• Polish President: NATO Summit will provide an opportunity to strengthen the Alliance's eastern flank

    The President of Poland, Andrzej Duda, expects that the NATO summit in Warsaw will create an opportunity to strengthen the eastern flank of the Alliance. The head of the Polish State said stressed on the 10th of June during his speech at the University of Copenhagen that NATO can’t hesitate in making this decision.

    “The deployment of NATO forces in Poland and the Baltic countries is a guarantee of safety for this part of Europe and if we look at historical maps then we can freely say that …

  • The EU will continue to provide assistance to farmers affected by Russian food embargo

    Farmers, who have been affected by the Russian trade embargo on goods from the European Union, will receive financial assistance from the EU, Deutsche Welle reported. The assistance to agricultural producers previously approved has been extended until June 2017. It should be noted that Brussels spent 280 million Euros on assistance to farmers who have been affected by the Russian sanctions.

    In general, approximately 1.13 million tons of European fruits and vegetables were given free of charge …

  • Argentina bans Russia Today broadcasts

    The Argentine government announced the termination of broadcasting for Russian news channel Russia Today (RT). The decision will come into force within 60 days.

    According to Radio Liberty, RT’s 24-hour news in Spanish began broadcasting in Argentina in October 2014 with great pomp. Its launch began with a general television program with Russian President Vladimir Putin and the then President of Argentina Cristina Kirchner as guests.

    Argentina's consent to include RT into the state television …

  • Finland is ready to support visa-free travel for Ukrainians and Georgians to the EU

    Finland is ready to support visa-free travel for Ukrainian and Georgian citizens to the EU, but is not prepared to do the same for citizens of Turkey and Kosovo, according to the Finnish Secretary of State, Olli-Pekka Heinonen, Yle reported.

    As stated by Heinonen, Turkey and Kosovo have not fulfilled the conditions necessary to receive a visa-free regime with the EU.

    "The issue of visa-free regime for Turkey remains open," the Finnish Secretary of State said following a meeting of EU …

  • The US and Canada to help reform Ukraine's Anti-Monopoly Committee

    The Anti-Monopoly Committee of Ukraine (AMCU) signed a memorandum with the US Federal Trade Commission, which involves the participation of international experts in the development of anti-monopoly policies in Ukraine, the head of the AMCU Yuriy Terentyev said, UNIAN reports.

    "We signed a memorandum of cooperation with the US Federal Trade Commission this Wednesday. This program provides ongoing professional support for the work of the Anti-Monopoly Committee by the Commission," Terentyev said …

  • Finnish PM: Finland's NATO membership should be determined by a referendum

    Finland may apply for NATO membership, but it will require broad support from the local population, as stated by Prime Minister Juha Sipilä, speaking at a party congress in the city of Seinäjoki.

    "I consider it is important, that if one day we will come to this decision, a referendum will be held," Sipilä said.

    "This does not mean that those who make decisions in the country are transferring their responsibilities [to the people], this means that they understand that such a big decision …

  • Ukraine will not agree to Gazprom's prices

    Naftogaz of Ukraine will not agree to buy gas from Gazprom in the third quarter of 2016 for the price offered by the Russian Energy Minister of $177 per one thousand cubic meters. On Friday, June 10, Director for Business Development at Naftogaz, Yuriy Vitrenko, wrote this on his Facebook page.

    Vitrenko noted that the cost of European gas in July was below $173 per one thousand cubic meters. "All the necessary gas we will buy on the European market. Thankfully we have no problems there now," …

  • Ukraine hopes to enter top countries on 'ease of doing business' list

    This year, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine intends to implement legislative initiatives that would allow the country to improve its position in the World Banks’ Ease of Doing Business Ranking and enter the top 50 best countries in 2017, and in the top 20 by 2018, as highlighted in the “Top Priority Action Plans for the Government for 2016” posted on the Cabinet of Minister’s website on Friday.

    The grounds for improving the country’s ranking is the implementation of effective regulation …

  • Security Service of Ukraine: Some Ukrainian politicians are sponsored by Russia

    The head of the Ukrainian Security Service, Vasyl Grytsak, stated that Yanukovych-era Ukrainian politicians and high-ranking officials who escaped to Russia as well as the Russian Secret Service are allocating funds to destabilize the situation in Ukraine through second and third tier politicians, Interfax-Ukraine reported.

    “Russia is funding extremism in our State,” Grytsak said.

    “We have identified a lot of cases where, for example, some Ukrainian politicians – not of the first, but second …

  • EU Council has not come to an agreement on visa-free regimes for Georgia, Ukraine, Kosovo and Turkey

    During a meeting of the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council on Friday in Luxembourg, Ministers of the EU countries were not able to reach an agreement on the liberalization of the visa regime for Georgia, Ukraine, Kosovo and Turkey, Interfax-Ukraine reported.

    "We’ve talked about the liberalization of visa policies, noting the progress made by all countries, including Turkey. But we have not made a decision yet, because some EU countries still see a number of problems and are not able to agree. …