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as president, the 81-year-old Leonid Kuchma, who resigned the position on July 28. In his first remarks, Kravchuk vowed “to do everything possible to achieve peace,” as reported on the President’s Office website. Kravchuk credited the Zelensky administration for organizing the December Normandy Four summit in Paris, as well as working to prepare a similar summit in Berlin. Zelensky isn’t afraid of unpopular decisions to achieve peace, Kravchuk said.
Russian Duma member Konstantin Zatulin, among the main Russian World ideologues, has become a close adviser to Dmitry Kozak ​since the latter was appointed in January as President Putin’s pointman on resolving the war in Donbas, reported Valeriy Kondratiuk, the head of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine, in an article for the dt.ua news site published on Aug. 1. In this capacity, Zatulin has urged Kozak to use the negotiating process to eventually implement a Georgian or Moldovan model in Ukraine in which Donbas is practically independent, formally a part of the Ukrainian state and is capable of influencing the politics of the Ukrainian government, the article said. “Until then, I hope the Americans will get tired of being involved with [Ukraine], will get tired of throwing resources into this furnace and will wave its hand. And they’ll remove some nationalist and a more-or-less balanced regime will come. Wait for its evolution and build relations with it,” Zatulin reportedly said, though the context was not disclosed.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko​ during an Aug. 5 telephone call that he is seeking the extradition to Ukraine for prosecution 14 of the 33 captured Russian Wagner mercenaries who are reported to have engaged in illegal military operations in Donbas. Lukashenko said in response that Belarus law enforcement bodies will cooperate on this matter within the framework of international agreements.
Ukraine is attempting to join the NATO Reflection Process that will become the foundation for forming the NATO-2030 strategic concept, said Olha Stefanyshyna, the deputy prime minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration, as reported by the eurointegration.com.ua news site on July 31. Ukraine’s involvement was discussed during her July 9 visit to NATO headquarters, during which she met with secretary general Jens Stoltenberg. “Ukraine is that force that can significantly strengthen Euro-Atlantic security owing to its practical experience, already apparent ability in the security and defence spheres, preparedness for transformations and partnership in regions beyond its own borders,” she said. It’s also important for Ukraine to effectively fulfill its annual national programs as part of the Ukraine-NATO commission, which draws Ukraine closer to membership, she said. Recall on June 12, the NATO Council recognized Ukraine as a member of its Enhanced Oppotunities Partnership, joining such countries as Australia, Finland, Sweden, Georgia, and Jordan.
2.5 ​Polls & Sociology
If Ukraine’s presidential elections were held next week, Zelenskiy would take 33.4% of the vote ​of those who have already decided on the candidate, according to the Center for Social and Marketing Research SOCIS that conducted the survey together with the Razumkov Center. Former president Petro Poroshenko has moved up the table into second place with a 17.8% pushing head of the pro-Russian Opposition Bloc Yuriy Boyko (aka Boiko) into
13​ UKRAINE Country Report​ September 2020 ​ ​www.intellinews.com