Crisis in Ukraine: Daily Briefing
6 November 2015, 7 PM Kyiv time
- Russian Invasion of Ukraine
The National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (RNBO) reported at 12:30 PM Kyiv time that yesterday Russian-terrorist forces fired on Ukrainian positions west of occupied Donetsk with small arms, high-caliber machine guns, and grenade launchers. Two Ukrainian soldiers were wounded in a tripwire explosion near Zolote village. The press-center of the anti-terrorism operation (ATO) reported that today Russian-terrorist forces shelled Ukrainian positions at Krasnohorivka with 83-mm mortars.
- Foreign Ministers of Ukraine, Germany, France, Russia meet in Berlin
The Foreign Ministers of Ukraine, Germany, France and Russia met in Berlin today. The results of the meeting are unknown as of this writing.
- Ukrainian patrol police complete Canadian training course
Canada’s Ambassador to Ukraine Roman Waschuk presented certificates today to the graduates of the “Training course for patrol police instructors,” conducted by the RCMP and Canadian police officers. Over 40 instructors from Kyiv and Kyiv oblast were trained; they will now train patrol police officers throughout Ukraine. Ambassador Waschuk stated, “This is the first such training, but not the last. The patrol police is a successful project. For this reason, they [training] will continue, so that Ukrainian police will have the opportunity to gain the methodological experience that the Canadian police has,” Ukraine’s Ministry of Internal Affairs stated.
- Ukraine’s President speaks with US Vice President
On 5 November, Ukraine’s President P. Poroshenko spoke with US Vice President J Biden. The White House stated, “The two leaders also discussed the implementation of the Minsk agreements, and agreed that Russia and the separatists had to immediately fulfil President Putin’s pledge from the October 2 Normandy leaders’ meeting in Paris to grant full OSCE access to the entire territory of the Donbas. Regarding economic reforms, the Vice President reiterated the U.S. willingness to provide a third $1 billion loan guarantee to Ukraine contingent on continued Ukrainian progress to investigate and prosecute corruption and ensure that Ukraine’s tax reform is consistent with its IMF program.”
- Ukraine and US hold bilateral Defense Policy Consultations
Ukraine and the US held bilateral Defense Policy Consultations, focused on support for Ukraine during the current crisis, and longer term interoperability of Ukrainian forces with NATO forces. Following the Consultations, Acting US Assistant Secretary of Defense E. Slotkin stated, “Russia’s aggressive actions in Ukraine challenge our vision of a Europe whole, free, and at peace. And while the recent general reduction of violence in eastern Ukraine is positive, the United States remains committed, together with our allies, to maintaining pressure on Russia to fulfill all of its Minsk obligations. […] While the Minister [of Defense of Ukraine S. Poltorak] and I reviewed all of our ongoing security assistance programs, the focus of our discussion was on setting priorities for our bilateral security relationship going forward, and charting a course to meet them over the medium- to long-term, meaning in the next three to five years. We agreed to develop a bilateral partnership plan designed to help Ukraine build its defense capacity, deepen its Euro-Atlantic ties, and strengthen its institutions.”
