• In response to Moscow's criticism, Tbilisi says Georgia can carry out exercises with any partner on its sovereign territory

    The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia issued a statement in response to the Russian Foreign Ministry’s comments on the joint Georgian-American exercise “Noble Partner 2016.” Moscow stated that Washington “appeases revanchist ambitions of Tbilisi.” The Georgian Foreign Ministry replied that Georgia is a sovereign and independent state and has a right to carry out training on its territory together with any partner.

    “It is worth noting that the exercises are not aimed at any country. Such …

  • Ukrainian journalist: Twenty-five Crimean Tatars were detained and interrogated in Yevpatoria

    Noted Ukrainian journalist and blogger, Osman Pashayev, reported on the 7th of May that Russian forces detained twenty-five Crimean Tatars in Yevpatoria and took them to the police station for interrogation. “All of them were taken to the city police station and got fingerprinted. They were taken into custody at the Central market near Vostochka restaurant. All detainees are Crimean Tatars,” Pashayev wrote on Facebook.

    According to Pashayev, Russian forces claimed to be hunting for the …

  • Washington: The majority of ceasefire violations in the Donbas occur on the territory of separatists

    The OSCE confirms that the majority of ceasefire violations in eastern Ukraine occur on the territory that is under the separatists’ control, the Unites States Deputy Secretary of State, Antony Blinken stated.

    The U.S Ambassador to Ukraine, Geoffrey Pyatt, quoted Blinken on Twitter as saying that the “OSCE confirms that the majority of ceasefire violations in eastern Ukraine occur on the territory that is under separatists’ control.”  The White House press service also quoted Blinken as saying …

  • EU condemns Belarus after prisoner execution

    The European Union has condemned Belarus after receiving news that the former Soviet republic executed another prisoner, Radio Free Europe reported.

    Belarus is the only country in Europe that still practices capital punishment.

    In a statement issued on May 7th, the EU stated that the execution of Syarhey Iwanow was "particularly disturbing" because his complaint was pending with the UN Human Rights Committee.

    “Despite the many calls made by the European Union, another execution has been …

  • Senators fear that Arab states will purchase fighters from Russia instead of the US

    US Senators called on President Barack Obama to push through a contract for the sale of fighter jets valued at $9 billion to Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain. Otherwise, they say, the Arab states may instead purchase aircraft from Russia.

    According to The Wall Street Journal, the authors of the letter are Republicans John McCain and Bob Corker, and Democrats Jack Reed and Claire McCaskill. According to them, the decision on the sale of sixty F-16s, F-15s and F-18s has been delayed for too long. …

  • Canada to lift sanctions on Belarus

    Canada plans to lift sanctions against Belarus which have been in place since 2006, Rosbalt reported. A similar action was taken by the US and the EU in October of 2015.

    According the official website of the Canadian Government, Ottawa has recently seen “positive developments” in Belarus.

    “This announcement… reflects Canada’s acknowledgment that the Government of Belarus has made progress in key areas in recent months, including the release of political prisoners and conducting a …

  • So-called DPR acknowledges their passports will not enable residents to travel to Russia

    The authorities of the so-called Donetsk People's Republic acknowledged that inhabitants of the break-away region won't be able travel to Russia using passports issued by the self-declared republic, Rosbalt reported.

    According to the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of so-called DPR, it is possible to leave the rebel-controlled Donetsk region and enter the Russian Federation using only a Ukrainian passport.

    "Minor citizens under 16 years of age will need a birth certificate or a …

  • Marie Yovanovitch to become next US Ambassador to Ukraine

    The new US Ambassador to Ukraine will be Marie Yovanovitch, who previously served as Ambassador in Armenia and Kyrgyzstan, and in the beginning of the 2000s was Deputy Chief of Mission the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine.

    The “Day” newspaper reported this, citing a source in the State Department.

    Since 2012, Yovanovitch has served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs.

    Yovanovitch was born in Canada into a family of immigrants from Russia. As a child, …

  • Activists in Prague organize 'corridor of shame' for Night Wolves

    Activists in Prague organized a “corridor of shame” for the Russian biker club Night Wolves as the club was travelling through the Czech city as part of their “Road to Victory” rally to commemorate the allied victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, Radio Svoboda reported.

    Russian journalist Oleg Pshenichny posted a video of the occasion on Facebook. On the streets of Prague, activists carrying the flags of Ukraine, the USA, the EU and NATO shouted at a passing group of bikers: "Shame!", " …

  • Kuchma: There cannot be elections in the Donbas until the Minsk Agreements are implemented

    The second President of Ukraine and the representative of Ukraine in Trilateral Contact Group, Leonid Kuchma, reiterated that elections cannot be held in the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics until the Minsk Agreements are implemented.

    During an interview with journalists in Kiev, Kuchma highlighted the need to come to a resolution on the issue of security, Interfax-Ukraine reported.

    “I stated at the last meeting of the Trilateral Contact Group that the talks about some …