What Kyiv's institutions looked like on 21 March 2018

What did Ukraine's state machinery look like on 21 March 2018? In the days before that date, the country's military command, central bank and social policy for soldiers were all in motion.

On 16 March 2018, President Petro Poroshenko appointed Serhiy Nayev as commander of the Joint Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, a body created to replace the ATO Staff. The change put a new command structure in place for the armed forces.

A day earlier, on 15 March 2018, the Verkhovna Rada dismissed Valeriya Hontareva as head of the National Bank of Ukraine and appointed Yakiv Smolii in her place. The same day, the President signed amendments to the law on the social and legal protection of servicemen and their families. The amendments addressed what was described as social injustice in the right of military personnel to receive cash compensation for renting housing.

Beyond Ukraine

Abroad, the sanctions agenda concerning Russia was also active. On 15 March 2018, the Trump administration imposed financial sanctions on 19 Russian nationals under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, including 12 of those indicted in the Special Counsel investigation. The law had been signed by President Donald Trump on 2 August 2017 and imposes sanctions on Iran, North Korea and Russia by preventing U.S. companies from doing business with sanctioned entities.

On 21 March 2018 itself, Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz accused the European Union of double standards and of suffering a deficit of democracy. Poland and the European Commission were at the time engaged in disputes over migrant quotas and a proposed reform of Poland's judiciary.

Taken together, the days around 21 March 2018 show Kyiv reorganising its military leadership and replacing the head of its central bank, while partners and neighbours dealt with their own sanctions and disputes.