• Ukrainian President Poroshenko: American Javelin anti-tank systems have changed situation in Donbas

    By 2020, the Ukrainian army will fully transition to NATO standards, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said during a meeting with residents of Zdolbuniv in the Rivne province, the presidential press service reported. 

    According to Poroshenko, although it is far weaker than the Russian army, the Ukrainian army is still ready to oppose the enemy. It has also not yet reached the limits of its combat capabilities. An amount in excess of 5% of the country’s GDP is being allocated to the military’ …

  • Putin plans to visit Serbia

    Russian presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov’s said that the preparation of a visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin to Serbia is underway, RIA Novosti. According to Peskov, the visit agenda is being prepared currently.

    On January 7th, Putin signed a decree awarding the Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic with the Order of Alexander Nevsky. According to the Kremlin, the Serbian leader was awarded this award for “a great personal contribution to developing mutual cooperation” with Russia. …

  • US Navy destroyer armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles enters the Baltic Sea

    On Thursday, USS Gravely (DDG-107), a guided missile destroyer of the US Navy passed the Danish Straits and is now in the Baltic Sea, reported Interfax, citing the monitoring data of marine resources.

    This ship can carry up to fifty-six Tomahawk cruise missiles with a range of 1,600 kilometers. It is equipped with the Aegis missile defense system. The Gravely is the current flagship of the First Permanent Naval Group of NATO.

  • European Union calls on Russia to release illegally held Ukrainians

    The European Union called on Russia to release the Ukrainian sailors captured in the Kerch Strait and other Ukrainian citizens, that Brussels says, are also held illegally, DW reports.

    “The European Union reiterates that all illegally detained Ukrainian citizens in the Crimean peninsula and in Russia and the crew of the vessels captured by Russia on 25 November must be immediately released. International human rights observers must be granted full, free and unhindered access to the Crimean …

  • Belarusian President Lukashenko threatens to break off alliance with Russia

    Russia risks losing its “sole ally” in the west, Belarus, if it refuses to compensate Minsk for the losses arising from a Russian tax maneuver in the oil sector, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko told Interfax in an interview. 

    According to Lukashenko, if the monetary dispute with Russia’s leaders is not resolved, it will not be a catastrophe for Belarus. 

    The amount in question is in the region of $400 million per year, the amount that the Belarusian budget earns from the fact that …