Death Toll From Violent Protest in Ukraine Rises to 2

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KIEV, Ukraine — The death toll from violent protests in Ukraine rose to two on Tuesday when another National Guard officer died from injuries suffered in a grenade explosion, the interior minister said.

Nationalist protesters clashed with police and National Guard troops outside Ukraine's parliament on Monday as lawmakers took up a measure to give greater powers to Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine.

About 140 people were hospitalized, most of them law enforcement officers, the Interior Ministry said. One National Guard officer died on Monday, and a second died a day later, both as a result of injuries caused by the grenade, Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said.

Most of the 100 violent protesters were members of Svoboda, a nationalist party that holds only a handful of seats in parliament. Wielding truncheons, pipes and sticks with nails, they faced off against police carrying shields and truncheons.

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/09/01/world/europe/ap-eu-ukraine-protest.html

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1. Ukraine crisis: Prime Minister says nationalist protesters are worse than the separatists following

The all-too-familiar sight of masked men, Molotov cocktails, wooden sticks and explosives returned to the streets of Kiev, as violence between police and the mostly nationalist protesters broke out after a contentious vote in the Ukrainian national parliament. More than 100 people were injured, and one national guardsmen died as a result of a grenade thrown during the clashes.

The violence was the worst in Kiev since the current government took power in February 2014, and dramatically highlights the vulnerability of the Western-brokered peace deal agreed in Minsk in February this year.

Key to that was the introduction of the decentralisation bill, devolving more autonomy to the regions, including those currently under separatist control, which was insisted upon in order to help secure the agreement of the rebels and win the backing of Russia’s President Vladimir Putin.

The planned new law has proven extremely controversial, with opponents suggesting constitutional changes are being pushed through undemocratically at Western insistence, and that they effectively freeze the conflict in eastern Ukraine, implicitly ceding control to the pro-Russian rebels who control large parts of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/ukraine-crisis-prime-minister-says-nationalist-protesters-are-worse-than-the-separatists-following-violence-that-left-one-dead-10480308.html

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2. Three and a half reasons why Russia might be planning to withdraw from Ukraine (or some of it, anywa

On Aug. 9, 2015, a senior Russian general declared that if the Ukrainian military crosses Russia’s red line and attempts to recapture the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, Russia would respond with overwhelming force. This statement reaffirms the Kremlin’s official line that Russia needs to hold onto territory it has virtually annexed in Donbas to ensure the viability of its puppet republics, Donetsk and Luhansk.

But is it true?

Here’s another theory. It could be that President Vladimir Putin regards the takeover of Donbas territories as temporary, and is evaluating this occupation with a strict cost-benefit analysis. Right now, he has concluded that small military victories in the Donbas generate more than enough political capital in Russia to offset the Russian public’s disdain for the hardships of sanctions-induced austerity.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/monkey-cage/wp/2015/08/31/three-and-a-half-reasons-why-russia-might-be-planning-to-withdraw-from-ukraine-or-some-of-it-anyway/

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3. Ukrainians are fighting in the streets over a new constitution

Clashes between protesters and police in the Ukrainian capital on Monday were the worst since President Viktor Yanukovych was ousted in February 2014 and a new government was installed. One National Guard officer was killed when a grenade exploded near parliament. The protest was organized by nationalists opposed to planned constitutional changes that would give more autonomy to the regions in eastern Ukraine now controlled by Russian-backed separatists.

The Interior Ministry said more than 120 people were hospitalized, most of them police officers, but also a French reporter and several Ukrainian journalists. About 30 people were arrested, including the suspected grenade thrower.

Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk condemned the violence, saying the right-wing protesters were “worse” than the separatists because they were destroying the country from within “under the guise of patriotism.”

The 450-seat parliament approved the proposal by President Petro Poroshenko, with 265 lawmakers voting in favor. But three parties from the government coalition voted against it, and Poroshenko will need at least 300 votes to prevail in the second reading.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2015/08/31/ukrainians-are-fighting-in-the-streets-over-a-new-constitution/

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4. Why Waiting for Russia to Collapse Is a Terrible Ukraine Policy

Two months ago, a number of senior U.S. national-security officials insisted that the Russian Federation has reemerged as the premier existential threat to American interests. Today, as energy prices continue to tumble and China's economy falters, a new narrative has emerged: the pending collapse of Russia itself, or at least the prospects that the government of Vladimir Putin is entering into its last days. The continuous oscillation in views—Russia as a powerful threat, Russia as an imploding basket case—does not permit a cool, rational assessment of Russia's actual strengths and weaknesses.

Let's first start with the economic indicators. Russia's economy is contracting, its currency is losing value vis-à-vis the dollar and the euro, and its industrial output is showing signs of decline. Because of the conflict in Ukraine, Western sanctions remain in place against Russia. The second round of collapsing energy prices further decreases the revenues available to the Kremlin—although the devaluation of the currency has helped to partially compensate for this since energy exports are priced in and generally paid for in dollars and euros. And Putin's lifeline against Western sanctions—more than $100 billion in deals, credits and loans with China—has been compromised by China's own economic woes. Inflation is eating away at the savings and purchasing power of Russian citizens. Between devaluation, Western sanctions and Russian countersanctions, imports have become either more expensive or have disappeared altogether, while domestic substitutes have not generated sufficient replacements.

http://nationalinterest.org/feature/why-waiting-russia-collapse-terrible-ukraine-policy-13750

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5. . nt

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6. Second Ukrainian policeman dies from injuries after clashes in Kiev, more than 140 people in hospita

A second Ukrainian policeman dies from injuries suffered in street battles with protesters in Kiev, and more than 140 people are being treated in hospital, officials say.

http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/2015-09-01/second-ukrainian-policeman-dies-from-injuries-after-clashes-in-kiev-more-than-140-people-in-hospital/1488190

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7. the rest of the planet is looking forward to being able to not care about Ukraine

what a mess.

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8. Ukraine Deploys 2,000 Extra Police, Troops to Kiev Streets After Officers Killed in Protests

Ukrainian authorities are reinforcing street patrols in Kiev as over 2,000 police and troops from across Ukraine were deployed around the capital after three officers were reported to have been killed in clashes over a controversial draft change to the constitution.

In response to the clashes which started on Monday in front of the Ukrainian parliament (Verkhovna Rada), the Ministry of Interior Affairs issued a statement on Tuesday saying that it would heavily reinforce policing in Kiev by diverting 1,250 police officers from other Ukrainian regions and 950 officers from the National Guard to guarding the capital.

Armored Kraz Cougar patrol cars carrying eight officers each will periodically patrol Kiev along four different routes into the centre of the city, as debate in parliament continues today over a proposed amendment to the constitution that would give greater autonomy to the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, which are partially held by pro-Russian separatists.

Although the proposal won 265 votes in the 450-seat parliament when voted on on Monday, it failed to win a two-thirds majority—a requirement for changes to the constitution.

http://europe.newsweek.com/ukraine-deploys-2000-extra-police-troops-kiev-streets-after-officers-killed-protests-332351?piano_t=1

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9. Bershidsky: Radicals demonstrate that they're a menace to Ukraine

A police officer was killed during a protest in Kiev on Monday. It was the first such fatality since Ukraine’s “Revolution of Dignity” last year. Radical nationalists, some with weapons, gathered to protest a constitutional amendment proposed by President Petro Poroshenko that would make it possible to reintegrate separatist areas into Ukraine on special terms favorable to Russia.

Although a majority in the Ukrainian parliament voted to support the measures, the street clashes show how difficult it will be to sell the changes to an impoverished, volatile country filled with weapons. President Vladimir Putin appears to be looking for a way out of the mess in eastern Ukraine, but even after more than a year of war, many Ukrainians are unwilling to end the fighting in a way that would be acceptable to Russia.

According to a Facebook post by Interior Minister Arsen Avakov, 122 people were wounded, some seriously, as protesters threw “explosive devices” — hand grenades, according to other sources — at soldiers guarding the parliament building. Avakov said one police officer was killed.

Avakov blamed Svoboda, an ultranationalist party, for the violence, as did some other eyewitnesses. Svoboda, however, said it was “a planned provocation against Ukrainian patriots,” also blaming the authorities for “provoking Ukrainians to protest.” About 30 people have been arrested. Their political affiliations probably will be made public soon. The authorities may look for a Russian connection, but they will probably only find radical Ukrainian nationalists who desire to fight the war against Russia and its proxies in eastern Ukraine to the bitter end.

http://hamptonroads.com/2015/09/bershidsky-radicals-demonstrate-theyre-menace-ukraine

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10. Putin responsible for Ukraine violence caused by anti-Putin forces, Nicholson says

The Conservatives’ Rob Nicholson is blaming Russian leader Vladimir Putin for the deadly attacks launched by vehemently anti-Russian groups in Ukraine.

Nicholson, who is running for re-election, has been serving as Canada’s Foreign Affairs minister.

Three security officers were killed and 140 injured in clashes between Ukraine government forces and the anti-Russian groups, including members of the ultranationalist Svoboda party.

Ukraine government investigators have summoned nearly 30 people for questioning in connection with the attacks, including Svoboda leader Oleh Tyahnybok.

http://www.vancouversun.com/News/canada/Putin+responsible+Ukraine+violence+caused+anti+Putin+forces/11333110/story.html

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11. Ukraine and rebels show positive signs as truce holds for 24 hours

A Kyiv army spokesman said on Tuesday that both the Ukrainian military and pro-Russian separatists were showing signs of complying with the latest attempt to enforce the Minsk peace deal agreed in February in Belarus.

"As of 12 p.m. there were no reports of violations by the illegal armed groups. Now the situation is calm," spokesman Oleksander Motuzyanyk said, adding that no soldiers had been killed or wounded during the last 24 hours.

The two sides said last week that they would aim to establish peace in Ukraine's eastern region by September 1 and "jointly verify the fulfilment of this initiative."

http://www.dw.com/en/ukraine-and-rebels-show-positive-signs-as-truce-holds-for-24-hours/a-18688196

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