The French and German sides are discussing their proposals regarding the mandate of a UN peacekeeping mission in the Donbas, reports Andreas Peschke, Director for Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia at the German Federal Foreign Office.

"As for our participation [...] we are currently discussing this issue with our partners. First and foremost, with our French partners as we closely cooperate in the Normandy format. I believe, following it we will discuss the final option with …

The second All-Russian scientific and practical conference devoted to "topical problems of the development and operation of missile and artillery weapons, special weapons and naval equipment" will be held in annexed Sevastopol from September 27 to 29 at the Nakhimov Black Sea High Navy School, as announced  by the press service of the Russian Southern Military District on September 23.

"The purpose of the conference is to exchange scientific and practical experience and to define the main …

In an interview with ZN.ua, US Special Representative for Ukraine Kurt Volker said that he sees no point in the US joining the Normandy format.

"Berlin and Paris use their capabilities within the framework of the Minsk process to discuss specific details: where the ceasefire line should lie; how, where and when heavy weapons should be withdrawn; how to counteract escalation in specific hot spots, etc. These are certainly important things. However, the direct participation of the US, I think, …

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has invited the representatives of Canadian business to Ukraine. A meeting was held in the course of Poroshenko’s working visit to Canada, as the President’s press service reports.

"Earlier, Canadian Ukrainians invested in Ukraine to support the economy. At present, all Canadian business is ready to come [to Ukraine]. And I would like to say that it is the right time and place for investments,” the President emphasized, having added that Ukraine has high …

In response to the appeal by the Ministry of Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has promised to include in the records of joint pre-trial investigation the violations in August to September 2017 by foreign vessels of the ban on entry into the ports of annexed Crimea, as reported by the press service of the Ministry of Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine.

The Ministry’s website indicated that it had previously sent appeals to the Office of …

The energy infrastructure of the Crimea, which is currently managed by a Crimean-owned enterprise, will be transferred under the control of JSC Krymenergo where the Kremlin has a 100% ownership stake, according to a representative of the Ministry of Energy, as reported by RBC news agency. According to him, all of the facilities operated by the State Unitary Enterprise, Krymenergo, as well as the power grids that will be built as part of the federal program "Social and economic development of …

Ukraine has confiscated another $200 million from the “family” of former President Viktor Yanukovych, as announced by the Prosecutor General, Yuri Lutsenko.

"Today the decision of the city of Cherkasy Sosnovsky District Court has come into effect, requiring the confiscation of the Yanukovych mafia’s banking assets totaling $200 million. The dogs are barking and the caravan is moving," he wrote on Facebook.

The first confiscation took place in the spring.

On April 28th, the Prosecutor General, …

According to Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency, there were two explosions on a Saturday morning in Donetsk. According to the agency's source in the local security agencies, an assassination attempt was made on the so-called “Minister of Revenue and Taxes” of the DPR (Donetsk People’s Republic), Alexander Timofeyev.

As a result of the attack, the official was injured and was taken to hospital in critical condition, said the agency's interlocutor.

The local Donetsk News agency also reported the …