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Ukraine Announces Plan to Construct Rail Line to Gulf States
Ukraine started negotiations with several Gulf countries to launch a new freight traffic route as announced by the Deputy Minister of Infrastructure, Vladimir Yemelyan, reports Specter Novosti.
"We are now in the middle of negotiations with the Gulf countries concerning the coordination of railway communication to this area. In particular, on January 12th, the leaders of the railway companies were studying this route and at first glance believe it has great promise. I think it will be another …
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New Monument Could Remove the Kremlin from UNESCO List
The Commission of UNESCO experts may consider removing the Kremlin from the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites. Der Tagesspiegel reported on January 19th that such a decision was prompted by the plans of Russian authorities to construct a 24-meter monument to Grand Duke Vladimirat on Borovitskaya Square near Kremlin. The Grand Duke was a historical figure who chose Orthodox Christianity as the state religion of Kievan Rus.
According to UNESCO experts, the monument, rising high above the …
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Amnesty International Urges Ukraine to Ratify Rome Statute
Amnesty International is urging the President of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko, "to show the political will and make all necessary preparations for Ukraine to ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) as soon as possible," as stated in an open letter to the President of Ukraine.
"Please note that only after the ratification of the Rome Statute will Ukraine receive all the benefits from participation in the ICC: participation in the election of judges and prosecutors, …
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March In Memory Of Baburova and Markelov Held in Moscow
More than 400 people took part in a procession to Prechistenka Street on the anniversary of the murders of human rights lawyer Stanislav Markelov and Novaya Gazeta journalist Anastasia Baburova. Baburova and Markelov were shot in Moscow on January 19th, seven years ago.
The demonstrators marched along Novopushkinsky Square to the spot where the murders took place. People held portraits of Baburova and Markelov and placards bearing crossed-out swastikas and antifascist slogans.
Baburova and …
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Cost of Transit of Russian Gas through Ukraine up nearly 50 Percent in 2016
Russia currently pays $4.50 per thousand cubic meters of gas to be transported over a distance of 100 km through the Ukrainian gas transit network, said the Minister of Energy and Coal Industry of Ukraine Volodymyr Demchishin, at a recent press conference.
According to Demchishin, the tariff for the transit of Russian gas has increased by approximately 50% in 2016, as reported by a Gordon correspondent.
He explained that the increase in the tariff is associated with a new pricing structure …
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Ukraine Tells UN That Situation in Donbas Is Deteriorating
According to the website of the Permanent Mission of Ukraine to the United Nations, the UN Security Council has been officially informed about the deterioration of the situation in the Donbas region.
The press service of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry posed the information in such a way that the government plainly intended to "draw the attention of the international community to Russia’s neglect of the Minsk Agreement and to its full responsibility for the situation in some districts of …
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Russia and Saudi Arabia Reach $10 Billion Arms Deal
According to sources in the top management in defense enterprises, Russia is preparing to sell arms to Saudi Arabia; the demand is due to the current conflicts in the Middle East.
Saudi Arabia has long relied on purchases of arms from NATO countries and the US. Now it has expressed interest in Russian missile boats, patrol ships near the sea area, medium landing ships and patrol ships. There are other serious developments as well, sources say.
The Saudis are allegedly negotiating the …
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Kadyrov calls for crackdown on Russian opposition
Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov is calling for a crackdown on the “jackals” and “enemies of the people” who are opposed to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Kadyrov has made the news recently for his increasingly outrageous comments made towards the “non-systemic” Russian opposition, stating that they should be treated as enemies of the state. The head of Chechnya further elaborated his views on Tuesday in an article written for the pro-Kremlin newspaper Izvestia.
Kadyrov’s diatribe was in …
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Dutch Deputies Suspect Foul Play in Upcoming Association Agreement Referendum
Dutch deputies from the Party of D-66 applied to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands with a request to clarify whether there are signs of Russian influence on the forthcoming referendum on the Association Agreement with Ukraine.
Deputies Shourd Shurdsma and Case Verhoeven made the request because of an article in the British newspaper The Telegraph, which quoted sources reporting on the investigation of the United States concerning the influence of Russia on the European Parties. …
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Russia Unlikely To Participate In PACE In 2016
The Russian delegation will be unable to participate in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe this year. The President of PACE, Anne Brasseur, reported this in her statement, published on the organization’s website on January 19th.
Brasseur confirmed that she received a letter from the Chairman of the Council of the Russian Federation and Chairman of the State Duma, which says that, the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation will not file documents for a Russian delegation to …