• UK urges Ukraine to amend law on demining Donbas

    The UK urges the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to urgently make amendments to the new law on demining, and to allow donors to directly fund the organizations that carry out mine clearance activity, British Ambassador to Ukraine Judith Gough wrote in a blog post on Ukrayinska Pravda.

    According to her, the international efforts to demine Ukraine could break down if the Verkhovna Rada does not quickly make amendments to the new law on demining.

    “At the end of last year, the international community …

  • Kremlin comments on American B-52 flight close to Russia

    Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that the presence of American bombers in Europe and their flights close to Russia’s borders are causing increased tension in the region.

    “Such actions by the US do not lead to reinforced security and stability in this region, which is directly adjacent to Russia’s borders,” Peskov said, adding that “from a military and tactical perspective, this matter should be commented on by military specialists”.

    Early on 21 March, the Russian Defense Ministry  …

  • Russian ambassador summoned by Czech Foreign Ministry as apartment scandal grows

    The Russian Ambassador in the Czech Republic, Aleksandr Zmeievsky, was summoned to the the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, reported the newspaper Deník N.

    According to the newspaper, Zmeievsky was summoned by the Deputy Foreign Minister Martin Smolke, who is responsible for legal and consular affairs, and who for the third week is dealing with the issues involving properties used by Russian diplomats in Prague.

    A day earlier, the Russian Foreign Ministry made a presentation …

  • Poland explains why Putin is not invited to World War II commemoration

    Krzysztof Szczerski, Chief of Cabinet for Polish President Andrzej Duda, explained the president’s decision not to invite Vladimir Putin to the events commemorating the 80th anniversary of the start of World War II, Radio Liberty reports.

    Szczerski told the Polish Press Agency that Poland will commemorate the date alongside representatives of countries that cooperate with Warsaw to ensure peace on the basis of compliance with international law and respect for the sovereignty and territorial …

  • The US accuses two Russian ports of violating sanctions against North Korea

    The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the US Department of the Treasury stated that they suspect two Russian ports in Vladivostok and Nakhodka of violating the sanctions regime established by the UN Security Council against North Korea.

    According to the U.S. Treasury, vessels that participated in the transshipment of oil and coal to North Korean tankers visited Vladivostok and Nakhodka ports.

    In addition to the two Russian ports, this scheme also involved four ports in China, four in …