More Than One Thousand Ceasefire Violations in Ukraine
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine reported 1,200 ceasefire violations last week, as fighting between the Ukrainian armed forces and separatists in the east continues (OSCE)
Ministers in Berlin to Discuss Ukraine Conflict
Foreign ministers from France, Germany, Russia, and Ukraine meeting today are expected to discuss deploying UN peacekeepers to eastern Ukraine (RFE/RL)
Countries to Hold Russia to Account for MH17 Crash
The Netherlands said it and Australia will seek to hold Moscow criminally liable for a missile attack that downed a Malaysia Airlines flight over Ukraine in 2014. A Dutch-led international probe determined the missile was fired by a Russian military brigade (RFE/RL)
MH17 Shot Down by Russian Missile, Investigators Say
The missile that downed a Malaysia Airlines flight over Ukraine in 2014 was fired by a Russian military brigade from the city of Kursk, according to an international probe. Moscow had denied involvement in the incident (Deutsche Welle)
Several Killed in Eastern Ukraine Flare-Up
At least seven people, including five civilians, were killed in a clash between government forces and separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine yesterday (Deutsche Welle)
EU Extends Sanctions on Russian Over Ukraine
The European Union extended sanctions against Russia for another six months over its annexation of Crimea in 2014 and its support to rebels the country’s eastern part. The sanctions included travel restrictions and asset freezes against 150 individuals and thirty-eight companies (Reuters)
U.S. State Department Approves Missile Sale to Ukraine
The U.S. State Department approved a proposed sale that will provide Ukraine with Javelin antitank missiles and associated launch units and hardware, as well as training, logistical, and technical assistance, in a deal worth about $47 million (RFE/RL)
Ukrainian Leader Says U.S. Weapons on the Way
President Petro Poroshenko said a first delivery of lethal defensive weapons from the United States is expected to arrive within weeks and will include anti-sniper devices, air defense equipment, and electronic warfare tools (RFE/RL)
Kyiv Passes Law on Reintegration of Eastern Ukraine
Ukraine’s parliament passed a law on defining areas seized by pro-Russian separatists as temporarily occupied by Russia and calling Russia an “aggressor” state. Moscow condemned the move, saying it could only be considered as preparation “for a new war” (BBC)
Break in Ukraine Fighting for Mass Prisoner Exchange
The Ukrainian military and Moscow-backed separatists paused fighting yesterday for the exchange of nearly three hundred prisoners in total, in the first prisoner swap between the two sides in fifteen months (BBC)
U.S. Approves License For Ukraine To Buy Light Weapons
The United States approved an export license for Ukraine to buy small arms from U.S. manufacturers, though it did not approve the sale of larger weapons, such as anti-tank missiles (Radio Free Europe)
War Escalates in Eastern Ukraine
Fighting in eastern Ukraine escalated sharply this week, with European observers and Western diplomats reporting the heaviest fighting in nearly a year after heavy artillery barrages broke out overnight yesterday (New York Times)
Tillerson Calls on Russia to Leave Ukraine
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, meeting with his Russian counterpart in Vienna to discuss a proposed international peacekeeping force in Ukraine, said that Washington will not ease sanctions on Russia until Moscow stops backing separatists in Ukraine and reverses its apparent annexation of Crimea (Washington Post)
Ukraine, Russia Agree to New Cease-Fire
Russia, France, Germany, and the United States have unanimously backed a Ukrainian proposal for a cease-fire in its eastern region. The deal is expected to take effect on at the start of Ukraine’s school year (Radio Free Europe)
U.S. Special Envoy to Ukraine Conflict to Meet with Russian Representative
The U.S. special envoy to the conflict in eastern Ukraine meets a Russian representative in Belarus (Radio Free Europe)
Pentagon and State Department Propose Arming Ukraine
The Pentagon and State Department have offered a plan that would provide Ukraine with defensive military equipment in order to deter Russia. The proposal requires White House approval (Wall Street Journal)
U.S. Envoy: United States Considering Sending Arms to Ukraine
The new U.S. envoy for ending the conflict in Ukraine, Kurt Volker, says the United States may send weapons to the Ukrainian government (Radio Free Europe)
Germany, France Urge Cease-Fire in Ukraine
France, Germany, Russia, and Ukraine have agreed on measures to reinforce a 2015 peace deal in Ukraine amid heightened conflict in the country’s east. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron warned of the potential for a “humanitarian catastrophe” and called for the withdrawal of all forces and heavy weaponry (Politico)
Ukrainian Separatists Claim to Establish New Country
The leader of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic announced the creation of a new country in Ukraine called Malorossiya in a move that may undermine the Minsk peace agreement (Washington Post)
Ukrainian Police Block Second Cyber Attack
The Ukrainian Interior Minister announced that cyber police blocked a second attack from the same source as the one that cripple Ukraine in late June (New York Times)
Trump Meets With Ukrainian President
President Trump met with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and discussed U.S. support for the resolution of the conflict in eastern Ukraine. Washington also announced increased sanctions on Russia related to its actions in Ukraine (BBC)
UN Human Rights Report Reveals High Death Toll From Ongoing Conflict in Ukraine
A United Nation report from February 16 to May 15, 2017, indicated a 48 percent increase in conflict-related civilian deaths and injuries compared to the previous reporting period, November 2016 to February 2017. A conservative estimate of the death toll is at 10,090 people since conflict in Ukraine erupted in April 2014 (United Nations)
Explosion Reported at U.S. Embassy in Kyiv
An explosive device went off at the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv but did not cause any casualties, Ukrainian police said. The United States called the event a “security incident” and said it caused no damage or disruption (Radio Free Europe)
United States Urges Russian Cooperation on Death in Ukraine
A U.S. citizen working with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) died in an area of Ukraine controlled by Russian-backed separatists when the monitoring team’s vehicle struck a land mine. The U.S. State Department called on Russia to use its influence to allow the OSCE to conduct an investigation (RFE/RL)
President Trump Campaign Manager Accused of Money Laundering from Ukrainian Party
A Ukrainian lawmaker released documents purporting to show that Paul Manafort, a former campaign manager to U.S. President Trump, laundered payments from the party of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych (WaPo)