• Kremlin blocks the bill legalizing Russian private military companies

    The Russian government has refused to support a bill to legalize private military companies (PMCs) in Russia, Interfax reports. The relevant revocation was sent to the State Duma.

    The Cabinet of Ministers said that the bill goes against Russia’s constitution. Section 5 article 13 of the Russian constitution prohibits the creation and activity of public unions whose goals and activities are directed at the creation of armed formations. Article 71 stipulates that matters of defense and security, …

  • Russia's Gazprom and Ukraine's Naftogaz begin negotiating contracts termination

    Last week, Russia’s Gazprom and Ukraine’s Naftogaz began negotiations on the contracts termination for the supply and transit of gas. According to Interfax, this was announced by Alexander Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Gazprom.

    "Yes, indeed, last week the meeting between Gazprom and Naftogaz took place. The negotiation on the procedure of contracts termination for the supply and transit of gas has begun," he said. Medvedev added that Gazprom notified the Ukrainian company of its …

  • President Dodon calls expulsion of Russian diplomats from Moldova an 'anti-Russian provocation'

    Moldovan President Igor Dodon has condemned the expulsion of Russian diplomats from Moldova as an “anti-Russian provocation."

    He wrote this in Facebook in a comment on the decision by the Moldovan Ministry of Foreign Affairs to declare three Russian diplomats persona non grata.

    "I express my profound indignation at the decision of the Government to expel Russian diplomats from the Republic of Moldova. I categorically condemn this as a new anti-Russian provocation," Dodon said.

    The President …

  • Kyiv bans entry to 23 Russians expelled from UK

    The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has placed an entry ban on the 23 Russians who were expelled from the UK in connection with the poisoning of former intelligence agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter, as announced in statement of the SBU’s website.

     “SBU head Vasyl Hrytsak said that their activity is a brazen mockery of one of the key functions of the diplomatic representation determined by the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961 – to promote friendly relations between …

  • U.S. troops prevent a confrontation with Russians in Syria

    U.S. troops prevented a confrontation with Russian military in Syria similar to the one that resulted in the death of Russian mercenaries from a United States air strike in February. Secretary of Defense James Mattis stated this on Tuesday, March 27.

    “Russian elements” moved along the line of demarcation to the east of the Euphrates River, to the territory where parties can conduct operations,” Mattis said. However, he said that they came too close to the positions of U.S. soldiers. Chairman …