Crisis in Ukraine: Daily Briefing
20 September 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 attacked a Ukrainian position at Novozvanivka. Ukrainian forces repelled the attack. Russian-terrorist forces fired on Ukrainian positions at Novooleksandrivka. Towards Donetsk, Russian-terrorist forces shelled Ukrainian positions at Avdiyivka with mortars. Russian-terrorist forces fired on Ukrainian positions near Horlivka and Novoselivka. Towards Mariupol, Russian-terrorist forces fired on Ukrainian positions at Maryinka, Shyrokyne and Pavlopil. The RNBO reported that in the last 24 hours, no Ukrainian soldiers were killed, and three Ukrainian soldiers were wounded.
2. Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement tabled in Canada’s Parliament
On 19 September, the Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement (CUFTA), signed in Kyiv on 11 July, 2016, was tabled in Canada’s House of Commons.
3. Statement by Ukraine’s Parliament on Non-Regcognition of Results of Election to Russian Parliament
Ukraine’s Parliament (Verkhovna Rada) adopted a Statement on the Non-Recognition of Legitimacy of Election to the State Duman of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, which states, “Taking into consideration the fact of conducting illegal election to the State Duma in temporarily occupied territories of the Russia-annexed Crimea and the city of Sevastopol on September 18, 2016, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine states: Ukraine is a sovereign and independent, democratic, social and legal state, whose territory is integral and inviolable within its internationally recognized borders. […] [T]aking into consideration the illegal election in the temporarily occupied territories of the Russia-annexed Crimea and the city of Sevastopol on September 18, 2016, election to the State Duma of VII convocation violates the Constitution and legislation of Ukraine, major principles and terms of the international law, Charter of the United Nations, Helsinki Final Act, Budapest Memorandum of 1994, Resolution of the United Nations General Assembly on territorial integrity of Ukraine No. 68/262 of March 27, 2014 and other international legal acts. Besides, it stands to mention that the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation consists of 450 members elected under combined election system. In the occupied territory, Russia elected 225 MPs on its federal district and 4 MPs on single mandate constituencies, which makes 229 parliamentary members, which in turn is the majority of the constitutional composition of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation. It means that all these MPs are elected in an illegitimate way and that results of the election are null and void. Thus, in compliance with the major principle of the law – Jus ex injuria non oritur, which stands for ‘law does not arise from injustice’, the election to the State Duma of VII convocation, its results and legal consequences, and respectively, the composition, authorities, acts and decisions of the State Duma of VII convocation are illegitimate, which in turn entails the illegitimacy of the whole Lower Chamber of the Russian Parliament. The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine: […] – does not recognize lawful the election to the State Duma of VII convocation its results and legal consequences, and respectively, the composition, authorities, acts and decisions of the State Duma of VII convocation; – addresses the UN Security Council and the UN General Assembly, parliaments of foreign states, parliamentary assemblies and international organizations with a request not to recognize legitimacy of the election to the State Duma of VII convocation, its results and legal consequences, and respectively, the composition, authorities, acts and decisions of the State Duma of VII convocation.” The full statement is available at http://iportal.rada.gov.ua/en/
4. Ukraine’s President meets with US Democratic Party Presidential Nominee
Ukraine’s President P. Poroshenko met with US Democratic Party Presidential Candidate H. Clinton. President Poroshenko’s press service reported, “The Ukrainian Head of State emphasized that Ukraine today fights for freedom and democratic values, which unite the whole democratic world. The interlocutors agreed that consolidated Transatlantic unity and solidarity with Ukraine is important in resisting the Russian aggression. It was also noted on the effectiveness of sanction policy against Russia. Petro Poroshenko thanked Hillary Clinton for continuous and firm supportive stance on Ukraine. The U.S. Presidential candidate also highlighted the important progress Ukraine has recently made on reforms and her support for those continued steps.”
