• Ukrainian Intelligence: Putin adviser Surkov visited Donetsk

    Russian presidential aide, Vladislav Surkov, has visited the occupied region of Donetsk.

    This was reported by the Chief of Staff of the Head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU), Alexander Tkachuk.

    “On the 16th of February, Putin’s personal adviser, Vladislav Surkov, was in Donetsk.  Russia was very careful in trying to hide the preparations for his visit,” Tkachuk said.

    “During his visit, Surkov received reports from the heads of local administrations of the so-called Donetsk People’s …

  • Dutch company receives grant to print anti-EU-Ukraine AA ad campaign on toilet paper

    A private company in the Netherlands, Raspoetin BV, has received a €50,000 grant from Dutch authorities to produce toilet paper with calls to vote against the referendum of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement.

    The company is one of 72 organizations and individuals to whom the Commission for the Referendum has provided grants from a total fund of €2 million.  An amount of €47,973 has been allocated for the "manufacture, transportation and distribution of the toilet paper, which is printed with …

  • Applicant for position in Ukraine's Anti-Corruption Bureau tried to obtain the post through bribery

    A prosecutor from the General Prosecutor’s Office has been arrested by detectives of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU).  The prosecutor allegedly offered a 10,000 dollar bribe to members of the committee in order to be elected to the position of the Deputy Head of the Department of Detectives of the NABU.

    This information was posted on the official website of the NABU.

    The arrest was conducted by detectives along with soldiers of the NABU Special Forces on the premises of the Taras …

  • Russia files lawsuit against Ukraine over $3 billion debt

    On the 17th of February, the Ministry of Finance of Russia filed a lawsuit against Ukraine with the Supreme Court of London for the recovery of a $3 billion debt in the form of Eurobonds.  Russia provided this loan to Ukraine in December 2013, the Minister of Finance, Anton Siluanov reported.

     “The lawsuit was filed after unsuccessful attempts to contact Ukraine for a constructive dialogue with regard to debt restructuring,” Siluanov stated and was quoted by Interfax.  He called a court …

  • Ukraine’s ruling coalition disbands

    The faction "Samopomich" (Self-Reliance) announced its withdrawal from the ruling coalition of the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada, meaning that the coalition has effectively collapsed. Only two factions, “Bloc Petro Poroshenko” and Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk’s "Narodniy Front" (People’s Front) remain in the coalition. The two factions combined compile less than half of the votes in parliament.

    “The party leadership decided that it is impossible [for "Samopomich"]… to remain in an alliance with …

  • Strelkov gives negative portrayal of leaders of pro-Russian separatists

    Igor Strelkov (Girkin), the former Defense Minister of the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic, gave a destructive description of the so-called DPR and LPR leaders in an interview with the Novorossiya movement’s website

    “For two years they were in limbo, being a kind of a bargaining chip, which everybody wanted to return in exchange for uncertain preferences or some goods. It has led to the fact that favorites came to power, those who were chosen not on the basis of their professional or moral …

  • Moscow authorities reject proposal to hold rally in memory of Boris Nemtsov in city center

    The Russian opposition has agreed to hold a demonstration in remembrance of Boris Nemtsov following an alternate route in Moscow.  This was reported by Interfax on the 16th of February referencing one of the leaders of the People’s Freedom Party (PARNAS), Constantine Merzlikin.

    “We were not allowed to hold the rally along the route through the Great Moscow River Bridge.  They offered the traditional route along the Boulevard.  Even though we held a meeting and agreed to this, I believe that …

  • Georgia's path to NATO is through the Black Sea

    The Head of the Ministry of Defense of Georgia, Tinatin Khidasheli, will take part in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) meeting, which has already begun in Brussels.

    It was reported today that the city of Tbilisi can join the NATO-created security system of the Black Sea region.  Georgia can now also play its part in ensuring the security of the region.

    Khidasheli mentioned that with Tbilisi joining the system, it will assist in the process of strengthening the capacities of NATO …

  • Moldovan Defense Ministry: Russia is the main threat to our national security

    According to the Newsmaker news portal, the Minister of Defense of Moldova, Anatol Salaru, has said that Russia is the main threat to the security of Moldova.

    In his opinion, the strengthening of the position of Russia in Moldova would jeopardize the security of Ukraine and even Turkey.

    Salaru also believes that only NATO is capable of protecting the country from Russia.  This is why he wants Moldova to become a member of the Alliance.

    “The safety of the Republic of Moldova is a part of the …

  • EU expresses concern over violation of rights of Crimean Tatars

    The European Union expressed concern over the systematic violation of the fundamental rights and freedoms of the residents of the Russian-occupied Crimea and, in particular, the Crimean Tatars, the Press Officer of the EU Delegation to Ukraine, David Stulik, said.

    In particular, the EU strongly condemned the illegal detention of thirteen Ukrainian citizens and representatives of the Crimean Tatars by the Russian authorities in the Crimea on February 11-12, 2016 he said in an interview with the …