Ukraine-Russia Relations and Future developments

flamming_python wrote:

Militarov wrote:

Today during Putins speech, and then police removed them. Failed too much O.o?

All the Maidanists know how to do is some stupid PR stunts like this. Nothing else.

Neanderthals the lot of them.

My friend, you need to stop insulting Neanderthals. Orcs are orcs and displaying Mr. Poroshenko's face towel is simply a plea for more money by showing how poor the country is.

GOOD.

http://sputniknews.com/russia/20150926/1027590412/sanctions-ukraine-airlines-ban.html

Two Ukrainian airlines will fall under Russia's retaliatory measures immediately after Moscow gets the official confirmation of Kiev’s decision to close its airspace to Russian commercial airlines flying to Ukraine, Russian Transport Minister Maxim Sokolov said Saturday.

higurashihougi wrote:GOOD.

http://sputniknews.com/russia/20150926/1027590412/sanctions-ukraine-airlines-ban.html

Two Ukrainian airlines will fall under Russia's retaliatory measures immediately after Moscow gets the official confirmation of Kiev’s decision to close its airspace to Russian commercial airlines flying to Ukraine, Russian Transport Minister Maxim Sokolov said Saturday.

Well thats escalated, now ukraine is banning all flights from russia. Im sure this will backfire like everything else they do seems to.

https://www.rt.com/business/318377-urkraine-russian-flight-ban/

Rodinazombie wrote:

higurashihougi wrote:GOOD.

http://sputniknews.com/russia/20150926/1027590412/sanctions-ukraine-airlines-ban.html

Two Ukrainian airlines will fall under Russia's retaliatory measures immediately after Moscow gets the official confirmation of Kiev’s decision to close its airspace to Russian commercial airlines flying to Ukraine, Russian Transport Minister Maxim Sokolov said Saturday.

Well thats escalated, now ukraine is banning all flights from russia. Im sure this will backfire like everything else they do seems to.

https://www.rt.com/business/318377-urkraine-russian-flight-ban/

Haha they really are determined to cut economic ties with Russia to 0 aren't they?

It's like we don't even have to do anything and risk looking like a bad guy - they're doing all the work for us and sanctioning themselves right the fk out of our economy.

Good. Great, in fact.

kvs wrote:No, Ukrainians are not all just Russians.   There is a lot of Polish, Slovak, Hungarian, Romanian and even Spanish (believe it or not)
blood in the western part.   Back in 1000 AD there was exactly zero difference, but the last 1015 years have resulted in a rather
noticeable bifurcation.   However, the south and east of Soviet-created Ukraine is actually ethnically Russian and should not be
treated as part of Ukraine.  This region includes very old Greek communities and even Serbs who settled in the east over a
century ago.  

There is no Ukraine there, there.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Serbia_(historical_province)

flamming_python wrote:

Rodinazombie wrote:

higurashihougi wrote:GOOD.

http://sputniknews.com/russia/20150926/1027590412/sanctions-ukraine-airlines-ban.html

Two Ukrainian airlines will fall under Russia's retaliatory measures immediately after Moscow gets the official confirmation of Kiev’s decision to close its airspace to Russian commercial airlines flying to Ukraine, Russian Transport Minister Maxim Sokolov said Saturday.

Well thats escalated, now ukraine is banning all flights from russia. Im sure this will backfire like everything else they do seems to.

https://www.rt.com/business/318377-urkraine-russian-flight-ban/

Haha they really are determined to cut economic ties with Russia to 0 aren't they?

It's like we don't even have to do anything and risk looking like a bad guy - they're doing all the work for us and sanctioning themselves right the fk out of our economy.

Good. Great, in fact.

Good and bad. Ukraine still has a decent sized population for Russian goods for sale, like Avtovaz. Oh well, there are other markets as long as Russia attempts to actually get into them (they don't seem interested in expanding much).

Kremlin insists Ukraine's debt to Russia is not private

MOSCOW, October 30. / TASS /. Moscow's stance on the debt of Ukraine has not changed - Kiev is obliged to pay it on time, the Russia president's spokesman secretary Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

"Russia's position has not undergone any changes. Russia still insists that it is not private but it is sovereign, public debt that must be paid. The Ukrainian side has such an obligation, it must be met," Peskov said.

The Ukrainian financial authorities have said on many occasions they consider Russia’s $3 billion loan to be a commercial debt and insist on its restructuring. Meanwhile, Russia insists the loan is a state debt and demands its full redemption.

Debt restructuring results are crucial for Ukraine to get new loan tranches from the IMF.

Russia made a decision in late 2013 to invest up to $15 billion in Ukraine’s sovereign Eurobonds. Soon afterwards, Russia bought Ukraine’s first Eurobond tranche worth $3 billion with a two-year maturity and a coupon rate of 5% per annum and coupon payments every six months.

Russia subsequently decided against investing the other $12 billion in Ukraine’s bonds.

Russia’s Finance Ministry is not discussing transfer of Ukraine’s debt to Vnesheconombank

Ukraine’s mass media reported earlier citing sources in Vnesheconombank that the state-owned bank is holding negotiations with the Russian Government on transfer of the debt to the bank’s balance
Vnesheconombank headquarters

MOSCOW, November 2. /TASS/. The Russia’s Finance Ministry is not discussing transfer of Ukraine’s debt to state-owned Vnesheconombank (VEB), Deputy Minister Sergei Storchak said on Monday.

"No, this is not discussed," Storchak said responding to the question whether Ukraine’s debt transfer to VEB’s balance is considered.

Ukraine’s mass media reported earlier citing sources in Vnesheconombank that the state-owned bank is holding negotiations with the Russian Government on transfer of the debt to the bank’s balance and further transfer of these funds to the equity of its Ukrainian subsidiary Prominvestbank.

Prominvestbank will then present securities to the Ukraine’s Finance Ministry for repayment.

According to the official, the situation with Ukraine’s $3 bln debt to Russia so far follows the legal proceedings scenario.

"An option for the parties to reach an agreement outside the legal proceedings framework always exists in any civil relationship. Another point is on what conditions and under what circumstances. The process follows the legal proceedings scenario to date," the deputy minister said.

If the Ukrainian side fails to make payment in December, "all the procedures related to operation of covenants inside the offering memorandum will be launched," Storchak said.

It is not a simple matter to start legal proceedings, the deputy minister said. "These procedures are under preparation and will be started in due course," he added.

The Russian Ministry of Finance does not take part in meetings of Ukraine’s private lenders on the debt restructuring and insists the debt has a different status and is an official one, Russia’s Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said earlier. If Kiev fails to repay $3 bln, Russia will take legal action, he added.

George1 wrote:Ukraine withdrew from the agreement with Russia on mutual information on export of MANPADS

Well, we all know where those manpads are going to go to.  At least Russia then would have a legitimate reason to strike at Ukraine.

Russia may sue Ukraine over unpaid debt starting December 30 — finance minister

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said he has a felling Kiev won't pay "because they are crooks"

MOSCOW, December 9. /TASS/. Russia will be able to take Ukraine to court ten days after December 20 over its default on the $3 billion loan if Kiev fails to repay the debt to the last cent, Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov has told the media.

"Our action will be simple. In accordance with the emission prospectus all disputes shall be settled in courts of arbitration in line with international legislation. If the debt fails to be paid, Ukraine on December 20 will still have a ten-day deadline for complying with its commitments. If Ukraine defaults, we will protect our interests legally. We will go to court," Siluanov said.

Siluanov noted that no international partner gave Russia guarantees on Ukrainian debt of $3 bln. It was reported earlier that the United States declined to give guarantees.

"We have said that we were prepared for an installment plan for the repayment of $3 bln over three years, demanding only guarantees from the US, the EU, or a major bank. No one has agreed to give us such guarantees," the minister said.

According to Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, the United States and Western countries deciding not to give guarantees on the debt means they lack confidence in solvency of the Ukrainian economy

"If we are not supported in this by the IMF, and by the way, our partners, because the president has spoken about this, and I have written letters to the European Union; we approached the Americans - help Ukraine to ensure debt payment. We are ready to give them an instalment plan as long as they pay," Medvedev said.

"What did they tell us? "We will not help in any way, will not ensure anything" - that means only one thing - they do not believe in the solvency of Ukraine. They did not give guarantees on Ukraine themselves, and did not allow first-class banks to do that, which could do that for Ukraine, if they had adopted an instalment plan," he added.

Medvedev also pointed out that the Russian government’s firm position is that Ukraine must pay on Russian loan.

"They are obligated to repay the loan. This is our firm position," the prime minister said.

However, he noted that he thinks Kiev won't pay.

"I have a feeling that they will not repay [the debt - TASS], because they are crooks. They refuse to return the money," the prime minister said.

"Of course, we will not put up with this. We will go to court, we will seek a credit default and default on all loans of Ukraine," Medvedev said.

The official noted his surprise over the IMF’s stance on the status of Ukraine’s debt to Russia. He dismissed as utterly groundless all doubts whether it was really a sovereign debt.

"Whenever two governments strike a deal, it’s a sovereign loan. This has never been called in question. It’s just amazing international organizations are now saying that this loan 'is not quite sovereign’," Medvedev told Russian TV channels. That’s nonsense! A flagrant and cynical lie!"

The IMF should reflect not only the interests of borrower states but of the lender states, too.

"For the first time ever in its history the IMF has made a decision in favour of supporting a borrower country in defiance of the real state of affairs and in defiance of the existing legal agreements entirely for political reasons. This seriously undermines confidence in the decisions the IMF takes," Medvedev warned.

He believes the international financial system is unfair.

"The largest economies, such as China are not getting what they should be entitled to in the IMF," Medvedev explained.

"Confidence in it will be undermined unless we reform this system in the near future," he said.

Russia’s Minister of Economic Development Alexey Ulyukayev also dwelled upon the issue noting that the decision of the IMF regarding the debt of Ukraine creates a problem for the global market for sovereign debt in general.

"Of course we have a negative attitude. It [the IMF decision on sovereign debt - TASS] is especially strange if applies to the past loans ... This is a problem not only for Russia, Ukraine, but the overall global market of sovereign debt," he said.

According to him, the decision is pushing Ukraine closer to default.

On November 16, the Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia has proposed to Ukraine to pay in installments in 2016-2018 years, $1 bln per year.

"In my opinion we made an unexpected offer to our partners," he said. "We haven’t not just agreed to restructure the Ukrainian debt, we have offered better conditions than the International Monetary Fund was asking of us. We were asked to postpone the payment for the next year in the amount of 3 bln [US dollars - TASS]. I said that we were ready for a deeper restructuring. We are ready not to receive any money this year, $1 bln next year, another $1 bln in 20187 and 2018," Putin added.

"Our partners are confident that the creditworthiness of Ukraine will grow, and we have no reason to doubt that we might even receive 3 bln [US dollars - TASS] next year, our partners have no concerns to guarantee the loan," Putin said. He noted that Russia has asked for such guarantees from either the United States government or from the European Union, or from one of the international financial institutions. "We hope that this issue will be resolved by the beginning of December this year, due to a specific timetable of the IMF," Putin said.

Putin Introduces Law to Suspend Free Trade Agreement With Ukraine

Read more: http://sputniknews.com/business/20151217/1031880310/law-putin-ukraine-trade.html#ixzz3uea22U1p

A small ode to the yatsenyuk crotch grab:
Balls and Brawls and Pubic Hairs
And Creampied Nazis in the Air
And Leather-Clad Bandera Everywhere
The Rada Works that Way
But Now They Only Rule with Guns
They Bomb and Shoot on Everyone
So Many Dead Yet They've Still Not Won
I See Nulandistan that Way
I've Looked at Kiev from Up and Down
From East and West but Only Found
Poroshenko Waiting to be Crowned
I Really Don't Like Victoria Nudelmann

State Duma to consider suspension of free trade zone between Russia, Ukraine

On December 17, President Putin submitted a federal bill on suspending the treaty on a free trade zone as regards Ukraine

MOSCOW, December 22. /TASS/. Russia’s State Duma is expected to give endorsement to a presidential bill on suspending the agreement on a free trade zone between Russia and Ukraine as of January 1, 2016.

"We’re adopting this law to protect Russia’s economic interests as the economic chapters of the Ukraine-EU Association Agreement (AA) are going into effect," Duma Speaker Sergei Naryshkin told reporters.

On December 17, President Putin submitted a federal bill on suspending the treaty on a free trade zone as regards Ukraine. The explanatory note appended to the bill said it envisioned suspension of the preferential treatment of Ukraine in trade relations.

The ancillary documents noted a radical change of circumstances, which Russian found meaningful when the agreement on the free trade zone was signed, in view of transition of the trade and economic chapters of the AA into legal effect as of January 1, 2016.

"The Ukrainian side has de facto renounced development of trade and economic cooperation in the format of the CIS and has opted for the pathway of an all-round integration in the EU," the explanatory note said.

It pointed out in particular the tariff liberalization envisioned by the AA, which might inflict considerable damage on the Russian economy.

The note also said Ukraine’s obligations under association with the EU ran counter to the provisions of the agreement on the free trade zone in what concerned duty-free trade.

"This situation makes it necessary to take urgent steps towards the suspension of the Russian-Ukrainian agreement," it said. "The move meets Russia’s interests and conforms to its legislation."

President Putin said at the major annual news conference with Russian and foreign reporters earlier last week Russia was not going to impose any sanctions on Kiev but Ukraine would lose certain discounts and preferences after the suspension of the free trade zone.

Ukraine has blocked all Russian trucks from entering Ukraine. Poland is doing the same. Seems like a concentrated Polish-Ukrainian effort to block all truck traffic between Russia and Europe.

Karl Haushofer wrote:Ukraine has blocked all Russian trucks from entering Ukraine. Poland is doing the same. Seems like a concentrated Polish-Ukrainian effort to block all truck traffic between Russia and Europe.

Two days ago local company accepted 6 Russian trucks with metal pipes coming from Tagil, they did not land from the moon they came via Poland with no issues whatsoever.

Ukrainian radicals threaten to resume blockade of Russian trucks after February 25

More:
http://tass.ru/en/world/858322

Russian, Kiev financial authorities discuss Ukraine’s debt

More:
http://tass.ru/en/economy/874933

As NATO Beckons, Ukraine Signs Military Cooperation Plan With Turkey

Read more: http://sputniknews.com/world/20160516/1039712465/ukraine-turkey-military-cooperation.html#ixzz48rPNY5v7

Kremlin: Kiev must pay its debt to Russia

More:
http://tass.com/politics/899486

The aviation industry of Ukraine plans to stop cooperation with Russia in 2017

Now for some light relief. These guys in Kiev first remind their supplier that they have taken them to court, then play the 'we don't really need it' card followed by the 'OK, if you force us to take it' manoeuvrer. Cue smiles all round in the Gazprom sales team.

The signing of an amicable settlement agreement between Naftogaz and Russia's Gazprom in a case reviewed by the Stockholm Arbitration is impossible, the head of Ukraine's state-owned gas firm said Monday.
Court Hearing on Russia-Ukraine Gas Dispute to Start on Monday - Naftogaz KIEV (Sputnik) — In June 2014, Gazprom switched Ukraine to a prepayment system for gas supplies over its massive gas debt. The same month, Naftogaz appealed to the Stockholm Arbitration, seeking a retroactive revision of its 2009-19 natural gas transit contract with Russia. "There were no attempts to reach an amicable settlement, and I think that in this situation it is impossible because there is a huge difference between the positions assumed by both sides. This arbitration is so important politically that I would not expect any amicable settlement under any circumstances," Andriy Kobolev said in an interview with 3STV television. The Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce has recently begun hearings in a case pertaining the transit of Russian gas via Ukraine.

Read more: https://sputniknews.com/europe/201612051048200727-naftogaz-ceo-gazprom-stockholm-arbitration/

KIEV (Sputnik) — Ukraine may need Gazprom's assistance in worst-scenario case, Andriy Kobolyev said Monday.
"We think these gas reserves would be enough even if an emergency happens … In this [worst-scenario] case, a contact with Gazprom would not hurt but it would not be critical," he told the 3STV television channel. Kobolev also said Naftogaz is ready to buy gas from Russian energy company Gazprom if provided with a beneficial price and complementary agreement to the existing contract. "We say that if Gasprom makes us the offer we are waiting for with regard to the price, delivery conditions and primarily the signing of the agreement, [than] yes [we are ready to buy]," he added.

Read more: https://sputniknews.com/europe/201612061048201072-naftogaz-ukraine-gas-winter/

Ukraine and Russia could strike a deal on Russian gas deliveries during next winter at EU-mediated talks in Brussels, Ukraine’s gas major Naftogaz's chief Andriy Kobolyev said Monday.
KIEV (Sputnik) — An agreement on the so-called "winter package" for supplies of Russian natural gas to Ukraine could be reached at a trilateral EU-Russia-Ukraine meeting in Brussels on December 9, Kobolyev said Monday. "We’ll be negotiating the next winter season. We are interested in having a wide range of suppliers and if Gazprom – it knows what we want – agrees to accept our terms we will sign an appendix to the agreement – I know it will upset EU traders – and will consider buying its gas," Kobolyev told the 3STV television channel.


Read more: https://sputniknews.com/europe/201612061048201387-naftogaz-russia-winter-package-deal/

Not heard anything about this case this week, which means that it may not be going well for Kiev given they are the Party that might shout about it. Case closes today.

London High Court of Justice is scheduled to wrap up the four-day hearing on Friday. The Russian Finance Ministry said "practice shows the court can take from one to three months to render a verdict."

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The Russian Finance Ministry said Friday it hoped that London's High Court of Justice would grant Moscow's petition to expedite a hearing on Ukraine's $3-billion Eurobond debt to Russia.

"We are confident that the defendant's argument does not hold water, and look forward to an early decision to uphold Russia's motion to expedite hearings of the claim filed against Ukraine," the ministry said. The London High Court of Justice is scheduled to wrap up the four-day hearing on Friday. The Russian Finance Ministry said "practice shows the court can take from one to three months to render a verdict."

Russia filed the lawsuit against Ukraine with the court in February 2016, demanding the repayment of the $3-billion principal and unpaid interest accumulated starting from the Eurobond's maturity date in December 2015. The debt was secured by former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych's government in late 2013. Russia has repeatedly stated that Ukraine's failure to pay back the debt by the December 20, 2015, deadline should be classified as a default.

https://sputniknews.com/world/201701201049800013-russia-ukraine-debt/