Russian TV Doesn't Get Ukraine's Eurovision Entry
Ukraine's Eurovision entry has reached the finals with a song about the suffering of Crimean Tatars forcibly deported under Josef Stalin. But seen through the prism of Russian state media, the song has a very different meaning.
U.S. To Move Forward With $1 Billion Loan Guarantee For Ukraine
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden has told Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko that the United States will move forward with a third loan guarantee agreement to support reforms against corruption.
The United States promised the third $1 billion loan guarantee in November but made it contingent on progress in Ukraine on reforming the economy and fighting corruption.
The White House said on May 13 that Biden spoke by phone with Poroshenko and welcomed "an important first step to bringing much needed reform" with the appointment of a new prosecutor-general in Ukraine.
Ukrainian lawmakers on May 12 appointed Yuriy Lutsenko, a close ally of Poroshenko, to the position.
Biden also spoke with Ukraine's new Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman, who pledged to maintain the momentum of reform with a focus on fulfilling commitments to the International Monetary Fund, the White House said.
The IMF recently signaled that it too may soon move forward with its $17.5 billion loan program for Ukraine, which was suspended during the political crisis in Kyiv.
Based on reporting by Reuters and Interfax
This ends our live blogging for May 13. Be sure to check back tomorrow for our continuing coverage.
RFE/RL welcomes Russia's decision to unblock Crimea site:
By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service
RFE/RL's Crimean news desk, Krym.Realii, has welcomed Moscow's decision to unblock its news website in Russia and Moscow-annexed Crimea.
A spokesman for Russia's media regulator, Roskomnadzor, Vadim Ampelonsky, said on May 13 that Krym.Realii ("Crimea.Realities") was unblocked after RFE/RL's Crimean news desk followed a request by Russia's Prosecutor-General's Office to remove from the site "materials that contain illegal information."
However, RFE/RL's Crimean desk says it removed no content from the site in response to the May 12 blocking of its website by Russian Internet providers.
RFE/RL's Crimean desk chief Volodymyr Prytula said that "we received no demands from Roskomnadzor calling for the removal of any kind of content. So we removed no content."
"Crimea.Realities will continue providing unbiased information to the people of Crimea, considering the blockage of information and the tremendous pressure on information," Prytula added. (w/Interfax)
