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For days, death threats and homophobic insults have been pouring into Sofiia Lapinas messaging inbox a constant reminder of the hatred she often encounters as an LGBT rights activist in Ukraine.

Members of a far-right channel on the Telegram messaging app published Lapinas phone number last month, and following a series of recent attacks on the LGBT community she is on edge. Some people have tracked down her address, too.

They photographed my balcony, the entrance to my building, and theyve been sending it all to me, she said.

Its difficult to sleep, knowing that people have declared (they are hunting) you.

Ukraine legalized gay sex in 1991, but conservative elements in the mainly Orthodox Christian nation often speak out against rights for LGBT people. Members of the far-right regularly target groups and events linked to the community.

Campaigners said homophobic abuse and violence could be increasing partly because of the growing visibility of the former Soviet nations lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

Clashes broke out on Friday between police and far-right supporters outside the presidents office, where Lapinas UkrainePride organization was holding a rave to demand LGBT equality, local media reported.

The LGBT movement is becoming more powerful, more productive, more effective, said Lenny Emson, director of KyivPride, which has pushed back its annual march in the capital from June to September this year due to COVID-19.

On the other hand, the stronger we are, the bigger the backlash.

The LGBT Human Rights Nash Mir Center, which monitors anti-LGBT violence in Ukraine, recorded 24 attacks on LGBT centers and events last year, more than double the figure for 2019.

Police data shows 14 hate crimes were recorded on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity in 2019.

But rights organizations said the real number was likely to be much higher, partly because many victims are wary about going to the police.

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europes Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights received reports of more than 140 incidents ranging from threats to physical attacks in Ukraine in 2019.

When such crimes are reported to police, homophobic or transphobic motives are largely ignored, instead being classified as acts of hooliganism, the Nash Mir Center said.

Ukraines Ministry of Internal Affairs, which is in charge of the police, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

LGBT activists take part in an event to demand state support for the local LGBT community outside the Ukrainian Presidents office in Kyiv on July 30. | REUTERS

Ilyess El Kortbi, 24, was attacked in June after attending a protest outside the presidents office in Kyiv to demand a response to anti-LBGT attacks and support a draft law that would bolster protections for victims of hate crimes.

He needed hospital treatment after three unidentified people beat him up outside a cafe after insulting him.

I have a concussion I cant walk, I fall over, Im nauseous, he said by phone from a hospital in Kyiv several days after the incident.

In May, about a dozen members of a far-right group raided a screening of an LGBT film jointly organized by KyivPride, breaking windows and throwing a flare and a teargas canister into the premises, KyivPride said on Facebook.

A Kyiv police spokeswoman said criminal proceedings under the article of hooliganism had been launched over the assault on Kortbi and the film screening unrest.

Two days later, members of another far-right group stormed events organized by LGBT rights group Insight in Kyiv and the city of Odessa.

Vandals also attacked the Odessa office of another LGBT organization, LGBT Association LIGA, the groups said.

If the police had detained those attackers that tried to disrupt Insights event that day, then they wouldnt have come to our office and broken our windows, said LIGA chairman Oleg Alyokhin.

Police said they reviewed the disruption to Insights Kyiv event but found no grounds indicating that a criminal offense had been committed.

Local and international rights groups have condemned the recent spate of attacks in the country, where discrimination against gay people in the workplace was only banned in 2015.

In June, Amnesty International Ukraine described the violence as part of a targeted campaign of intimidation of feminists and LGBTI activists by groups promoting hatred.

However, Olena Shevchenko, head of Insight, said a recently proposed anti-discrimination bill could help tackle anti-LGBT crimes by giving police a specific mechanism to investigate them.

The draft law, which was submitted in May, proposes adding sexual orientation and gender identity as motives for crimes of intolerance, or hate crimes.

Similar bills were withdrawn last year after lobbying from religious groups, but Andrii Kravchuk from the Nash Mir Center said the latest effort was more promising because it was developed by the police and submitted by the cabinet.

Lapina said she did not have high hopes for justice, citing what she called the inaction of authorities.

This is activism in Ukraine, she said. Youre constantly being pursued.

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'Constantly pursued': Ukraine's LGBT activists attacked online and in the street - The Japan Times

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is, finally, getting a visit to the White House. The foreign leader whose conversation with former President Trump sparked the ex-president's first impeachment inquiry will meet with President Biden at the White House on August 30.

"President Biden looks forward to welcoming President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine to the White House on August 30, 2021," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement. "The visit will affirm the United States' unwavering support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity in the face of Russia's ongoing aggression in the Donbas and Crimea, our close cooperation on energy security, and our backing for President Zelenskyy's efforts to tackle corruption and implement a reform agenda based on our shared democratic values."

Mr. Biden, who has spoken with Zelenskyy since becoming president, has asserted the United States' "unwavering support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity in the face of Russia's ongoing aggression." A conflict between Russian-backed separatists and Ukraine's army has been ongoing since 2014.

CBS News correspondent Holly Williams joined up with the Ukrainian military and Zelenskyy last month in eastern Ukraine, where the war has cost more than 13,000 lives. Zelenskyy warned of Russia's aggression. Asked why Americans far away should care about what's happening in Ukraine, Zelenskyy warned that his country's conflict with Russia, "can be tomorrow in their houses."

The meeting with Zelenskyy comes after Mr. Biden held a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin last month in Ukraine. Then, Mr. Biden told reporters that Putin "knows I will take action" in working to stop Russia from engaging in malign activities like interfering in U.S. elections, engaging in hacking attacks, like those targeting SolarWinds and ransomware attacks on U.S. companies.

Ukraine and Zelenskyy became a focal point in Mr. Trump's first impeachment inquiry in 2019. That first House impeachment inquiry centered around a July 25, 2019 phone call Mr. Trump held with Zelenskyy in which he urged the Ukrainian leader to investigate Mr. Biden and Hunter Biden. Mr. Trump was impeached by the House along partisan lines, but failed to receive enough votes to be convicted in the Senate.

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Zelenskyy has long made his desire for a White House meeting clear, something that came up in the impeachment inquiry.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is finally getting his White House visit - CBS News

The Center of Public Finance and Public Governance Analysis of the Kyiv School of Economics, with the support of the Council of Europe Project Promoting Social Human Rights as a Key Factor of Sustainable Democracy in Ukraine, has conducted analysis of the effectiveness of legal framework for provision of social support in Ukraine.

The study analysed the provision of social assistance to five key groups of recipients:

people with disabilities;

low-income families;

persons affected by the Chornobyl disaster;

families with children;

retirees.

The purpose of this study was to analyse the legal framework of Ukraine in terms of regulation of social support to citizens in Ukraine and the effectiveness of such social support, taking into consideration the reports on implementation of profile budget programs of the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine, notifications from local authorities and the previous studies.

Within the research, 113 regulations, including 38 laws and 75 resolutions of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine governing the provision of social benefits to 5 groups of recipients, were analysed and the matrixes of benefits for each target groups were developed in terms of support and benefits each subtype of citizens are entitled to (for example, single mothers, people with disabilities of different groups, large families, etc.).

According to the results of the research, the current regulation of social support has significant shortcomings that need to be addressed. For instance, the statutory and actual amount of assistance from the State may differ significantly depending on the type of social support due to the State and local authorities capacity to fund such assistance. As a result, the number of people applying for assistance may be much higher than the actual number of recipients. At the same time, some types of benefits, despite the pledged funds, are simply not in demand. There is also unfair difference in cost between benefits that are similar, said Ms Daryna Marchak, co-author of the research, Head of the Center of Public Finance and Public Governance Analysis of the Kyiv School of Economics.

According to Ms Siuzanna Mnatsakanyan, Senior Project Officer of the Council of Europe Project Promoting Social Human Rights as a Key Factor of Sustainable Democracy in Ukraine, - the research should help improve the system and ensure the most effective protection of citizens while increasing effectiveness of the budget spending.

Information on the shortcomings of the legal framework of the social support system, which lead to inefficient use of the State and local budget funds, can assist the State to enhance the quality and effectiveness of social protection of Ukrainian citizens; ensure that the State support is directed to those who find themselves in the most difficult life circumstances, and ensure the most efficient use of taxpayers' funds for these needs, she noted.

Analysis of the effectiveness of legislative regulation of social assistance in Ukraine for the main target groups is available via the link (Ukrainian only)

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Analysis on the effectiveness of social support in Ukraine for the main target groups a new analysis has been published - Council of Europe

BRUSSELS The Council of the European Union announced on July 15 that Ukraine has been added to its list of countries it believes no longer require certain travel restrictions. Member states of the EU use those recommendations to decide whether to impose COVID-19-related travel restrictions.

Despite an agreement by which Ukrainians can enter European Union countries without needing a visa, entry from Ukraine to the EU had previously been restricted since March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Following a review in line with the recommendation to phase out temporary restrictions on non-essential travel to the EU, the EU Council has updated the list of countries for which travel restrictions should be lifted. In particular, Rwanda and Thailand have been removed, and Ukraine has been added [to this list], the press service of the Council of the European Union reported on July 15.

Based on the criteria and conditions set out in the recommendation, member states can gradually remove restrictions on travel at external borders for residents of the listed countries, including Ukraine. In total, the EUs green list includes 23 countries for which it recommends that entry restrictions be lifted.

The EU councils recommendation does not automatically give people from Ukraine permission to enter EU countries, and member states can still impose their own entry restrictions.

Several EU countries had already allowed entry from Ukraine, though individuals needed to meet certain COVID-19 preconditions.

I welcome the EU decision recommending the resumption of visa-free travel with Ukraine. It shows that the epidemic situation in Ukraine meets EU requirements, said Ukraines Foreign Affairs Minister Dmytro Kuleba.

These are new opportunities for Ukrainians to travel this summer and this is an important signal to countries that the incidence of COVID-19 in Ukraine has significantly decreased and our state is responding appropriately to the challenges of the pandemic, Mr. Kuleba said.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs nonetheless recommends that Ukrainians check current travel information before travelling to EU member countries.

Most European countries allow non-essential entry for Ukrainians who have received a full dose of an EU-approved COVID-19 vaccine. The EU list of approved vaccines does not include the CoronaVac vaccine produced by Chinese manufacturer Sinovac, which is widely distributed in Ukraine. As a result, many Ukrainians cannot enter the EU. They are, therefore, likely to wait for vaccines produced by Pfizer or Moderna, which are approved by EU member states.

Ukraines Health Minister, Viktor Lyashko, said that the World Health Organization has approved the use of all vaccines offered in the country and he urged Ukrainians not to choose between vaccines because the best vaccine is the one that has been introduced into the body and is already working.

Mr. Lyashko said that he believes the European Union will soon allow people who have been given the CoronaVac vaccine to enter the EU.

I have communicated with the European Regional Director of the WHO office and colleagues in the European Commission. Soon, the EMA [the EU regulator of medications] will add CoronaVac to its list of approved vaccines, Mr. Lyashko said.

With each EU country implementing its own entry rules, Ukrainians likely will require a negative PCR test to enter the European Union. Border guards may require a negative test conducted no more than 48 or 72 hours before departure. In some cases, only a completed vaccination together with a negative PCR test will be sufficient for a border guard to allow entry.

However, Albania, Northern Macedonia and Montenegro do not require a test and allow entry from Ukraine without COVID-19-related documentation.

A correspondent for The Weekly entered Spain a week before the EU moved Ukraine to its green list. Together with an online form required by the Spanish government, a vaccination certificate was all this correspondent needed to board a flight from Kyiv to Barcelona.

Despite different entry requirements, Ukrainians can enter one EU country and cross borders to another country regardless of travel restrictions in the country of entry. The Weeklys correspondent crossed borders between Spain and France, France and Belgium, Belgium and Germany without a single document check. Direct access to France from Ukraine was possible only under limited conditions, and Belgium prohibited all Ukrainians from direct entry.

Meanwhile, on July 21 Ukraine began a new phase in its effort to vaccinate its population of some 41 million people. Now all categories of citizens, regardless of age and profession, are eligible to receive a vaccine.

Groups such as doctors, educators, social workers, the military, the elderly and people with concurrent illnesses remain a priority for the government, said Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal during a meeting of the government.

People in those groups remain a priority because they are in the zone of highest risk and most vulnerable to COVID-19. They will continue to be given priority in immunization, Mr. Shmyhal said.

The prime minister noted that, to date, almost 4.3 million vaccinations have been administered in Ukraine. Nearly 2.8 million Ukrainians have received their first shot of vaccine, and 1.5 million have received their second dose. Ukraine has planned to deliver 13 million doses of the vaccine by the end of the summer, according to the government.

The National Academy of Sciences recently published a report noting that, while the number of cases of COVID-19 has declined in Ukraine, there is a danger of an explosive rate of further growth as a result of new strains that are now prevalent in other parts of the world.

It is worrying that three key epidemic indicators have risen in the last week, which we believe reflect current epidemic dynamics: the number of positive PCR tests, new hospitalizations and new reported cases, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine said in their report.

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EU includes Ukraine on its 'green zone' list - The Ukrainian Weekly

Russian President Vladimir Putin wrote in his article that Russia is "open to dialogue with Ukraine and ready to discuss the most complex issues," but in reality, this is not the case.

According to an Ukrinform correspondent, Charg d'Affaires, a.i. Courtney Austrian at the U.S. Mission to the OSCE said this at a meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council.

"President Putin wrote Russia was 'open to dialogue with Ukraine and ready to discuss the most complex issues.' We regret Mr. Putin's alleged promise of open dialogue has yet to be demonstrated in reality," she said, commenting on Putin's article about Ukraine.

According to Austrian, what everyone has witnessed is "Russian obstructionism in the Trilateral Contact Group" and "its lack of transparency and deliberate peddling of disinformation at international bodies, including the OSCE."

In general, Putin's article on Ukraine contains "untruthful characterizations and assertions, calculated to provoke" and seeks "to undermine Ukraine's sovereignty and dismiss the right of the Ukrainian people to chart their own political future," Austrian said.

She also said that last week the Russian ambassador again tried to obfuscate his nation's responsibility in the conflict by claiming Ukraine has not adhered to the Minsk agreements. "He failed to recall that seven years ago in Minsk, President Putin promised the war would end, all troops would be withdrawn, and all prisoners would be released. Russia has so far not fulfilled its promise, and we continue to call on Russia to end the war it started in eastern Ukraine," Austrian said.

Commenting on Putin's piece that Russia "respect[s] the Ukrainians' desire to see their country free, safe, and prosperous," Austrian said that Putin was well aware "that aspiration cannot be fully realized as long as Russia-led forces continue to wreak havoc in the Donbas and occupy Crimea." "Indeed, the whole aim of the Kremlin's aggression in Ukraine is thwarting Ukraine's aspirations," the U.S. diplomat said.

She added that if Russia wishes to be seen as a partner, "Russia needs to act responsibly and fulfill its promises." "Under the Minsk agreements Russia committed to recalling its forces and equipment from eastern Ukraine," she said.

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Putin says open to dialogue with Ukraine, but in reality this is not the case U.S. Mission to OSCE - Ukrinform. Ukraine and world news