To
Ukraine, IMF
Enables $1.39B
More, No Word
On Lagarde
Probe
By Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
August 29 --
The
International
Monetary Fund
press office
on the morning
of August 29
announced
IMF Completes
First Review
Under Stand-By
Arrangement
for Ukraine
and Approves
US$1.39
Billion
Disbursement
The Executive
Board of the
International
Monetary Fund
(IMF) today
completed the
first review
of Ukraine’s
performance
under an
economic
program
supported by a
Stand-By
Arrangement
(SBA). The
completion of
this review
enables the
disbursement
of SDR 914.67
million (about
US$1.39
billion),
which would
bring total
disbursements
under the
arrangement to
SDR 2.97
billion (about
US$4.51
billion).
Ukraine’s
two-year SDR
10.97 billion
(about
US$16.67
billion) SBA
was approved
on April 30,
2014 (see
Press Release
No. 14/189) to
support the
government’s
economic
program, which
aims to
restore
macroeconomic
stability,
strengthen
economic
governance and
transparency,
and launch
sound and
sustainable
economic
growth while
protecting the
vulnerable
groups.
Update:
now the full
longer press
release is
online here.
But how do
events on the
ground,
military and
otherwise,
impact this?
When
the UN
Security
Council held
an open
meeting on
Ukraine on
August 28, the
first speaker
was UN (and
former US) official
Jeffrey
Feltman.
Feltman said,
"“the
southward
spread of
fighting,
along with
border with
the Russian
Federation and
the Sea of
Avoz, marks a
dangerous
escalation in
the conflict.
The battle for
Lugansk
continues, and
hostilities in
Donetsk in
several key
strategic
areas have
been
spreading.”
US Ambassador
Samantha Power
said the
question now
is what to do
to Russia to
make it listen.
She said
Ukraine is one
of a dozen
countries with
borders with
Russia and
that this will
be a
precedent.
Argentina's
Permanent
Representative
María Cristina
Perceval, nuanced,
said she
wished the
Security
Council could
have brought
the parties to
some agreement,
at least one
some issues.
Nigeria's
Permanent
Representative
Joy Ogwu said
among other
things that
the government
of Ukraine
must accommodate
the interests
of all of its
citizens.
China's deputy
called for a
prompt
ceasefire, citing
the
“legitimate
rights
interests and
aspirations of
all regions
and ethnic
groups.”
Russia's
Vitaly Churkin
said that the
escalation is
a result of
Kyiv declaring
war on its own
people, that
Petro
Poroshenko's
peace plan was
predicated on
capitulation
of the rebels.
He said
Ukraine armed
forces have
been shelling
civilian
quarters,
using
phosphorus.
Significantly,
Churkin said
that no one is
hiding that
there are
volunteers in
Ukraine
(alternative
translation:
everybody knows
there are
Russian volunteers
in the East of
Ukreaine) -
but asked the
US now to be equally
transparent
and explain
staff in
Ukrainian
Security
Council
building.
Churkin
proposed that
UNSC members
agree to a
press
statement,
“calling for
unconditional
ceasefire,”
aid to Donetsk
and Lugansk -
that they vote
on it
immediately,
at the table.
The UK's Mark
Lyall Grant
cites the
weapons holdings
of the
separatists,
mentioned NATO
intelligence,
but did not
respond to
Churkin's
request for a
vote.
Lithuania
suggested that
no vote be
taken, as the
statement did
not say the
separatists
block aid, and
mentioned
other amendment.
No vote was
taken.
Ukraine's
deputy
Oleksandr
Pavlichenko
used the word
invasion, and
said Russia
has, near the
border, 192
military
aircraft and
137
helicopters.
Churkin asked
Pavlichenko
two questions:
why hasn't
Ukraine given
the air traffic
control tapes
of MH17 to the
Dutch or made
them public?
And didn't Ukraine
understanding
that a ceasefire
only for
capitulation
would never
fly?
Pavlichenko
spoke again
but did not
answer. He
said Ukraine
is active in
the
investigation
- but what
about the tapes?
On the demand
for
capitulation,
he did not
answer...
, 
