Section: News & Summaries
New Ukraine fighting claims 24
At least 24 people have died in renewed fighting in Ukraine, breaking a tenuous peace deal in the region. …read more Source:...
US training on Ukranian National Guard. VIDEO
Lt. Col. Kyle Reed gave a small update about how things are going during exercise Fearless Guardian. Fearless Guardian is a training exercise for the Ukrainian National Guard at the request of the Ukrainian Government. Fearless Guardian is the name given to the U.S. training and equipping of the National Guard of Ukraine under the...
Why Saakashvili’s Appointment as Odesa’s Governor Actually Makes Perfect Sense
On May 30, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko named former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili Governor of the Odesa region. There are a number of ways to interpret the bold move, but two historical analogies may be more apt: Saakashvili is either following in Duke de Richelieu’s footsteps as an outside Governor of Odesa or the late...
Despite all Russia’s claims, Ukraine was not involved in shooting down MH-17 – US Department of State
Senior Advisor for Strategic Communications at U.S. Department of State, Marie Harf, in Daily Press Briefing on June 2, 2015, stated that despite all Russia’s claims, Ukraine was not involved in shooting down the civilian flight MH-17 in the Donetsk region. Senior Advisor for Strategic Communications said that no Ukrainian air defense...
Mutual Deterrence? Think Again. Russia Seeks to Intimidate the West
Moscow recently announced that it will procure fifty new nuclear-capable bombers, the Tupolev TU-160 or Blackjacks, which are the world’s largest combat aircraft. This seemingly anodyne announcement points to a critically important element of Russian strategy that we overlook at our and our allies’ peril. The procurement is the latest...
Guided-missile destroyer USS Ross conducting exercise with the Ukrainian navy Frigate Hetman Sahaydachniy
As reports the official website of the U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. 6th Fleet, the Arleigh-Burke class guided-missile destroyer USS Ross (DDG 71) kicks off a two-day underway exercise with the Ukrainian navy Frigate Hetman Sahaydachniy (U 130) on June 1, 2015, in the Black Sea. In the Black Sea — USS Ross, left, transits with the...
Ukraine has received $1 billion under US guarantees
The official website of the Finance Ministry reports that Ukraine has received $1 billion under US guarantees. This became possible because the governments of Ukraine and the United States signed a $1 billion Loan Guarantee Agreement (LGA) on May 18, 2015: “This became possible thanks to signing of the Safeguards Agreement between the...
SBU detained sabotage group trained in the GRU special camp
SSU Press Center reports that in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on May 30-31, 2015, was detained a sabotage group of three Ukrainian citizens who were trained to for commit terrorist acts. The members of this sabotage group were recruited by the special services of the Russian Federation and received subversive training in the GRU special camp in Krasnodar...
The Dangerous Game of Truth Telling in Ukraine
As commentary on Ukraine increasingly focuses on the next Russian offensive and ways to end the war, now is the time to consider how to rebuild a unified country. Any attempt to move past the violence and establish a stable basis for reform must involve a frank discussion of the past. A truth commission is likely to emerge as a compelling option....
The Odesa Gambit
Mikheil Saakashvili has a varied resume: former President of Georgia, Justice Minister, parliamentarian, senior statesman, and Ukrainian presidential adviser. On May 30, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko added another line to his CV. He named Saakaskvili regional Governor of Odesa, a vulnerable and strategic port city on the Black Sea. Despite...