02/09/2016 Ukraine: Daily Highlights - Poroshenko attended the ceremony of the oath taking by the NABU SWAT

Poroshenko attended the ceremony of the oath taking by the NABU SWAT

02.09.2016 Daily Highlights by the Digests & Analytics Ukraine

Topics from Media and Social Networks

• Poroshenko attended the ceremony of the oath taking by the NABU SWAT.
• Russia called Ukrainian proposals on restructuring of the "Yanukovych's debt" unacceptable.
• Ukrainian embassy in Syria evacuated to Lebanon.

Key Events in Ukraine

• President Poroshenko at the ceremony of the oath taking  by SWAT of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau, said that the agency is investigating more than 50 cases totaling about one billion hryvnia. Special unit is equipped with the newest weapons and armor.
  Minister of Economic Development Abromavicius told about interrogation of him by the NABU detectives as a witness in case of the interference of the President business partner and the presidential administration in the process of appointing of the leadership of the Ministry. Naftogaz dismissed executive director Pasishnik, involved in a corruption scandal, for the time of the NABU investigation. Former deputy head of the Poroshenko Bloc  Kononenko demands to conduct a face-to-face  confrontation with Abromavicius to clarify the facts of possible corruption.
• The Parliament Coalition Council meeting with the participation of Prime Minister Yatsenyuk was canceled due to the need for further consultations within the factions.
• Interior Minister Avakov rejected the possibility of his resignation. He said that he will not resign and will keep to carry out the unpopular reforms.
• The General Prosecutor’s Office stated that they established the  identities of the special forces members who were shootinig at the Maidan activits.
• Finance Minister Yaresko said that the Ministry started to prepare to form the budget for 2017 and to develop the draft of the three-year budgeting.
• The hryvnia exchange rate against dollar has not changed, the price of euro on world markets continues to increase: 25.94 ₴/$ (+0.07 UAH), 29.15 ₴/€ (+0.42 UAH), 3.30 ₴/10 ₽ (-0.07 UAH).

Ukraine at War

• According to official reports, there were no casualties among soldiers during the previous day due to shellings and attacks by the militants. The fighting took place in the vicinity of Donetsk and Horlivka, on the outskirts of Mariupol. According to the General Staff, the number of Russian troops and militants in the Donbass is about 34 thousand. The Ministry of Defence considers that the aggravation of the situation in the east is not an escalation of the conflict, but a means of pressure on Ukraine  before continuation of the Minsk negotiations. At the same time, NSDC Secretary Turchinov said that the purpose of the sudden  exercises of the Russian troops on the border with Ukraine is preparing for active operations against Ukraine.
• Russia refused to participate in the tripartite contact group negotiations , which are to be held on February 10.
• Head of the Donetsk military civilian administration Zhebrivskyi said that smuggling of the goods to the occupied territory is "protected" by the power structures officers.
• The "LPR" demands fom the OSCE mission a plan of  the territory patrolling.

Ukraine and the World

• The Russian Ministry of Finance has called  the conditions for restructuring of the "Yanukovych's debt", proposed by Ukraine, unacceptable.
• The IMF supported the  tax changes, adopted by the Ukrainian Parliament, and advises to carry out a comprehensive tax reform.
• The Ukrainian embassy in Syria, due to  the military operations in the country, was temporarily evacuated to Lebanon.
• Director of the US National Intelligence Clapper said that Russia's attempts to compete with the US and NATO could lead to an escalation of the new Cold War.

The Trends

• According to some analysts, the demonstrational presence of President Poroshenko at the meeting in the NABU may indicate his direct interference with the proceedings against his business partner Kononenko, former deputy head of the Bloc Poroshenko in the Parliament, whom Minister of Economic Development Abromavicius accused of the corruption pressure during the appointment of the key Ministry officials.