Ukraine and the world
- EU says more sustained reform needed. Despite serious difficulties,Ukraine over the past five years has managed to implement important reforms, but much more remains to be done, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini said on Dec. 12. She named the struggle against corruption, fraud in the banking sector, and protection of civil society and the rights of national minorities as areas continuing to pose challenges. The EU, she explained, has made its choice: to render assistance, despite all the difficulties and all the obstacles on the way.
- US Congress condemns Nord Stream 2. On 11 Dec. the U.S.House of Representatives condemned the Russian-backed Nord Stream 2 natural-gas pipeline, saying the undersea project will boost Russian control over Europe’s energy supplies. According to the bipartisan resolution, the pipeline is a “drastic step backwards for European energy security and United States interests.” It called on European governments to reject the project, and urged President Donald Trump to “use all available means to support European energy security.”
National News
- Government will appeal against reinstatement of Nasirov. On Dec. 11, Kyiv’s District Administrative Court reinstated Roman Nasirov as head of the State Fiscal. Suspected of embezzlement, he was formally dismissed in February 2018 by the Cabinet of Ministers on the basis that he was believed to have illegally acquired British in addition to Ukrainian citizenship. The Cabinet of Ministers intends to appeal against the decision.
- NABU chief under fire again. Kyiv District Administrative Court rules that NABU Head Artem Sytnyk’s disclosure and dissemination of information about Paul Manafort‘s involvement with the lists of the “black accounts” of the Party of Regions during pre-trial investigation materials were illegal.
- Another blow against Ukrainian whistleblowers? The same court decided that the actions of MP Serhiy Leshchenko, who disseminated the information about Paul Manafort’s schemes in Ukraine, were also ‘illegal’ and constituted interference in the U.S. presidential election.
- Veteran socialist politician running again for president.Former chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Oleksandr Moroz has announced his readiness to stand for president for the fifth time if his Socialist Party supports him.
Russia’s War on Ukraine
- Huge crowd greets released Crimean Tatar lawyer.Hundreds of Crimean Tatars greeted Emil Kurbedinov in Simferopol on Dec. 11 after his release from custody. The rights lawyer had been imprisoned for the second time over one pre-annexation social media post, with the latest arrest and five-day sentence part of ongoing pressure on defending victims of persecution in Russian-occupied Crimea.
Business
- EU disburses more macrofinancial assistance to Ukraine.The European Commission has disbursed a first tranche of the fourth macrofinancial assistance of the EU to Ukraine in the amount of 500 million euros. It is conditional on Ukraine continuing the fight against corruption, enhancement of the predictability of the tax environment and strengthening the governance of state-owned enterprises, energy sector reform, social policy and public finance governance reform.
Tiger Conference 2018
- Ukraine’s business stars still see corruption as country’s main woe.Ukraine’s unstable economy, war with Russia, and a stubbornly high level of corruption could have led the country to economic disaster. Nevertheless, there are success stories providing grounds for optimism, according to the participants of the “Ukraine’s Business Stars” panel at the Kyiv Post’s Tiger Conference at the Intercontinental hotel in Kyiv on Dec. 11. Dan Pasko from Diligent Capital Partners, summed up the current predicament. “With 2 percent GDP growth — which is nothing; and what I call a ‘bog’ — Ukraine will stay stuck in its development,” he said, adding that it weren’t for corruption Ukraine would have better prospects.
