Foreign media digest 20-21 September 2014

POROSHENKO’S VISIT TO THE U.S.
The beleaguered Ukrainian leader left Washington backed by considerable rhetoric from the Obama administration but little with which he can turn back the continuing Russian aggression against his country.

Washington Post:

Despite Poroshenko’s appeal to provide Ukraine with weapons, the U.S. will give only “non-lethal” equipment amounting to $46 million. “But weak U.S. and European support has allowed Russian President Vladimir Putin to impose his own military solution as he has repeatedly escalated his aggression,” – Washington Post states and calls Congress to approve legislation which would strengthen sanctions against Russia and provide Ukraine with $350 million aid in 2015.

www.washingtonpost.com

PEACE MARCH IN EUROPEAN AND RUSSIAN CITIES.

Tens of thousands of people marched through central Moscow on Sunday, organizers claimed.

Deutsche Welle, Al Jazeera, AFP, Washington Post:

Moscow police put the number at about 5,000. Member of Solidarity party and one of the organizers of Peace March Petr Tsarkov informed police forbade to take many banners. According to eyewitnesses, among those who came to the event were representatives of Yabluko party, RPR-Parnas. Activists from “The other Russia” were also here, including small groups of supporters of DPR, the organization which is recognized as a terroristic in Ukraine.

www.dw.de

www.aljazeera.com

news.yahoo.com

www.washingtonpost.com

Paris Peace was held under the slogan “Russia, wakes up.”

RFI:

Paris Euromaidan community organized Peace March in France. As one of the participants told RFI, nearly 50 people came to the anti-war march in the center of the capital of France. They were holding posters “Russians in France are against Russian army in Ukraine”, “Russia and Ukraine without Putin”. Earlier organizers of the Peace March in Paris announced on its Facebook page about the upcoming action to “support Russian activists, who are against Russian invasion in Ukraine and human rights violation.”

ru.rfi.fr

“Peace March” in Rome gathered nearly thousand participants.

Deutsche Welle:

www.dw.de

US AND EU SANCTIONS AGAINST RUSSIA.

Exxon winds down Russian Arctic drilling campaign

Financial Times:

ExxonMobil, the US oil company, is winding down its drilling campaign in the Russian Arctic, making it the biggest corporate casualty of sanctions announced by the US and EU this month, by putting its $700m project on indefinite hold. Ben Ayliffe, head of the Arctic oil campaign at Greenpeace, the environmental group, in comments for Financial Times described the news that the US company would stop work on the Kara Sea well as “a major blow for Exxon’s shareholders”.

www.ft.com

MH-17 FLIGHT CATASTROPHE.

Families of MH17 victims will sue Ukraine.

Deutsche Welle:

Survivors of German victims of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 downed over Ukraine plan to sue the country and its president for manslaughter by negligence in 298 cases, lawyer Elmar Giemulla, who is representing three families of German victims, told Bild am Sonntag. Professor of aviation law Elmar Giemulla said that under international law Ukraine should have closed its airspace if it could not guarantee the safety of flights. “Each state is responsible for the security of its air space,” Giemulla said in a statement emailed to Reuters. “If it is not able to do so temporarily, it must close its airspace. As that did not happen, Ukraine is liable for the damage.”

www.dw.de