01/12/2016 Ukraine: Daily Highlights - US President Obama called Ukraine Russia’s "client state"

US President Obama called Ukraine Russia’s "client state"

01.12.2016 Daily Highlights by the Digests & Analytics Ukraine

Topics from Media and Social Networks

• US President Obama called Ukraine Russia’s  "client state".
• Media reported on the meeting of Russian special representative to the Minsk talks Gryzlov with President Poroshenko.
• Head of the National Police Dekanoidze refuted the Prosecutor’s Office message on re-certification of former "Berkut" special police forces employees .
• Activists blocked the warehouses of  "Megapolis" Company, a Russia's monopoly importer of tobacco products to Ukraine.
• The court arrested the pension accounts of Yanukovych and Azarov.

Key Events in Ukraine

• Prime Minister Yatsenyuk instructed the Government to start the process of refunding money to Japan, which was received by Ukraine in 2009-2010 from the sale of quotas for greenhouse gases emissions under the Kyoto Protocol.
• Head of the National Police Dekanoidze refuted the Prosecutor's Office on the re-certification of the former employees of the "Berkut" special police forces, who were announced a suspicion of involvement in the repressions against the Maidan activists.
• The miners of the "Lvivvugilya" state association,  protesting against еру unpaid wages, decided to stop blocking the Lviv – Rava-Russka international highway . The Prosecutor's Office started an investigation regarding  the facts of non-payment of miners wages for November and December. The strike of workers of the "Stepova" largest mine of the association  lasts from 2 January.
• The Department of Energy claimed that it has no plans  to import electricity from Russia in 2016.
• Naftogaz announced the resumption of natural gas purchases from Europe using the EBRD loan.
• In Ukraine, the growing number of SARS and flu cases is registered, including H1N1 strain, a particularly dangerous situation is observed in Kiev region.
• The official hryvnia exchange rate slightly strengthened: 23.27 ₴/$ (-0.24 UAH), 25.21 ₴/€ (-0.38 UAH), 3.04 ₴/10 ₽ (-0.05 UAH).

War

• During the day, the intensity of the militant shellings intensified, villages in the surrounding of ​​Donetsk and Horlivka, on the Mariupol direction and in the Luhansk region came under fire. The militants are using the small arms, mortars and heavy tanks. According to official reports, there were no losses among the soldiers.
• According to media reports, the decision to hold a seventh wave of partial mobilization is almost accepted. It will begin in late February till early March. It is planned to mobilize about 40 thousand people who should replace the military, mobilized last year during the fourth wave of mobilization.

Ukraine and the World

• President Obama for the last time in office appeared before the Congress with a State of the Union address. He said that the US must quickly move away from the "dirty energy", especially in areas, dependent on the fossil resources. According to him, Ukraine and Syria are gradually leaving the orbit of Russian influence. At the same time he called these countries Russia’s "client states". The US helps Ukraine not out of benevolence, but to support the American democracy. Obama asked the Congress to authorize the use of military force against the Islamic state. He said that the world does not solve important issues with China and Russia, but with the United States. The country is spending on the army more than the next eight countries combined.
• President Poroshenko said at a meeting with the ambassadors of foreign countries about the need to launch an international mechanism for de-occupation of the Crimea. He considers the  international presence necessary to end the conflict in the Donbass. Poroshenko called for continued international pressure on Russia, until it begins to respect the sovereignty of its neighbors. Ukraine sees its future in a united Europe.
• In Istanbul, in a suicide attack 11 people were killed, 8 of them were the citizens of Germany.
• According to Turkish President Erdogan, a dangerous course taken by the Russian Federation, has created a big problem not only for the Middle East region, but also for the whole world, and its steps against Syria and Ukraine have created serious obstacles in relations between Turkey and Russia. According to him, Russia is preparing to screate a new state in the northern part of Syria, so it is attacking the Turkmens in the area.
• Russia refused to extradite to Ukraine the son of leader of the Crimean Tatars Dzhemilev, who was convicted by the Russian court for the murder in 2013 on the territory of Crimea.
• In Germany and Finland, arsons and attacks on migrant detention centers were committed. In Cologne, about 200 participants of the New Year attack on women were detained . The police claimed that the riots in Cologne and other cities were guided from a single center.

The Trends

• Media reported that the Russian special representative at Minsk talks Gryzlov arrived in Ukraine on the personal invitation of President Poroshenko. Gryzlov is in the sanctions list of the EU and US due to his participation in the annexation of the Crimea and aggression against Ukraine.
• In Ukrainian society an irritation with the actions of the new police force is growing . In fact, the Ministry of Internal Affairs conducted reforms only on paper, most of the former police officers continue to work and even received a promotion, including employees of the "Berkut" special division, who  participated in the repressions against the Maidan activists.
• Deputy Head of presidential administration Filatov said at hearing on amendments to the Constitution regarding the reform of the judiciary in the Constitutional Court that the adoption by Ukraine of the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court in The Hague is postponed because of the war.