EU FAC Decisions on Ukraine.

Posted on 14 April 2014 by redaksiyon

USA: 10 More False Claims About Ukraine !!

Lavrov Blasts US, EU Attempts to Blame Russia for Ukraine Crisis

Kiev’den BM’ye ortak oprerasyon çağrısı

Petrol ve doğalgaz Türkiye üzerinden geçmeyebilir

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Council conclusions on Ukraine

The Council adopted the following conclusions:

“1. The European Union condemns actions undertaken by armed individuals in cities of Eastern Ukraine. These attempts at destabilising Ukraine must come to an end. The Council calls on all parties to engage in a dialogue in view of a peaceful solution. The Council decides on expanding the list of those subject to assets freeze and visa ban.

The Council reiterates its strong support for Ukraine’s unity, sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, and calls upon Russia to do likewise and to repudiate the latest lawless acts in Eastern Ukraine and to contribute to stabilize the situation. It demands Russia to call back its troops from the Ukrainian border and immediately withdraw the mandate of the Federation Council to use force on Ukrainian soil. Any threat or use of force against Ukraine or any other countries is not acceptable and must stop immediately. The EU calls on all parties to keep utmost restraint and commends the Ukrainian authorities for pursuing their law and order operations in a measured manner and encourages the government in Kyiv to contribute further to reducing tensions.

2. The EU reiterates its strong condemnation of the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol to the Russian Federation and will not recognise it. The EU welcomes the adoption of the resolution of the United Nations General Assembly No. 68/262. The Council looks forward to the Commission’s evaluation of the legal consequences of the annexation of Crimea and to the related proposals for economic, trade and financial restrictions regarding Crimea.

3. The EU reiterates the importance of Russia’s and Ukraine’s engagement in a meaningful dialogue, including through the establishment of a multilateral mechanism, with a view to finding a political solution, based on full respect for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, including the right of Ukraine to decide on its own constitution and political future. The European Union is ready to participate in such an international mechanism. In this context, the Council welcomes the forthcoming meeting with the participation of the High Representative and Foreign Ministers of Ukraine, Russia and the US, as a possible start of a substantial de-escalation process. The Council expresses the view that possible options in order to stabilise the economic situation in Ukraine could also be discussed at this upcoming meeting. The Council calls on the Russian Federation to demonstrate with supportive measures its readiness to participate in stabilising the Ukrainian economy.

4. The Council supports the work already undertaken by the OSCE Monitoring Mission, which is of utmost importance in monitoring developments in Ukraine and will continue to provide its support to this mission. The Council shares the concerns expressed by representatives of the OSCE and the Council of Europe about current restrictions on their ability to observe the situation in the area of human rights, including of persons belonging to national minorities, in Crimea.

5. The Council is ready to assist Ukraine in the field of civilian security sector reform, support of police and rule of law. In this regard the Council tasks the EEAS to deploy an expert mission to prepare for appropriate assistance complementary with other on-going efforts and elaborate a Political Framework for Crisis Approach (PFCA), examining all options, including through a possible CSDP mission, with a view to a decision on further EU action at its next meeting.

6. The Council recalls that any further steps by the Russian Federation to destabilise the situation in Ukraine would lead to additional and far reaching consequences for relations in a broad range of economic areas between the European Union and its Member States, on the one hand, and the Russian Federation, on the other hand. In this respect, the Council notes that the preparatory work by the Commission and Member States is underway on possible targeted measures, as requested by the European Council in March so that further steps can be taken should events require.

7. The Council encourages Ukraine to continue to move ahead with its course of political reforms, as planned and announced by the Ukrainian Government, including notably the constitutional reform. The EU welcomes the will of the Ukrainian government to implement its commitments to ensure the representative nature and inclusiveness of governmental structures, reflecting regional diversity, to ensure the full protection of the rights of persons belonging to national minorities, to investigate all human rights violations and acts of violence and to fight extremism. In this context, the Council welcomes the inauguration of the International Advisory Panel of the Council of Europe on 9 April.

The Council welcomes the recent parliamentary resolution calling for the immediate disarmament of all illegal self-defence forces and looks forward to its implementation. The Council strongly supports the holding of free and fair Presidential elections on 25 May. The EU Member States will actively participate in the OSCE observation mission. The EU and its Member States stand ready to assist the Ukrainian government in building trust across the country.

8. The Council reiterates the EU’s commitment to sign the remaining provisions of the Association Agreement, including the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area, as soon as possible after the presidential elections on 25 May. The Council adopted today the Regulation on the reduction or elimination of customs duties on goods originating in Ukraine, which will represent a meaningful support measure to Ukraine until 1 November 2014, pending signature and provisional application of the DCFTA.

9. The Council reiterates its commitment to stand by Ukraine and to provide strong financial support to its economic and financial stabilisation, recalling the critical importance of IMF support and welcoming the staff level agreement reached between the IMF and the Ukrainian authorities on 27 March. The Council looks forward to the decision of the IMF Executive Board on a new Stand-By Arrangement. The Council adopted today the Decision on the macro-financial assistance for Ukraine establishing clear conditions for its future disbursement. This will bring the total amount to EUR 1.6 billion.

10. The Council welcomes the creation of the Support Group for Ukraine which will work on the implementation of the “European Agenda for reform”. At the same time, the Council recalls the importance for Ukraine to swiftly implement an ambitious set of structural reforms, including the fight against corruption, public finance management and budget transparency. The EU calls on all interested parties to contribute to the further stabilisation and development of Ukraine.

11. The Council confirms the EU’s readiness to explore ways to assist Ukraine in securing its energy supply through further diversification, including through the rapid enhancement of reverse flow capacities, enhanced energy efficiency, and effective interconnections with and within the European Union. Such assistance must be combined with Ukraine’s efforts to reform and modernise its energy sector, in line with Ukraine’s commitments in the Energy Community Treaty.

The Council takes note of the letter of President Putin of 10 April to several EU Member States. The Council asks the European Commission to reply, on the basis of consultations with Member States, to the President of the Russian Federation on behalf of EU and its Member States, in order to agree on consultations with Russia and Ukraine with a view to ensuring security of supply and transit.

The Council expresses deep concern regarding the unilateral increase of gas prices applied to Ukraine and expresses a firm conviction that all differences of views on the price and conditions of gas supplies should be solved through negotiations and available legal mechanisms, with a view to stabilising the economic situation in Ukraine. Energy relations must be based on reciprocity, transparency, fairness, non-discrimination, openness to competition and continued cooperation to ensure a level playing field for the safe and secure supply of energy.

Georgia and the Republic of Moldova

12. Acknowledging the efforts and achievements of the Republic of Moldova in that respect, the Council welcomes the Regulation 259/2014 of 3 April 2014 on the visa-free travel for the citizens of the Republic of Moldova holding biometric passports starting from 28 April 2014.

13. The European Union reaffirms its support for political association and economic integration with Georgia and the Republic of Moldova and looks forward to early signature of the Association Agreements, including Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Areas no later than June 2014. It recalls that such association and integration is compatible with enhanced relations of Georgia and the Republic of Moldova with all their partners. The European Union is confident that further deepening of EU-Georgia and EU-Republic of Moldova relations will have a positive impact on stability and socio-economic development, for the benefit of all the citizens of the two countries. The EU encourages Georgia and the Republic of Moldova to continue implementing reforms as part of their commitment to further strengthen the political association and economic integration with the EU.”

EU extends freeze of misappropriated Ukrainian state funds

The Council today reinforced EU sanctions focussed on the freezing and recovery of misappropriated Ukrainian state funds.

Today’s decision targets four additional persons identified as responsible for such misappropriation whose assets within the European Union will be frozen. This brings the total number of persons subject to an EU asset freeze in connection with embezzlement of Ukrainian public funds to 22.

The legal acts, including the list of persons subject to sanctions, will be published in tomorrow’s edition of the EU Official Journal.

For more information about EU restrictive measures and the effects of an asset freeze, See Factsheet.

L’UE étend le gel des fonds détournés appartenant à l’État ukrainien

Le Conseil a renforcé ce jour les sanctions de l’UE portant principalement sur le gel et la récupération de fonds détournés appartenant à l’État ukrainien.

Cette décision ajoute quatre noms à la liste des personnes identifiées comme étant responsables du détournement de ces fonds et dont les avoirs seront désormais gelés sur le territoire de l’Union européenne. Cela porte à vingt-deux le nombre total de personnes faisant l’objet du gel des avoirs institué par l’UE en liaison avec le détournement de fonds publics ukrainiens.

Les actes juridiques, y compris la liste des personnes frappées par des sanctions, seront publiés dans l’édition de demain du Journal officiel de l’Union européenne.

Pour en savoir plus sur les mesures restrictives appliquées par l’UE et sur les effets d’un gel des avoirs, voir la . fiche d’information

Council approves financial support and trade measures for Ukraine

The Council today (At a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council, without discussion.) approved two key measures amongst a package of proposals aimed at providing economic and financial support to Ukraine.

It adopted a decision providing up to €1bn in macro-financial assistance to Ukraine to support its economic stabilisation and its structural reform agenda, supplementing resources made available under a financial arrangement with the IMF (8346/14).

It also adopted a regulation granting unilateral trade preferences to Ukraine, providing for the temporary reduction or elimination of customs duties in accordance with a schedule of concessions set out in an annex to the EU-Ukraine association agreement (73/14).

The support package was announced by the Commission on 5 March in response to the unprecedented developments in Ukraine, and is intended to assist with the country’s political transition and encourage political and economic reforms. The package was endorsed by the European Council on 6 March.

Financial support

Approved under a fast-track procedure, the EU’s macro-financial assistance (MFA) will be provided in the form of loans with a maximum maturity of 15 years. It will contribute to covering Ukraine’s urgent balance�of�payments needs as identified in the government’s economic programme supported by the IMF.

The assistance will be conditional on the fulfilment of economic policy and financial conditions, focusing on structural reforms and sound public finances, to be laid down in a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to be agreed between the EU and Ukraine. The MFA will be made available for a period of one year starting from the entry into force of the MOU.
The MFA will be released in two instalments, unless exceptional circumstances require its disbursement in a single tranche. The release will be conditional on the implementation of measures foreseen in the MOU and in the IMF’s non-precautionary credit arrangement, as well as on Ukraine’s respect for effective democratic mechanisms, including a multi�party parliamentary system and the rule of law, and for human rights.

Disbursement of the EU assistance can take place as soon as the Ukrainian authorities and the IMF have agreed on an economic programme supported by a financing arrangement.

Today’s decision to provide loans of up to €1bn is additional to €610mn that was agreed in 2010 but is also conditional on the signature of an agreement between Ukraine and the IMF.
The Ukrainian economy has been in recession since the second half of 2012, with only one quarter of positive growth at the end of 2013, which was quickly reversed in the first two months of this year as a result of the deterioration of the political and security situation. The Ukrainian government lost access to international financial markets during 2013.

Trade measures

The regulation granting unilateral trade preferences is expected to enter into force on 23 April, the day following its scheduled publication in the Official Journal.
It will enable Ukraine to benefit from trade preferences without awaiting entry into force of a “deep and comprehensive” free trade area included in the EU-Ukraine association agreement. The regulation will apply until title IV of the association agreement enters into force or, where appropriate, is applied provisionally, and until 1 November 2014 at the latest.

The political provisions of the EU-Ukraine association agreement were signed in the margins of the European Council meeting on 20 and 21 March. The EU and its member states remain committed to signing the remainder of the agreement which, together with the political provisions, constitutes a single agreement.

According to the Commission, Ukrainian exporters can be expected to save almost €500mn annually in customs duties in the free trade area foreseen by the association agreement.
The EU accounts for about one third of Ukraine’s external trade. In 2012, the value of Ukrainian imports from the EU was €23.8bn while the value of its exports was €14.6bn.

Le Conseil approuve une assistance financière et des mesures commerciales en faveur de l’Ukraine

Le Conseil a approuvé ce jour (Lors d’une session du Conseil des affaires étrangères, sans débat.) deux mesures essentielles faisant partie d’un ensemble de propositions visant à apporter un soutien économique et financier à l’Ukraine.

Il a adopté une décision portant attribution d’une assistance macrofinancière d’un montant maximal d’1 milliard d’euros à l’Ukraine afin de soutenir la stabilisation de son économie et l’exécution de son programme de réformes structurelles, en complément des ressources mises à disposition au titre d’un accord financier avec le FMI (doc. 8346/14).

Il a également adopté un règlement accordant des préférences commerciales unilatérales à l’Ukraine, prévoyant la réduction ou l’élimination temporaire des droits de douane conformément à la liste de concessions figurant dans une annexe de l’accord d’association entre l’UE et l’Ukraine (doc. 73/14).

Ce train de mesures d’aide a été annoncé par la Commission le 5 mars, en réaction aux événements sans précédent qu’a connu l’Ukraine, et est destiné à aider le pays dans sa transition politique et à encourager la mise en œuvre de réformes politiques et économiques. Ce train de mesures a été approuvé par le Conseil européen le 6 mars.

Assistance financière

Approuvée dans le cadre d’une procédure accélérée, l’assistance macrofinancière de l’UE sera fournie à l’Ukraine sous la forme de prêts d’une durée maximale de quinze ans. Elle contribuera à couvrir les besoins urgents de la balance des paiements ukrainienne tels qu’ils sont recensés dans le programme économique du gouvernement bénéficiant du soutien du FMI.
Cette assistance sera subordonnée au respect de conditions de politique économique et de conditions financières, axées sur des réformes structurelles et des finances publiques saines, qui doivent être inscrites dans un protocole d’accord à arrêter par l’UE et l’Ukraine. L’assistance macrofinancière sera mise à disposition pour une durée d’un an à compter de l’entrée en vigueur du protocole d’accord.

L’assistance macrofinancière sera versée en deux tranches, à moins que des circonstances exceptionnelles n’exigent qu’elle soit mise à disposition en une seule tranche. Le versement sera subordonné à la mise en œuvre des mesures prévues dans le protocole d’accord et dans l’arrangement sur les crédits du FMI, qui n’est pas un arrangement de précaution, et au respect, par l’Ukraine, de mécanismes démocratiques effectifs reposant notamment sur le pluralisme parlementaire et l’État de droit, ainsi que des droits de l’homme.
Le versement de l’assistance de l’UE pourra intervenir dès que les autorités ukrainiennes et le FMI seront convenus d’un programme économique soutenu par un accord de financement.
La décision prise ce jour d’accorder des prêts d’un montant maximal d’1 milliard d’euros vient s’ajouter à celle, prise en 2010, de mettre à disposition 610 millions d’euros, mais est également subordonnée à la signature d’un accord entre l’Ukraine et le FMI.

L’économie ukrainienne est entrée en récession au second semestre 2012 et n’a connu une croissance positive qu’au dernier trimestre 2013; cette croissance est rapidement redevenue négative au cours des deux premiers mois de 2014, à la suite de la détérioration de la situation politique et sécuritaire. Le gouvernement ukrainien s’est vu privé de l’accès aux marchés financiers internationaux en 2013.

Mesures commerciales

Le règlement accordant des préférences commerciales unilatérales devrait entrer en vigueur le 23 avril, au lendemain de sa publication au Journal officiel.
Il permettra à l’Ukraine de bénéficier de préférences commerciales sans devoir attendre l’entrée en vigueur de la zone de libre-échange “approfondi et complet” prévue dans l’accord d’association UE-Ukraine. Il s’appliquera jusqu’à ce que l’accord d’association entre en vigueur ou soit appliqué à titre provisoire, et cessera en tout état de cause de s’appliquer le 1er novembre 2014.
Les chapitres politiques de l’accord d’association UE-Ukraine ont été signés en marge de la réunion du Conseil européen des 20 et 21 mars. L’UE et ses États membres restent déterminés à signer les autres chapitres de l’accord qui, conjointement avec les chapitres politiques, constituent un accord unique.

Selon la Commission, les exportateurs ukrainiens pourraient économiser près de 500 millions d’euros par an de droits de douane dans la zone de libre-échange prévue par l’accord d’association.
L’UE représente environ un tiers du commerce extérieur de l’Ukraine. En 2012, la valeur des importations ukrainiennes en provenance de l’UE s’élevait à 23,8 milliards d’euros, tandis que la valeur de ses exportations représentait 14,6 milliards d’euros.

Additional Assistance for Ukraine

Question: What additional assistance is the United States providing to Ukraine?

Answer: Today, April 14, the United States and Ukraine signed a loan guarantee agreement intended to unlock $1 billion in financing for the Government of Ukraine and bolster its ability to provide critical services as it implements necessary reforms, while protecting vulnerable Ukrainians from the impact of much-needed economic adjustments. The loan guarantee agreement was signed at the Department of Treasury by USAID Associate Administrator Mark Feierstein and Ukrainian Minister of Finance Oleksandr Shlapak. The United States is committed to helping Ukraine access international markets as quickly as possible.

We also are providing other forms of assistance to meet Ukraine’s most pressing needs and to help it enact the reforms needed to make its IMF program a success. This includes helping Ukraine carry out crucial economic reforms. We have sent Treasury Department and USAID technical advisors to work with Ukraine’s National Bank, Finance Ministry, and Deposit Guarantee Fund.

The United States is helping Ukraine recover stolen assets and reduce corruption. For example, we have sent a team of experts from the Treasury Department, Justice Department, and FBI to advise the Ukrainian government on how to investigate and collect evidence needed to recover stolen assets located abroad. The U.S. and UK will co-host a multilateral meeting April 29-30 to bring together Ukrainian officials and their counterparts from key financial center countries to coordinate on tracing stolen assets. USAID has advised the Ministry of Economic Development on recently passed amendments to the Public Procurement law, which promotes competition and transparency in tenders and is helping Ukraine meet requirements to become compliant with the Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative.

USAID and the State Department are providing over $11.4 million in assistance to promote free, fair, and peaceful elections on May 25. This will include support for domestic and international election observers, transparent and effective election administration, and voter education campaigns among other activities.

And we are helping Ukraine withstand politically motivated trade actions by Russia, including those linked to energy. For example, USAID is working with other donors to help reform the energy sector and improve energy efficiency.

On the security side, we have long-standing military-to-military cooperation with Ukraine. Our ongoing Foreign Military Financing and International Military and Education Programs have focused on supporting defense reforms, military professionalization, increasing the interoperability of Ukrainian forces, and expanding Ukraine’s deployable peacekeeping capabilities. We currently are working with Ukraine to determine its requirements across the security sector. Based on those requirements, we will review options for potential additional security assistance. On March 29, the United States delivered approximately 300,000 meals-ready-to-eat (MRE) rations to Ukraine. Source.

Russian Fiction the Sequel: 10 More False Claims About Ukraine

“No amount of propaganda can make right something that the world knows is wrong.”
– President Obama, March 26

Russia continues to spin a false and dangerous narrative to justify its illegal actions in Ukraine. The Russian propaganda machine continues to promote hate speech and incite violence by creating a false threat in Ukraine that does not exist. We would not be seeing the violence and sad events that we’ve witnessed this weekend without this relentless stream of disinformation and Russian provocateurs fostering unrest in eastern Ukraine. Here are 10 more false claims Russia is using to justify intervention in Ukraine, with the facts that these assertions ignore or distort.

1. Russia Claims: Russian agents are not active in Ukraine.

Fact: The Ukrainian Government has arrested more than a dozen suspected Russian intelligence agents in recent weeks, many of whom were armed at the time of arrest. In the first week of April 2014, the Government of Ukraine had information that Russian GRU officers were providing individuals in Kharkiv and Donetsk with advice and instructions on conducting protests, capturing and holding government buildings, seizing weapons from the government buildings’ armories, and redeploying for other violent actions. On April 12, armed pro-Russian militants seized government buildings in a coordinated and professional operation conducted in six cities in eastern Ukraine. Many were outfitted in bullet-proof vests, camouflage uniforms with insignia removed, and carrying Russian-designed weapons like AK-74s and Dragunovs. These armed units, some wearing black and orange St. George’s ribbons associated with Russian Victory Day celebrations, raised Russian and separatist flags over seized buildings and have called for referendums on secession and union with Russia. These operations are strikingly similar to those used against Ukrainian facilities during Russia’s illegal military intervention in Crimea in late February and its subsequent occupation.

2. Russia Claims: Pro-Russia demonstrations are comprised exclusively of Ukrainian citizens acting of their own volition, like the Maidan movement in Kyiv.

Fact: This is not the grassroots Ukrainian civic activism of the EuroMaidan movement, which grew from a handful of student protestors to hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians from all parts of the country and all walks of life. Russian internet sites openly are recruiting volunteers to travel from Russia to Ukraine and incite violence. There is evidence that many of these so-called “protesters” are paid for their participation in the violence and unrest. It is clear that these incidents are not spontaneous events, but rather part of a well-orchestrated Russian campaign of incitement, separatism, and sabotage of the Ukrainian state. Ukrainian authorities continue to arrest highly trained and well-equipped Russian provocateurs operating across the region.

3. Russia Claims: Separatist leaders in eastern Ukraine enjoy broad popular support.

Fact: The recent demonstrations in eastern Ukraine are not organic and lack wide support in the region. A large majority of Donetsk residents (65.7 percent) want to live in a united Ukraine and reject unification with Russia, according to public opinion polls conducted at the end of March by the Donetsk-based Institute of Social Research and Policy Analysis. Pro-Russian demonstrations in eastern Ukraine have been modest in size, especially compared with Maidan protests in these same cities in December, and they have gotten smaller as time has progressed.

4. Russia Claims: The situation in eastern Ukraine risks spiraling into civil war.

Fact: What is going on in eastern Ukraine would not be happening without Russian disinformation and provocateurs fostering unrest. It would not be happening if a large Russian military force were not massed on the border, destabilizing the situation through their overtly threatening presence. There simply have not been large-scale protests in the region. A small number of separatists have seized several government buildings in eastern cities like Donetsk, Luhansk, and Slovyansk, but they have failed to attract any significant popular support. Ukrainian authorities have shown remarkable restraint in their efforts to resolve the situation and only acted when provoked by armed militants and public safety was put at risk. Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) observers have reported that these incidents are very localized.

5. Russia Claims: Ukrainians in Donetsk rejected the illegitimate authorities in Kyiv and established the independent “People’s Republic of Donetsk.”

Fact: A broad and representative collection of civil society and non-governmental organizations in Donetsk categorically rejected the declaration of a “People’s Republic of Donetsk” by the small number of separatists occupying the regional administration building. These same organizations confirmed their support for the interim government and for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.

6. Russia Claims: Russia ordered a “partial drawdown” of troops from the Ukrainian border.

Fact: No evidence shows significant movement of Russian forces away from the Ukrainian border. One battalion is not enough. An estimated 35,000-40,000 Russian troops remain massed along the border, in addition to approximately 25,000 troops currently in Crimea.

7. Russia Claims: Ethnic Russians in Ukraine are under threat.

Fact: There are no credible reports of ethnic Russians facing threats in Ukraine. An International Republic Institute poll released April 5 found that 74 percent of the Russian-speaking population in the eastern and southern regions of Ukraine said they “were not under pressure or threat because of their language.” Meanwhile, in Crimea, the OSCE has raised urgent concerns for the safety of minority populations, especially ethnic Ukrainians, Crimean Tatars, and others. Sadly, the ethnic Russians most at risk are those who live in Russia and who oppose the authoritarian Putin regime. These Russians are harassed constantly and face years of imprisonment for speaking out against Putin’s regular abuses of power.

8. Russia Claims: Ukraine’s new government is led by radical nationalists and fascists.

Fact: The Ukrainian parliament (Rada) did not change in February. It is the same Rada that was elected by all Ukrainians, comprising all of the parties that existed prior to February’s events, including former president Yanukovych’s Party of Regions. The new government, approved by an overwhelming majority in the parliament — including many members of Yanukovych’s former party — is committed to protecting the rights of all Ukrainians, including those in Crimea.

9. Russia Claims: Ethnic minorities face persecution in Ukraine from the “fascist” government in Kyiv.

Fact: Leaders of Ukraine’s Jewish as well as German, Czech, and Hungarian communities have all publicly expressed their sense of safety under the new authorities in Kyiv. Moreover, many minority groups expressed fear of persecution in Russian-occupied Crimea, a concern OSCE observers in Ukraine have substantiated.

10. Russia Claims: Russia is not using energy and trade as weapons against Ukraine.

Fact: Following Russia’s illegal annexation and occupation of Crimea, Russia raised the price Ukraine pays for natural gas by 80 percent in the past two weeks. In addition, it is seeking more than $11 billion in back payments following its abrogation of the 2010 Kharkiv accords. Russia’s moves threaten to increase severely the economic pain faced by Ukrainian citizens and businesses. Additionally, Russia continues to restrict Ukrainian exports to Russia, which constitute a significant portion of Ukraine’s export economy. Source.

Evidence of Russian Support for Destabilization of Ukraine

On April 12, armed pro-Russian militants seized government buildings in a coordinated and professional operation conducted in six cities in eastern Ukraine. Many of the militants were outfitted in bullet-proof vests and camouflage uniforms with insignia removed and carrying Russian-origin weapons. These armed units, some wearing black and orange St. George’s ribbons associated with Russian Victory Day celebrations, have raised Russian and separatist flags over the buildings they seized, and called for referendums and union with Russia.

Even more so than the seizure of main government buildings in Ukrainian regional capitals Donetsk, Luhansk, and Kharkiv last weekend, these operations bear many similarities to those that were carried out in Crimea in late February and culminated in Russia’s illegal military intervention and purported annexation of Crimea. In the earlier Crimean case, highly organized, well-equipped, and professional forces wearing Russian military uniforms, balaclavas, and military gear without identifying insignia moved in first to take control of Crimean government and security facilities before being later replaced by regular Russian military forces.

In an indication that the April 12 operations were planned in advance, the takeovers have occurred simultaneously in multiple locations in eastern Ukraine: Donetsk, Slavyansk, Krasnyi Liman, Kramatorsk, Chervonoarmiysk, and Druzhkovka. There are reports that additional attempts to seize buildings in other eastern Ukrainian towns failed. Inconsistent with political, grassroots protests, these seizures bear the same defining features and tactics across diverse locations, including takeover of government administration buildings and security headquarters, seizure of weapons in the targeted buildings, forced removal of local officials, rapid establishment of roadblocks and barricades, attacks against communications towers, and deployment of well-organized forces. In Slavyansk, armed units have now also moved beyond the seized buildings to establish roadblocks and checkpoints in the nearby area.

The Ukrainian Government has reporting indicating that Russian intelligence officers are directly involved in orchestrating the activities of pro-Russian armed resistance groups in eastern Ukraine. In addition, the Ukrainian Government detained an individual who said that he was recruited by the Russian security services and instructed to carry out subversive operations in eastern and southern Ukraine, including seizing administrative buildings. All of this evidence undercuts the Russian Government’s claims that Ukraine is on the brink of “civil war.”

In each of these cases, independent media have been harassed and excluded from covering the seizures, while pro-Russian media were granted special access and used to broadcast the demands of these armed groups. There are also reports that the forces have taken journalists into custody, attacked at least one, and in one case fired weapons as a warning to other journalists.

The events of April 12 strongly suggest that in eastern Ukraine Russia is now using the same tactics that it used in Crimea in order to foment separatism, undermine Ukrainian sovereignty, and exercise control over its neighbor in contravention of Russia’s obligations under international law.

In the face of these provocations, the legitimate government of Ukraine in Kyiv continues to show restraint and has only used force when public safety was at risk and attempts to resolve the situation through dialogue failed. Prime Minister Yatsenyuk was in the region on Friday, April 11, to discuss the central government’s willingness to work with regions on decentralization – including such issues as local elections, local control of budgets and finances and education, and enshrining Russian as an official language – in advance of the May 25 presidential elections. Source.

Response at a Security Council Meeting on Ukraine

First, the United States has constantly called for de-escalation and urged restraint. That has been our consistent policy. Our consistent statements have made clear that military force is not the answer, and we have commended the Ukrainians, frankly, for enduring more than probably any country in the United Nations could or would endure without using force. So there have been no shortage of efforts at diplomacy.

Second point: it is not the United States that has escalated this situation. It is the Russian Federation.

Third, the reason – while we would like to place our faith in talks with the Russian Federation and the European Union, and Ukraine – it is hard to reconcile the behavior of the Russian Federation; the propaganda of the Russian Federation; the military actions of the Russian Federation, which range from the massing of 40,000 troops on the border to the subversive activities inside Ukraine – it is hard to reconcile those acts with this appeal for diplomacy and de-escalation – an appeal that we wish were, in fact, sincere.

Fourth, what is happening in eastern cities – a few times the representative of the Russian Federation has described as protests and demonstrations – I would refer back to my French colleague’s notation that these claims are claims that are rooted in some idea that the Internet does not exist, that people cannot see for themselves that these are not protests; these are not demonstrations; these are professional forces carrying weapons – Russian-made weapons, as it happens – carrying out sophisticated, coordinated military operations across a substantial number of eastern Ukrainian cities. These are not demonstrations; these are not protests. These are military operations.

Finally, the credibility of the Russian Federation has been gravely undermined. That said, we remain eager and wiling to talk about how to de-escalate the situation. It will require the Russian Federation to pull back its forces, which are ominously stationed and massed at the eastern Ukrainian border. It will require the Russian Federation to work to de-escalate the situation in light of the armed takeover of these buildings. And if, in fact, the Russian Federation is interested in peace; is interested in upholding its role as an enforcer of international peace and security, then it will engage quickly and with a wholly different degree of conviction, urgency, and truth than it has up to this point. Source.

OSCE monitors : Situation remains tense in eastern Ukraine.

Kyiv, 14 April 2014 – The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) assessed the security situation in the eastern Ukrainian cities of Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk and the town of Sloviansk as tense and evolving, based on its observations on Sunday, 13 April 2014.
As the monitors moved about the cities to gather information, they were able to listen to the concerns of the local population, often initially mistrustful, and explain to them the OSCE role and its broad participation of states including Russia and Ukraine.

A monitoring team that went to Sloviansk, following reports of an attempt by Ministry of Interior forces to regain the occupied police building, encountered multiple roadblocks before being permitted to enter the town by heavily armed masked men. They spoke with people on the streets, at the barricades surrounding the occupied police building and in the town’s hospital.

In the city of Donetsk, although the number of barricades at the occupied Oblast Administration Building and tents on Lenin Square did not appear to be increasing and no pedestrians were observed near the regional police headquarters, the monitors judged that the situation could deteriorate.

In Kharkiv the monitors noted a large police presence, with up to 600 protesters in Shevchenko Park and a different group of around 2,000 protesters, who moved to the City Administration Building in the mid-afternoon. City Mayor Gennady Kernes addressed the crowd, after an initial delay, calling for a stop to the blockade and negotiations.
In Luhansk the situation also remained tense, with up to 5,000 people in front of the Luhansk Security Service Building and more than 5,000 supporters in the neighbouring park.

Teams of OSCE monitors have been working in Donetsk, Kharkiv and Luhansk since the end of March. Their deployment follows the decision of the OSCE Permanent Council of 21 March to deploy the Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine for an initial period of six months. The mission consists initially of 100 civilian monitors, and can be expanded to 500 people. The Mission’s mandate covers the whole territory of Ukraine, but monitors are initially being deployed to Kherson, Odessa, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kharkiv, Donetsk, Dnepropetrovsk, Chernivtsi, Luhansk and Kyiv. Source.

All parties should refrain from violence and engage in negotiations

Strasbourg, 13.04.2014 – Reacting to the situation in Ukraine, Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland released the following statement:

“I am deeply concerned by reports of violent clashes in Ukraine today. I call on all parties in Ukraine to refrain from violence and to engage in political negotiations about the future of the nation. Ukraine’s international partners should support the country to find solutions leading to peace and stability.” Read also:International Advisory Panel on Ukraine investigations meets for the first time at the Council of Europe Ukraine and the Council of Europe — Source.

Toutes les parties devraient s’abstenir d’avoir recours à la violence et entamer des négociations

Strasbourg, 13.04.2014 – Réagissant à la situation en Ukraine, le Secrétaire Général Thorbjørn Jagland a fait la déclaration suivante :

« Je suis très inquiet des informations faisant état de violents affrontements en Ukraine aujourd’hui. J’appelle toutes les parties en Ukraine à s’abstenir d’avoir recours à la violence et à entamer des négociations politiques sur l’avenir de la nation. Les partenaires internationaux de l’Ukraine doivent aider le pays à trouver des solutions conduisant à la paix et à la stabilité ». Voir aussi : Le Groupe consultatif international sur les enquêtes en Ukraine se réunit pour la première fois au Conseil de l’Europe L’Ukraine et le Conseil de l’Europe — Source.

Triumph of the Ill – Ukraine Coup Leaders Turn on People

By Michael Collins – The Ukrainian protester installed government is sending troops to the Eastern Ukraine to attack demonstrators for occupying buildings; exactly what the pro US-NATO protesters did last month. Of course, Secretary of State John Kerry is scolding the Russians not to intervene. Russia is supposed to stand pat and watch the mayhem.

As far as Secretary of State Kerry is concerned:
· It’s all right for anti Russian protesters to stage violent demonstrations and occupy buildings to protest the former Ukrainian government, but not all right for pro Russian Ukrainians to stage non violent demonstrations and occupy buildings to seek independence from the the current government.

· It’s all right for the United States to invade Iraq without any cause, but not all right for Russia to accept the Crimea’s non violent protests and super majority vote to return to Russia.

It’s all right for the United States to spend $5 billion to destabilize the government of the Ukraine in order to create an anti-Russian government, but not all right for Russia to resist. Full analysis.