Contents tagged with Europe
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German Foreign Minister is convinced that Nord Stream 2 pipeline cannot be stopped
US sanctions can force Western companies to withdraw from the Nord Stream 2 project, but this will not prevent Russia from completing the construction of the gas pipeline, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas claims.
Maas asserted that the construction of the disputed Nord Stream 2 from Russia to Germany will not be stopped even by the US sanctions. "No one can disrupt this project. US sanctions can lead to the withdrawal of Western companies from it, including German concerns. This, however, …
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New OSCE head shocked by life in Donbas
OSCE Chairman Miroslav Lajčák said he was shocked by the alarming living conditions of people living near the contact line in the Donbas, and called on the parties to “intensify efforts for a peaceful political settlement of the crisis,” reports the OSCE press service.
“The crisis in Ukraine and around it is the top priority for the Slovakian chairmanship. Being on site, I see the critical work that the OSCE is doing, and how much more there is to do. For the victims, this conflict dictates …
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Former US Ambassador to Ukraine: Sanctions will make Russia leave Donbas
Sanctions significantly hurt the economy of the Russian Federation, so they are likely to make Russia leave the Donbas, stated John Herbst, the former US Ambassador to Ukraine in 2003-2006.
“I think this could eventually happen in 2.5 years, it could happen in 15 years. As part of the package, sanctions will convince Moscow to leave the Donbas. Crimea is another matter. Before this day comes, sanctions are much more important to our interests. Because the Kremlin’s policy is aggressive. Today …
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Kyiv: Hundreds of OSCE observers will monitor Ukraine's presidential elections
The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine wrote on Facebook that about 850 representatives of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) will arrive to monitor the presidential elections in Ukraine.
Ministry advisor Ivan Stoiko said the Ministry is ready for close cooperation with the OSCE and ensuring the safety of observers. “We are ready to provide full assistance to the work of OSCE observers… we’re doing everything to ensure that the elections are fair, transparent …
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Detained Ukrainian sailors refuse to answer questions in Moscow Court
On January 15, the Ukrainian sailors detained in the Kerch Strait refused to answer questions at Moscow's Lefortovo district court citing the Geneva Convention. The Court rejected the application to refer the case to the Moscow Garrison Military Court, Commissioner for Human Rights in Ukraine Lyudmyla Denisova told RIA Novosti. The Ukrainian lawyers are presenting the position that the sailors are prisoners of war.
The court has yet to decide whether to extend the arrest of the Ukrainian …
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Kremlin: Russia showing 'goodwill' by discussing Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty with US
Russia is demonstrating “goodwill” by going to the negotiating table with the US on the missile issue, said Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov ahead of the consultations with the US in Geneva, TASS reports.
The deputy foreign minister stated that Russia is “by no means more interested than the US” in furthering the dialog. “Under conditions in which they have tried and continue to issue all kinds of ultimatums, preconditions and demands, we are demonstrating significant goodwill. …
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Media: Berlin tells German companies not to respond to US Ambassador's letters threatening them with sanctions
The German Foreign Ministry recommended that German companies BASF and Uniper refrain from responding to the letters from US Ambassador Richard Grenell which warned them of US sanctions for participating in the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, reported Handelsblatt newspaper on Sunday.
According to the newspaper’s sources, the companies asked the Foreign Ministry how to better respond to Grenell's censure. The Ministry recommended that the companies abstain from responding to …
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Poland plans to build an island in the Baltic Sea
Poland plans to build an artificial island with an area of more than 18 hectares in the Vistula Lagoon also known as Kaliningrad Gulf, Polish newspaper Onet reported with a reference to the government tender documents.
The island will be built in Poland's territorial waters in the Vistula Lagoon in Poland. The island will be made from the soil that will be extracted during the construction of the navigable channel going through the Vistula Spit (Baltiyskaya Kosa).
According to the proposed …
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Media: US Ambassador to Germany threatened German companies with sanctions over Nord Stream 2
The US Ambassador to Germany, Richard Grenell sent letters to German companies warning that Washington may impose sanctions against them for supporting construction of the Nord Stream 2. The full text of the letter was published by the newspaper Bild am Sonntag on Sunday, January 13.
"We emphasize that if companies supporting the Russian energy sector take part in such projects this could entail a significant sanction risk,” Grenell wrote. He said that “If Nord Stream 2 and Turk Stream would …
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European ambassadors urge US to lift sanctions from Deripaska’s companies
European diplomats in the US have called for En+ and Rusal, two companies belonging to the Russian tycoon Oleg Deripaska, to be removed from the sanctions list, according to a letter to Chuck Schumer, leader of the democratic minority in the US Senate.
The document, which was published by the European foreign policy service on Friday, January 11, was authored by ambassadors from Austria, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the UK, France and Sweden, Deutsche Welle reports.
The authors believe that …