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Experts: Russia is trying to influence domestic policies and public opinion in Finland
Russia represents a growing risk for Finland according to a recent report of the Institute of International Relations of Finland.
Finnish state broadcasting company YLE reports that according to the document, Russia uses more aggressive methods to achieve its foreign policy goals. In addition to this factor, the development of the domestic situation in Russia also poses a risk to Finland. The experts presented a list of possible threats to Finland as well as recommendations for risk prevention. …
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Merkel: Sanctions will not be lifted as long as there are Russian tanks in Ukraine
German Chancellor Angela Merkel acknowledged that both Moscow and Berlin would be interested in lifting anti-Russian sanctions. However, according to her, it is currently impossible because “there has not been one day when the ceasefire has been implemented in the east of Ukraine.”
“I’m interested in lifting the sanctions, and once we reach progress in the Minsk negotiations, the sanctions will be weakened,” Merkel noted.
She also noted that she was “shocked when the first Russian tank …
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Ukrainian Presidential Spokesman: 100,000 Russian troops are stationed near Ukraine's borders
The representative of the Presidential Administration of Ukraine on ATO issues, Colonel Andriy Lysenko stated on Radio Svoboda that Russia has gathered approximately 100,000 servicemen in the territories of the occupied Crimea, Donbas and on the eastern border with Ukraine.
“Approximately 40,000 servicemen are stationed along the northern border in the Donbas; another fifty to sixty thousand are stationed in the east of the country. This group is constantly changing and expanding. Three …
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Expert: Russia is deliberately militarizing its population
More than a decade ago, the leadership of the Russian Federation developed special social-psychological programs aimed at the militarization of the country’s population, said psychologist Larisa Voloshyna in a morning interview with Krym.Realii radio.
According to Voloshyna, Russian authorities adopted programs that foster the feeling “that they are ready to serve in the armed forces of the Russian Federation.”
“Since 2005, a large number of scientific and psychological works have appeared in …
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Bloomberg: The chances of lifting sanctions on Russia decreased significantly after recent events in Crimea
The growing tension in the region only prevents Russia from the establishment of favorable relations and the easing of sanctions and, therefore, from further economic growth, Bloomberg notes.
The agency interviewed 21 economists about the prospects of lifting the sanctions. About 52% of the respondents believe that the EU would agree to lift the sanctions in the coming year. Before the recent events in the Crimea, the proportion of respondents sharing this view was much higher — 69 %. Only 10% …