Russian President Vladimir Putin, during his briefing to the Russian media, stated that meetings in the Normandy format before the presidential elections in Ukraine, which will take place on March 31, are meaningless.

“At the moment, meeting in the Normandy format during the election campaign that is taking place in Ukraine, is pretty much meaningless because today’s Ukrainian authorities have not shown any desire to comply with the Minsk agreements. They do nothing to implement these …

Ukraine has already arrested or placed other restrictions on 15 foreign vessels that have visited the closed ports of Russia-annexed Crimea, said Oleh Slobodyan, assistant to the head of Ukraine’s State Border Guard Service (SBGS), Radio Liberty reports.

Ukraine’s border guards take actions when they see that ships are entering Ukraine’s economic sea zone or ports.

“Already 15 vessels have been placed under arrest or other restrictions. These are all vessels that have violated Ukraine’s …

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Vasyl Bodnar said on Twitter that he received copies of credentials from the new Ambassador of Hungary to Ukraine, István Ijdyarto.

“Today, I received copies of credentials from the new ambassador of Hungary in Ukraine, István Íjgyártó.

We have agreed to work on a positive agenda of bilateral relations. Mr. Ambassador is studying Ukrainian, which will undoubtedly help him in his professional activities,” Bodnar wrote.

The previous Ambassador of …

From January to September 2018, PJSC Gazprom supplied 1.75 billion cubic meters of gas to the territories of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions that are not controlled by Ukraine. That is 11.5% more than the same period in 2017 and 26.9% more than during nine months in 2016, according to the company’s annual statements, Interfax Ukraine reported.

Gazprom has been supplying gas to the uncontrolled territory since February 2015 through gas metering stations in Prokhorovka and Platovo on the border …

Newly-elected leader of the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic Denis Pushilin claimed that borders and customs between territories controlled by the DPR and LPR would be removed, and that in the future, the territories of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions which are controlled by pro-Russian militants will become a part of Russia, the Russian newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda reports.

“We can speak about a single Donbas, but it happened so in 2014 l, that it was split into two Republics. We didn’t …

Russia has been violating the Treaty on the Elimination of Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles (INF) for several years, the Foreign Minister of Lithuania Linas Linkevičius said in an interview with DW on Wednesday, November 14. Although US President Donald Trump announced that he was planning to quit the treaty, it is just an intention and not yet a decision. According to the Lithuanian politician, it is Donald Trump's tactic to exert pressure on Russia.

Linas Linkevičius said that …

The United States Department of Defense reported that the head of the Pentagon, James Mattis, held a meeting with the Polish Defense Minister Marius Blaszczak, during which the parties agreed on cooperation in the defense sphere.

“Secretary of Defense James N. Mattis met with Polish Defense Minister Marius Blaszczak today at the Pentagon to reaffirm the strong defense relationship between the United States and Poland and continuing commitment to work bilaterally through NATO to deter Russ," …

Liga.net reports that the Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz stated at a press conference that Austria intends to preserve good relations with Russia, despite the recent espionage scandal.

“We have a good relationship with Russia, and this will not change in the future,” stated Kurz.

At the same time, the chancellor stressed that Austria will always “prevent and criticize” espionage attempts.

Earlier in Austria, a former officer who from the 1990’s had been giving information to Russia …