The Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, Oleksandr Turchynov, stated that the government should speed up the process of introducing a visa regime with the Russian Federation, as reported by Interfax.

According to Turchynov, the government first started working on a visa regime in 2014.

“You know, back in 2014, the National Security Council instructed the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine to introduce a visa regime with Russia, and in my opinion the government has …

According to a public opinion survey, 74% of Russians are ready to vote for Putin in the presidential elections.  This data was provided by the Russian Public Opinion Research Center (RPORC).

This is the highest percentage of support that Putin has received in the last four years.  He only received 40% in October 2012.

In January, only 15% of the respondents had said that they would not support him in 2018.  In 2012, this amount was 39%.

The RPORC noted that his support varies among the …

Major US banks refused to take placements of Russian securities due to pressure from the U.S. government.

Wall Street Journal sources reported that Goldman Sachs was closest to placement, having applied for participation in placement of Russian sovereign securities. However, the application was structured in such a way as to allow the bank to withdraw its investment at any time.

Goldman Sachs decided to pursue this option in spite of warnings from the U.S. government. Sources also say that J. …

The Russian Foreign Ministry commented on the extension of United States sanctions on their agency website. The ministry stated that they reserve the right to use retaliatory measures that would meet Russia’s interests. The ministry added that such actions do not help to resolve the Ukrainian crisis; they only erode Russian-American relations. The ministry also called the US sanctions policy “futile.”

Recently it became public knowledge that US President Barack Obama deliberately prolonged the …

Over 400 Ukrainian soldiers were killed in clashes over the last year after the ceasefire agreement was signed in Minsk and subsequently implemented.  It has been said that Russia plays an important role in the conflict.

During an interview with Voice of America correspondant Carla Babb, the US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense in charge of issues relating to Ukraine, Russia and Eurasia, Michael Carpenter, stated that the US is seeing a “significant” increase in conflict in eastern Ukraine. …

The Head of the Intelligence Department of the Pentagon, Lieutenant General Vincent Stewart, has stated that Russia’s intervention in Syria is an attempt to divert attention away from its actions in Ukraine.

According to Defense News, Stewart said the military action in the Middle East is a part of the "Grand Plan" to obtain concessions from the international community in the conflict with Ukraine.

"The recent snap exercises have been realistic, they have been threatening, they have shown a …

The Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, citing its own sources, stated that Russian Intelligence Director Igor Sergun, who passed away two months ago, died in Beirut while conducting a secret mission. According to the news paper, Saudi Arabian and other Middle Eastern secret service groups may have been involved in the death of Colonel-General Sergun, head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, better known as the GRU.

Orientalexpress.info noted that the …

The final hearing of Ukrainian citizen, Nadiya Savchenko, has been postponed by the judge after the Ukrainian pilot compared Russian President, Vladimir Putin, to Hitler. Anton Naumock, the correspondent of the Russian Bureau of Radio Liberty, stated this during the evening radio broadcast of Krym.Realii.

According to him, Nadiya Savchenko "has always responded bluntly to any injustice" and that is why the judge has postponed the session on March 9, 2016.

"She was constantly in altercations …