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THE UNSETTLED DEBATE OVER ARMING AND AIDING UKRAINE |
The Hill June 16, 2015 Push to arm Ukraine roars back in Senate By Jordain Carney Senators are adopting a new tactic in their push for President Obama to arm Ukraine against Russian-backed separatists. Lawmakers in both parties are supporting a provision in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would give the Obama administration $300 million for Ukrainian security assistance. The provision specifies that half of the funding would be withheld until at least 20 percent of the money is spent on lethal aid.
Press Release
June 11, 2015
WASHINGTON- Late yesterday evening, the U.S. House of Representatives considered H.R. 2685, the "Department of Defense Appropriations Act of 2015." During consideration of the legislation, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) and Congressman Ted Yoho (R-Fla.) offered bipartisan amendments to block the training of the Ukrainian neo-Nazi paramilitary militia "Azov Battalion," and to prevent the transfer of shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles-otherwise known as Man-Portable Air-Defense Systems (MANPADS)-to Iraq or Ukraine.
"If there's one simple lesson we can take away from US involvement in conflicts overseas, it's this: Beware of unintended consequences. As was made vividly clear with U.S. involvement in Afghanistan during the Soviet invasion decades ago, overzealous military assistance or the hyper-weaponization of conflicts can have destabilizing consequences and ultimately undercut our own national interests," said Rep. John Conyers ... CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
June 25, 2015
NATO Announces Additional Support For Ukraine
ATO head Jens Stoltenberg has outlined additional support for Kyiv, including aid in defusing roadside bombs, and warned of a return to heavy fighting in eastern Ukraine. Speaking in Brussels at a June 25 meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council, Stoltenberg also urged Moscow to halt its support for pro-Russia rebels.
The Council was set up by NATO to coordinate relations with nonmember Ukraine after the end of the Cold War.
Stoltenberg said NATO is creating a new trust fund that will help with removing mines and detecting and destroying improvised explosive devices. Those steps, he said, will be vital for ... CLICK HERE TO READ MORE REUTERS June 24, 2015 Britain to step up training of Ukrainian armed forces
by Stefan Wermuth
Britain said on Wednesday it would step up its training program for Ukraine's armed forces as they battle pro-Russian separatist fighters in the east of the country.
Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said Britain would announce at a NATO meeting with Ukraine on Thursday plans to double spending on the training to around six million pounds ($9.4 million).
"We are doubling up our training of Ukrainian forces. We've already trained around 650. By this autumn we will have trained nearly 1,000," he told reporters .... CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
Kyiv Post
June 20, 2015
US senators: America should arm Ukraine, toughen sanctions against Russia
by Brian Bonner
Three U.S. senators are in Ukraine to urge the American government and its European allies to do more to support Ukraine in its defense against Russia's war in eastern Ukraine and the Kremlin's occupation of the Crimean peninsula.
The Republican Party delegation was led by U.S. Sen. John McCain, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and included Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming.
McCain said that he and the senators met with President Petro Poroshenko, Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk and Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, as well as visited soldiers, volunteers and a military command center in eastern Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk, where they said they found morale high but soldiers in need of better equipment.
The visit comes as the U.S. Congress is trying to ratchet up pressure and persuade U.S. President Barack Obama ... CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
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Carnegie Endowment for International Peace June 23, 2015 Prisoners' Dilemma in Ukraine By Paul Stronski, Isaac Webb Since the start of the conflict in eastern Ukraine between Russian-backed separatists and pro-Ukrainian forces, prisoners of war (POWs1) have been subjected to summary executions, torture, forced labor, public humiliation, and a variety of other physical and emotional cruelties. They are held in poor conditions without the protection of international or domestic institutions designed to safeguard their interests. Negotiations for the release of prisoners are being conducted in a haphazard manner, with no formal organizational structure empowered to negotiate with the other side. Evidence suggests that both sides have abused prisoners, though the most egregious abuses seem to have been perpetrated by the separatists, who, with Russian support, have declared the independence of Ukraine's eastern regions, citing a host of grievances against the government in Kyiv. POW exchanges were a cornerstone of the Minsk peace agreements of 2014 and 2015, which provide a framework for a settlement to the war in eastern Ukraine .... CLICK HERE TO READ MORE |
International Affairs Budget Update June 26, 2015
- House Appropriations Committee Releases FY16 Agriculture Bill: Mixed Results for Food Aid Programs
- Appropriators Hit Pause as Congress Recesses
- Congress Considers Several International-Related Bills Before Recess
1. House Appropriations Committee Releases FY16 Agriculture Bill: Mixed Results for Food Aid Programs The last part of the International Affairs Budget-food aid programs-made its way through another House Subcommittee mark-up. The House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee approved its Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 Agriculture Appropriations bill, which includes funding for two International Affairs accounts - Food for Peace (PL 480/international food assistance) and the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition account. The bill provides $1.417 billion for Food for Peace (commonly referred to as food aid), of which $350 million is for non-emergency assistance - $49 million (3%) below current levels and $17 million (1%) above the Administration's request. Notably, in the report language accompanying the legislation the Subcommittee stated its strong support for the program, but argued that the overall funding level prohibited them from maintaining current funding levels. For the McGovern-Dole program-which supports school feeding and maternal and child nutrition programs around the world-the bill includes the Administration's request of $191.6 million, the same as current levels. As in years past, the Administration's budget request also proposed reforms to the Food for Peace program. Specifically, the Administration requested flexibility to use a certain percentage of funding for vouchers and/or local purchase of food to ensure victims receive aid quickly. However, noting that other government-wide programs offer the flexibility requested by the Administration the Subcommittee did not include the flexibility provision in this bill. Finally, the bill does not include the Administration's $20 million request for the USDA Local and Regional Procurement Program, which was authorized in last year's Farm Bill. FY16 Agriculture Appropriations International Programs Snapshot
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FY15 Enacted |
FY16 Admin Request |
FY16 House Agriculture |
Food for Peace P.L. 480 Title II |
$1.466 billion |
$1.4 billion |
$1.417 billion |
McGovern-Dole |
$192 million |
$192 million |
$192. million |
Local and Regional Procurement |
$0 |
$20 million |
$0 |
Total |
$1.658 billion |
$1.612 billion |
$1.609 billion |
The full Committee postponed consideration of the bill this week so Members could travel to South Carolina for memorial services and the mark-up has yet to be rescheduled. The Senate Appropriations Committee has yet to release its Agriculture spending bill. 2. Appropriators Hit Pause as Congress Recesses With Congress in recess next week the Appropriations process will pick back up the week of July 6th. At this point, the Senate Appropriations Committee could begin consideration of its version of the FY16 State-Foreign Operations bill as early as July 7th, though the timing could slip. As a reminder, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved $49.0 billion in total funding for the State-Foreign Operations bill; $39.0 billion in base funding, $9.3 billion in OCO funding, and $759 million in emergency funding. In total, this represents a 1% cut from enacted levels and an 8% cut from the Administration's request. The Senate allocation is 2% above the House allocation, but the cut in base funding remains a concern. SFOPs Funding Snapshot
|
FY15 Enacted* |
FY16 Admin Request |
FY16 House SFOPs 302(b) |
FY16 Senate SFOPs 302(b) |
Base |
$40.0 billion |
$46.9 billion |
$40.5 billion |
$39.0 billion |
OCO |
$9.3 billion |
$7.0 billion |
$7.3 billion |
$9.3 billion |
Total |
$49.3 billion |
$53.9 billion |
$47.8 billion |
$49.0 billion* |
*The table excludes $2.5 billion in emergency funding, which was provided specifically to combat the Ebola crisis in West Africa in FY15, but includes the Senate's FY16 302(b) allocation of $759 million in emergency spending. House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers (R-KY) continues to push leadership to consider all 12 spending bills on the House floor. However, with several pressing and controversial bills on the calendar in July, it is increasingly unlikely that the State-Foreign Operations bill will be considered on the House floor. 3. Congress Considers Several International-Related Bills Before Recess Several important bills related to International Affairs programs were introduced and considered in Congress this week. Below is an update: Electrify Africa Introduced in the House On Tuesday House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) and Ranking Member Eliot Engel (D-NY), along with Reps. Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Karen Bass (D-CA), re-introduced legislation that would increase access to electricity in Sub-Saharan African countries. The Electrify Africa Act of 2015 (H.R. 2847) would direct the President to establish a multi-year policy, partnership, and funding strategy. The legislation would assist countries in sub-Saharan Africa to develop an appropriate mix of power solutions in order to alleviate poverty and drive economic growth. During the 113th Congress, the full House passed the Electrify Africa Act by a vote of 297-117, and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee passed its version, the Energize Africa Act, out of committee. However, the bill did not pass the full Senate before adjournment. The Senate is expected to re-introduce its version of the legislation next month. AGOA Heads to the President's Desk The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) reauthorization was approved by Congress as part of a larger trade package this week and is on its way to the President's desk for signature. Congress first authorized AGOA in 2000 and expanded it in 2004 with broad bipartisan support to encourage export-led economic development in 39 sub-Saharan African countries, and improve U.S. economic relations with the continent. The ten year reauthorization, which was set to expire September 30th, will continue to strengthen the U.S.-Africa economic relationship. Export-Impact Bank Charter Set to Expire Despite several months of the business community and key stakeholders pushing for the Export-Import Bank's (Ex-Im) reauthorization, the bank's charter is set to expire next Tuesday, June 30th. The Senate took a largely symbolic vote on Ex-Im's reauthorization earlier this month with the support of 65 Senators, but congressional leadership failed to move a legislative vehicle for the bank's reauthorization before recessing. The bank's shutdown is expected to be temporary and congressional leadership plans to attach the reauthorization to the highway bill in July. Although the bank is funded through September, the lapse will prevent Ex-Im from approving financing of any new loans. |
U.S. Global Leadership Coalition |
1129 20th Street NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20036 The U.S. Global Leadership Coalition (USGLC) is a broad-based influential network of 400 businesses and NGOs; national security and foreign policy experts; and business, faith-based, academic and community leaders in all 50 states who support a smart power approach of elevating diplomacy and development alongside defense in order to build a better, safer world. For more information, go to: www.usglc.org |
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Ukraine Today June 29, 2015 Yanukovych bankrupted Ukraine - Natalie Jaresko Ukraine's Finance Minister says 90% of Ukraine's debt due to Yanukovych 'family' theft Fugitive former President Viktor Yanukovych and his 'family' of business associates stole ... CLICK HERE TO READ MORE |
USUF Hosts Dr. Natalya Belitser, Professor and Senior Researcher with Kyiv-based Pylyp Orlyk Institute for Democracy June 25, 2015 - USUF President Nadia K. McConnell, Dr. Natalya Belitser, and Andre Kamenshikov, Director of Nonviolence International's programs in Russia and Commonwealth of Independent States, convene at a meeting held at USUF. Later in the day, the Foundation sponsored a discussion event with Dr. Belitser at the Embassy of Ukraine. Also participating was Ukraine's Minister of Information Policy, Yuriy Stets. Both events focused on the status of the Crimean Tatars. ????? ???????
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The Ukrainian Weekly June 26, 2015 Ukrainian National Credit Union Association holds annual meeting in D.C. By Orysia Burdiak
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Ukrainian American credit union leaders meeting in Washington. |
WASHINGTON - The Ukrainian National Credit Union Association (UNCUA) held its 34th annual meeting and spring conference on June 5-6 in Washington. Thirty-one participants representing 13 Ukrainian American credit unions gathered to hear presentations on current topics of interest to credit union leaders and to elect a new board of directors.... CLICK HERE TO READ MORE NOTE: Nadia K. McConnell, president of the U.S.-Ukraine Foundation, was invited to speak about U.S.-Ukraine relations and the foundation's activities during the June 5th evening banquet. |
The Washington Post June 26, 2015 John McCain: The Russia-Ukraine cease-fire is a fiction By John McCain
John McCain, a Republican from Arizona, is chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Last weekend, I traveled with Sens. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) and Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) to eastern Ukraine to meet with the courageous men and women fighting there for their country's freedom and future. I arrived on a solemn day as Ukrainian volunteers grieved the loss of two young comrades killed by Russian artillery the day before. They had lost another comrade a few days before that, and four more the previous week. Their message to me was clear: The cease-fire with Russia is fiction, and U.S. assistance is vital to deterring further Russian aggression. Along the front lines, separatist forces backed by Russia .... CLICK HERE TO READ MORE |
Kyiv Post June 18, 2015 Russia's spies continue to inflict damage on Ukraine By Allison Quinn As Russia's war against Ukraine bulldozes into its second year with continued shelling and artillery fire, authorities defending the homeland face another, at-times invisible enemy: informants and collaborators who want the Russian-separatist forces to win. On June 17, a woman living on Ukrainian-controlled territory in Donetsk Oblast was arrested for feeding information to Kremlin-backed forces on Ukrainian troop movements - the second such documented case in a month. The suspect, a resident of the village of Mironivsky identified only by her nickname, Mala, had allegedly been providing separatist forces with crucial information for about four months, information that allowed them to stage successful attacks. She had been doing so at the request of her cousin, identified as Ruslan Gordienko, a separatist fighter ... CLICK HERE TO READ MORE |
To purchase tickets for this Benefit Concert: CLICK HERE
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The U.S.-Ukraine Foundation is supporting the D.C. summer intern community by hosting a weekly film series, beginning July 1st at USUF offices. Our goal is to strengthen and broaden the network of interns in the DC area.
The film series theme,
BANNED BY THE KREMLIN, continues the USUF tradition of opposing censorship and and will show feature films from the list of Kremlin-banned films.
To see the entire summer film schedule:
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Pew Research Center June10, 2015 NATO Publics Blame Russia for Ukrainian Crisis, but Reluctant to Provide Military Aid In Russia, Anti-Western Views and Support for Putin Surge By Katie Simmons, Bruce Stokes and Jacob Poushter Publics of key member nations of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) blame Russia for the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Many also see Russia as a military threat to other neighboring states. But few support sending arms to Ukraine. Moreover, at least half of Germans, French and Italians say their country should not use military force to defend a NATO ally if attacked by Russia. A median of 39% among NATO publics say Russia is the main culprit in the ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine .... CLICK HERE TO READ MORE |
The Telegraph June10, 2015 Vladimir Putin saved my life, says ousted Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych By Bonnie Malkin, and Raziye Akkoc The ousted leader refuses to comment on whether Crimea belongs to Ukraine or Russia and accepts some responsibility for the killings in Maidan CLICK HERE TO READ MORE |
Just Click & Read ....
Russia is actively, massively, fueling the conflict in Ukraine OSCE June 23, 2015 Discontent in Eastern Ukraine Leads to Rare Public Protest New York Times June 15, 2015 |
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Lviv, a cultural capital of Ukraine Wall Street International "... I want to take you to a cultural capital of Ukraine - Lviv. If you want to experience a true Ukrainian tradition - come here..." CLICK HERE TO READ MORE For more Travel to Ukraine resources, go to: http://www.traveltoukraine.org/ |
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