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US Secretary of State urges Russia to withdraw troops from occupied regions of Georgia
During a meeting in Washington on Monday with Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the US condemns the Russian occupation of the Georgian territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, the Voice of America reports.
"The United States unequivocally condemns Russia’s occupation on Georgian soil. Russia’s forcible invasion of Georgia is a clear violation of international peace and security and goes against the basic principles of the Charter of the …
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Russia abandons new Borei-B nuclear submarine
Project 955B, centered around the strategic Borei-B nuclear-powered submarine, was not included in the Russian state armament program for 2018-2027, reported TASS news agency, citing a source in the defense industrial complex.
“After analyzing proposals for the production of the Borei-B nuclear submarine, a decision was made to abandon the project, since building the submarines is not considered ‘cost-effective.’ Instead, the final version of the state armament program, which goes to 2027, …
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Ukraine includes Kerch Bridge in international suit against Russia
In its suit against Russia, Ukraine will add a claim about violating the Convention on the Law of the Sea with regard to illegal construction of the bridge across the Kerch Strait by Russia, as stated by the speaker of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Mariana Betsa, reported Interfax-Ukraine.
“This in no way changes the status of the Crimea as an integral part of the territory of Ukraine, which is temporarily occupied by the Russian Federation. Of course, this issue of the Kerch …
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British MPs call 'dirty money' from Russia a threat to the country
According to Reuters, a report recently published by the UK Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee indicates that cash flows passing through UK financial institutions impede London’s ability to take a tough stance against Russia. According to MPs, "The scale of damage that this 'dirty money' can do to UK foreign policy interests dwarfs the benefit of Russian transactions in the City," said Committee Chairman Tom Tugendhat.
"There is no excuse for the UK to turn a blind eye as President Putin’s …
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Russia pays off $1 billion of oligarch Vekselberg’s debt
The Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg, who has recently been placed under sanctions, has paid off his loans to western banks using financial assistance from the government.
Vekselberg’s Renova Group repaid $1 billion to a consortium of European, Swiss and American banks, including JPMorgan, Credit Suisse, and UBS.
The loans needed to be repaid in a hurry. The US Treasury Department, which recently blacklisted Vekselberg and all of his companies, demanded that all deals be broken off by June 5 …