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This article first appeared on The Daily Signal.

In May 2015, Russia began constructing a planned 11.8-mile bridge across the Kerch Strait, a body of water that sits between the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.

The Russian bridge project is meant to connect the Russian mainland with the Crimean Peninsula, the region of Ukraine that Russia illegally annexed in 2014.

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Two weeks ago, Russia announced temporary closures of the Kerch Strait to accommodate bridge construction. The closures have cut off Ukraines southeast coast, including Berdiansk and the strategically important Mariupol, Ukraines 10th-largest city and a key port for exports like Ukrainian steel.

Currently, Russia can only access the Crimean Peninsula by air and sea. The bridge project would create a rail and road link, and further entrench Russias position on the annexed peninsula.

Part of a December 2003 bilateral agreement signed between Russia and Ukraine is a stipulation that mercantile vessels and other state non-commercial vessels flying the flags of the Russian Federation and Ukraine have free navigation in the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait.

Ukraines Deputy Minister of Infrastructure Yuriy Lavrenyuk recently stated that Ukraine would sue Russia over the closure of the Kerch Strait pursuant to the agreement.

People fish on a pier at the port of Mariupol, on the north of the Sea of Azov in eastern Ukraine March 26, 2014. Yannis Behrakis/reuters

While this is not the first time Russias navy has closed the Kerch Strait, it is the latest example of Russias ongoing illegal aggression against Ukraine.

Last September, the U.S. Treasury expanded sanctions on Russia for its illegal annexation of Crimea and specifically targeted companies and individuals associated with the Kerch bridge project. U.S. policymakers should now condemn Russias closure of the Kerch Strait, as well as its ongoing occupation of Crimea.

Working conditions for construction workers employed on the bridge project have been described as slave-like. Some residents of the Ukrainian town of Kerch in Crimea were reportedly expelled from their homes and moved to shabbily built apartments to make way for construction of the bridge and an adjoining highway project.

Despite significant doubts about the economic viability of the bridge, which may cost as much as $5 billion to build, the aggressive timeline to completion (currently scheduled for the end of 2018), as well as the geological suitability of the strait as a site for a bridge, Russia continues to build.

For Russian President Vladimir Putin the geopolitical symbolism of the bridge far outweighs its bloated price tag.

Since the time of Crimeas annexation, almost 5 percent of Ukraines landmass and more than half of its coastline have been under illegal Russian occupation. In addition, Russia has also claimed rights to valuable underwater resources off the peninsula.

Militarily, Russia greatly expanded its military footprint in occupied Crimea, allocating $1 billion to modernize the Black Sea fleet by 2020 and stationed warships equipped with Caliber-NK long-range cruise missiles in Sevastopol. Last August, Russia deployed S-400 air defense systems to Crimea.

Recent reports that the Trump administration is considering sending lethal defensive weapons to Ukraine are promising. Every country has the right to self-defense, and the U.S. should supply these weapons to Ukraine.

However, such a move should be incorporated within a larger strategy for assisting Ukraine. This larger strategy should include the issuance of a nonrecognition statement on Crimea, as well as the condemnation of Russias ongoing illegal actions in Crimea and the Black Sea region, such as Russias closure of the Kerch Strait.

As with Russias 2008 invasion of Georgia, Putin has often found the lazy days of August when many Western leaders are on vacation a convenient month to initiate some new aggression against a neighboring state.

In the case of the closure of the Kerch Strait, American policymakers should make clear they are still watching.

Daniel Kochis is a policy analyst for European affairs at The Heritage Foundation's Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom.

Read more:
Has Trump Noticed Putin Has Cut Off Ukraine's Black Sea Ports? - Newsweek

Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine said they will honor a cease-fire beginning with the new school year on August 25.

Separatist leader Denis Pushilin was quoted on the separatists' main news site late on August 23 as saying that his fighters "supported a stable and universal cease-fire along the contact line" in Ukraine's Donbas region.

Martin Sajdik, the envoy for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) on the Ukraine crisis, had earlier confirmed reports that an "indefinite" cease-fire would commence at midnight on August 25.

The OSCE issued a statement saying it "welcomes the recommitment to cease-fire" and called the truce "an encouraging joint, political signal from all signatories" to the 2015 Minsk peace agreement.

The cease-fire was agreed late on August 22 during a phone call between the leaders of Germany, France, Russia, and Ukraine -- the so-called "Normandy Four."

In the call, Russian President Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, and French President Emmanuel Macron all voiced strong support for a lasting cease-fire to allow children in eastern Ukraine to attend school at the start of the new term, the Kremlin and Poroshenko's press service said.

Kurt Volker, the U.S. special envoy for efforts to end the conflict in Ukraine, had earlier expressed his support for the proposal in comments to the Baltic News Service as he visited Lithuania on August 22.

The cease-fire for the back-to-school season "seems like a very good idea. We would obviously fully support that and hope the sides could do that," Volker told the news service.

Several cease-fire deals announced as part of the 2015 Minsk accords have failed to hold since Russia-backed separatists seized parts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, which border Russia, in 2014.

The United Nations estimates that at least 10,090 people, including 2,777 civilians, have been killed, and at least 23,966 injured since the start of the conflict through May 15, 2017.

The United States and the European Union have imposed sanctions on Moscow for its annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula and for its support of separatists in eastern Ukraine.

Volker was joined in Kyiv on August 23 by U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis. They will hold meetings with senior Ukrainian government officials to discuss "the next steps in diplomatic negotiations to restore Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity," U.S. officials said.

Mattis is scheduled to attend a parade on August 24 to mark Ukraines Independence Day and to meet with Poroshenko.

Mattis is likely to vow continued nonlethal U.S. support, offering the potential for weaponry considered "defensive" in nature.

Kyiv is expected to push for more lethal weapons, including antitank and antiaircraft weapons, to battle the separatists.

Mattis arrived in Kyiv from Ankara, where he met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other officials. He had earlier stopped in Jordan and made a surprise visit to Iraq.

Read more:
Russia-Backed Separatists In Eastern Ukraine Say Will Honor Cease-Fire - RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty

BBC News

Ukraine forces declare truce for new school year BBC News Forces fighting in eastern Ukraine have committed to a ceasefire before the start of the new school year, say international monitors. The truce will take hold at midnight on Friday, OSCE representative Ambassador Martin Sajdik said. Shelling has ... Contact group on Ukraine in Minsk to reconvene on 6 SeptemberBelarus News (BelTA) Ukraine separatists agree fresh ceasefire from FridayYahoo Singapore News Contact Group on Ukraine crisis agree on new ceasefire from Aug. 25Famagusta Gazette ReliefWeb all 18 news articles »

See the article here:
Ukraine forces declare truce for new school year - BBC News

Sen. John McCainJohn McCainBush biographer: Trump has moved the goalpost for civilized society White House to pressure McConnell on ObamaCare McCain: Trump needs to state difference between bigots and those fighting hate MORE (R-Ariz.) is again urgingPresident Trump to provide lethal aid to Ukraine as Defense Secretary James MattisJames Norman MattisTrump to tackle Afghanistan strategy at Camp David Four members of Joint Chiefs denounce racism US, Japan conduct air drills after North Korea issues Guam warning MORE arrives in the country for a meeting with its president and top defense official.

"It is long past time for the United States to provide Ukraine the defensive lethal assistance it needs to deter and defend against further Russian aggression," McCain, the chairman of the powerful Senate Armed Services Committee, said in a statement Wednesday.

The senator's renewed calls for the U.S. to provide lethal weaponry to Ukraine as it battles pro-Russia separatists in the eastern Donbas region comes two days after Trump announced a new broad strategy for Afghanistan.

With the change of course in Afghanistan, McCain said, Trump "now has the same opportunity with regard to Ukraine."

The senior Arizona Republican argued that providing weaponsto Ukraine"is not opposed to a peaceful resolution of this conflict it is essential to achieving it."

"As long as the status quo remains, Russia has no reason to change its behavior, and we should only expect more violence and more death," he said.

Russia has denied providing support tothe separatists, but U.S. officials have claimed otherwise.

The president already has the authority to send lethal assistance to Ukraine under the annual defense policy bill. But former President Barack ObamaBarack ObamaCongress needs to assert the war power against a dangerous president CNN's Don Lemon: Anyone supporting Trump complicit' in racism DOJ warrant of Trump resistance site triggers alarm MORE chose instead to send only nonlethal assistance to the country.

During his visit to Kiev, Mattis is expected to reassure the country's leaders that the U.S. remains opposed to Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea, according to The Associated Press.

Trump entered office in January with hopes of improving the relationship between the U.S. and Russia. But ties have grown tenseamid ongoing investigations into Russia's role in the 2016 election and possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Moscow.

Also fueling tensions between the two countries is a sanctions package signed into law earlier thismonth that penalizes Russia for its efforts to meddle in the election. Trump reluctantly signed the measures after they were overwhelmingly passed byCongress.

Read more here:
McCain renews calls for Trump to send weapons to Ukraine - The Hill

A pair of George Soros-funded NGOs are engaged in a campaign that could destabilize Ukraine and force the country to rely on its enemy, Russia, for its energy needs.

Transparency International and the Anti-Corruption Action Centre are behind political propaganda and social media attacks aimed at Burisma, a private Kiev-based natural gas company that has invested billions of dollars to dramatically increase natural gas production and helped wean Ukraine off of Russian energy imports.

Both organizations received hundreds of thousands of dollars from Soros-funded foundations in recent years. Burismas owner, Nikolay Zlochevskyi, was under suspicion for corruption and tax evasion, but separate investigations in the United Kingdom and Ukraine dropped all charges against Burisma and Zlochevskyi.

Despite Burismas resounding victory in both the British and Ukrainian legal systems over the course of the past three years, the Anti-Corruption Action Centre engaged in a series of press releases, statements and social media posts implying Zlochevskyi and the company received favorable treatment in court due to political connections.

Earlier this year, Transparency International plastered Kiev with posters and ads claiming Ukraines General Prosecutors Office was guilty of abuse of power, and alleged Zlochevskyis case should not have been dropped.

Former U.S. Deputy Assistant Attorney General John Buretta, however, believes the outcome of the investigation was reasonable and correct. The actions of the [British Office of the General Prosecutor] and those of the Ukrainian court are clear evidence of Ukraines commitment to the rule of law and due process twin pillars of democracy, Buretta stated.

Transparency International and the Anti-Corruption Action Centre also claim Burisma failed to pay appropriate taxes, even though the company pays almost $100 million in taxes a year. Burismas taxes fund almost 5 percent of Ukraines annual government spending.

Supporters of Burisma fear the unsubstantiated attacks by the Soros-funded NGOs may harm the company, undercutting Ukrainian energy independence and opening the door for Russian control in the process a particular concern in the years since the military conflict between the two nations related to the annexation of Crimea.

Burisma is leading a private sector that drastically boosted the domestic production in recent years an increase of more than 30 percent in 2014 alone, said Roman Opimakh, the executive director of the Association of Gas Producers of Ukraine. This is the perfect example of promising energy independent behavior by Ukraine that should be supported by NGOs, not criticized.

Opimakh points out that Ukraines increased natural gas production, combined with increased energy imports from European Union allies, has allowed the country to stop buying natural gas from Russia.

Soros has been a leading critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying threats from ISIS do not compare with the threat emanating from Russia. The Russian government responded by banning Soros charities, the Open Society Foundations and the Open Society Institute from the country.

The billionaire hedge fund mogul later declared Putins bombing of Aleppo will be viewed as among the modern worlds most egregious war crimes.

Soros donations to Transparency International and the Anti-Corruption Action Centre, however, may be aiding Russia.

You have to wonder why George Soros, a supporter of an independent Ukraine and one of Putins biggest adversaries would funnel his money to groups seeking to undermine that independence by by taking aim at Burisma, said Jeff Stier, a senior fellow at the National Center for Public Policy Research and the head of the think tanks Risk Analysis Division. Ukraines energy industry is central to allowing the country to stand on its own, as a democracy, rather than deteriorating into a de facto Russian satellite state.

Soros is no novice when it comes to deploying his charitable dollars to achieve political objectives. Its clear that his support for these groups is serving Russian interests at the expense of democracy. Now that hes on notice of it, itll be telling to see if his foundations cut off all funding for these efforts before he winds up further weakening Burisma, and by direct extension, Ukrainian independence. Stier stated.

From 2013 to 2015, Soros philanthropies gave more than $1 million to Transparency International, according to the organizations financial statements. The Anti-Corruption Action Centre received $210,000 from Soros International Renaissance Foundation between 2013 and 2016. Soros Open Society Foundation also donated to the center, according to the NGOs own annual reports, but specific funding amounts were not disclosed.

Some Ukrainians doubt Soros knows what the Anti-Corruption Action Centre and Transparency International are doing with the money he provides. To the best of my knowledge Soros institutions never tell [recipient organizations] what to do and never dictate their content, said Dmytro Boyarchuk, the executive director of CASE Ukraine, a Soros-funded think tank that provides economic analysis for business and government organizations.

Ignorance is no excuse, said David Williams, the president of the Washington, D.C.-based Taxpayers Protection Alliance. Soros is a sworn enemy of Putin and condemns what Russias government stands for. He should take every possible step to guarantee that his money isnt being used to help Russia and harm Ukraine.

Much of Soros international philanthropic efforts have focused on helping former communist countries to accept democracy. Soros spent his formative years in Nazi-occupied Hungary, then experienced the countrys transition to Soviet control before immigrating to England.

Soros has seen, firsthand, the horrors associated with nationalist dictators and has spent his life fighting against them, Williams said. Its heartbreaking that he would help to benefit one, whether deliberately or inadvertently.

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Soros-Funded Groups Undercutting Ukraine, Helping Russia - The Daily Caller