• Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs: The EU's extension of sanctions is 'short-sightedness'

    The extension of economic sanctions against Russia by the European Union is a short-sighted policy, as stated by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

    "The extension of the anti-Russian economic sanctions by the European Union until January 31, 2017, which are illegitimate from the standpoint of international law, is seen as a continuation of a short-sighted policy by Brussels," the Ministry’s statement reads.

    The Ministry also stated that binding the sanctions to the implementation of the …

  • Polish Ministry of Development funds project to support Ukrainian businesses

    The Polish Ministry of Development is funding a project in Kiev to support small and medium businesses in Ukraine,  Radio Polsha reported.

    “The project, which aims to improve the attractiveness of Ukraine’s investments and competitiveness in the regions, funded under Polish development aid from the Polish Ministry of Development, has begun,” a statement issued by the Ministry read.

    The Polish Ministry has allocated €800,000 for the program.

    The project provides training and advice on …

  • Poroshenko says he has spoken with Putin twice over the last month

    Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said that his communication with Russian President Vladimir Putin was focused on the release of hostages.

    In the last month, the President of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko, spoke twice on the telephone with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

    Poroshenko said this in an interview with the Bulgarian TV channel bTV.

    “Over the last month we had two phone conversations, and they were entirely devoted to freeing of the hostages. You know that dozens of Ukrainians …

  • Lithuanian President: Concessions to Russia would only increase the threat to European security

    The President of Lithuania, Dalia Grybauskaitė, in commenting on the decision of the EU to prolong economic sanctions against Russia, stated that concessions to Moscow would only promote their aggressive policy and increase the threat to Europe’s security, Delfi reports.

    The European Union is firm in its position that sanctions against Russia be extended until Russia implements the Minsk Agreements. It was approved by the EU Council on Tuesday.

    "Any indulgence will only encourage Russia's …

  • Poroshenko accuses Russia of preparing terrorist attacks in Ukraine

    Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko accused Russia of preparing terrorist acts in Ukraine. He stated this in an interview with the Bulgarian TV channel bTV, Ukrainski Novyny reports.

    “Just last year alone, we prevented 300 terrorist attacks, which were prepared by the Russian terrorists who trained in the training centers in Kursk, the Belgorod and Rostov regions. We caught them with explosives during the preparation of terrorist acts and showed this to the world," Poroshenko said. …

  • Putin: Russia will respond if Finland joins NATO

    If Finland joins NATO, the Russian troops are unlikely to remain retracted at a distance of 1,500 kilometers from the border.

    This was stated by Russian President Vladimir Putin during his visit to Helsinki, the Kremlin website states.

    “Imagine that Finland joins NATO. This means that Finnish troops will cease to be independent, will cease to be sovereign in the full sense of this word. They will become a part of NATO's military infrastructure, which overnight will appear on the Russian …

  • Gazprom has provided the Donbas with $718 million in gas

    The head of Gazprom, Alexey Miller, stated at a press conference in Moscow on June 30th that the Russian gas company has supplied the occupied Donbas with $718 million in gas under the contract price initially granted to Naftogaz of Ukraine, Ukrainian news portal UNIAN reports.

    “As for the gas supplies to the Southeast of Ukraine, we have only one contract signed with Ukraine in 2009. The contract defines the entry point for the gas supply to Ukraine, including the entry points in the …

  • Ukraine to extend sanctions against Russia through 2017

    According to Ukraine’s Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Trade, Natalia Mykolskaya, in response to the extension of food restrictions by Russia, Ukraine will extend its own food embargo until the end of 2017.

    “The proposal of the Ministry is to extend our embargo [against Russia], measures that we take in retaliation, to the same term. We are ready to contact the Cabinet of Ministers with this proposal and consider this decision,” Mykolskaya said in her interview with journalists in …

  • Following visit to Moscow, PACE President announces need for dialogue with Russia

    The President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Pedro Agramunt, has urged members to maintain communication with the Russian parliament. He said this after a two-day visit to Moscow.

    “Russia is a member state of the Council of Europe. Russia is important because without its active participation, we will be unable to effectively fight against terrorism. We will not be able to find a solution to the crisis in Syria. We will not be able to solve the crisis in Ukraine,” …

  • Yerevan supports placing Russian air defense system in Armenia

    The Armenian Parliament has ratified the government’s decision to combine its air defense system with that of Russia. The governmental proposal was adopted by the Armenian Parliament on the 30th of June despite protests from the opposition. 102 People’s Deputies voted in favor of this proposal while 8 voted against it.

    Armenia, Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are all members of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). Moscow strengthened its military …