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Leaders of Ukraine, Germany and France discussed the issue of prolonging sanctions
President of Ukraine Official Website, May 10, 2018
During a working visit to Germany, President Petro Poroshenko held a trilateral meeting with President of France Emmanuel Macron and Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel.
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"We had a very ambitious agenda. We discussed the issue of prolonging sanctions. We expressed serious concern over the escalation of hostilities by the Russian Federation against Ukrainian troops. Last day in the Katerynivka area, we lost one Ukrainian hero, five were wounded," Petro Poroshenko noted.
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The President also noted that he had informed the leaders of France and Germany in detail about the situation in the Donbas. "We clearly emphasize and insist that the truce that was announced before Easter must be strictly followed by Russian terrorist troops," he stressed.
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The President said that he had discussed with the leaders of France and Germany the de-occupation of Crimea ....
CLICK to read more
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U.S. Confirms Delivery Of Javelin Antitank Missiles To Ukraine
By Christopher Miller, RFERL, April 30, 2018
KYIV -- The United States has confirmed to RFE/RL its delivery of American-made, Javelin antitank missile systems to Ukraine in a move that is welcome in Kyiv but will almost certainly enrage Moscow amid a four-year conflict that pits Russia-backed separatists against Ukrainian national troops.
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Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has lobbied hard to Western officials for more weapons including the American-made Javelin antitank systems, shown here. RFERL Photo |
"They have already been delivered," a U.S. State Department official confirmed on April 30 in response to an RFE/RL query on the handover of Javelins ....
CONTINUE reading
Q&A: Ukraine's Got Javelins Now.
So What?
By Melinda Haring, Atlantic Council, April 30, 2018
" ... In 2017, the US Congress approved a $47 million military-aid package that included 210 Javelin antitank missiles and thirty-seven Javelin launchers, but the State Department refuses to say how many weapons have been delivered.
UkraineAlert asked its experts the following: What difference will the arrival of the Javelins make militarily and politically in the four-year conflict between Russia and Ukraine? Is this a game-changer?
Ian Brzezinski, Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council's Scowcroft Center on International Security: This delivery of Javelins is an operationally and geopolitically significant demonstration of US determination to support Ukraine, an action long overdue following Russia's 2014 invasion.
Javelins alone will not enable Kyiv to force Russia out of Crimea and Donbas, but they substantively increase Ukraine's ability to impose costs on Russian forces ...
CLICK TO READ
NOTE: Several members of USUF's
Friends of Ukraine Network contributed to this Atlantic Council report, including: Ian Brzeziinski, Stephen Blank, Michael Carpenter, John Herbst, Phillip Karber, Stephen Pifer, and Alexander Vershbow.
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The next Russian attack will be far worse than bots and trolls
By Alina Polyakova, Adjunct Professor of European Studies at The Johns Hopkins University, May 3, 2018
On March 15, the Department of Homeland Security together with the FBI announced that Russian government hackers infiltrated critical infrastructures in the U.S.-including "energy, nuclear, commercial facilities, water, aviation, and critical manufacturing sectors." According to the DHS-FBI report, malicious Russian activities have been ongoing since at least March 2016. The Russian malware, which has been sitting in the control systems of various U.S. utilities, allows the Russians to shut off power or sabotage the energy grids. And they have done it before: The same malware that took down Ukraine's electrical grid in 2015 and 2016 has been detected in U.S. utilities. The potential damage of a nationwide black out-let's say on Election Day-would be significant, to say the least. And while Russian trolls and bots have captured public attention, they are already yesterday's game. As I write in a recent Brookings paper, the future of political warfare is in the cyber domain.
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The disinformation tools used by Moscow against the West are still fairly basic: They rely on exploiting human gullibility, vulnerabilities in the social media ecosystem, and lack of awareness among the public, the media, and policymakers. In the very near term, however, technological advancements in artificial intelligence and cyber capabilities will open opportunities for malicious actors to undermine democracies more covertly and effectively than what we have seen so far. Increasingly sophisticated cybertools, tested primarily in Ukraine, have already infected Western systems, as evidenced by the DHS-FBI report. An all-out attack on Western critical infrastructure seems inevitable.
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Lost at Sea: What Happened to the Ships the US Tried to Give to Ukraine?
By Valeriya Yegoshyna, Atlantic Council, April 25, 2018
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In 2014, the United States offered to give Ukraine two 'Island' class boats free of charge in an effort to rebuild Ukraine's Navy. But the boats remain in Baltimore Harbor. A March 30 "Schemes" investigation examines the reasons behind the long delay. Credit: Courtesy screenshot RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service and UA:Pershyi TV Channel |
Four years after Crimea's annexation, Ukraine is still struggling to get its defense capabilities back on the sea.
On April 4, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko
announced that Ukraine will receive two American 'Island' class boats, which previously were in the service of the US Coast Guard. This offer dates back to 2014.
According to Poroshenko, Ukraine's Ministry of Defense is currently working on "internal procedures for the completion and approval of a draft contract." The president announced that a meeting ....
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to read more
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BIOTECHNOLOGY NEWS ...
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6 startups became winners of MBioS Challenge
By Victoria Vlasenko, Innovation House,
April 26, 2018
The jury of Ukraine's first Biomedical Startups Competition MBioS Challenge, held by Innovation House jointly with Borsch Ventures, has announced the winners.
"... Every project had three minutes to reveal something about itself and to impress the jury. The winner was chosen following the public pitchings results.
MUSIC-Med, mobile ultrasonic surgical instrument, developed by researchers from Cherkasy city, and Esper Bionics, bionic hand prosthesis project from Kyiv city, were the best among idea-level startups.
Adsorptive carbon dressing project that heals wounds and burns, Helsi.me service that helps patients to arrange a visit to a doctor, and Latrax that offers to treat epilepsy using the vagus nerve stimulation were the best among the startups at the prototype level.
Startups at the level of the idea were fighting for the opportunity to enter the acceleration program from Borsch Ventures, i.e. to gain some knowledge in the fields of finance, marketing, etc., which is so needed for the startups...."
RELATED ...
MBioS Challenge reveals top Ukrainian biomedical startups, by Mike Buryk, Ukraine Digital News, May 2, 2018
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UKRAINIAN
SUSTAINABLE ENERGY and ENVIRONMENTAL
NEWS HEADLINES
6930 Carroll Avenue, #340; Takoma Park, MD 20912
To Lessen Environmental Harm, One of the Leaders in Ukraine's Dairy Industry - TD "Dolinskoe" - Has Installed Two Solar Power Stations with 2-MW Capacity
:
Ukrainian Industrial Portal, by Maxim Ovcharenko, April 29, 2018
http://uprom.info/en/news/agro/odin-z-lideriv-molochnoyi-galuzi-v-ukrayini-td-dolinskoye-vstanovilo-sonyachni-pidstantsiyi-potuzhnistyu-2-mvt
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Ukraine Marks 32nd Anniversary of the Chornobyl Accident in Which 30 People Died and Possibly Thousands More Afterwards from Radiation Exposure: National Radio Company of Ukraine, April 28, 2018
http://www.nrcu.gov.ua/en/news.html?newsID=76153 and
http://news.kievukraine.info/2018/04/ukraine-belarus-mark-32nd-anniversary.html
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The Share of Alternative Energy Sources in Ukraine Has Increased to 3% But the "Task" Remains to Reach 11%:
Ukrainian Industrial Portal, by Maxim Ovcharenko, April 28, 2018
http://uprom.info/en/news/energy/chastka-alternativnih-dzherel-energetiki-zrosla-v-ukrayini-do-3
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Construction of a New Safe Confinement Over the Fourth Unit of the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant Will Cost About EUR 1.6 Billion and Be Operational in December: PowerLinks/UkrInform, April 27, 2018
http://powerlinks.news/article/720e3c/this-year-the-commissioning-of-a-new-safe-confinement-of-the-shelter-object-will-be-completed?query=Ukraine and
https://open4business.com.ua/ukrainian-president-new-confinement-at-chornobyl-npp-to-be-commissioned-in-december-2018
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Ukraine's Energy Efficiency Market May Grow to UAH 60 Billion: UkrInform, April 27, 2018
https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-economy/2450543-zubko-says-ukraines-energy-efficiency-market-may-grow-to-uah-60-bln.html
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Biogas Plant Operated in the Kherson Region by Agroholding Company "Avangard" Produced 6,517 Million kWh of Electric Energy in 2017: Ukrainian Industrial Portal, by Maxim Ovcharenko, April 27, 2018
http://uprom.info/en/news/energy/za-pidsumkami-2017-roku-biogazoviy-zavod-agroholdingu-avangard-vigotoviv-6-517-mln-kvt-god-elektroenergiyi and
http://ecotown.com.ua/news/Za-rik-biohazovyy-zavod-ukrayinskoho-ahrokholdynhu-pererobyv-57-tys-t-hnoyu-u-6-5-mln-kVt-hod-elektr (in Ukrainian)
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During the First Quarter of 2018, About 550 Households Switched to Electricity Produced by Solar Power Systems:
State Agency of Ukraine on Energy Efficiency and Energy Saving, April 27, 2018
http://saee.gov.ua/uk/news/2335 (in Ukrainian)
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Dentons Is Advising DTEK Renewables B.V. on Construction and Financing of 200-MW Solar Power Plant in Nikopol District in Dnipropetrovsk Region: Kyiv Post, April 27, 2018
https://www.kyivpost.com/business-wire/dentons-advises-dtek-renewables-b-v-construction-financing-largest-solar-power-plant-ukraine.html
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Will the "Wormwood Star" Go Out? Thirty-Two Years after the Chernobyl Accident, Administrators of the Exclusion Zone Plan to Make It Profitable: The Day, by Daria Trapeznikova, April 26, 2018
https://day.kyiv.ua/en/article/close/will-wormwood-star-go-out
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Addressing Climate Change Challenges, Reducing the Economy's Carbon Dependency, and Keeping the Environment Clean Are Among the Ukrainian Government's Priorities: UkrInform, April 24, 2018
https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-polytics/2447795-semerak-environmental-issues-among-priorities-for-ukrainian-government.html
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Subsidiary of VR Global Partners Could Buy 50% Share of 60-MW Kamyanets-Podilska Solar Power Plant:
Open for Business, April 26, 2018
https://open4business.com.ua/subsidiary-of-vr-global-partners-could-buy-50-in-60-mw-solar-plant
and
http://www.ukrainianjournal.com/index.php?w=article&id=27170
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As the State Fund for Radioactive Waste Management Restarts, President Poroshenko Reviews Preparation of a Spent Fuel Storage Facility at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant: Office of the President of Ukraine, April 26, 2018
http://www.president.gov.ua/en/news/prezident-oznajomivsya-z-hodom-pidgotovki-shovisha-vidpracov-47150
and
http://uprom.info/en/news/energy/promislova-ekspluatatsiya-zavodu-z-pererobki-ridkih-radioaktivnih-vidhodiv-na-teritoriyi-chornobilskoyi-aes-vidbudetsya-vzhe-u-2018-rotsi
and
https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-polytics/2449776-president-ukraine-to-improve-legislation-on-radioactive-waste-management.html
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DTEK Has Started Public Discussion About Construction of 100-MW Orlivska Wind Farm in Zaporizhia:
Ukrainian Journal, April 25, 2018
http://www.ukrainianjournal.com/index.php?w=article&id=27152
and
http://uwea.com.ua/en/news/entry/pervye-obschestvennye-slushaniya-po-ovos-otnositelno-vetroenergeticheskih-p
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CoreValue is a major Ukrainian IT software consulting firm with headquarters in Lviv and offices around Ukraine and in the U.S. Igor Kruglyak, President of CoreValue, discusses how the company started and why major companies worldwide utilize its software outsourcing services.
CLICK TO LISTEN
Ukrainian-British chef and cookbook author Olia Hercules discusses her craft, career, family background and how she became a cooking celebrity in the UK ...
CLICK TO LISTEN.
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Ongoing Violations of International Law and Defiance of OSCE Principles and Commitments by the Russian Federation in Ukraine
As delivered by
Charge d'affaires Michele Siders
to the Permanent Council, Vienna,
May 10, 2018
We witnessed another week of violence as a result of Russia's aggression in Ukraine. The SMM reported a three-fold increase in heavy weapons fire, including the use, for the first time since February, of dangerous Multiple Launch Rocket Systems. This latest surge underscores the volatility across the conflict area and the critical need for a durable ceasefire.
In this fragile security environment, the Donetsk Filtration Station and other critical infrastructure remain highly vulnerable to a catastrophic attack. It is imperative that all forces fully respect the security guarantees in the Minsk agreements. We salute the SMM's commitment to ensuring that the dedicated employees of the Voda Donbassa can access the facilities that provide potable water to over 300,000 people. Finding ways to reduce the risk of chemical contamination at this and other sites is long overdue.
Ukraine has voiced its support for a deployment of international environmental experts under the auspices of the Trilateral Contact Group. We call on Russia to do the same. With tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of lives on the line, there is no time for political games. We applaud the SMM and Trilateral Contact Group's May 4 success in resolving the contentious issue concerning mobile phone coverage, restoring service to 70 percent of residents in Russia-controlled areas ...
CLICK HERE to read more
RELATED ...
Russia Blocks Expansion of OSCE Observation on Ukraine Border: Interpretative Statement on the Extension of the Observer Mission to Two Checkpoints on the Russian-Ukrainian Border ... As delivered by Chargé d'Affaires, a.i. Harry Kamian to the Permanent Council, Vienna, May 3, 2018
Ongoing Violations of International Law and Defiance of OSCE Principles and Commitments by the Russian Federation in Ukraine ... As delivered by Charge d'affaires, a.i. Harry Kamian to the Permanent Council, Vienna, May 3, 2018
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Response to the Reports by OSCE's Chief Monitor in Ukraine, Ambassador Ertugrul Apakan, and the Chairperson-in-Office's Special Representative, Ambassador Martin Sajdik
... As delivered by Charge d'affaires, a.i. Harry Kamian to the Permanent Council, Vienna, April 26, 2018
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Ukraine's neighbor Belarus and Washington
By Orest Deychakiwsky, The Ukrainian Weekly, April 22, 2018
I suspect most Ukrainian Americans, including myself, grew up in the United States not giving much thought to Belarus, Ukraine's closest ethnic and linguistic kin. Perhaps one reason for this was that relations between the two historically have been peaceful, in contrast to just about all of Ukraine's other neighbors that had invaded and occupied parts of Ukraine at one time or another. Both Ukraine and Belarus trace their heritage to Kyivan Rus', and Belarus and much of Ukraine were part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and later the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Both were called Ruthenians, notwithstanding some differences. Indeed, the (Old) Ruthenian language, the predecessor of modern Belarusian and Ukrainian, was an official language of the Grand Duchy and Commonwealth. Both have much more in common with each other from a historical, cultural and linguistic perspective than either does with Russia .... CONTINUE reading
PHOTO GALLERY: Haunted Hallways: Chernobyl Engineers Revisit The Doomed Reactor
... from RFERL
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PACE awards 2018 Europe Prize to Ivano-Frankivsk
By
Oleg Sukhov, Kyiv Post, April 25, 2018
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Ivano Frankivsk City Hall. Photo by Mykola Markovych
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The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, or PACE, on April 24 awarded the 2018 Europe Prize to the Ukrainian city of Ivano-Frankivsk.
The prize is awarded to the town most active in promoting the European ideal.
Ivano-Frankivsk, the capital of Ivano Frankivsk Oblast, is twinned with as many as 24 European cities, the PACE said.
It has developed robust international cooperation in numerous fields, particularly in the domain of academic activities as Ivano-Frankivsk universities collaborate closely with many other European universities, the assemly added. The city also organises a range of events to mark Europe Day and the European Week of Local Democracy, the PACE said.
The city is renowned for its vibrant cultural life, attracting guests from all over Europe, notably to the International Blacksmiths Festival, Ivano-Frankivsk Half Marathon, the International Festival of Christmas Carols and the Days of Polish Culture, according to the assembly....
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3 Great Tour Operators, when you Travel to Ukraine!
Just click to learn about their tours and services:
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After the great success of the Sumud Freedom Tour, Nonviolence International has decided to host a Ukraine Peace Tour this Summer!
From August 3rd - 12th, trav
el across Eastern Ukraine and see the effects of the ongoing conflict first-hand. Speak with internally displaced persons, visit former battlefields, and meet with local activists about what must be done in the area to restore peace.
For more information and to apply, email: [email protected] or CLICK HERE.
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This
annual event organized by the investment firm Empire
State Capital features panel discussions with members of the international
and local business communities as well as political representatives.
Industries covered include: agriculture and food; venture capital,
technology and blockchain; conventional and alternative energy; and,
defense, aerospace and cybersecurity.
USUF is an information partner for this event.
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USUF is representing Ukraine at the ...
BIO INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION
JUNE 4-7, 2018 | BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS
The largest, most influential biotech Convention in the world is coming to Boston, June 4-7, 2018. Experience powerful business partnering, benefit from invaluable education sessions and network with 16,000+ of biotech's best and brightest. See how the everyday becomes extraordinary - at BIO 2018.
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Volunteer at ESSC International Language Camp at
Bila Tserkva
My name is Victoria Simakova and I am the Director of an International Language Camp in Ukraine and we are looking for English native speakers who would be willing to work at ESSC International.
ESSC International Language Camp is a day camp for children aged 6 to 15 and is located in a beautiful town called Bila Tserkva which is only an hour drive from Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine.
ESSC camp started in 2013 with only 22 participants. Now every summer ESSC International welcomes 115 children for each shift one in June and one in July. All the children are split into 7 teams according to their age and level of English. And the program of the camp is adapted respectfully according to the age and level of English. Specialized and trained staff make the camp experience exciting and fun. Each team is supervised by the counsellor and "helper" of the counsellor. Counsellors are certified English teachers who are experienced at working at the camp. "Helpers" are teenagers/high school students with a good level of English who serve as role models for the participants of the camp.
The program of the camp is built in the way that children attend English classes, participate in group activities, go to excursions, learn about leadership in different activities.
As we see ESSC International as a place where children can learn to speak English and to fight the fear of speaking a foreign language, we understand that it is crucial for them to interact with English native speakers. That is why we invite 2-3 native speakers for each shift. The native speaker does not have to be a teacher. What is important it has to be a person who is enthusiastic about sharing his/her experiences with the children and helping them grow.
The camp is located on the territory of a public school right in the centre of town but is open not only for the children of the school but also all the children of the town.
We are able to provide native speakers with an accommodation (private room with WiFi and hot running water in a host family), three meals a day, transfer to and from airport/train station/bus station and pocket money 5000UAH.
I would be immensely grateful if you could help us to find our volunteers.
I am attaching a Facebook page of the camp for you to see:
CLICK HERE
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me either via email: [email protected] or on the phone: +380631090820.
Thank you in advance.
Best regards,
Victoria Simakova
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The U.S.-Ukraine Foundation's new website has been created by Steven May, Jr. and his talented team associated with Ask the Egghead. Steven May Jr., aka lead egghead at Ask the Egghead, has over 25 years of career experience that spans multiple business models and sectors. If you need website support, Ask the Egghead!
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