08/03/2015 Ukraine: Daily Highlights - Nearly two-thirds of Ukrainians support the accession to NATO

Nearly two-thirds of Ukrainians support the accession to NATO

08.03.2015 Daily Highlights by the Digests & Analytics Ukraine News Agency

Topics from Media and Social Networks

• Nearly two-thirds of Ukrainians support the accession to NATO.
• Former Prime Minister Azarov created a "government-in-exile" in Moscow.
• Unknown people stormed the "Opposition Blok" office in Kharkov.
• On world markets the oil price fell below $ 50 per barrel.

Key Events in Ukraine

• The Central Election Commission finalized the victory of the President's party representative Berezenko in the election for the Chernihiv district.
• In Kharkov, a group of unknown persons stormed the office of the "Opposition Bloс", but they were forced back by the  police.
  Kharkov Territorial Department of Justice refused to register the regional branch of the "Opposition Bloc" therefore depriving it of the opportunity to participate in the local elections.
• According to the survey, conducted by the "Democratic Initiative" Fund together with the Razumkov Center, almost two thirds of the population of Ukraine support joining NATO.
• The balance on the single treasury account reached a historic high of UAH 33.27 billion ($ 1.57 billion), which is five times more than last year.
• The hryvnia exchange rate fell sharply after the weekend: 21.72 UAH/USD (+0.59 UAH), 23.78 UAH/EUR (+0,61 UAH), 3.48 UAH/RUR 10 (-0.02 UAH).

Ukraine at War

• Minsk hosts another round of talks of the contact group. The main issues that President Poroshenko wants to solve  are the withdrawal of all weapons (including tanks and mortars) and demilitarization of Shyrokino. Militants representatives refused to exchange 28 Ukrainian prisoners of war. The Ukrainian side reported that the militants blocked the delivery of the humanitarian aid to the occupied territory , except for the aid from the  Akhmetov Fund.
  Despite the declared by the militants withdrawal of the weapons, the tension increases in the Donbass. During the day, according to the official figures, four Ukrainian soldiers were  killed and 15 were wounded. The positions of the Ukrainian army and settlements were under attacks and shellings more than a hundred times. Fightings continue in the area of Donetsk - in Maryinka, Krasnogorivka, Opytne, Peski, Avdiyivka. Fights are intensifying in the area of Lugansk and the "M"sector  in the surounding of Mariupol. "Donbass" volunteer battalion states that the demilitarization of Shyrokino is a big mistake and is ready to strengthen the defense of the settlement, having returned to the position after the planned rotation.
• The OSCE observers recorded the presence of the Russian troops in one of the areas of the militants machinery location .

Ukraine and the World

• On the international markets, the price of the Dated Brent crude oil fell below the psychological mark of $ 50 per barrel and it continues to fall.
• Estonian Foreign Minister Kaljurand said that at the moment Russia does not constitute a military threat to NATO and the Alliance is ready for any scenario.
• Foreign Minister Klimkin said that there are 11 Ukrainian political prisoners kept in Russian prisons, some of them are not allowed to contact the Ukrainian consulate.
• Ambassador of Canada to Ukraine Vashchuk told that in case of further escalation of tension in the Donbass, Canada is prepared to provide an additional assistance, including lethal weapons.

The Trends

• Fuel and Energy Minister Demchishin said that Ukraine will be forced to buy coal in Russia, since the available fuel supplies are insufficient. At the meetings of the contact group in Minsk  the issue of restoration of railway communication for the supply of coal from the territory controlled by militants, was also discussed.
  According to Head of "Naftogaz" Kobolev, the company does not have enough money for the natural gas injection into underground storage facilities due to the lack of funding and low level of payments for the consumed natural gas.
• Former Prime Minister Azarov, put on the wanted list by the Ukrainian authorities, in Moscow announced about the establishment of the "Ukraine Rescue Committee", which, according to him, is to become a government-in-exile. According to experts, this indicates the preparation of Moscow to step up the actions against Ukraine.