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An officer of the Department of the state guard checks the temperature of a woman as she enters the presidential office building, as a preventive measure against coronavirus (COVID-19) in Kiev, Ukraine March 13, 2020. REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko

KIEV (Reuters) - Ukraines government at a televised meeting on Friday decided to ban citizens registered in separatist-held territory in the eastern Donbass region from entering government-controlled areas.

The authorities in Kiev are also gearing up to close border checkpoints with countries bordering the European Union in the west, but have not yet specified how many would be closed or when the closures would happen.

The decisions need the final approval from the national security and defense council, which is chaired by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and will meet later on Friday.

Reporting by Natalia Zinets; writing by Matthias Williams; Editing by Jon Boyle

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Ukraine to block entry to residents registered in separatist-held areas to stop coronavirus spread - Reuters

A travel warning of the highest security level 6 is thus available for connections between Austria and 10 countries: Great Britain, Russia, the Netherlands, Ukraine, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, France, Iran, parts of China.

The highest travel warning security level 6 applies to all 10 countries.

In view of the rapid spread of the coronavirus, travellers are urged to travel home immediately.

As of Monday, March 16, 2020, 24:00, air and train traffic to Switzerland, Spain and France will be suspended.

As of Tuesday, March 17, 2020, landing permission will no longer be granted for flights from Great Britain, the Netherlands, Russia and Ukraine, the Austrian Foreign Ministry announced today.

The updated travel information of the Foreign Ministry for the four new countries is as follows:

United Kingdom

Security level 6 (travel warning) applies throughout the United Kingdom.

A warning is issued for travel to the United Kingdom.

After March 17, 00.00 hours, landing permission is no longer granted for flights from the United Kingdom.

Austrian travellers are strongly advised to return home from this country via other European airports.

Due to the spread of the coronavirus, the British Government is currently carrying out increased surveillance of direct flights from the affected areas. Increased entry checks at airports to identify sick travellers can therefore be expected.

Ukraine

Security level 6 (travel warning) applies to the entire Ukraine.

A warning is issued against travel to the Ukraine.

After March 17, 00.00 hours landing permission for flights from Ukraine is no longer granted.

From Sunday, 16.3.2020 at 00:01 a.m. foreigners will no longer be allowed to enter the Ukraine.

Exceptions are foreigners with a valid residence permit in Ukraine as well as employees of international organisations and diplomatic staff.

The entry ban will be imposed for 2 weeks for the time being. From March 17, 2020 all regular flights to Ukraine will also be stopped.

Russia

Security level 6 (travel warning) applies to the entire Russian Federation.

A warning is issued for travel to the Russian Federation.

As of March 17, 00.00 hours, landing permission is no longer granted for flights from Russia. Austrian travellers are strongly recommended to return home from this country via other European airports.

To contain the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), health checks with temperature measurements for arriving passengers have been set up at airports.

If necessary, the Russian authorities may order a 14-day stay in a medical facility, quarantine or medically indicated house arrest. The latter measure is currently imposed in the city of Moscow, in particular on persons entering from one of the seven countries currently most affected by the corona virus (China, South Korea, Italy, Iran, France, Germany, Spain), even if they are not infected or ill.

The possibility of an additional extension or tightening of official measures can be expected at any time. It is therefore strongly recommended that before travelling to Russia, and especially Moscow, you enquire about the current situation at the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Vienna.

Netherlands

Security level 6 (travel warning) applies throughout the Netherlands.

A warning is issued against travelling to the Netherlands.

After March 17, 00.00 hours, landing permission is no longer granted.

The Rijksinstituut voor Volksgezondheid en Milieu (RIVM) - National Institute for Public Health and the Environment acts as an "umbrella organisation" to coordinate measures related to COVID-19. A hotline of the RIVM provides information on the latest news on the subject at 0031 (0) 800 1351.

The updated travel advice of the Foreign Ministry for the other 4 states is as follows:

Italy

Security level 6 (travel warning) applies throughout Italy.

A warning is issued against travel to Italy. This also applies to South Tyrol, Vatican (Holy See) and San Marino.

The Italian government has ordered a basic ban on entering and leaving the country and a restriction on freedom of movement. Exceptions apply exclusively in the case of compelling professional reasons, emergency situations or medical reasons.

It is possible to return to the place of residence. All persons currently staying in Italy are required to stay at home, unless it is to provide food or medicine.

The police and other law enforcement agencies check the existence of the reasons.

Travel to and from Italy for tourist reasons is not permitted. Travellers to and from Italy (incl. Schengen) must present a self-declaration with reasons (exclusively for professional reasons, emergency situation, health reasons and return to residence; the correctness of the self-declaration can be checked and sanctions can be imposed in case of false declarations). All direct train and flight connections between Austria and Italy have been suspended.

Austrian travellers are strongly advised to return to Austria by car.

Switzerland

Security level 6 (travel warning) applies throughout Switzerland. A warning is issued against travel to Switzerland.

It is urgently recommended to postpone trips that are not absolutely necessary or to make use of return travel options that still exist at present.

Due to the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19), the Swiss authorities under the leadership of the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) have made extensive preparations at federal and cantonal level for the occurrence of the coronavirus in Switzerland.

The number of cases of COVID-19 is also increasing rapidly in Switzerland. The Swiss government classifies the situation as a special situation under the Epidemics Act.

On this basis, a ban on large events involving more than 1000 people has been decreed.

The cantonal authorities decide on events with less than 1000 participants. In Ticino, nine smaller border crossings into Italy were closed with immediate effect: Pedrinate, Ponte Faloppia, Novazzano Marcetto, San Pietro di Stabio, Ligornetto Cantinetta, Arzo, Ponte Cremenaga, Cassinone, Indemini.

In view of the rapid spread of COVID-19, the Canton of Ticino also decreed other far-reaching measures, including the closure of schools and training centres that go beyond compulsory education (i.e. schools from the 9th grade upwards).

Cinemas, clubs and ski resorts will also be closed until at least the end of March.

Restaurants may serve a maximum of 50 people. All sporting events are cancelled.

Spain

For the whole of Spain, security level 6 (travel warning) applies. A warning is issued against travel to Spain.

It is strongly advised to postpone trips that are not absolutely necessary or to make use of return travel options that are currently still available.

In Spain, infections with the coronavirus COVID-19 have been confirmed in all autonomous regions.

The most affected zones are Madrid (about 50% of the registered cases), La Rioja, Vitoria and Labastida (Basque Country).

The Spanish government is proceeding according to an emergency plan, which may lead to measures such as health checks with temperature measurements and "active health surveillance", which is linked to domestic quarantine, or to quarantine.

Health checks with temperature measurements for arriving passengers may be carried out at airports.

Direct flights from Italy to Spain are suspended until March 25, 2020. Direct flights between Spain and Italy are also suspended until March 25, 2020.

France

Security level 6 (travel warning) applies throughout France. A warning is issued against travel to France.

It is urgently recommended to postpone trips that are not absolutely necessary or to make use of return travel options that still exist at present.

Travellers to and from Southern France are strongly advised to avoid the route through Italy (currently travel warning, security level 6!).

Due to the continuing spread of the corona virus COVID-19, increased entry controls at airports - not only for passengers arriving from China, Hong Kong, Singapore and South Korea - must be expected to identify sick travellers and the occurrence of cases of illness.

Travellers are advised to avoid large crowds, to follow the instructions of local security authorities and to strictly adhere to hygienic precautions.

See more here:
Austria Suspends Travel also with Great Britain, Russia, the Netherlands and Ukraine - Vindobona

In the next few months, Ukraine will return all of its citizens who are being held in the occupied territories of Donbas.

Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak said this at a briefing on Friday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

In the coming months, we will return all our citizens who are being held in the territory of the so-called ORDLO, Yermak said.

On March 11, a meeting of the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) on the peaceful settlement of the situation in eastern Ukraine was held in Minsk. It was attended by Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak and Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation Dmitry Kozak.

The Ukrainian Presidents Office reported that the parties at the meeting had agreed to submit to the TCG the agreed lists of prisoners to be exchanged.

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Ukraine in coming months to return all its citizens held in occupied Donbas Yermak - Ukrinform. Ukraine and world news

MOSCOWAmericans can be forgiven if they are sick of hearing about Ukraine and corruption in connection with Donald Trump and Joe Biden and his son Hunter. The long road to President Trumps impeachment in the House of Representatives and the quick business of acquittal in the Senate left people in the United States drained and desperate to turn the page.

But now it looks like Ukraine is about to open that book again. In the foreground, a lot of broken promises by the government of President Volodymyr Zelensky. In the background, Russian President Vladimir Putin. How much of a role Trump operatives are playing in the picture is unclear.

Last week, Zelensky shook up his cabinet. He fired several ministers pursuing anti-corruption reforms and axed the prosecutor general, Ruslan Ryaboshapka, who had managed to win the respect of clean-government activists in Kyiv.

Ryaboshapka was seen to be doing his level best to avoid pressure from Trump and his personal attorney Rudolph Giuliani to investigate Hunter Bidens relationship with the Ukrainian energy company Burisma Holdings, where he held a lucrative position on the board.

Zelensky and his aides had also seemed reluctant to pursue such an agenda, which has a great deal more to do with partisan American politics than it does with rooting out Ukrainian corruption. But Zelensky said the fired ministers were underperforming.

The decision to fire him was based on 'bald-face lies,' said the general prosecutor.

Long-time Ukraine watchers saw something more ominous: a pivot away from attempts at sustainable reform, and one toward the presidential elections in the United States.

In the infamous phone call between Trump and Zelensky last July, youll recall, Trump asked Zelensky for a favor: to investigate Burisma and the Bidens. This at a time when Trump was withholding vital military aid from Ukraine.

Zelensky told Trump in July he would soon appoint a prosecutor who would look into the Bidens and who would be 100 percent my person, my candidate. Zelensky assured Trump that this loyal prosecutor will take care of that, will work on the investigation of the case.And just as Zelensky promised, Ryaboshapka did look at the facts, but he always chose his words carefully: Instead of investigating Burisma, he said he intended to audit the case.

Apparently that wasnt enough. In a farewell speech to Ukraines parliament, the Rada, Ryaboshapka warned of the return of pro-Russian politicians to Ukrainian politics, some of the very same who were pushed out of the country by a pro-European revolution six years ago, ending decades of corrupt dominance of its economic and political life.

Zelensky and his team are in the process of eliminating everyone who is independent in the cabinet and in the supervisory boards.

Melinda Haring, deputy director of the Atlantic Councils Eurasia Center

They want to return and live the same way they had lived for 28 years, said Ryaboshapka, that is why I am standing here. The decision to fire him was based on bald-face lies, he said. He had refused to bow to the wishes of Zelensky or members of his Servant of the People party that he pursue politicized cases, he said. I have never been anybodys servant. I have beenI remainindependent. Nobody can influence an independent prosecutor. He can only be fired.

Zelensky and his team are in the process of eliminating everyone who is independent in the cabinet and in the supervisory boards, says Melinda Haring, deputy director of the Atlantic Councils Eurasia Center. Prosecutor Ryaboshapka was too independent and too committed to playing by the rules, she told The Daily Beast. Its entirely possible that they need someone in the general prosecutors seat who will comply with a bogus investigation of Burisma.

Currently there are many politicians in Kyiv pushing for Ukraine to fulfill Trumps favor.

Oleg Voloshin is a member of the For Life party. Its chairman is Victor Medvechuk, a close Putin friend and associate. On Thursday, he condemned Ryaboshapka and all his supporters while pushing the Kremlin line that it was Ukraine, not Russia, that interfered in the U.S. presidential elections of 2016. Voloshin told the Rada that the outgoing prosecutor and others are are very much terrified of the investigation of Ukraines interference in 2016 American presidential elections and of the objective investigation against Burisma.

A report by Morgan Stanley released earlier this week recommended investors sell Ukrainian government bonds.

Ukraines leading corruption fighters and political analysts believe that the changes underway may drag the country right back into the arms of pro-Russian figures, and that the shift will also hasten Zelenskys lean toward Trump on the issue of investigations.

Daria Kaleniuk, director of the Anti-Corruption Action Center, is convinced that Moscow is using the moment to strengthen its powers in Ukraine at a moment when the U.S. is focused on coronavirus and election news, and Europe is overwhelmed with the epidemic as well as a new refugee crisis.

The reshuffle of our government is a direct threat to American-Ukrainian relations: Putins friend, MP Viktor Medvechuk and his party For Life, sing in unison with President Zelenskys party, the Servant of the People, calling to investigate the Bidens, Kaleniuk said. It would be a catastrophe for our future relations with the United States if we stop being bipartisan and take just one position: pro-Republican.

Foreign investors, too, had a negative reaction to the new personalities coming to top positions in Ukraines government and their vague attitude toward International Monetary Fund requirements for reform and transparency.

Some new ministers have rsums that suggest not the slightest intention to reform. The new prime minister, 44-year-old Denis Shmygal, previously worked for the oligarch Rinat Akhmetov in 2017-2019 as director of his Burshtyn power plant.

A report by Morgan Stanley released last week recommended investors sell Ukrainian government bonds, before the uncertainty in Kyiv expanded the budget deficit. We recommend selling Ukraine-2030 Eurobonds and buying Egypt-2031 bonds, said the report, noting that prominent reformers had lost out, including former Economy Minister Timofey Milovanov and former Finance Minister Oksana Markarova.

Ukraine has hundreds of top managers, I dont see many on Zelenskys team, said the Atlantic Councils Melinda Haring. Also, the purge is not over, they will go after the leadership of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau, NABU, and the National Bank of Ukraine next, unless the West makes a ton of noise.

Zelensky came to power last year thanks to the massive support of his fans, TV viewers of the satirical television series called Servant of the People. Zelenskys on-screen character, an ordinary schoolteacher, gets elected Ukraines president and the first thing he does is to bring down the most powerful oligarchs, fictional men akin to the countrys richest billionairesRenat Akhmetov, Ihor Kolomoisky, and Dmytro Firtash. In real life, at least two, Kolomoisky and Akhmetov, seem to grow more influential in Ukrainian politics by the day. (Firtash is in Vienna awaiting extradition to the United States.)

Zelensky continues to compare his presidency to his television role while recognizing there are greater challenges in real life.Its true there are more problems. They are catastrophic, Zelensky told The Guardian in an interview published last week. They appear, Im sorry to say, like pimples on an 18-year-old kid. You dont know where they will pop up, or when.

But zits rarely do as much damage as a cabinet shuffle weighted in favor of corruption. This is a turning point for Zelensky and Ukraine, says Vitaly Sych, editor in chief of the well-respected magazine Novoye Vremia. Too many clean, professional ministers aiming to change Ukraine for the better had to leave the cabinet, said Sych. This is nothing left but populism.

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Is Ukraine About to Re-Open the Biden Investigation? - The Daily Beast

The draft law on priority decisions related to the prevention, prophylaxis and elimination of the COVID-19 coronavirus, other infectious diseases associated with it, as well as crisis response measures to prevent the spread of the epidemic provides a clear algorithm for forced isolation and self-isolation, as well as liability for non-compliance with quarantine.

Minister of Health of Ukraine Illia Yemets presented the bill on Friday to MPs and representatives of relevant departments at a meeting of the working group under the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Health, Medical Assistance and Medical Insurance to draft legislative proposals aimed at preventing the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus in Ukraine.

The bill also provides for the simplification of the procurement of goods, works and services to prevent and combat coronavirus, which will speed up the process of purchasing personal protective equipment and test systems; the ability to work remotely; a ban on holding mass events with more than 200 people; a ban on conducting state surveillance and control measures during the implementation of measures related to the prevention and control of coronavirus; strengthening control of entry and exit to the territory of Ukraine.

According to the press service of the Ministry of Health, deputies supported the initiative and made several amendments to it.

See the article here:
Ukraine develops bill on COVID-19 introducing liability for non-compliance with quarantine - Interfax Ukraine