Contents tagged with USA

  • Saakashvili: The US may build an airport in Odessa

    Governor of Odessa Oblast Mikheil Saakashvili said that negotiations are being held with the representatives of the U.S. Department of Aviation about the construction of a new airport in the region, TASS reports.

    "The Ministry of Finance of Ukraine has not yet allotted the money again. But at the same time we are working with the US Department of Aviation on the construction of another airport. This airport is going to be outside the city boundaries because there will be a large freight …

  • Two US reconnaissance aircraft approached the Crimea

    On September 9, two patrol aircraft from the US Navy P-8A Poseidon approached the coast of the Crimea three hours apart from each other. This was reported by Interfax, referring to websites that track the movement of military aircraft.

    They took off on Friday from the Italian airbase Sigonella, and the last of the planes is currently performing the task over the Black Sea near the Russian borders and the Crimea.

    Poseidon’s route runs through Greek and Bulgarian airspace to the area west of …

  • US and Ukraine sign agreement on military cooperation

    The Pentagon and Ukrainian Ministry of Defense signed an agreement on military cooperation, aimed at increasing the defense capability of Ukraine and the expansion of assistance provided by the United States to Kiev, the US Department of Defense reported on Thursday, September 8.

    US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter and his Ukrainian counterpart, Stepan Poltorak, signed a partnership agreement at a meeting in London, during which they also discussed the armed conflict in eastern Ukraine, the …

  • US expands sanctions against Russian companies

    The United States government has expanded the list of Russian companies that are subject to economic sanctions in connection with Moscow’s aggressive policy towards Ukraine. The new list of companies was published by the U.S. Department of Commerce, which posted it on the website of the government's Federal Register bulletin.

    This list featured 81 enterprises that were connected with the energy sector in one way or another or were involved in various projects in the annexed Crimea. The …

  • US lifts sanctions on Russian defense company to service Mi-17 helicopters in Afghanistan

    On September 6th, RIA Novosti reported that the U.S. had lifted sanctions against Rosoboronexport contracts regarding the maintenance of Mi-17 helicopters in Afghanistan. Deputy Director General of Rosoboronexport Sergey Goreslavsky said in an interview with RIA Novosti that "the decision was made for two years, but if necessary, may be extended by the Americans." Those restrictions were imposed on September 2nd last year but had been partially lifted on November 25th.

    The Director of …

  • Syrian opposition group would reject joint deal between Russia and US if it deviated from its own plan

    Syria’s main opposition group, the High Negotiations Committee, has said that it would reject any coordinated strategy by Russia and the US to bring peace to Syria if it were to deviate from the group’s proposed plan, Reuters reported, citing the committee’s general coordinator, Riyad Hijab.

    The Saudi and Western-backed High Negotiations Committee’s proposed plan includes a six-month transition period during which a new administration would be created made up of opposition figures, civil …

  • NATO's Agile Spirit 2016 military exercises begin in Georgia

    NATO’s multinational military exercises, Agile Spirit, are being held in Georgia, which includes command and staff exercises as well as field exercises. Besides the Georgian and U.S. military, this year’s Agile Spirit is also attended by representatives from Turkey, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Romania and Latvia. The goal of the exercise is to improve the interaction of the Georgian military with colleagues from the United States and partner countries, to ensure support of the security in the region and …

  • State Department: The US will never recognize Russia's annexation of Crimea

    The United States will never recognize Crimea’s accession to Russia. This was declared by the USA State Department’s Coordinator for Sanctions Policy Daniel Fried in an interview with Delfi."We have never recognized the incorporation of the Baltic countries into the Soviet Union and I am proud of it. The United States is capable of incredibly long patience. In the case of the Crimea, I can confirm that the United States will never recognize the accession. In the Budapest Memorandum, Russia had …

  • Rasmussen: A Trump victory would weaken Ukraine's position

    A victory by U.S. Republican Party candidate, Donald Trump, will weaken Ukraine’s position, as stated by an advisor to Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, ex-NATO Secretary General, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, in an interview with Apostrophe.

    "If Hillary Clinton were elected as President, I expect that she would exert pressure on Russia until it implements the Minsk Agreements. If Donald Trump is elected, I’m afraid it will weaken Ukraine’s position," Rasmussen stated.

    The advisor to the …

  • State Department: Syria talks are dragging on because Russia rejected previous agreements

    The United States did not make the progress that President Barack Obama was hoping for in the negotiations with Russia about Syria, despite, according to him, working around the clock. “This is a very difficult matter,” he told reporters on Sunday, September 4. The US State Department said that the agreement was close to a conclusion, but it was again postponed due to a number of issues about which Russia renounced previously-reached arrangements.

    “The Russians have returned to their previous …