Kerch confrontation puts Crimean crisis back in spotlight
"Manafort trial has Ukraine freshly nervous about Trump"
Tensions between Russia and Ukraine had been rising long before Sunday’s naval clash
Simon Tisdall
Tue 27 Nov 2018 00.34 AEDT Last modified on Tue 27 Nov 2018 11.30 AEDT
Russia and Ukraine are engaged in an escalating sanctions war. Photograph: Sergei Malgavko/Tass
The Kerch strait confrontation is a stark reminder of unfinished business between Russia and Ukraine .. https://www.theguardian.com/world/ukraine . Tensions have been rising in recent months, caused by tit-for-tat sanctions, upcoming elections, religious rivalries, unchecked human rights abuses and unexplained “terrorist” bombings.
Russia .. https://www.theguardian.com/world/russia .. denies hostile intent, claiming it seized three Ukrainian naval vessels only after they illegally entered its territorial waters and carried out “provocative actions”. The denial is in line with Moscow’s overall position that anti-Russian forces in Kiev are determined to prevent a peaceful settlement.
The two sides are engaged in an escalating sanctions war. Three weeks ago, Dmitry Medvedev, Russia’s prime minister, issued a decree .. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/01/world/europe/russia-ukraine-ties-sour-further-as-moscow-imposes-sanctions.html .. freezing the assets of 68 businesses and 322 individuals, including senior members of Ukraine’s government and the president’s son. The decree was intended to “counter Ukraine’s unfriendly activities towards Russian citizens and entities”, he said. Kiev enacted similar measures last summer.
The political situation is contributing to the instability. Presidential elections are due in Ukraine by March 2019 and the incumbent, Petro Poroshenko .. https://www.theguardian.com/world/petro-poroshenko , faces a tough re-election battle. Polls suggest Yulia Tymoshenko, a former prime minister, is the favourite to succeed him. Opponents believe Poroshenko could be tempted to play the security card to bolster his chances.
Senior clerics in Ukraine’s Orthodox church are meanwhile locked in a bitter struggle to break the grip of the Russian patriarchate, to which they have answered since 1686. The row, which has caused a historic schism between Moscow and Bartholomew I, archbishop of Constantinople and leader of the Eastern Orthodox church, has inflamed fierce passions .. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/oct/14/ukraine-archbishop-bartholomew-defies-moscow-church .. among the Ukrainian faithful.
The conflict in and around the Donbass region, between Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed militias and mercenaries, has never wholly ended despite numerous ceasefire attempts. In 2017, one Ukrainian soldier was reportedly killed every three days. In total, more than 10,000 people have died since 2014.
Crimea is held under tight Russian control. Moscow has cracked down hard on pro-Kiev activists, Muslim Tatars, civic groups, bloggers and independent journalists, and is responsible for torture, disappearances and detaining political prisoners, the UN and human rights groups say .. https://www.hrw.org/news/2017/11/14/crimea-persecution-crimean-tatars-intensifies .
Pressure on Russia and Ukraine to end the conflict has come from two main directions: the US and Germany. Donald Trump has controversially suggested American and EU sanctions imposed on Moscow in 2014 could be eased, thereby implying recognition of Crimea’s annexation. But in practice, his administration, Britain and Nato continue to support Kiev. In July, the Pentagon announced $200m (£156m) in military-related aid .. https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2018/07/20/pentagon-announces-200-million-in-aid-for-ukraine/ , taking total US assistance since 2014 to $1bn.
Russia Seizes Three Ukrainian Ships Near Annexed Crimea
The incident in the Black Sea reflects rising tensions between Moscow and Kiev around the Sea of Azov, which both countries have the right to use
Reuters Nov 25, 2018 10:01 PM [...] All three ships are reported to be back at the Crimean port of Kerch on Monday. A witness said that there are no signs of damage on the ships.
The United Nations Security Council is due to discuss the developments on Monday at the request of Russia, said Deputy Russian U.N. Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy. [...] In another sign of rising tensions, Russia's state-controlled RIA news agency reported on Sunday night that Ukrainian forces had started heavy shelling of residential areas in eastern Ukraine which is controlled by pro-Moscow separatists.
IT IS NOT KNOWN WHO RECOMMENDED MANAFORT TO TRUMP. [...] Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko alleged in a lawsuit that “Firtash used CMZ as a front in order to hide income illegally skimmed from his natural gas company RosUkrEnergo,” but a judge ultimately dismissed the suit. https://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=143585543
Manafort held secret talks with Assange in Ecuadorian embassy [...] Why Manafort sought out Assange in 2013 is unclear. During this period the veteran consultant was involved in black operations against Yanukovych’s chief political rival, Yulia Tymoshenko, whom Yanukovych had jailed. Manafort ran an extensive lobbying operation featuring European former politicians. https://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=145109190
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