 During the proceedings, Bauer had said that he did not doubt the veracity of the Americans' witnesses so much as whether they existed at all.A "New York Times" reporter described the decision as a "scathing rebuke of the Justice and State Departments", reflecting the diminished credibility of the United States authorities in the eyes of a European ally.On 25 November 2015, German media reported that Firtash could return to Ukraine and participate in the FEU on 2 December.