Contents tagged with Ukraine

  • Putin: Ukraine is preparing a military operation in Donbas

    Russian President Vladimir Putin believes that Ukraine might be preparing a military operation in the Donbas.

    "The Ukrainian authorities tried twice to resolve the situation in the Donbas by force. Twice! Although I personally asked Poroshenko: just not a military operation. "Yes, yes," and he began. Result? Encirclement, losses and the Minsk agreements. Are they good or not? I believe that they [the Minsk Agreements] are the only possible ones," Putin said at a press conference.

    "[Now] They …

  • Russia begins large-scale military exercises in annexed Crimea

    Russia will hold exercises of the airborne forces in Crimea and the Krasnodar Krai, TASS reported, citing Russian Defense Ministry.

    The drills will begin on December 23 at the Opuk training ground in Crimea. The paratroopers, artillery, chemical and nuclear defense units will conduct live firing drills. The military will also practice demining a section of the terrain and providing fire support to the troops using drones and air attack weapons.

    "Military personnel will perform live firing …

  • NATO puts its European forces on high alert as Russia amasses troops on Ukrainian borders

    NATO has increased the combat readiness of its Response Force in Europe as Russia continues amassing troops near Ukrainian borders.

    Die Welt reports, citing a senior NATO representative, that a decision to put 40,000-strong NATO Response Force on high alert was made by the North Atlantic Council because of the buildup of Russian forces near the border with Ukraine.

    At the same time, the level of combat readiness of the special forces and logistics services has been increased, and the …

  • Putin threatens NATO with military response if Ukraine is accepted into Alliance

    Russia will give a military-technical response to the West if it continues its policy of aggressive behavior, said Russian President Vladimir Putin at a board meeting of the Defense Ministry.

    According to him, Moscow "has every right" to ensure its security and sovereignty amid the threat of NATO’s expanding military infrastructure, which, if deployed to Ukraine, will reduce the time the enemy missiles can reach Moscow to 7-10 minutes.

    "What is happening now, the tension that is developing in …

  • Lithuania ready to send weapons to Ukraine

    Lithuania is ready to send lethal weapons to Ukraine to support the country in the face of a large buildup of Russian troops near its borders, said Lithuanian Minister of National Defense Arvydas Anušauskas at a joint press conference with German Minister of Defense Kristin Lambrecht.

    "It is necessary to support Ukraine in every possible way, and Lithuania is ready for this, in particular, to send lethal weapons to Ukraine," the Lithuanian minister said.

    He did not specify which weapons …

  • United States promises Ukraine more weapons in the event of Russian invasion

    The US will provide Ukraine with more military equipment and weapons if Russia launches a full-scale military offensive, said US Charge d'affaires in Ukraine Christine Queen in an interview with Suspilne TV channel.

    Queen noted that military assistance will also be sent to NATO allies in Eastern Europe.

    "If Russia takes unacceptable action against Ukraine, we will also supply Ukraine with more equipment and weapons. Finally, we will ensure that our NATO allies bordering Ukraine are fully …

  • Russia demands an immediate response from USA to its request for ‘security guarantees’

    Russia demands an immediate response from Washington regarding an agreement on "security guarantees", said the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov

    According to him, the United States is trying to convert this demand "into a slow-moving process."

    "We need this urgently, because the situation is very difficult, it is acute, it’s becoming more complex," Ryabkov emphasized.

    He added that Moscow is ready to immediately begin negotiations with the United States and NATO.

    The Kremlin …

  • Lithuania and Poland vow to support Ukraine’s accession to EU and NATO

    President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, President pf Poland Andrzej Duda and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda signed a declaration in support of Ukraine's membership in the EU and NATO.

    "The common declaration enshrines clear support for Ukraine's membership in the EU and NATO and the fight against Russian aggression," said Zelensky after the summit of the Lublin Triangle in Stara Huta, Ivano-Frankivsk region.

    He added that the leaders of the Lublin Triangle coordinated steps to support …

  • Russia begins audit of Rostov court after it published verdict proving Russian military deployed in eastern Ukraine

    Russian authorities have begun an audit following the publication by the Kirovsky District Court of Rostov-on-Don of a verdict in a corruption case, which indirectly confirmed the presence of the Russian military in the Donbas. The court’s decision has been removed from its website after extensive media coverage. Although, it is still available on web archive. The press secretary of the President of Russia, Dmitry Peskov, called the court’s verdict a mistake.

    "As part of the official audit, …

  • Russia demands NATO guarantee that Ukraine will not be allowed to join the alliance

    The Russian Foreign Ministry published proposed agreements with NATO and an agreement with the United States on the so-called security guarantees which include stopping further expansion of the alliance and rejecting Ukraine's accession to NATO.

    Russia calls on NATO to provide guarantees that Ukraine and other countries of the former USSR will not join the alliance. Russia also demands that NATO stop all military activities on the territory of Ukraine and other countries of Eastern Europe, the …