11/13/2015 Ukraine: Daily Highlights - Bloody terrorist attacks in Paris

 Bloody terrorist attacks in Paris

11.13.2015 Daily Highlights by the Digests & Analytics Ukraine Agency

Topics from Media and Social Networks

• Bloody terrorist attacks in Paris.
• Ukraine has completed the restructuring of a part of its state debt.
• Ukrainian helicopter with illegal migrants fell in Slovakia.
• Explosions in Uzhgorod are investigated as a terrorist attack.
• Yarosh said that he remains the commander of the Volunteer Corps of the Right Sector.

Key Events in Ukraine

• Ukrenergo reported that electricity imports from Russia were stopped. Energy Minister Demchyshyn plans to extend the contract with Russia for the supply of electricity to the occupied Crimea and to continue imports from Russia.
• Naftogaz Head Kobolev said the current residential gas tariffs will be effective until April 2016.
• Ministry of Finance announced it has completed the restructuring of the Eurobonds worth $15 billion that were converted into new state derivative debt liabilities.
• The IMF forecasted the decline of Ukrainian economy by 9% in 2015 and predicted the growth of 2% in the next year.
• The official rate of hryvnia resumed its gradual decline: 23.06 ₴/$ (+0.14 UAH), 24.82 ₴/€ (+0.24 UAH), 3.46 ₴/10 ₽ (-0.04 UAH) .

Ukraine at War

• Militants continue to actively attack the positions of the Ukrainian army along the entire line of contact in Donbas. The headquarters of the antiterrorist operation reported of one killed and three wounded Ukrainian soldiers. Two civilians were blown up by a land mine in Maryinka. Head of the OSCE monitoring mission Apakan criticized the violations by the parties of the conflict of the ceasefire in Donbas. Intelligence reports about the concentration of Russian terrorist forces in several directions and the continued relocation of heavy equipment and fuel to the front line. They are increasingly using mortars, artillery and armored vehicles during fighting.

Ukraine and the World

• In Paris, over 150 people were killed and several hundred wounded during terrorist attacks. Police shot down the terrorists, while some of them blew themselves up with "shahid belts". The Islamic State took the responsibility for the attacks. President Hollande introduced a state of emergency  in Paris. World leaders were shocked by the events in France and called to respond to the terrorist threat. In France, residents set fire to a refugee camp, almost all European countries closed their borders.
• The EU launched a pass-through system of railway corridors from south to north and from west to east. Ukraine has access to the system through its checkpoint at Chop, but is not involved in the project.
• US Secretary of the Treasury Lew stated following the meeting with Prime Minister Yatsenyuk and Finance Minister Yaresko that the United States support Ukraine, are satisfied with the ongoing reforms and are ready to provide additional loan guarantees.
• Foreign Minister Klimkin said that visa-free travel can be granted to Ukraine within two to three months following the decision of the Council of Europe. He expresed hope that on December 15, the European Commission will take a positive decision on the results of Ukraine’s implementation of its commitments.
• European Commissioner for Trade Malmström said that the EU had no plans to increase Ukraine’s quota after the introduction of the Free Trade Area on January 1, 2016.

The Trends

• Ukrainian experts suggest that the policy of "double standards" pursued by the European leaders in respect of the terrorists in Donbas has eventually led to terrorist attacks in Europe: first, at the premises of "Charlie Hebdo," and November 13 in several locations in Paris. On November 14 and 15, the G20 summit will be held in Antalya, Turkey, dedicated inter alia to the fight against terrorism. Russian media launched a campaign on "joint fight against the world's major threat." Such activities may indicate that the attack was a planned provocation aimed at returning Russia to the club of the world leaders under the guise of "common goals". Some analysts believe that before the US presidential election, any radical steps against Russia are unlikely to be taken, of which Russian President Putin is taking advantage. According to some observers, terrorist attacks in Europe and Beirut may be aimed at diverting the world’s attention from Putin’s activities in Ukraine.
• Secretary of the Judicial Chamber on Administrative Cases of the Supreme Court of Ukraine Kryvenko replaced the judge of the Constitutional Court Bryntsev. Media reports that he is the protege of the former CEC Chairman Kivalov, who falsified presidential elections in 2004. The examination of the motion for recusal of the judges of the Constitutional Court considering the lustration law who helped former President Yanukovych to usurp the power will be continued.