12/20/2015 Ukraine: Daily Highlights - The European Parliament extends sanctions against Russia for another six months

The European Parliament extends sanctions against Russia for another six months

12.20.2015 Daily Highlights by the Digests & Analytics Ukraine Agency

Topics from Media and Social Networks

• The European Parliament extends sanctions against Russia for another six months.
• Head of the Odessa regional administration Saakashvili announced an Anti-Corruption Forum on December 23.

Key Events in Ukraine

• The head of the faction of Petro Poroshenko Bloc in the Verkhovna Rada Lutsenko said that reformatting of the Cabinet of Ministers is possible in March-April next year after the adoption of the program documents, receipt of international financial assistance and approval of the quarterly program of reforms.
• Head of Odessa Regional State Administration Saakashvili announced that the Anti-Corruption Forum will be held on December 23 in Kiev.
• Prime Minister Yatsenyuk is convinced that within the next week Parliament will adopt the Tax Code and the budget for next year. According to him the unity of the president, the government and the Verkhovna Rada needed to fight corruption and for deoligarhizatsion.
• Volunteer representatives of the Commissioner for Children's Rights will begin to work in the regions next year.

Ukraine at War

• Militants fired on the positions of Ukrainian army using heavy mortars and tanks about 70 times yesterday. No casualties recorded according to official reports.

Ukraine and the World

• The Council on Foreign Affairs of the United States believes that the level of threat of the war continuation in the Donbass decreased. Council considers the civil war in Syria, possible terrorist attacks with many victims in the US or allied countries, devastating cyber attacks on critical infrastructure, the crisis in relations with North Korea as the main challenges for the national security.
• European Commissioner for Foreign Affairs Mogherini stated that no interests will force Europe to soften sanctions against Russia until the full implementation of the Minsk Agreement. President Poroshenko in interview to "Inter" has announced that on December 21 the EU will extend the anti-Russian sanctions for another six months .

The Trends

• The decision to support the government's version of the tax code and budget developed on its basis has been adopted at the conciliation council of Verkhovna Rada. The head of the parliamentary budget committee Yuzhanina promoted the project, developed by the civil expert community, said that she would support "a compromise" option proposed by the government. Representatives of small and medium-sized businesses are ready for active protest and claim that the government's draft finally will drive the economy into "shadow".