Contents tagged with France
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Klimkin: Elections in the Donbas are a 'distant prospect'
Holding elections in the Donbas is a distanct prospect, as stated by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Pavlo Klimkin, to the Verkhovna Rada during an hour of questions to the government on Friday, October 21.
"As of today, we are very far from being able to move to the question of organizing elections since it is necessary to achieve all the required security needs. And the accomplishment of these conditions will be assessed both by us and the OSCE, in particular, by the Office for …
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Russia opens Orthodox Spiritual and Cultural Center in Paris valued at EUR 170 million
The Spiritual and Cultural Center of the Russian Orthodox Church was opened in the heart of Paris on October 19, Radio Svoboda reported. The complex is located near the Eiffel Tower. It includes the Holy Trinity Cathedral with five gilded domes, parochial center, school, cultural center, bookstore, exhibition hall and café.
According to Radio Svoboda, the Spiritual and Cultural Center of the Russian Orthodox Church, funded by the Kremlin, cost about EUR 170 million. The Spiritual and Cultural …
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Poroshenko: Russia supported creation of armed OSCE mission in the Donbas
It was decided during the Berlin meeting of the Normandy Four, which consisted of the leaders of Ukraine, Germany, France and Russia, that the so-called armed OSCE police mission will be deployed to the Donbas. The mission will ensure that the region will be prepared for the local elections that will be held there. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said this at a press conference on the 20th of October after the meeting.
“We also agreed that no one will interfere with the work of the OSCE. …
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Putin, Merkel, and Hollande to discuss Syria after Normandy format meeting
After today’s Normandy format meeting between the leaders of Russia, Germany, France, and Ukraine to discuss the situation in the Donbas, Russian President Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and French President François Hollande will discuss the war in Syria, RIA Novosti reported.
According to Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov, “Today the president [Putin] will travel to Berlin on a working meeting… of the Normandy format, which will include Putin, Hollande, Merkel, and Poroshenko… …
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Hollande questions whether a meeting with Putin would be useful
In an interview on French television, the president of France, François Hollande, stated that he asks himself a question whether it is necessary to meet with Putin in person on October 19, because he questions its usefulness.
“I’ve asked myself, ‘would it be useful? Is it necessary or it will be a pressure? Can we guarantee that we will change what he [Putin] is doing with the Syrian regime, namely, supporting Syrian air forces that are bombing civilians in Aleppo?’” Hollande stated in an …
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Poroshenko and Putin could meet in the coming weeks
France and Germany hope to gather together the Normandy Four, the President of the French Republic, François Hollande reported. Hollande stated at the General Assembly of the United Nations that France and Germany are working on holding Normandy format negotiations in the coming weeks.
“We, together with the Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel have taken the initiative to arrange a meeting with the Presidents of Russia and Ukraine in the coming weeks in order to bring the Minsk Agreements …
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Kyiv is skeptical about statements made by French and German Foreign Ministers about the Donbas
Attempts made by the German and French foreign ministers to revive the Minsk Agreements in Moscow and the Donbas have caused a sharp reaction from Ukrainian politicians and experts. The foreign ministers discussed this issue during their visit to Kiev. Ukraine does not believe that Europe has the ability to ensure a ceasefire in the Donbas. They also do not agree with the ministers’ proposal on the procedure for the fulfillment of the Minsk Agreements, Deutsche Welle reported.
Set against a …
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French and German Foreign Ministers: We do not recognize the annexation of Crimea
The German Minister of Foreign Affairs, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and the French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jean-Marc Ayrault, said that their countries do not recognize the annexation of Ukrainian Crimea by Russia.
"Concerning the second question, about the legitimacy of the elections to the State Duma in Crimea, as my colleague Ayrault said, we do not recognize and will not recognize the annexation of Crimea," Frank-Walter Steinmeier said, answering a question by a correspondent of LB.u as …
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France increases its military presence in the Black Sea
French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, during his visit to Georgia, said that a French warship will soon arrive in Batumi. According to the Minister, this is one of the symbols of French-Georgian cooperation.
"The main message of my visit is that we are planning to increase the number of ships in the Black Sea. A warship will be located in Batumi, and this fact signifies the historic partnership between our countries, imbued with trust," the Minister said at the press conference.
The …
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French Defense Minister: France will help Georgia develop an air defense system
France will help Georgia implement an air defense system, as stated by French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian during his visit to Tbilisi, Deutsche Welle reported.
Le Drian said that France will “soon make a proposal for action so that Georgia is able to develop effective means of [ensuring] its air defense, which is central to its sovereignty.”
The Minister added that in the near future, a French officer will arrive in Georgia who will oversee the implementation of new air defense …