Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that the Ukrainian sailors captured near the Kerch Strait won’t be released until they receive a court sentence.

“There will be a trial after the investigation. As soon as it is over, we can talk about how to facilitate their fate or agree on some specific steps. But this will be done after the trial is completed,” Lavrov said, as quoted by TASS.

The Russian minister repeated that the Ukrainian servicemen are accused of illegal invasion of …

Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl rescheduled her visit to Russia. She explained that due to the scandal related to alleged espionage involving Russia, the visit was rescheduled to a later time.

“Yes, it has been rescheduled. We intend to get the “Sochi dialogue” started but due to this case with espionage I have rescheduled the visit,” RIA Novosti cites Kneissl as saying. She did not specify a new date for the visit.

Earlier, a former Colonel of the Armed Forces was detained in Austria  …

The Security Information Service of the Czech Republic, also called Bezpečnostní Informační Služba or BIS, announced that in the last five years they have exposed dozens of Russian and Chinese spies. BIS Director Michal Koudelka said that BIS have also uncovered  an entire espionage network belonging to Russian Special Services.

“We had an extremely successful period of cooperation with Czech security forces and foreign partners,” he stated. According to the Director of the Czech Security …

President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko commented on the public discussion with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the gas prices which took place on Thursday, December 6, at the summit of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) in St. Petersburg. Speaking on the Russia TV channel, the President of Belarus admitted that he had to apologize to Putin.

"I spoke in a bad tone, so I had to apologize to the host of today's meeting. The discussion was very heated. You'd better not listen to it," …

The Prime Minister of Greece, Alexis Tsipras stated in an interview with TASS news agency that Greece hopes that Russia will make strategic investments in its economy, including infrastructure, ports and energy.

According to him, he plans to request these large investments during an official visit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, on December 7th.

The Greek economy, with a debt exceeding 150% of the GDP “has good opportunities of a strategic nature,” stressed Tsipras.

Tsipras …

Ukrainian Minister of Defense Stepan Poltorak stated in an interview with Priamyi TV that the Ukrainian government signed contracts with international partners for the supply of weapons, equipment and machinery.

“Martial law gives us the opportunity to develop ways of cooperation with our partners. We have consent that the contracts for the delivery of weapons and equipment will be signed in the near future,” said Poltorak.

He also said that several NATO ministers of defense will visit …

The Hungarian consulate in Ukraine has stopped and will not resume the practice of issuing Hungarian citizenship to Ukrainian citizens inside its consulates in Zakarpattia and in Kyiv,said  Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin in response to a question he was asked in Milan about the outcome of the negotiations with Hungary.

Last week in Kyiv, Ukraine and Hungary held consular consultations, and their foreign ministers met in Milan on December 6. Klimkin confirmed that at these meetings, …

The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine voted for the termination of the Friendship Treaty with Russia. The draft law that was submitted to Parliament by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko was supported by 277 deputies while 20 opposed. The treaty will be terminated on April 1, 2019, not immediately, according to the terms set for unilateral withdrawal from the treaty.

Poroshenko stressed earlier that the matter was not about the termination of the agreement but that Kyiv refuses to extend it. …