EU court partially upholds sanctions on Yanukovych:
By RFE/RL
A European court has partially upheld sanctions imposed on Ukraine's ousted former president, Viktor Yanukovych, his son Oleksandr, and the former head of the presidential administration, Andriy Klyuyev.
The three challenged the European Union's sanctions on charges of embezzlement and financial wrongdoing that meant losing access to their funds held in European banks.
The EU's General Court "confirms the freezing of funds imposed for the period from March 6, 2015 until March 6, 2016," the court said in a September 15 statement.
The three Ukrainians can appeal against the ruling to the EU's top court.
However, the three Ukrainians won their challenge to the sanctions for the March 2014 to March 2015 period because EU governments did not provide enough proof, the court also said.
The statement said the European Council provided more proof for the extension of sanctions for the following period, allowing them to stand.
The EU has extended the sanctions until March 2017, which the two Yanukovyches and Klyuyev have also challenged and the case is ongoing.
Yanukovych fled to Russia in February 2014 after a popular uprising. He has denied involvement in corruption. (w/Reuters)
NATO, Russia hold talks on risk reduction:
By RFE/RL
NATO and Russia officials have held talks on "ways to increase transparency and risk reduction," the military alliance says.
A statement says NATO Deputy Secretary-General Alexander Vershbow discussed these issues on September 15 with Russia's NATO ambassador, Aleksandr Grushko.
The statement said Vershbow told Grushko that NATO was ready to continue the dialogue, but that there was "no change" in policy toward Russia.
"Our practical cooperation remains suspended following Russia's aggressive actions against Ukraine," it said. "At the same time, we decided to keep channels of political dialogue open."
The statement added that NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg "looks forward to discussing these issues and next steps" with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov "in the near future."
The meeting could come next week, when Stoltenberg and Lavrov are scheduled to be in New York for the annual session of the UN General Assembly.
Relations between NATO and Russia have reached their lowest point since the Cold War over Moscow's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and its role in the military conflict in eastern Ukraine. (w/AFP, AP)
Kyiv To Host 2018 Champions League Soccer Final
The 2018 Champions League soccer final will be held in Kyiv, Europe's soccer governing body has announced, despite concerns over the conflict in eastern Ukraine.
"Ukraine will host the UEFA Champions League final on May 26, 2018," said UEFA's executive committee in a statement on September 15.
Ukraine, which was co-host of the 2012 Euros with Poland, submitted its official bid to stage the final at Kyiv's 70,000-seat Olympic Stadium earlier this year.
The final will be held only a few weeks before Russia stages the World Cup.
There are concerns over security, with Ukrainian government forces locked in a deadly conflict with pro-Russia separatists in eastern Ukraine.
Another worry is Ukraine's track record on racism, with UEFA having fined and imposed a three-match stadium ban on Dynamo Kyiv after racist behavior by their fans.
Estonia's capital, Tallinn, will host the UEFA Super Cup final on August 18, 2018.
Based on reporting by AFP and dpa
Here is today's map of the security situation in eastern Ukraine, according to the National Security and Defense Council (CLICK TO ENLARGE):
