According to Johannes Hahn, the Commissioner for European Neighborhood Policy & Enlargement Negotiations, the EU does not want to interfere in the Normandy format, but it wants a larger role in resolving the humanitarian crisis in the Donbas, Evropeyskaya Pravda reported.

Hahn noted that interference in the Normandy format may cause “unnecessary turbulence” in resolving the conflict in eastern Ukraine, but the EU would like to focus its efforts on humanitarian issues.

"We believe that the EU …

The deployment of Bal and Bastion missiles to the Kuril Islands was carried out under the framework of scheduled work for national security, the spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, said.

“With regard to the placing of missile systems on the Southern Kurils: the Russian Federation is carrying out scheduled activities in the framework of defense construction. The goal is the consistent strengthening of national security,” she answered, in response to a question about …

Member of European Parliament Marietje Schaake demanded an investigation into the supply of jet fuel to Syria by Russian tankers through EU waters. The politician addressed this request to the high representative for foreign affairs and security policy of the European Union, Federica Mogherini, after this information was circulated by media, Reuters reports.

At least two ships under the Russian flag were delivering fuel to Syria via Cyprus. It was reported that they stopped in Cypriot ports …

The President of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko, held a telephone conversation with the President-elect of the United States, Donald Trump. Poroshenko and Trump discussed the Russian Federation’s annexation of the Crimea and aggression in eastern Ukraine.

“The issue of Russian aggression and illegal annexation of the Crimea was raised by the President-elect of the United States during our telephone conversation,” Poroshenko stated during a press conference in Brussels.

Poroshenko did not disclose …

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it is “premature” to talk about cooperation with US President-elect Donald Trump in Syria, though Moscow continues to express its willingness to maintain an open dialogue on the issue, TASS reported.

"It is premature to say what stance will be taken by the new US administration. We need to be patient and understand what the shape of the new US administration will be like," Peskov stated.

"President Putin continues to hold the view that it is impossible to …

According to Russia’s Izvestia daily, the Russian ministry of defense has begun the deployment of an underwater hydro acoustic surveillance system. According to Izvestia, the system will be able to make entire regions of the world's oceans “transparent”, detecting all ships, submarines and even low flying aircraft. The system with the code name “Harmony” is based on the use of special robotized underwater modules which are deployed from submarines and when reaching the ocean bottom turn into …

Russian officials have been requested to provide information regarding their social media accounts by the 1st of April 2017. Izvestia reported that the relevant documentation is being prepared by the Ministry of Labor of the Russian Federation.

According to information received, this report has become mandatory due to article 20.2 of the Law “on the state civil service”, which came into effect on the 1st of July 2016. It requests that officials disclose which social networks and forums they …

Vitaliy Serdyuk, legal counsel to former President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych, asks the State Judicial Administration of Ukraine ensure a high-quality video connection between the Svyatoshyn District Court and the Rostov Regional Court during his client’s questioning via video conference, Ukrayinska Pravda reported.

Serdyuk noted that representatives of the Ukrainian Prosecutor’s Office “express doubts in the possibility of conducting questioning by means of video conference.” According to …