• Russia begins military exercises in the Crimea

    In the annexed Crimea, the Russian military have begun exercises for mastering the detection of enemy vessels, Krym.Realii reports.  

    The press-service of the Russian Black Sea Fleet reported that the Fleet’s coastal missile systems take part in these exercises.  The Russian military currently have the Bastion and Bal coastal missiles systems deployed in the Crimea. Command-staff exercises of the Russian Black Sea Fleet’s missile brigade are conducted at the training site in the Crimea.  

    “In …

  • Hungary blocks the meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Commission

    For the third time, Hungary vetoed the meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Commission at the level of foreign ministers, Ukrinform reports.

    The Hungarian government is apparently making good on its promise to apply "pressure" on Kyiv until it changes the law on education that was passed in autumn. Hungary believes that the newly-adopted law violates the rights of national minorities to study in their languages.

    At the beginning of the year, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said that the …

  • Russian companies under sanctions ask Kremlin for $1.6 billion in aid

    The Russian companies suffering from the most recent round of US sanctions have asked the government for roughly 100 billion rubles ($1.6 billion) in assistance, reported Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov.

    According to him, in one of the ministries a structure will be created that will communicate directly with the enterprises under sanctions, including Rusal and the power stations that service it, and draft proposals for the government on the basis of the received information.

    The …

  • Russia may start supplying Syria with S-300 missile systems

    Russia has the technical capability to supply Syria with S-300 anti-air missile systems within a month, by using what the Russian military department has available and carrying out the necessary modifications, TASS reported with reference to a military diplomatic source.

    According to the source, there are two ways that S-300s could be sent to Syria. One would be to produce systems of the export variety, but then Syria would only receive them in one and a half to two years. The other option …

  • German Defense Minister: Russia should be pressured by sanctions until it fulfills promises made at Minsk

    Deutsche Welle reports that German Defense Minister Ursula Von der Leyen called for a tougher line against Moscow during an interview with Bild am Sonntag published on Sunday, April 22. "President Putin doesn’t appreciate weakness," she said.

    According to the Minister, by means of sanctions it is necessary "to insist on Russia’s fulfillment of the promises made at Minsk" until the situation is mitigated.

    Von der Leyen believes that improvements in relations with Russia are hampered by a …

  • Canada allocates $750,000 to organizing educational tours about the Holodomor in Ukraine

    The Canadian province of Ontario allocated $750,000 to support the National Education Tour on the Holodomor, MP of Ontario provincial parliament Yvan Baker reported.

    "Proud to announce this afternoon that the Canada Ukraine Foundation received a $750,000 grant to promote awareness about the Ukrainian famine of 1932-33 through the Holodomor Mobile Classroom," he wrote on Twitter.

    The project created a “mobile auditorium,” a bus equipped with special interactive equipment that will travel to …

  • Russia refuses to take part in recapitalization of World Bank

    Russia has refused to participate in the recapitalization of the World Bank (WB) due to disagreement over the new principles of its credit policy, TASS reports.

    The United States has also decided to abandon its participation in the recapitalization; however, the US will retain a blocking minority stake, which will drop from 20% to 15%.

     "We [Russia] proceed from the fact that we will not participate. Firstly, we are not happy with the fact that the IDA [part of the World Bank] is maintained …

  • The USA urges Ukraine to establish an anti-corruption court and to raise gas tariffs

    The USA called on Ukraine to establish an independent anti-corruption court and to raise gas tariffs, stated United States Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan on April 21 at a meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Pavlo Klimkin.

    Sullivan pressed Ukraine to increase reform efforts and to adhere to the programs of the International Monetary Fund by adopting legislation to establish a truly independent, anti-corruption court and to raise gas tariffs to the level of import …

  • Macron advises not to show weakness with Putin

    French President Emmanuel Macron stated in an interview with Fox News Sunday that he sees Russian President Vladimir Putin as a “strong man” and advised not to be naïve when working with him.

    “I think he’s a very strong man, he’s a strong president,” Macron commented. “He wants a great Russia. People are proud with of policy. He is extremely tough with minorities and his opponents,” Macron said, adding that he does not share Putin’s views on democracy. “He’s strong and smart—but don’t be naïve. …

  • US Ambassador: Since 2014 the US has allocated almost $1 billion to improve Ukraine's security

    Since 2014, the United States has funneled nearly a billion US dollars into Ukraine for improving security, US Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch said in an interview with Zavtra, a joint project of Radio Liberty and 112 Ukraine, on the evening of April 22.

    When asked when Ukraine would receive defensive weapons from the United States, Yovanovitch replied: "I cannot say anything new about this. You know, obviously, this is not the kind of information that we publicly speak about." …