{"id":131521,"date":"2020-12-14T23:11:42","date_gmt":"2020-12-14T21:11:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uacrisis.org\/?p=131521"},"modified":"2020-12-14T23:16:04","modified_gmt":"2020-12-14T21:16:04","slug":"weekly-update-on-ukraine-44-07-13-december","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uacrisis.org\/en\/weekly-update-on-ukraine-44-07-13-december","title":{"rendered":"Train to near-front Avdiivka, thawing ties with IMF, WHO Europe chief visiting and more – Weekly Update on Ukraine #44, 07 – 13 December"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Situation in the combat zone<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The situation\nin the combat zone in Donbas has intensified.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On December 9, Russia-backed militants violated the ceasefire nine times. Ukrainian troops incurred no casualties. Hostile attacks, mostly harassing fire, were recorded throughout the entire past week. On December 12, two Ukrainian troops were wounded in action. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

On diplomatic front:\nwill the meeting of the Normandy Four happen?<\/strong> Advisors to the heads of the Normandy Four\nstates would possibly meet after December 14, a representative of the Office of\nthe President of Ukraine said on December 11. Mykhailo Podolyak, advisor to the\nchief of the Office of the President, told the \u201cRBC Ukraine\u201d news outlet that\nRussia gave the green light to hold the meeting as the implementation progress\nof the agreements made during the Paris summit last year was analyzed and\npublicly released. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor a long time, Russians were turning down\nthe meeting. However, as we analyzed the Paris agreements, particularly, the\nprogress achieved in humanitarian issues, disengagement of the troops, and\ntransitional infrastructure, and released the results publicly, France and\nGermany agreed that the meeting at the level of the political advisors was\nnecessary. So Russia had to agree to it too,\u201d Podolyak said.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two hundred fifty-one\nUkrainians in captivity.<\/strong> Two hundred fifty-one Ukrainians are being held captive in the\ntemporarily occupied territory in Donbas, Ukraine\u2019s Parliament Commissioner for\nHuman Rights Lyudmyla Denisova revealed at a working meeting with the British\nAmbassador to Ukraine Melinda Simmons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI informed (the Ambassador) that 251\nUkrainians are held captive in the temporarily occupied territory in Donbas. Whether\ntheir rights are respected and what the conditions are in the places of\ndetention, is now impossible to monitor. I therefore asked the Ambassador to\naddress the International Committee of the Red Cross asking to step up their\nefforts and get the access to those territories to be able to monitor,\u201d the news\npiece reads. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Ombudsperson also called on the Ambassador\nto pass on to the UK representation a request to support the resolution on the\nsituation of human rights in the occupied Crimea during the vote at the UN\nGeneral Assembly on December 16.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Train to near-front\nAvdiivka resumes operations from Kyiv.<\/strong> A train to Avdiivka, in Donetsk region,\nresumed operating from Kyiv, after the rail services were discontinued in 2014.\nThe train\u2019s final destination was Pokrovsk, 70 km away from Avdiivka.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine Vladyslav Krykliy said: \u201cWe unite Ukrainians not only by roads, but also by railway. The first \u2018Mayak\u2019 (Lighthouse) train to Avdiivka has departed today. Previously, the train\u2019s final stop was Pokrovsk, its route was then extended.\u201d \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Economy: budget shortfall, EU\u2019s macro-financial assistance, cooperation with the IMF <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In the past weeks, the projected budget deficit\nin 2021 was among the most debated topics within the expert community and\npolitically. Amid what has been dubbed the budget crisis, Ukraine lacks funds\nto finance the budget deficit. Meanwhile, the gloomy outlook is vanishing as\nthe EU provided support under the macro-financial assistance, and there is a\nchance that cooperation with the IMF will be restored.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

EU assistance.<\/strong> In early December, the European\nCommission on behalf of the European Union disbursed EUR 600 million to Ukraine\nunder its macro-financial assistance program set to tackle the economic\nconsequences of the coronavirus pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Executive Vice-President of the European\nCommission Valdis Dombrovskis said that the EU is committed to offering\npolitical, financial, and technical support to Ukraine in times of a crisis. \u201cUkraine\nremains high on the European agenda. It is our neighbourhood country and it\nbelongs to Europe. We are committed to offering political, financial and\ntechnical support, especially during this time of crisis as response to\nCOVID-19 pandemic and overcome the social and economic consequences,\u201d\nDombrovskis elaborated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The EU official also encouraged the Ukrainian\ngovernment to complete the 2021 reform agenda and thus improve the quality of\nlife, proceed with anticorruption efforts and bring Ukraine closer to the EU.\nPresident Zelenskyi thanked the EU and the leadership of the European\nCommission for the macro-financial assistance provided to Ukraine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stalled relations with\nthe IMF.<\/strong> Agreements\nwith the International Monetary Fund (IMF) were halted. To remind, on June 9,\nthe IMF Executive Board approved an 18-month Stand-By Arrangement for Ukraine\nworth of USD five billion. On June 10, Ukraine received the first tranche of\nUSD 2.1 billion. A series of events that followed jeopardized the cooperation\nwith the Fund \u2013 including politically motivated dismissal of the National Bank\ngovernor Yakiv Smoliy, the ruling of the Constitutional Court that undermined\nthe anticorruption reform, pressure on the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor\u2019s\nOffice and the National Anti-Corruption Bureau, as well as attempts to backpedal\nthe corporate governance reform. Ukraine is no longer able to borrow money\nexternally or domestically. The Ministry of Finance reported a budget gap\nexceeding USD three billion. The Ministry of Finance visibly increased yields\nat the recent sovereign bond auctions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Relations between Ukraine and the IMF started\nwarming up when the Ministry of Finance agreed the major values of the draft\n2021 budget with the IMF. In particular, the government was able to decrease\nthe deficit of the public sector from 5.8 per cent to 5.24 per cent that resulted\nin the overall decrease of the budget deficit to 5.47 per cent. \u201cThe values of\nthe budget coincide with the estimate provided by the International Monetary\nFund experts. It was important for successful cooperation between Ukraine and\nthe IMF,\u201d said the Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal said the IMF will soon announce the dates of its next mission to Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

How Ukraine is fighting COVID-19<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

On December 13, Ukraine recorded 6,451 new\ncoronavirus cases, 5,154 recoveries, 1,895 hospitalizations, and 93 deaths.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Throughout the pandemic, Ukraine has recorded a\ntotal of 900,666 cases, 506,718 recoveries, and 15,247 deaths.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lockdown in January.<\/strong> On December 9, the government announced\na new lockdown to take effect on January 8 and end on January 24. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal highlighted the\nnew restrictive measures. During the January lockdown, cafes, restaurants, and\nbars must close for dine-in, but can continue offering takeaway and delivery.\nCinemas, theatres, fitness clubs, gyms and swimming pools will remain closed. Shopping\nmalls will stay open for food, medicines, veterinary supplies, personal care\nitems and household cleaning products, but will be not able to sell non-essential\nitems that go beyond the list. No mass gatherings for entertainment, sports, or\nculture events. Schools and universities will send their pupils and students on\nholidays. Kindergartens will be open.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAlongside the restrictions on the orange zone (currently nationwide restrictions \u2013 edit.), public transport will continue operating to service those who will be travelling for work in the companies that will stay open in the lockdown. Food shops, pharmacies, banks, post offices, and hotels will stay open,\u201d the Prime Minister said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

WHO Regional Director for Europe on way to Kyiv.<\/strong> Hans Kluge, Regional Director of the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Europe is on a visit to Ukraine. He will meet the cabinet representatives to discuss the coronavirus response agenda. \u00a0 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Situation in the combat zone The situation in the combat zone in Donbas has intensified. On December 9, Russia-backed militants violated the ceasefire nine times. Ukrainian troops incurred no casualties. Hostile attacks, mostly harassing fire, were recorded throughout the entire past week. On December 12, two Ukrainian troops were wounded in action. On diplomatic front: […] More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":131546,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[765,766,611],"tags":[7032,7033,7034],"section":[743,743],"form":[],"yoast_head":"\nTrain to near-front Avdiivka, thawing ties with IMF, WHO Europe chief visiting and more - Weekly Update on Ukraine #44, 07 - 13 December | UACRISIS.ORG<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Situation in the combat zone The situation in the combat zone in Donbas has intensified. 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