04/16/2015 Ukraine: Daily Highlights - Murder of anti-Ukrainian journalist Buzina

Journalist Buzina

04/16/2014 Daily Highlights by Digests & Analytics Ukraine News Agency

Topics from the Media and Social Networks

• Murder of anti-Ukrainian journalist Buzina.
• Putin Q&A live  on Russian TV.
• Appiontment of the Head of the Anti-Corruption Bureau.
• The Constitutional Court was too afraid to cancel lustration law.
• Russia does not agree to restructure "credit of ex-president Yanukovych".

Key Events of Ukraine

• President Poroshenko approved the appointment of the former prosecutor Sytnik as a Head of the Anti-Corruption Bureau.
• Prime Minister Yatsenyuk said that the majority of the state-owned enterprises should be privatized in open competitions. He states that these companies are the source of corruptive enrichment of the political elites and do not provide budget revenue. It is planned to leave around 250 companies in state ownership. To appoint their management an open competitive selection will be held.
• The Constitutional Court has indefinitely postponed the consideration of conformity of the relevant laws on lustration of authorities with the Constitutional norms until the Verkhovna Rada amendments the law.
• Journalist Buzina, known for his anti-Ukrainian position and appearences on Russian TV channels with speeches against Ukraine was murdered in Kiev.
• The Ministry of Finance forecasts a budget surplus in the first quarter. According to experts, the result was achieved by almost two-fold devaluation of the hryvnia.
• The official rate of hryvnia against the major currencies has grown again: 21.45 UAH/USD (-0.33 UAH), 22.97 UAH/EUR (-0,07 UAH), 4.32 UAH/10 RUR (+0,01 UAH).

Ukraine at War

• Intense fighting took place in the Donetsk area - in Maryinka, Avdeyevka, Peski and Stanichno-Luhanskiy region. At least six Ukrainian soldiers were wounded.
• Russia continues to transfer heavy equipment, ammunition and contractors across the border. A concentration of tank and motorized formations, artillery and MLRS systems is recorded in Debaltseve.
• Dutch experts that resumed the search operation at the flight MH-17 airliner crash site in Torez found new remains of the victims.
• Security Services of Ukraine continues to disarm the subversive groups throughout Ukraine.  The participants of the so-called "People's Council of Bessarabia" were arrested in Odessa.

Ukraine and the World

• Russian President Putin patricipated in televised phone-in and answered the questions of Russian citizens. He considers the economic situation in Ukraine a disaster and claimed that Russia will seek to restore a relationship with it. Putin acknowledged that the welfare of Russia depends on the world oil prices. The imposing of the sanctions by the West is not directly related to the Ukrainian events, but he does not expect them to be lifted soon.
• French Foreign Minister confirmed that the decision to suspend the transfer of the Mistral class helicopter carrier remains in force because of the Russia's failure to fullfill the obligations under the Minsk Agreement. President Putin said that Russia will not demand penalties from France for non-delivery of ships.
• NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg stated that violence in the Donbass is growing again, ceasefire regime is being violated. He accused Russia of continued aggression against Ukraine.
• Russia does not agree to restructure the credit issued from the National Welfare Fund to Yanukovych regime during the Maidan events.
• The Russian authorities charged the Ukrainian film director Sentsov, detained in the Crimea, of creating a terrorist organization and illegal possession of weapons.
• World oil prices continue to grow, which according to experts is caused by China refueling and events in Yemen.

The Trends

• The experts unanimously connect the murder of journalist Buzina with the actions of the Kremlin. Russian President Putin during the press conference announced the information about the incident within a few minutes after the murder.
• Murder of the former Verkhovna Rada deputy Kalashnikov can also be used by Russia as an excuse to interfere with the internal affairs of Ukraine and create the informational background for the Russian audience. The US  Department of State called for an open investigation of these crimes.
• According to the Minister of Justice Petrenko and civil society activists who were preparing a law on lustration, the Constitutional Court has no right to consider the case with present members participating because criminal proceedings on the constitutional coup in favor of the former President Yanukovych were started against a number of them .