• Media: The Netherlands expects to start of negotiations with Russia regarding MH17 air disaster

    The Netherlands expects to start negotiations with Russia regarding its responsibility for the crash of Boeing-777 in Ukraine in July 2014, announced RTL channel on Thursday with reference to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands.

    At this stage, the ministry does not want to disseminate too much information, "so as not to harm the confidentiality of the process." “However, everything is moving in the right direction, and there is hope that official negotiations will begin soon,” …

  • Ukrainian Parliament calls on NATO to provide Ukraine with Membership Action Plan

    The Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada asked NATO member countries to support Ukraine's intention to become a member of the Alliance and to start a formal dialogue on a Membership Action Plan at the NATO Summit in London in December 2019, Interfax-Ukraine reports. The draft decision and request were supported by 243 People's Deputies at the plenary meeting of the Parliament on Thursday. 

    "We are calling on the heads of NATO member states to approve... the given decision at the anniversary Summit of the …

  • Russia: US must destroy MK-41 launchers and attack drones to save INF Treaty

    Russia demands that the US meet a number of conditions before the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty can be reinstated, Russian Defense Ministry spokesperson Igor Konashenkov said on Thursday, 7 February, as reported by Interfax.

    “The Defense Ministry of the Russian Federation has advised America to take the necessary measures to return to strict compliance with the treaty during the period before the INF Treaty expires,” he said.

    According to Konashenkov, Russia has advised the …

  • Ukrainian Parliament prohibits Russian observers from monitoring Ukrainian Presidential elections

    On Thursday, February 7, the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada adopted Bill Number 9524 prohibiting Russian citizens from participating as observers in the elections. The bill was supported by 232 People's Deputies. 

    "The representatives of the occupying country that has waged war against Ukraine for five years have no legal or moral rights to come to us. We cannot even imagine who these observers could be. They could be saboteurs, provocateurs,” said Anna Hopko, Member of the Ukrainian Parliament, and …

  • US: Russia has 175 Wagner mercenaries in Central African Republic

    The US is concerned by Russia’s growing presence in African countries, said General Thomas Waldhauser, commander of the US Africa Command, during hearings of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

    “In the Central African Republic (CAR), Russia has consolidated its influence through expanded military collaboration, including arms shipments, and in exchange it gains access to markets and mineral rights in the country,” the general said.

    Waldhauser also noted that the US has reason to believe …