01/17/2016 Ukraine: Daily Highlights - The United States provided $23 million of military aid to Ukraine

The United States provided $23 million of military aid to Ukraine

01.17.2016 Daily Highlights by the Digests & Analytics Ukraine

Topics from Media and Social Networks

• The United States provided $23 million of military aid to Ukraine.
• Several highways are blocked due to weather conditions in Ukraine.
• Ukrainian biathletes won a competition in Germany.
• Heads of the Donetsk and Odessa Regional State Administrations exchanged heated arguments on Facebook.
• Corrupt judge Zvarych was released from jail after serving his sentence.

Key Events in Ukraine

• Prime Minister Yatsenyuk said that on April 1 all government departments and enterprises are to swithch to the electronic public procurement system ProZorro which, according to him, could save at least UAH5 billion. He announced that in 2016 Ukraine will buy medicines through the UN and the British Crown Agents agency to the total amount of UAH4 billion.
• Parliament speaker Groisman announed changes in the Government in the near future, adding that consultations are underway on the candidacies of the new ministers. According to him, the law on elections in Kryvyi Rih will be signed after the procedural claims are resolved.
• The weather conditions in Ukraine remains tense. Chairman of the Odessa Regional State Administration has decided to close the Odessa-Kyiv highway in both directions.

Ukraine at War

• According to official reports, in the past day there have been no casualties among Ukrainian soldiers. Militants have opened provocative fire from small arms and mortars near Donetsk, Horlivka and Mariupol.
• Ukrainian representative in the joint group for monitoring and coordinating fire said that sniper fire at OSCE vehicles was opened to provoke Ukrainian troops to return fire, which would have been regarded as the violation of the ceasefire.
• The United States provided military aid to Ukraine in the amount of $23 million, including secure radio systems and medical equipment to use at the frontline.
• Prosecutor General's Office will challenge the acquittal of the Mayor of Debaltseve accused of separatism.

Ukraine and the World

• Greek President Pavlopoulos accused the Turkish authorities of complicity with human traffickers ferrying refugees to Europe.
• The US imposed new sanctions on 11 Iranian and Chinese companies and individuals involved in the Iranian ballistic missile development program.
• After the lifting of Iranian oil embargo, Middle East stock exchange indexes fell sharply.
• US intelligence will investigate possible Russian financing of European political parties and forces that could have impact on the sanctions regime and the military-political programs in Europe and the United States.

The Trends

• Kremlin representative Gryzlov at the negotiations on the settlement of Donbas conflict confrmed that his task is to force Ukraine to reconcile the amendment to the Constitution and the law on the special status of the occupied territory with the militants. According to him, Russia is not a party to the conflict, implementation of the agreements has not reached a stalemate, and its aim is to give the parties to the conflict a new vision on the approaches to resolve it. Lithuanian President Grybauskaite believes that Russia is not complying with Minsk agreement, there the European sanctions against it should continue. According to her, there is no military solution to Donbas conflict.