Ukraine’s Security Service has banned Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin from entering Ukraine. The SBU sent the statement to Ukrainian Internet news service Apostrof.
“On the basis of Article 16 of the law On Legal Status of Foreigners and Stateless Persons, member of the European Parliament Janusz Korwin-Mikke and Russian citizen Dmitry Rogozin were banned from entering the territory of Ukraine,” reads the statement.
Polish MEP Korwin-Mikke visited Crimea earlier in December, breaking Ukraine’s laws. Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. Entering the peninsula by any means but mainland Ukraine is against the law.
From the report:
In violation of relevant withdrawal lines, the SMM observed one anti-tank guided missile system (9K111 Fagot, 120mm) at a Ukrainian Armed Forces position near government-controlled Popasna (69km west of Luhansk).
The SMM observed that the previously-reported six wired anti-tank mines were still present at the first Ukrainian Armed forces checkpoint near the western entrance to the village of Marinka (government-controlled, 23km south-west of Donetsk).
Here's another update from our news desk:
Kyiv says it will approve a ban on the import of some Russian goods in response to similar actions by Moscow.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said during a cabinet meeting on December 30 that "for every Russian action, Ukraine will take counteractions and countermeasures."
He also said the government would change the duty on Russian imports, but gave no details.
Ukraine's Ministry of Economy and Trade said on December 29 that it has drawn up a list of 43 products from Russia whose import will be banned starting from January 10.
The products range from meat and dairy products to alcohol and railway hardware, including locomotives
The trade war ignited earlier this month after the Kremlin said it was suspending a free trade zone with Ukraine because of "extraordinary circumstances affecting the interests and economic security" of Russia. That was in reference to a free trade pact Kyiv has signed with the European Union.
Moscow said the EU-Ukraine pact, which is due to come into force next month, could lead to a flood of European imports into Russia and make its own exports to Ukraine less competitive.
(Reuters, Interfax)
And speaking of the cease-fire, here is a map of the situation in the Donbas conflict zone, courtesy of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry (CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE):
Here's an update from our news desk on Merkel, Hollande, Putin, and Poroshenko's talks on the cease-fire in the east:
The leaders of Germany, France, Russia, and Ukraine have renewed their support for a cease-fire in eastern Ukraine during phone discussions between them.
The office of the French presidency said in a statement on December 30 that the four leaders also reaffirmed their commitment to the "concerted withdrawal without delay of heavy weapons."
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko reportedly spoke by phone for two hours in their first discussions since meeting in Paris on October 2.
The four leaders emphasized the need to follow through on the Minsk peace accords over the coming year, including preparations for local elections at the start of 2017 in areas of eastern Ukraine held by pro-Russian rebels.
The French president's office also said that the foreign ministers from the four countries are due to meet to discuss the peace process in greater detail by early February.
(Reuters, AFP)