09/29/2015 Ukraine: Daily Highlights - At the talks in Minsk, a protocol on the withdrawal of weapons with the caliber of less than 100 mm and tanks was signed

A protocol on the withdrawal of weapons with the caliber of less than 100 mm was signed

09.29.2015 Daily Highlights by the Digests & Analytics Ukraine Agency

Topics from Media and Social Networks

• At the talks in Minsk, a protocol on the withdrawal of weapons with the caliber of less than 100 mm and tanks was signed.
• President Poroshenko at the UN General Assembly session proposed to reform the Security Council and to bring the peacekeepers in the Donbass.
• Savchenko rejected charges of murder of Russian journalists.

Key Events in Ukraine

• The Cabinet of Ministers extended the war participant status to family members of soldiers, volunteers and volunteer activists who died during the Anti-Terrorist Operation.
• The Ukrainian Government approved the concept of rural territories development, the implementation of which will last until 2025.
• Naftogaz of Ukraine in 2014 increased the net loss by 4.9 times - up to UAH 88.43 billion (about $4 billion).
• The official hryvnia exchange rate remains stable: 21,53 ₴ / $ (-0,06 UAH), 24,11 ₴ / €, 3,25 ₴ / 10 ₽ (-0,04 UAH).

Ukraine at War

• In the tripartite talks in Minsk on settlement of the situation in the Donbass was signed a protocol on the withdrawal of weapons with the caliber of less than 100 mm and tanks from the confrontation line. The process will have two stages and is to be supervised by the OSCE monitoring mission . The representatives of the self-proclaimed "republics"  did not sign the protocol.
• During the day in some areas of the demarcation line provocative attacks by militants were observed . No casualties were reported.
• Russian special forces troops captured during the battle near Schastye, are left in custody for another two months.

Ukraine and the World

• US President Obama approved the allocation of $ 20 million as assistance to Ukraine for the defense means and services , as well as military training.
• President Poroshenko at the UN General Assembly session called the events in the Donbass not a civil war, but a covert Russian aggression, undermining the world order at regional and global level. In just a few decades, Russia established around itself the "zone of instability." Now the "green men" are already present in Syria. Russia is using the right of veto in the Security Council in order to evade the responsibility for the crimes committed by its military and its puppet regimes. Therefore, Ukraine stands for the restriction of the right of veto for Russia. The UN Security Council needs modernization, including the increase of the number of its members. Poroshenko asked about putting of the peacekeeping forces into the  Donbass to implement the Minsk agreements. He suggested to adopt a Concept on the fight against terrorism at the session , which will become the basis for the International Criminal Court activities.
• US imposed sanctions against 35 individuals and groups supporting the Islamic state.
• France began the investigation into the crimes of President Assad in Syria. The Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia al-Dzhubeyr believes that Assad has only two options - to wait for the overthrow or to leave voluntarily.
• Ukrainian MP Savchenko at the trial in the Rostov region denied any involvement in the murder of journalists. Judges refused to check her testimony with the lie detector.
• At the meeting, President Poroshenko and US Vice President Biden agreed the position at the upcoming  "Normandy Four"meeting in Paris on October 2. Biden emphasized that the assistance to Ukraine is not connected to the events around Syria.
• Malaysia, Australia, the Netherlands, Belgium and Ukraine intend to bring to court the investigation of the MH-17 flight  airliner disaster and to punish those responsible for the deaths of 297 passengers and crew members, despite the opposition of Russia. An official presentation of the results of the  international investigation will be held on October 15 .
• According to the UN, since the beginning of the year more than half a million of illegal migrants penetrated into Europe .
• Naftogaz will increase the size of the claim to Gazprom in the Stockholm arbitration subsequent to the persistent underestimation of transit volumes.
• Russia imposed sanctions against five Ukrainian airlines. The list can be extended, if Ukraine imposes further restrictions against Russian air carriers.