08/18/2015 Ukraine: Daily Highlights -Negotiations between Germany, France and Ukraine leaders on the Donbass crisis will be held on Ukraine’s Independence Day

Negotiations between Merkel, Hollands and Poroshenko on the Donbass crisis will be held on Ukraine’s Independence Day

08.18.2015 Daily Highlights by the Digests & Analytics Ukraine News Agency

Topics from Media and Social Networks

• Negotiations between Germany, France and Ukraine leaders on the Donbass crisis will be held on Ukraine’s Independence Day, August 24th.
• Sixth wave of partial mobilization failed.
• "UDAR" and "Poroshenko Blok" parties are going to unite.

Key Events in Ukraine

• President Poroshenko enacted the NSDC decision of 20 July. According to it, the Government has to take further steps to introduce visa-free regime between Ukraine and the EU, facilitate the reform of the General Prosecutor's Office and the Security Service in accordance with the standards of the European Union and  the creation of systems to fight illegal migration and money laundering.
• The Cabinet presented a bill to the Parliament, according to which a single register for persons liable for military service has to be created in the country .
• The Ministry of Social and Economic Development reported that based on the results of 2014, the losses of the largest state companies amounted to more than UAH 100 billion, so  to facilitate the burden on the state budget it is necessary to speed up their privatization.
• The National Communications Commission approved a plan for the implementation of a 4G (LTE) mobile network standard  . For its realization, it should be agreed with and approved by the government. The introduction of this  standard is scheduled for 2017.
• Coal production in Ukraine during the first six months of the year decreased by more than a half compared to the same period of last year. It caused a shortage of electricity supply in the power generation system, which should be replenished by the power purchases from Russia. Warehouses of power plants must contain at least 3 million tons of coal for a successive completion of the heating season. That’s why currently coal is being purchased from all possible suppliers, including the ones located on the occupied territories of the Donbass, where mines registered in Ukraine are working.
• The official hryvnia exchange rate is relatively stable: 22.09 UAH/USD (+0.07 UAH), 24.43 UAH/EUR (-0,01 UAH), 3.36 UAH/RUR 10.

Ukraine at War

• According to the official reports, the militants reduced the intensity of the shellings in the Donbass, but fighting with the use of heavy weapons and tanks does not stop in the outskirts of Donetsk. Avdiyika, Novotroitske, Shyrokino, Stanitsa Luhanska, Zaitseve and surroundings of Gorlovka were also shelled. One soldier was killed and one more was wounded. There are losses among civilians. The OSCE admitted that Sartana was shelled from the territory controlled by the militants.
• The US transferred to the Armed Forces a mobile military field hospital, which can be deployed within 24 hours. Medical assistance could be provided to 3 thousand wounded.
• The Ministry of Defense did not support the initiative of the official buy-out of military service, as this would violate the equality of citizens before the law. According to the official report of the Ministry, a mobilization plan during the sixth wave was fulfilled only by 60%, less than 10% of the recruits are volunteers, quarter of them are unemployed. During the campaign, it was unravelled that almost 27 thousand persons are evading the call-in.

Ukraine and the World

• The leaders of Germany, France and Ukraine agreed to meet on August 25 in Berlin regarding the sharp deterioration of the situation in the Donbass. According to French Foreign Minister Fabius, the hostilities should be stoped  and the weapons should be withdrawn from the front line, to hold local elections in the Donbass. Ukraine's Foreign Ministry believes that progress in the talks in Minsk depends solely on Russia, against which the additional sanctions may be introduced in the nearest time
• The Royal Bank of Scotland, the main shareholder of which is the British government, wraps up its activities in 25 countries out of 38. In particular, according to Bloomberg agency, the bank sells its assets in Russia worth $ 2.5 billion and closes the business.
• NATO, under the leadership of the  US, conducts in four countries of Europe the largest land exercises since the times of the Cold War - Swift Responce-2015, the purpose of which is to train the deployment of ultra-fast respond forces of the Alliance member countries.
• Belarusian President Lukashenko announced about strengthening of the state border with Ukraine in order to prevent illegal immigrants and arms from infiltration into the country because of the war in the Donbass.
• Following the successful agreement with the international creditors, the Fitch agency increased the long-term credit ratings of Greece and Greek state-owned companies to the level of CCC, which indicates that the risk for investments is still high and default is possible.

The Trends

• "Poroshenko Blok" and "UDAR" Party of Kiev mayor Klitschko are uniting in order to achieve victory in the local elections, but the number of Klitschko’s party members is not enough to fill the election quota, so most of the election list will make the candidats from the President Poroshenko’s party.