Contents tagged with Russia

  • US senators propose ‘Azov sanctions’ bill against Russia

    On Wednesday, a group of US senators put forward a bill that envisages additional sanctions against Russia in response to “Russian interference in the operation of democratic institutes abroad” and for its aggression in Ukraine. 

    According to a statement published by the Senate’s foreign affairs committee, the document was authored by republicans Lindsey Graham and Cory Gardner and democrats Bob Menendez, Ben Cardin and Jeanne Shaheen. 

    The list of sanctions proposed by the senators has two …

  • Russia to spend as much on road to China as on education

    The Russian government intends to spend a similar amount on building a road to China as it will on education, according to official documents on 12 national projects and their costs over the next six years, finanz.ru reports. The country plans to spend 784.5 billion rubles (around $12 billion) on the national “Education” project, and 655 billion rubles ($10 billion) on the project “Europe – Western China”. 

    The Kremlin estimated its total expenditure on national projects at nearly 26 trillion …

  • Stoltenberg : NATO concerned about Russian Poseidon nuclear-powered underwater drone

    NATO is concerned about Russia’s unmanned underwater vehicle "Poseidon", said Alliance Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, answering BBC’s question about the weapon’s potential. 

    According to Stoltenberg, the drone is "another example proving that Russia has increased investment in strengthening nuclear potential." 

    The Russian Ministry of Defense showed a video of the Poseidon tests in the summer of 2018. “The main advantage of Poseidon is the invulnerability of almost one hundred percent to …

  • Kremlin promises to punish Facebook and Twitter if they do not move users' data to Russia

    By the end of February, the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media (Roskomandzor) will officially require Facebook and Twitter to localize the databases of Russian users in Russia. If Facebook and Twitter refuse to do so, they “will be punished”, Alexander Zharov, the head of Roskomandzor, told reporters. 

    As reported by Interfax, Zharov said that they would make a decision on Twitter or Facebook on February 21 and sign relevant protocols. The …

  • Ukraine will not allow Transnistrian diplomatic mission in Kyiv

    The speaker of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kateryna Zelenko, said that Kyiv will not agree to open a "diplomatic representation" of the unrecognized republic of Transnistria in Ukraine. 

    "We already have diplomatic representation, and this is a representation of Moldova," said Zelenko as quoted by LB.ua news outlet. 

    According to her, Ukraine, as a guarantor country, will continue its efforts in the Transnistrian settlement. 

    Earlier the leader of unrecognized Transnistria, Vadim …

  • Russia: joint US-Ukraine military exercises in the Black Sea 'a dangerous idea'

    Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin stated that Russia considers the joint exercises “Sea Breeze” which are held by Ukraine and the United States to be dangerous.

    “A dangerous idea. This is exactly how we will treat it. We perceive this idea as dangerous,” said Karasin as quoted by RIA Novosti.

    The Sea Breeze exercises have been held by Ukraine and the United States on the territory of Ukraine since 1997.

    On February 11th, the press service of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense  …

  • Russia believes that Iran's space program is peaceful

    Russia stated that they do not share the United States’ position that Iran is preparing delivery vehicles for weapons of mass destruction under the guise of developing space technologies.

    As the Director of the Foreign Ministry Department for Non-Proliferation and Arms Control, Vladimir Yermakov stated, there is no evidence that Tehran has taken steps to deploy weapons in space, unlike the United States.

    “We may ask a counter question about the guarantees of the exclusively peaceful nature of …

  • Stoltenberg: NATO intends to increase military presence in the Black Sea

    During a briefing with Russian media, the NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg stated that NATO intends to increase its military presence in the Black Sea in response to “Russia’s violation of international norms.”

    According to him, Moscow’s construction of a bridge over the Kerch Strait does not meet international laws since Russia’s control over Crimea was established illegally. “The unlawful detention of Ukrainian sailors [in November 2018] and seizing of ships increased our concerns …

  • OSCE spots new Russian Torn radio intelligence systems in the Donbas

    An OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) drone recorded images of the newest Russian radio intelligence system Torn in the territory of the Donbas which is not under Ukraine’s control, according to the report of the OSCE SMM in Ukraine.

    “On February 10, the short-range, unmanned aerial vehicle spotted two BMP-1 fighting vehicles and a truck mounted with the Torn radio intelligence system, all parked in a residential area in Novohryhorivka in the Donetsk region,” the report reads.

    The Torn …

  • Volker: Russia has been violating the Minsk Agreements every day for the last four years

    US Special Representative for Ukraine Kurt Volker stated on Twitter that Russia has long been violating the Minsk Agreements without cease.

    "Four years ago, Russia signed the Minsk Package of Measures with the first point being a February 14 ceasefire. About a week later Russia and its proxy forces seized Debaltseve,” Volker said. "In the four years since, Russia has continued to violate the Minsk Agreements every day.”

    On February 12, 2015, because of negotiations in Minsk, participants of …