December 17, 2015

12/16/2015 Ukraine: Daily Highlights - Archive of the "family" of former President Yanukovych was found

Archive of the "family" of former President Yanukovych was found
Archive of the "family" of former President Yanukovych was found

12.16.2015 Daily Highlights by the Digests & Analytics Ukraine Agency

Topics from Media and Social Networks

  • Archive of the "family" of former President Yanukovych was found.
  • Court banned the Communist Party in Ukraine.
  • Video of a scandal between Saakashvili and Avakov has been released.
  • A military medical volunteer Yana Zynevych was successfully operated in Israel.

Key Events in Ukraine

  • President Poroshenko estbalished an International Advisory Board made up of the head of the Presidential Administration Lozhkyn and authoritative foreign politics "to implement reforms in Ukraine basing on international best practices."
  • Public Council under the Ministry of Finance and the Committee of the Verkhovna Rada rejected the Government's draft of tax reform.
  • President Poroshenko signed laws on assistance to the families of the "Heavenly Hundred" and on the elimination of taxes on the imports of electric vehicles to Ukraine.
  • Kyiv District Administrative Court banned the Communist Party of Ukraine.
  • Minister of Social Policy Rozenko said that the draft budget allocated UAH35 billion for subsidies, and this figure may increase.
  • Agriculture Minister Pavlenko said that Ukraine has secured its food security, 61 million tons of grain have been harvested, and grain exports reached record levels.
  • The Government made a decision to suspend the movement of goods and trade with Crimea and other occupied territories (with the exception of humanitarian aid and personal belongings of citizens), which will enter into force within a month. Electricity supplies to these areas are subject to the NSDC decision.
  • Interior Ministry announced the discovery in a Kyiv apartment of a large archive of documents related to the activities of the family of former President Yanukovych and his entourage.
  • The official rate of hryvnia has not changed: 23.52 ₴/$ (+0.07 UAH), 25.71 ₴/€ (-0.06 UAH), 3.34 ₴/10 ₽ (+0.03 UAH).

Ukraine at War

  • The situation in the combat area in Donbas remained relatively stable, provocation of militants have been reported along the line of contact. Officials reported one dead and one injured as a result of a trip-wire explosion. Clashes were reported in near Donetsk Airport and in Artemivsk and Svetlodar axes.
  • The OSCE mission in Ukraine by March 2016 will be expanded to 1,300 employees, including 800 observers in the east of Ukraine.
  • Cabinet has approved the Annual National Programme of Ukraine-NATO cooperation (ANP).
  • Another point of passage to the occupied territory was opened in Maryinka, at the western exit from Donetsk.
  • The next Russian convoy of more than 100 trucks entered the territory of Ukraine.

Ukraine and the World

  • IMF acknowledged Ukraine's debt to Russia.
  • Russian President Putin suspended from January 1, 2016 the agreement on free trade area with Ukraine signed in 2011, as Ukraine's actions "affect the interests and the economic security of the Russian Federation."
  • Ukraine's Foreign Ministry demanded that Russia returns the drilling platforms and vessels belonging to Chornomornaftogaz, stops prospecting for natural resources in the territorial waters and the continental shelf of Ukraine, the rights to which are guaranteed by the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Russian and Ukrainian warships have been sent to Odessa and Golitsyn gas deposits, but no action has been taken.
  • President Poroshenko said before the summit of European leaders that the implementation of the Minsk Agreement would not be possible without the extension of sanctions against Russia, and spoke for the expansion of the EU's role in resolving the conflict in Donbas.
  • US Vice President Biden said that Turkey must immediately withdraw its troops from Iraqi Kurdistan, as foreign troops may only be deployed in Iraq with the government permission.
  • Russian court during the trial of Ukrainian MP Savchenko refused to accept as evidence the documents provided by the Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine.
  • Spokesman for the US Department of State Kirby, commenting on the statement made by Secretary of State Kerry at the talks in Moscow, said that the lifting of sactions against Russia in case it implements the Minsk Agreement does not mean that the issue of the annexation of Crimea has been removed from the agenda.
  • According to European Commission President Juncker, trilateral talks with Russia will be held December 21 on the introduction of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area between Ukraine and the European Union, which will be the last chance to reach an agreement with the Russian Federation. Poroshenko said that the introduction of the FTA could not be delayed.
  • The US Federal Reserve, for the first time in seven years, has raised the discount rate to 0.5%, which will have a significant impact on the international capital markets. According to economists, this indicates a recovery of the US economy.
  • Ukraine and Turkey have intensified negotiations on a free trade area.

The Trends


  • Some experts believe the acquisition by DTEK owned by oligarch Akhmetov of 88% of Ukraine’s electricity exporting capacity to be a threat to the country’s energy security.
  • Ukraine’s two largest internet providers Datagroup and Volya are negotiating for merger, which could result in the monopolization of the Internet services market.

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