• Poroshenko congratulated Macron on his victory in the French presidential election

    President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko has sent written congratulations to Emmanuel Macron on his victory in the presidential election in France.

    "The choice of the French people is a clear testament to the triumph of Europe's progressive program of freedom over European nationalism," Poroshenko's press service quotes him as saying.

    The Ukrainian president assured his future French counterpart that Ukraine would remain a reliable partner.

    Poroshenko also expressed his special gratitude to …

  • The Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine estimates that Yanukovych and associates stole $40 billion

    Deputy Prosecutor General Evgeniy Enin stated on Ukrainian Media Network TV that during Victor Yanukovych’s presidency, he and his associates stole 40 billion USD from the country.

    "According to our estimates, about 40 billion US dollars were stolen during Viktor Yanukovych's rule. In just 2.5 years they managed to get away with an amount equal to the state budget of Ukraine," Enin said.

    According to investigators, Yanukovych’s criminal organization consisted of seven criminal groups which …

  • Kyiv will not allow Russian journalists who visited Crimea to attend the Eurovision Song Contest in Ukraine

    The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine will not let Russian journalists accredited to attend the Eurovision Song Contest enter the country if they are found to have visited the Crimea, stated the Adviser to the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, Anton Gerashchenko, on his Facebook page.

    "No Russian journalists who are covering the Eurovision Song Contest in Kyiv who has previously violated the state border of Ukraine by illegally visiting the Ukrainian Crimea will be admitted into the …

  • Media: the Ukrainian factories seized in the Donbas are managed by the former governor of Russia’s Irkutsk region

    Ukrainian factories that have been seized by pro-Russian separatists are managed by Vneshtorgservis Company, headed by the former governor of the Irkutsk region, Vladimir Pashkov.

    This was reported by the Russian magazine Kommersant. The publication notes that the leader of the so-called DPR, Alexander Zakharchenko signed a "decree" in which he appointed Vneshtorgservis as the "temporary administrator" of the seized Ukrainian enterprises.

    The list of enterprises controlled by the Russian …

  • Steven Seagal was banned from entering Ukraine for five years

    The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) banned American actor Steven Seagal from entering Ukraine for five years. Seagal also holds Serbian and Russian citizenship and he is a friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

    "On the grounds of Part 1, Article 13 of the Law of Ukraine 'On the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons' and Article 7 of the Law of Ukraine 'On the Fundamentals of National Security of Ukraine', the Security Service of Ukraine made a decision to ban the entry into …

  • Russia will rearm its Strategic Missile Forces with next generation ballistic missiles

    The Strike Group of Russian Strategic Missile Forces will be rearmed with the fifth generation missile systems by 2027, the press service of the Russian Ministry of Defense reported on its web site.

    According to the Ministry, the composition of the strike group will be completely changed. It will include a new missile complex with a heavy missile, as well as new complexes with more light-class missiles.

    According to Colonel General, Sergei Karakayev, new equipment and armaments are already …

  • Russian media: American warship carrying cruise missiles disrupted Russian Navy parade in Saint Petersburg

    The ships of the Russian Baltic Fleet suddenly left the port of St. Petersburg because of the proximity of the American destroyer with Tomahawk cruise missiles, writes Fontanka news web site.

    The day before, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported that the planned naval Victory Day parade would not be held, but it didn’t give any reasons for the cancellation.

    According to Fontanka, the parade was cancelled because the U.S. destroyer USS Carney approached Russia's coast at a distance …

  • Russia publishes memorandum on the establishment of security zones in Syria

    The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs published a memorandum on the establishment of de-escalation zones in Syria, which was adopted on May 4th at a meeting in Astana. According to the document, armed conflict must be stopped in the zones located on the line of contact between the forces of Bashar Al-Assad and the opposition troops.

    The memorandum consists of six items. The first point defines the de-escalation zones. They will be located in the province of Idlib and in some parts of the …

  • Merkel: ability to demonstrate strength and readiness for dialogue are needed in relations with Russia

    German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced that NATO must combine a demonstration of power with a readiness for dialogue in relations with Russia, Deutsche Welle reported.

    The annexation of the Crimea and the conflict in eastern Ukraine have caused concern among the Baltic countries and Poland, and the situation in Moldova raises questions in Romania and Bulgaria, Merkel said in a weekly video message on Saturday, May 6.

    According to the Federal Chancellor, it was important to these countries …

  • U.S. Congress denies accreditation to the Russian agency Sputnik

    The Congressional Periodical Press Gallery committee, which deals with media accreditation, has refused to provide the Russian news agency Sputnik with a press pass, Radio Liberty reported.

    The Senate Periodical Press Gallery Director, Justin Wilson, stressed that accreditation is not given to media whose work is paid by a state.

    He also noted that the news agency could appeal against this decision.

    Sputnik correspondent Andrew Feinberg, Sputnik’s White House correspondent, called the …