• US Representative for Ukraine Volker calls for additional pressure on Russia

    In light of the escalation of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the US calls on Europeans to make sure that the existing sanctions are being implemented. A statement to this effect was made by US Special Representative for Ukraine Kurt Volker in an interview with Deutsche Welle.

    “Europe must take a careful look at the implementation of the sanctions already in force. At present there are severe European sanctions in force against Crimea. But how strictly are they actually being applied?” …

  • Erdogan speaks with Putin after the conversation with Ukrainian President Poroshenko

    President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin during which the parties discussed the situation in the Black Sea region, stated the Kremlin’s website. Turkey initiated the talks.

    The Kremlin stated that Erdogan and Putin exchanged their views regarding the incident in the Kerch Strait where Russia captured three Ukrainian ships and twenty-four sailors. "In the context of the dangerous incident in the region of the Kerch Strait …

  • Kyiv: Russia has blocked Ukraine’s ports in the Sea of Azov

    As of November 28, the Ukrainian ports at Mariupol and Berdyansk in the Sea of Azov have effectively been blocked by Russia, with ships unable to arrive or depart.

    This was reported by Ukrainian Minister of Infrastructure Volodymyr Omelyan on Facebook.

    “According to operational information, 18 ships are waiting to enter the Sea of Azov: four heading for the Berdyansk port and 14 for the Mariupol port. There is also a queue waiting to leave the Sea of Azov to the Black Sea: three ships are …

  • Hungary refuses to extradite suspected Russian arms dealers to US

    Hungary refused to extradite to the US two Russian citizens suspected of arms dealing, the US State Department reported on Tuesday.

    The Russians in question are Vladimir Lyubishin Sr. and Vladimir Lyubishin Jr., who were sent by Hungary back to Russia, where it is “unclear if they will face trial”.

    “The United States is disappointed in the Hungarian government’s decision to extradite the Lyubishins to Russia,” the State Department spokesperson said, emphasizing that the decision is at odds …

  • US Representative for Ukraine Volker: Russia wants to control access to Mariupol

    The developments in the Sea of Azov this past weekend show that Russia intends to take sole control over access to Ukrainian ports, said Kurt Volker, the US State Department’s Special Representative for Ukraine, as reported by Ukrinform.

    “I think that this is a matter of access to Mariupol for Ukrainians. Russia is claiming the unilateral right to control this access, that’s the problem. This definitely doesn’t mean that Russia is going to undertake a new offensive on land,” the American …