Crisis in Ukraine: Daily Briefing
3 July 2015, 8 PM Kyiv time
1. Russian Invasion of Ukraine
The National Security and Defense Council (RNBO) of Ukraine reported at 12:30 PMKyiv time that Russian-terrorist forces fired on Ukrainian positions near the Donetsk airport with tanks and mortars. Towards Mariupol, Russian-terrorist forces fired on Ukrainian positions near the Sopytne-Shyrokyne line with artillery and mortars. Towards Luhansk, Kremlin-backed terrorists fired on Ukrainian positions at Stanytsia Luhanska, Shchastya, Tryokhizbenka and Zolote. The RNBO reported that in the last 24 hours, no Ukrainian soldiers were killed and four were wounded
2. Savchenko’s defense team now has legal grounds to appeal to European Court of Human Rights
On 2 July, Nadiya Savchenko’s attorney, Ilya Novikov, stated that the Savchenko defense team now has the legal basis to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights, UNIAN news agency reported. On 1 July, a Moscow court of second instance refused her appeal for release. “For the first time, the Moscow city court acknowledged that Savchenko is a PACE delegate, but nevertheless refused to recognize her immunity [from prosecution]. Next week the records of this court hearing will go to the European Court of Human Rights,” Novikov stated. Savchenko was serving in eastern Ukraine, when abducted by Kremlin-backed terrorists in June 2014 and taken to Russia, where she has been illegally detained and imprisoned since that time. Russia has ignored repeated calls from the international community for her immediate release. Savchenko and her defense team have completed reviewing the “evidence” in the fabricated criminal case against her, and her trial may begin in the next weeks.
3. Ukraine and IMF reach staff-level agreement on first review of Extended Fund Facility
On 2 July, the IMF announced that a staff-level agreement was reached with Ukraine on a set of policies needed to complete the first review under the Extended Fund Facility Arrangement, subject to approval by IMF management and the Executive Board. The completion of the review would enable the disbursement to Ukraine of about $1.7 billion US, the IMF stated.
4. Malaysia to push for UN tribunal on shoot-down of Flight MH17
On 2 July, Malaysia told the UN Security Council that it plans to push for UN-backed tribunal to prosecute those responsible for the shoot-down of Flight MH-17, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) reported. Malaysia’s Ambassador to the UN stated that a draft statute on the proposed tribunal would be sent to the 15 members of the UN Security Council next week. The proposal was developed jointly by Malaysia, Australia, The Netherlands, Belgium and Ukraine.
5. President of European Parliament addresses Ukraine’s Parliament
M. Schulz, the President of European Parliament addressed Ukraine’s Parliament today. He stated, “When I look back at the last year and a half, I am appalled by all the suffering endured by the Ukrainian people. Never could I have imagined, seventy years after the end of the Second World War, 25 years after the fall of the Iron Curtain, that people in Europe would be denied the right to decide on their own destiny; that borders in Europe could again be redrawn by force; that the architecture of peace we had built together after the Cold War could come under attack; and that the maxim ‘might makes right’ could again take precedence over the rule of law. Yet, it happened. […] What happens in Ukraine concerns all Europeans. We cannot stand by and watch idly while the founding principles of the international community are being violated. We have agreed on rules for states to follow when dealing with each other. These rules apply to all. We cannot accept that bigger countries bully smaller ones to get their way, We cannot accept, that rules of international law apply to some but not all. […]In June the European Parliament condemned again Russia’s aggressive policy, including the information war and the economic pressure exercised against Ukraine and neighbouring countries. We clearly stated that a re-engagement with Moscow depends on Russia’s respect of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine, including Crimea.” Schulz and Ukraine’s Parliamentary Speaker V. Groysman signed a Memorandum of Understandng “On a Joint Framework for Parliamentary Support and Capacity Building,” available at:http://rada.gov.ua/uploads/
