to the massive withdrawal of funds from the accounts by the inhabitants of the country. Standard & Poor's Rating Agency lowered the sovereign rating of Greece to the default level of CCC with a negative forecast. Agency analysts estimate the probability of Greece withdrawal from the Eurozone as fifty-fifty. The Euro rate continues to fall against the background of the events in Greece.

The Trends

• Nonpublic agreements of the European leaders with the Ukrainian authorities on linking the introduction of the amendments to the Constitution of Ukraine to the Minsk agreements, under which the occupied territories of Donbass should be granted a special status, were revealed by the President of the Venice Commission. Europe is in a hurry to freeze the conflict in eastern Ukraine against the background of serious problems in the Eurozone.
• Within the conditions of absence of active hostilities, alcohol abuse becomes the biggest problem for the military units at the forefront, and this leads to unnecessary losses and reduction of the combat capability of the units.