On December 14, President of France Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel updated the EU council on the current state of implementation of the Minsk agreements, to which the sanctions are linked. Due to the lack of progress, the European Council made a political proposal to extend the economic sanctions.

Restrictions concern the financial, energy and defense sectors, as well as dual-use goods. These measures were initially introduced on July 31, 2014 for one year in response to …

On Friday, December 21st, Krym.Realii reported that Italian company Bertolaso confirmed the delivery of industrial equipment for the new plant of the agricultural company Zolotaya Balka in the annexed Crimea.

A representative for the commercial department of Bertaloso, Luca Karassi said that two months ago the company delivered a machine to wash, fill, and seal bottles, which was intended for a plant in Sevastopol.

“The contract was signed with Russia, the agricultural company Zolotaya Balka- …

After a meeting with British Secretary of State for Defense Gavin Williamson, in Odessa on Friday, December 21st, the Ukrainian Minister of Defense Stepan Poltorak stated that in January, a group of servicemen from the British Navy will arrive in Ukraine to determine the necessary assistance to the Ukrainian military.

“Already in January, a group of British naval forces will arrive in Ukraine to organize interaction, plan joint exercises, as well as determine the necessary material and …

Russia expelled the press attache at the Swedish embassy after Stockholm refused to issue visas to two Russian diplomats, reported Expressen, as well as the Russian media.

The Swedish Foreign Ministry confirmed the information about the expulsion of the Swedish employee in the embassy in Moscow. The Swedish Ministry regrets the decision of Russia.

The Department of Information and Press of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs refused to comment on the matter.

The position of press attache …

“In response to Russia’s dangerous escalation and unjustified November 25 attack on three Ukrainian naval vessels near the Kerch Strait, the Department of State, subject to Congressional approval, will provide an additional $10 million in Foreign Military Financing to further build Ukraine’s naval capabilities,” the State Department said in a press release. In addition, Robert Palladino, Deputy Head of the State Department's press service, repeated the statement on his official Twitter page. At …

Despite the political decision to terminate the Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation and Partnership with Russia, Ukraine has extended until 2025 its contract for nuclear fuel supplies to most Ukrainian nuclear power plants, reported Zerkalo Nedeli.

The newspaper reports, that “the extension of the contract, and also some other actions of the Ukrainian government regarding nuclear energy in the past six months… can strengthen, if not perpetuate, the domination of the aggressor-country in this …

According to lawyer Sergey Badamshin, 15 of the 24 captured Ukrainian sailors being held in a Moscow jail have identified themselves as prisoners of war and demanded that they be treated as such in accordance with the provisions of the Geneva Convention. 

Badamshin added that the Crimean court hearing their case has been deliberating for two days now on the Ukrainian military’s appeal against illegal arrests. “The ‘Court’ rejects all complaints. But we must understand that the ‘court’ shows no …

Ukrainian Defense Minister Stepan Poltorak ordered to prepare the required documentation for the construction of a new naval base in the Sea of Azov. "I have instructed the Naval Commander to send estimates for the construction of a naval base in the Sea of Azov. We definitely should strengthen our presence there. We should respond to the threats in the Sea of Azov,” the Defense Minister said on the Ukrainian TV.

At the meeting of the Trilateral Contact Group in Minsk, Ukraine proposed to …