Crisis in Ukraine: Daily Briefing
16 March 2016, 6 PM Kyiv time
1. Russian Invasion of Ukraine
The National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (RNBO) reported that yesterday towards Luhansk, Russian-terrorist forces fired on Ukrainian positions near Popasne. Towards Donetsk, Russian-terrorist forces shelled Ukrainian positions at Zaytseve and Avdiyivka with mortars. Russian-terrorist forces fired on Ukrainian positions at Nevelsk. Towards Mariupol, two clashes with Russian-terrorist forces took place near Novotroitske – Ukrainian forces repelled both attacks. Russian-terrorist forces fired on Ukrainian positions at Shyrokyne. The RNBO reported that in the last 24 hours, no Ukrainian soldiers were killed in action and six were wounded in action.
2. Statement by Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs on Second Anniversary of Illegal Annexation of Crimea
Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs S. Dion stated, “This month marks the second anniversary of Russia’s invasion and illegal annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula. Russian occupation and aggression has led to human rights violations, including unlawful seizure of property, harassment and restrictions on freedom of speech and assembly. Self-proclaimed ‘authorities’ use force and intimidation to foster a climate of intolerance where residents who express views contrary to those of Russia face discrimination and persecution. Canada is deeply concerned about this situation. Russia is displaying a blatant disregard for international law, including the European Convention on Human Rights. Russia’s actions continue to undermine peace and security in the region. Canada stands united with our international partners in support of Ukraine. We will continue working with partners to put pressure on Russia to honour its international commitments and obligations with respect to human rights and to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
3. Former US Ambassador to Ukraine: It is long past time for Obama Administration to send lethal defensive equipment to Ukraine
Former US Ambassador to Ukraine and Director of the Dinu Patriciu Eurasia Center at the Atlantic Council, J. Herbst testified yesterday before the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s hearing, “Ukrainian Reforms Two Years After the Maidan Revolution and the Russian Invasion,” Herbst stated, “Mr. Putin has not hidden his goal of changing the post-Cold War order in Europe-a vital threat to American interests. As part of his revanchist agenda, Mr. Putin has invoked his right and duty to protect ethnic Russians and even Russian speakers wherever they live-a principle he used to justify aggression in Georgia and then Ukraine. If emboldened, he could use that principle to intervene in Estonia or Latvia, where ethnic Russians total 25 percent of the population. We have an Article 5 obligation to protect our Baltic NATO allies in the face of Kremlin aggression. Therefore, it is in our interests that Moscow’s aggression in Ukraine fails. At an absolute minimum, we should make it as painful as possible for the Kremlin. With this in mind, we should be providing Ukraine with robust military support to the tune of at least $1 billion a year. We are providing some military training and some equipment and hardware, but more needs to be done. Most importantly, Ukraine needs more units of counter battery radar for long-range missiles. Last September, the Obama administration sent two such units to Ukraine. Washington should send an additional four to six units. It is also long past time for the Obama administration to send lethal defensive equipment to Ukraine. Russia has seized over 700 square kilometers of additional Ukrainian territory since the Minsk I ceasefire. Their most effective tactic for these offensive actions is the massing of tanks. According to military experts, if we had provided 25 Javelins to Ukraine by January of 2015, Ukrainian forces would have defeated Moscow’s Debaltseve offensive. Providing defensive lethal weapons would either persuade the Kremlin to stop seizing more Ukrainian territory or it would force Moscow to accept more casualties and to greatly escalate to secure territorial gains. But that would be politically risky for Mr. Putin because his public does not want its soldiers fighting in Ukraine and the Russian president has been hiding this fact from them. The bottom line is that providing such weaponry to Ukraine raises the cost of Moscow’s aggression and reduces the odds of Kremlin provocations against our Baltic allies.” Full testimonies from the hearing are available at http://www.foreign.senate.gov/
4. US State Department statement on Second Anniversary of Russia’s Attempted Annexation of Crimea
The US State Department stated, “Today, as Russia’s occupation of Crimea enters its third year, we reaffirm our commitment to a united, sovereign Ukraine. The United States does not recognize Russia’s ‘referendum’ of March 16, 2014 or its attempted annexation of Crimea, which violates international law. We remain deeply concerned by the situation in Russian-occupied Crimea, where occupation “authorities” suppress dissent and where ethnic and religious minorities — especially Crimean Tatars and ethnic Ukrainians — face serious and ongoing repression. Nongovernmental organizations and independent media are still being silenced or driven out, and international observers are still denied access to the peninsula. We will not accept the redrawing of borders by force in the 21st century. Sanctions related to Crimea will remain in place as long as the occupation continues. We again call on Russia to end that occupation and return Crimea to Ukraine.”
