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Deputy Secretary of State: The US will not lift sanctions on Russia
The US Deputy Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, has said that the US will not lift the sanctions against Russia until Moscow has fulfilled all of their commitments under the Minsk Agreements. Ukrinform reported that Blinken made these statements during a meeting with the Romanian media in Bucharest.
“We stand by our previous decision that sanctions imposed against Russia by the US and the European Union will only be lifted once Moscow fulfills all of their commitments under the Minsk …
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State Department has not confirmed appointment of Yovanovitch as new Ambassador to Ukraine
The US State Department has declined to comment on the possible appointment of Marie Yovanovitch as the new Ambassador to Ukraine. The media had previously reported that Washington intends to transfer the current ambassador, Geoffrey Pyatt, to Greece.
Ukrinform reported that the Director of the Press Office for the Department of State, Elizabeth Trudeau, refrained from commenting during a briefing in Washington on the 9th of May.
“I have no announcements on any appointments,” Trudeau said. …
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Pro-Kremlin journalist Graham Phillips confirmed that he was detained in Kerch
Pro-Kremlin journalist Graham Phillips confirmed on his Twitter feed that he was detained by the Kerch police. "Quick comment - yes, I was briefly detained in Kerch, because my drone was flying," he wrote.
Phillips clarified that he was arrested only for 15 minutes and was treated well.
On May 8th, the Kerch website ''Argumenty Nedeli” reported that Phillips was arrested during a torchlight procession dedicated to Victory Day. According to the newspaper, the reason for the detention was that …
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The OSCE is ready to send armed observers to the Donbas
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) is open to sending armed personnel to eastern Ukraine if this proposal is agreed to by all parties. This was declared by the Secretary General of the OSCE, Lamberto Zannier.
The organization is currently supervising a fragile ceasefire between Ukrainian forces and rebels in Donbas.
Comments made by Zannier reflect the extent of the danger that the current unarmed observers are exposed to while monitoring the ceasefire. He says …
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OSCE: Military parades in Donetsk and Luhansk violated the Minsk Agreements
The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine stated that the presence of heavy weaponry in Luhansk and Donetsk during Victory Day parades is a violation of the Minsk Agreements, as reported on Facebook page of the Special Monitoring Mission.
“The SMM was entrusted with the task of monitoring the implementation of the ceasefire and other provisions of the Minsk Agreements, including the withdrawal of weapons. In this case, the presence of heavy weaponry in Luhansk and Donetsk during the …