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Merkel's advisor: It's too early to lift sanctions on Russia
The discussion surrounding the cancellation of EU sanctions against Russia is premature, as stated by the German Chancellor's foreign policy advisor, Christoph Heusgen, Deutsche Welle reports. "If the current situation stays the same, I see no reason for sanctions not to be extended for another six months," Heusgen said.
He indicated that the removal of restrictive measures on Russia is connected to the implementation of the Minsk Agreements. At the same time, according to Heusgen, the Minsk …
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NATO exercises begin in the Baltic Sea
The Naval exercise, BALTOPS 2016, led by NATO started on June 3rd in the southern part of the Baltic Sea near the coasts of Sweden, Denmark and Poland, Delfi.lt reports. BALTOPS (Baltic Operations) exercises have been carried out since 1971. In 2016, training will be held from June 3rd to the 18th. They began on Friday in the Estonian waters of the Baltic Sea.
A total of 50 ships from 18 NATO nations and alliance partners will take part in the maneuvers, as well as 60 aircraft, helicopters and …
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Russia will not supply offensive weapons to Iran
Russia will not supply offensive weapons to Iran despite Tehran’s interest in purchasing Russian tanks and fighter jets, the CEO of Rostec Corporation, Sergey Chemezov, stated during an interview with Kommersant.
According to him, sanctions, which were imposed by the UN Security Council, prohibit the of supply such weapons to Iran. At the same time, Chemezov reported that supplies of armaments that aren’t subject to these restrictions, such as air defense systems, will continue.
In …
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Russian warship spotted near Latvian maritime border
The Armed Forces of Latvia recorded Russian warship near the borders of the country, the National Armed Forces of Latvia reported on Twitter. On Friday, a Russian frigate of the latest class of corvettes of the Russian Navy, the Stergushchy (Watchful) class, was detected 4.5 nautical miles from Latvian waters, the statement read.
Since the start of the conflict in Ukraine and the deterioration of relations between Russia and the West, Russian warships and aircraft have been increasingly …
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US State Deparment calls for ending human rights violations in eastern Ukraine
The US State Department has called on Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine to stop human rights abuses, while at the same time appealing to the Ukrainian Government to investigate cases of human rights violations that were referred to in a recent UN report.
This was stated by Deputy Spokesman of the State Department Mark Toner during a daily briefing on Friday.
"We once again call on the so-called authorities in the separatist-controlled areas to cease their human rights abuses, …
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US Abrams tanks to arrive in Latvia for NATO exercises
US Abrams tanks will arrive in Riga on Saturday to participate in the Saber Strike 2016 exercises, Evropeyskaya Pravda reported with reference to Delfi.
Residents of Riga have been notified that a column of armored vehicles, including Abrams tanks, will be transported from the Port of Riga to the exercise cite in Ādaži.
The Commander of the National Armed Forces of Latvia, Raimonds Graube, stressed that the exercises are not aimed at provoking Russia, as the NATO drills are on a much smaller …
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Ukrainian President: New Russian special forces units arrived in the Donbas
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said that the detrioration of the situation on the front line in eastern Ukraine is due to the arrival of new Russian special forces units in the Donbass.
He made this statement at a press conference while answering a question about the reasons for the increased level of violence in the Donbas.
“The first reason is that according to [Ukrainian] intelligence, new units of spetsnaz [Russian special forces] have entered the territory. We know the names of the …
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Ukrainian Ambassador to OSCE:Russia continues to send weapons to the Donbas
Russia continues to provide the so-called Donetsk People's Republic and Luhansk People's Republic with weapons, and it is now important to regain control of the Russian-Ukrainian border to decrease the conflict situation in eastern Ukraine, according to the head of the Ukrainian delegation of the OSCE Forum, Ihor Prokopchuk.
“The situation at the uncontrolled border needs to be significantly improved in order for a decrease in conflict to occur. However, Russia continues to provide the Donbas …
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Zakharchenko: A referendum to join Russia would be 'premature'
During the "direct line with the people of the Donbas," the ‘DPR leader,’ Alexander Zakharchenko said he believes it is premature to hold a referendum on the accession of the self- proclaimed republic to the Russian Federation as it may disrupt the negotiations in Minsk.
"Can we address the issue of accession to Russia today if we all agree? Frankly speaking, I’m not sure. Has anybody asked Russia about that? We need both sides for reunification. Have we taken into account the political risks …
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Ukraine receives invitation to export pork to South Africa
The Ukrainian Consumption Safety Service received an official letter from the country’s Embassy in the RSA
The Ukrainian Service for Safety of Foodstuffs and Consumer Protection received an official letter from the Ukrainian Embassy in the Republic of South Africa offering to import Ukrainian pork into the RSA’s market, the statement of the Association of Swine Producers reads, citing the head of the Service, Vladimir Lapa.
Swine producers in Ukraine have repeatedly complained that …