That concludes our live-blogging of the Ukraine crisis for Thursday, July 2. Check back here tomorrow morning for more of our continuing coverage.
Report Warns EU Of Corruption Risk In Five Eastern European Countries
A new report warns that a lack of progress fighting corruption in five Eastern European countries hampers democratic progress and undermines the prospect of greater economic and political cooperation with the European Union.
The report, released on July 2 by Transparency International, assesses dozens of institutions responsible for preventing and fighting corruption in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine.
These countries are set to receive at least $16.6 billion in assistance from the EU over the coming five years, it says, and the risk of this money going into corrupt pockets is “unacceptably high.”
While the five countries have adopted anticorruption laws, the Berlin-based group says, political and business elites exert undue influence over the judiciary and legislature, allowing corruption to go unchecked.
“Politically motivated prosecutions and government interference to circumvent judicial processes are especially problematic in Ukraine and Moldova,” the report says.
It adds that the region has also seen a growing trend of restrictions on nonstate watchdogs such as media and civil society with “intimidation, harassment, persecution and detainment of civic activists and journalists” in Armenia and, in particular, in Azerbaijan.
IMF reaches agreement with Ukraine on policies needed for disbursement
WASHINGTON, July 2 (Reuters) - The International Monetary Fund said on Thursday it had reached a staff-level agreement with Ukraine on the policies needed for the global lender to disburse $1.7 billion under a loan program.
The IMF said in a statement the agreement is subject to approval by its management and executive board. (Reporting by Jason Lange; Editing by Bill Trott)
Here is today's map of the security situation in eastern Ukraine, according to the National Security and Defense Council (CLICK TO ENLARGE):
