• Russian Foreign Minister: UN issued a secret directive prohibiting countries from taking part in restoration of Syria

    The political department of the UN Secretariat issued a “secret directive” that prohibits all bodies of the organization from participating in the restoration of the Syrian economy, Interfax reports  citing Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov.

    “Only humanitarian aid, nothing else,” the Minister added. He said that this was an attempt by a group of countries to manipulate the UN Secretariat “for their own geopolitical benefit.” According to Lavrov, the directive stipulates that …

  • Prosecutor proposes to return Yanukovych to Ukraine with the help of special forces

    If the court passes a guilty verdict, the former president of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych could be returned to the country with the help of special forces, believes the prosecutor Ruslan Kravchenko, reports Hromadske.

    According to the prosecutor, the law enforcement bodies of Ukraine need to do everything possible to ensure that the court enforces the decision on Yanukovych.

    "It is possible to create a special unit, for example, like the Israeli Mossad. They can ensure that the special forces …

  • Russian businesses prepare to be cut off from US dollar

    Major Russian businesses have started preparing for new US sanctions which, in addition to prohibiting investments into Russian government debt, will also block certain Russian government banks from transacting in dollars.

    According to the Russian news agency TASS, such companies as Alrosa and Nornickel have already tried out the first deals without the dollar system.

    Alrosa, the world’s leading diamond miner by volume, which has earned $3 billion in the first 7 months of 2018, has tested a …

  • Russia to lease out far east to China

    Russia is prepared to lease out another million hectares of agricultural land in the Far East in the hope of attracting investments and increasing the region’s income.

    According to the South China Morning Post, such a suggestion was put forward by Valery Dubrovsky, investment director of the Far East Investment and Export Agency.

    Dubrovsky said that the land will be open to foreign investors, and that Russia is counting primarily on demand from Chinese farmers, who may be interested in …

  • Ukraine considers stopping bus transportation to Russia

    Following large-scale restrictions on railway transit with Russia, representatives of the Ukrainian president in the annexed Crimea offered to stop bus transportation service as well, according to First Deputy Permanent Representative of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea Izet Gdanov, RBC-Ukraine reports.

    He stated that the Office of the President of Ukraine in the Crimea supports the initiative of the Ministry of Infrastructure to end railway communication with the …