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Russia to start printing money to assist billionaires under sanctions
The Russian government has already given assistance to sanctioned billionaire Viktor Vekselberg’s Renova Group, and is currently working on financial support measures for Oleg Deripaska’s companies, including Rusal and the GAZ group, as announced on Monday by Russia’s acting Finance Minister Anton Siluanov.
Vekselberg, who asked the government for a total of $5.7 billion, was given assistance last week, Siluanov noted.
“I simply would not like to talk about amounts,” Siluanov responded when …
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Putin's aide Surkov and US representative for Ukraine Volker temporarily suspend negotiations about the Donbas
Russia and the United States have taken a break from discussing the Donbas, stated the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia, Grigory Karasin.
“We have taken a break. However, Russia expects that it will not be a long break. We are interested in resuming negotiations,” Karasin said.
According to Karasin, “both sides need the desire to resume” in order for talks to restart. So at the moment there are not even approximate dates for the next meetings between the representative of the U.S. …
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EU Council imposes sanctions against five organizers of Russian presidential elections in Crimea
The EU Council imposed sanctions against five organizers of the presidential election in the annexed Crimea, stated by President Petro Poroshenko on Facebook.
“I welcome the official decision of the EU Council to impose sanctions against five persons responsible for the illegal presidential election held in the temporarily occupied Crimea and Sevastopol. Punishment for any unlawful actions against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine is inevitable,” he wrote.
Poroshenko also …
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US Ambassador to Germany: Nord Stream-2 is not in Europe's interests
US Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell criticized the Nord Stream 2 project during an interview with Funke Mediengruppe.
He stated that many in Germany are concerned about the implementation of the pipeline project. "It's about Russian influence," said the Ambassador.
Grenell added that the US is working closely with Europeans who share the US’ concerns. According to the diplomat, the current pipeline construction strategy is "very problematic."
Margrethe Vestager, European Commissioner …
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Germany: Ukraine should not be afraid of Nord Stream 2
Berlin is ready to mediate in the talks between Moscow and Kyiv on the construction of the Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline, Michael Harms, executive director of the German Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations, told the press agency DPA.
Harms stressed that the main issue is the volume of gas that will be supplied through Ukraine after the implementation of the project.
He argues that Kyiv should not be afraid of a complete cessation of supplies, since the North Stream-2 will not …