The European Commission is going to accelerate the negotiation with Serbia and Montenegro to join the European Union, Die Welt reports with reference to the latest strategic document of the European Commission. "By 2025, they should be ready to become members of the EU," the document says.

Johannes Hahn, European Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighborhood Policy will introduce a new EU strategy for the Balkan countries in Brussels on Tuesday, February 6. He said that Serbia and Montenegro …

Russian senator Igor Morozov has claimed that the surface-to-air missile system (SAM) that shot down a Russian Su-25 attack aircraft in Syria may have reached the rebels through contraband channels from the military arsenal in the Ukrainian city of Kalynivka, located in the Vinnytsia Oblast, RIA Novosti reported.

Morozov suggested that the Ukrainian SAM came to Syria after a large-scale fire at the ammunition depots in Kalynivka.

In the fall, the military warehouse in Kalynivka, Ukraine …

The Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, Refat Chubarov, believes that Ukraine and its Western partners should adopt a common position of the non-recognition of the elections of the Russian President, which the Kremlin plans to hold in the annexed Crimea, he said in an interview with Krym.Realii.

"If Putin rules Russia, then a situation must be created for him that is more threatening than surrender and the return of the Crimea. The explosion of Russia itself, collapse, …

The decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which fully granted appeals for and canceled sanctions against 28 Russian athletes, "is extremely disappointing and surprising," said International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach.

Bach also believes that the CAS’ recent decision demonstrates the "extreme" need to reform its internal structure.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport canceled the lifetime disqualification of 28 Russian athletes due to "insufficient" evidence …

The Russian pilot, a Major in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, Roman Filippov, who was killed in Syria, had never been a citizen of Ukraine as stated by a journalist, Yury Butusov, on Facebook.

"He was a career officer. He was transferred to the Crimea from Russia and joined the 37th mixed aviation regiment (commander - Colonel Oleg Terebunsky). The regiment is based in Hvardiiske in the occupied Crimea. Information from the Russian Ministry of Defense, disseminated by the Russian …

The Russian Ministry of Finance is considering the possibility of authorizing cryptocurrency auctions in individual territories, deputy Finance Minister Alexey Moiseev announced, as reported by RIA Novosti. According to Moiseev, the ministry is considering Kaliningrad as well as Russky and October Island for arranged digital currency auctions.

“Of course, we believe that it is necessary to permit this exchange in Russia,” Moiseev assured. “In fact, in the bill (“On digital financial assets”) …

Mikheil Saakashvili, leader of the Movement of New Forces party, has promised to present a proposal for an alternative government with ten presidential candidates before the next rally on February 18. He announced this at an assembly on European Square on Sunday, Ukrayinska Pravda reports.

“Before February 18 we will present an alternative government and ten new presidential candidates, from which you will have to choose,” he said.

According to Saakashvili, the Movement of New Forces’ website …

Turkey bought the Russian S-400 anti-air missile systems because of the threat of an attack from Syria, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Italian newspaper La Stampa in an interview. Negotiations were held with several countries on the purchase of such equipment, but only Russia’s offer corresponded to Ankara’s expectations, the Turkish leader explained.

According to Erdogan, the civil war which has been raging in Syria since 2011 has prompted Ankara to “reinforce and modernize …