Poroshenko permits entry of foreign military with equipment and weapons to Ukraine

March 30, 2015 (JoInfo) President Petro Poroshenko has signed Decree "On the Plan of Holding Multinational Trainings with Participation of AFU Units in the Territory of Ukraine and their Participation in Trainings Abroad for 2015, as well as the Access to the Territory of Ukraine for the Units of the Armed Forces of Other States to Participate in Multinational Trainings in 2015," Joinfo.ua reports with reference to the official website of the Ukrainian leader.

"The level of preparation of our servicemen that take part in trainings should be high, for them to become instructors and share their experience for the struggle against subversive-reconnaissance groups and the increase of efficiency of various sectors of the Armed Forces," said Poroshenko.

A series of Ukrainian-American trainings in the territory of Ukraine is scheduled for 2015: "Fearless Guardian-2015" (overall number of participants equals 2.2 thousand people, including 1 thousand U.S. servicemen), "Sea Breeze-2015" (overall number of participants equals 2.5 thousand people, including 1 thousand U.S. servicemen and up to 500 militaries from NATO countries and the program "Partnership for Peace") and "Saber Guardian/Rapid Trident-2015" (overall number of participants equals 2.1 thousand people, including up to 500 U.S. servicemen and up to 600 servicemen from NATO countries and the program "Partnership for Peace"). Also, Ukrainian-Polish trainings are planned: "Secure Sky – 2015" (overall, 350 participants, including 100 Polish militaries) and "Legal Order – 2015" (overall, 100 participants, including 50 Polish servicemen). For this end, the Decree of the President grants access to the territory of Ukraine for the armed forces units of the U.S., NATO member-states, members of the program "Partnership for Peace", Poland with armament, military equipment, ships, submarines, aircrafts and helicopters for the period and in the amount approved by the Decree.

The full article is available at

http://joinfo.com/world/1001824_Poroshenko-permits-entry-of-foreign-military-with.html

US House votes to provide lethal aid to Ukraine

March 26, 2015 (GlobalResearch) Yesterday the House of Representatives passed a resolution urging President Obama to send lethal aid to Ukraine, providing offensive, not just “defensive” weapons to the Ukraine army – the same insolvent, hyperinflating Ukraine which, with a Caa3/CC credit rating, last week started preparations to issue sovereign debt with a US guarantee, in essence making it a part of the United States (something the US previously did as a favor to Egypt before the Muslim Brotherhood puppet regime was swept from power by the local army). The resolution passed with broad bipartisan support by a count of 348 to 48.

 The US' top military officer Martin Dempsey said he would "absolutely consider" lethal aid to Ukraine

According to Deutsche Welle, the measure urges President Obama to provide Ukraine with “lethal defensive weapon systems” that would better enable Ukraine to defend its territory from “the unprovoked and continuing aggression of the Russian Federation.” “Policy like this should not be partisan,” said House Democrat Eliot Engel, the lead sponsor of the resolution. “That is why we are rising today as Democrats and Republicans, really as Americans, to say enough is enough in Ukraine.”

Read the whole article at

http://www.globalresearch.ca/us-house-votes-348-48-to-arm-ukraine-russia-warns-lethal-aid-will-explode-the-whole-situation/5438805

Ukraine arrests two top officials at cabinet meeting

March 25, 2015 (BBC News Europe) Two senior Ukrainian officials have been arrested during a cabinet meeting as part of an anti-corruption crackdown, hours after a powerful regional governor was sacked. The head of Ukraine's state emergencies service, Serhiy Bochkovsky, and his deputy Vasyl Stoyetsky were handcuffed by police at the televised meeting. They are suspected of involvement in high-level corruption. Earlier, Ukraine's president sacked a billionaire governor, Ihor Kolomoisky.

Ukrainian TV showed a policeman putting handcuffs on Serhiy Bochkovsky

Mr Kolomoisky had been running the key industrial region of Dnipropetrovsk and had financed armed volunteers to fight pro-Russian separatists in the east. He had been vying with President Petro Poroshenko for control of the Ukrnafta energy company. The two arrests shown on TV on Wednesday were connected to illegal kickbacks involving procurement contracts, Interior Minister Arsen Avakov told the cabinet meeting. Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk, quoted by Reuters news agency, said that " when the country is at war and when we are counting every penny - they steal from people and the state. This will happen to everyone who breaks the law and sneers at the Ukrainian state."

The full article and a video of the arrest are available at:

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-32051743

Boris Nemtsov murder: Tens of thousands march in Moscow

1 March 2015 (BBC News Europe) Tens of thousands of people have marched through central Moscow to honour opposition politician Boris Nemtsov, who was shot dead on Friday. They carried portraits of Mr Nemtsov and banners saying "I am not afraid". He had been due to lead an opposition march on Sunday but his killing turned the event into a mourning rally. Mr Nemtsov's allies have accused the Kremlin of involvement, but President Vladimir Putin condemned the murder as "vile" and vowed to find the killers. Opposition supporters gathered at a point not far from the Kremlin before marching past the spot on Great Moskvoretsky Bridge where Mr Nemtsov was killed. Several thousand people have also marched in St Petersburg.

These placards read: "Heroes don't die" and "These bullets are for each one of us"

The whole article is available at

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-31677506