The National Joint Stock Company, Naftogaz Ukraine, signed a loan agreement with Citi and Deutsche Banks for a euro-denominated line of credit for the purchase of gas, equivalent to $500 million. The funds must be used solely for the purchase of gas, as reported by the company on Saturday, December 31st. The agreement itself was signed the day before.

According to Naftogaz’s press service, the credit line is secured by the World Bank, which in turn, is guaranteed by the Ukrainian Government …

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko stated ,when visiting Mariupol on December 31, that before his coming to Shyrokyne, separatists attacked the village and attempted to assault the positions held by Ukrainian armed forces, UNIAN reports.

"Two weeks ago, Russian-terrorist units tried to seize strongholds in the area of Luhansk, in the locality of the Svitlodarsk salient,” Poroshenko said.

"Ukrainian servicemen not only repelled the enemy’s attacks but also counter attacked, inflicting …

In his New Year’s address, the President of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach, announced new sanctions against Russia. Bach also presented the measures that will be taken on the basis of the results of McLaren’s report on the use of doping in the Russian Federation. The President of the IOC called this report shocking.

According to him, two specially created Commissions, which will give all parties the right to express their positions, will prepare a response of the …

The founder of the separatist Vostok battalion, Alexander Khodakovsky, stated during an internet conference that the Vostok battalion suffered heavy losses in 2016, as 200 people were killed and 300 were injured.

“We have officially acknowledged that 200 people were killed and 300 were injured in 2016 and that is almost 70% of the casualty toll that we suffered during the 2014-2015 war period. The year of 2016 has been a year of a very confusing truce that has led the Vostok battalion to [ …

Philipp Rösler, a Managing Director of the World Economic Forum in Davos who was formerly the German Vice Chancellor and Minister of Economy, said that Europe must improve its relations with Russia.

In an interview with the German newspaper Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung, Rösler said that "in the current desperate situation" it is necessary for the EU to reboot its relations with Russia. According to him, welfare in Europe is only possible when there is unity. Therefore, both sides should send the …

US President-elect Donald Trump once again dismissed allegations that Russia was behind the cyberattacks against the Democratic Party in the lead up to the presidential election, Reuters reported.

Speaking to reporters while entering a New Year’s Eve celebration at his Mar-a-Lago estate, Trump stated, "I think it's unfair if we don't know. It could be somebody else [who hacked the Democratic Party]. I also know things that other people don't know so we cannot be sure," Trump said.

When a …

The moderate Syrian opposition has threatened to recognize the ceasefire agreement as invalid if the Syrian government continues to attack areas controlled by the opposition, Reuters reported.

According to representatives of the opposition, in some regions of the country, clashes and air strikes continued on Friday.

"The continuing violation [of the ceasefire] by the regime [Bashar al-Assad], bombings and attempts to attack areas controlled by the revolutionary factions will make the …

The purchase of combat helicopters for the armed forces is being discussed in Lithuania, as was stated by Lithuanian Defense Minister, Raimundas Karoblis, 15min.lt reports.

"The discussions are ongoing. We have to admit that, as with the Land Forces, we have some gaps in the Special Operation Forces as well," Karoblis said.

At present, Lithuania has no combat helicopters. The Lithuanian Army has only five helicopters available: three AS365 helicopters and two Mi-8T’s. All of the Dauphin …