U.S. Representative for Ukraine Kurt Volker’s call to disband the LPR and the DPR “calls into question” his ability to contribute to the resolution of the crisis in the Donbas, said the chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Foreign Affairs Konstantin Kosachev, reported RIA Novosti.

“Volker's words, of course, do not fit into any framework of the existing Minsk agreements and, in my opinion, quite seriously call into question his readiness and ability to make a real contribution to …

On March 4, a US strategic RQ-4B unmanned aircraft made an almost ten-hour reconnaissance flight along the demarcation line in the Donbas, Interfax reported with reference to western aviation resources.

The drone spent hours flying along the demarcation line between the Ukrainian military and the uncontrolled territories, at an altitude of 16,000 meters. Afterwards the drone returned to the airbase in Italy.

On several occasions during the reconnaissance flight it flew within 40 km of Russia. …

Bashar Assad’s troops have penetrated deeply into the suburbs of the Damascus suburb of Eastern Ghouta. As reported on March 4, the army retains control over a quarter of the region’s territory.

A representative of the government army said that the troops managed to oust “terrorist groups” from settlements in the east and southeast of the region. If Assad's army advances just a few more kilometers, they will be able to divide Eastern Ghouta into two parts.

According to Rami Abdel Rahman, head …

"In 2014, the number of the military serving in the Ukrainian Armed Forces was 150 thousand people, and in 2017, it is already 255 thousand," — stated the Defense Minister of Ukraine, Stepan Poltorak, as quoted by the ministry’s website.

According to the Ukrainian Minister of Defense, only contracted soldiers are stationed in the conflict zone in the Donbas. In 2016-2017, 110 thousand contracted military personnel were recruited.

Moreover, a reserve force of 150 thousand people with military …

Polish authorities estimated the damage inflicted on the country by the Wehrmacht troops during the Second World War at $850 billion and intend to recover this amount from Germany. According to Rzeczpospolita, the head of the reparations commission of the Sejm, Arkadiusz Mularczyk said that the commission will report to the government this year on the amount of reimbursements that Poland could demand from Germany.

According to Mularczyk, $850 billion is a reasonable amount that will compensate …

Ukraine and Russia have prepared for close, consistent communication regarding gas transit issues, RIA Novosti reports, quoting a representative of the European Commission. "Ukraine and Russia have confirmed their readiness to remain in close contact with the European Commission," the source said.

According to him, the Vice President of the European Commission for Energy Union, Maroš Šefčovič was informed of Gazprom's intention to terminate contracts with Naftogaz. He also added that all …

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko approved a regulation on the Forces of Special Operations of the Armed Forces of Ukraine specified in the Presidential Decree Number 52/2018 on March 3, Ukrainski Novyny news outlet reports.

"According to part five of Section 10 of the Law of Ukraine "On the Armed Forces of Ukraine" I order the approval of the Regulation on the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine," the decree reads. The regulation itself, however, remains classified. …

The European Commission plans to take into account a variety of factors in deciding on a new program of macro-financial assistance for Ukraine, including the status of the country’s program of cooperation with the International Monetary Fund in particular, as noted in a written response by the Delegation of the European Union to Ukraine to a request by Evropeyskaya Pravda news outlet.

The statement notes that European Commission must give the Ukrainian authorities' request a positive …