Contents tagged with Ukraine
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Yanukovych says asset seizure is an attempt to divert attention from Kiev's failures
Former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych commented on the special assets forfeiture bill that was adopted by the Verkhovna Rada, which will allow his assets to be taken away.
"Talks about 'mythical billions' of Yanukovych are nothing more than an attempt of the current political 'losers' to divert attention of the Ukrainians from the fact that they have led the country to a political and economic collapse," he said in an interview with Reuters.
Yanukovych assured that his assets in …
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Human rights activists tell the UN of Russian-Crimean casualties in Syria
At a meeting on the annexation of Crimea at the United Nations Security Council, human rights activists reported that several Crimeans who had served in the Russian army had been killed in Syria.
This was said by the Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the United Nations, Vladimir Elchenko, during a press conference in New York after the UN meeting, Ukrinform reports.
"Some of the sources during today's Arria-formula meeting and human rights experts reported on the recent return of a …
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Russian Embassy in Ottawa vows 'retaliation' after Canada extended sanctions
Canada's decision to expand the anti-Russian sanctions will have a negative impact on the relations between the two countries. This was reported by the press service of the Russian Embassy in Canada.
"The decision of the Government of Canada to extend the existing anti-Russian sanctions deserves condemnation and is contrary to its stated intentions to change the policy and restore communication internationally. Instead of making a change to an unsuccessful policy, a repetition of …
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Crimean Tatar leader: Putin visited Crimea to 'reassure' the people
The head of the Central Election Commission of the Crimean Tatars, Zahir Semdlyaev, believes that the purpose of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to the Crimea on March 18th was to “soothe the Crimean people who live in poor socio-economic conditions.”
"He arrived to promise, to reassure local residents a little, to say that we must still be patient for about another hundred years, and then everything will be fine for sure. But in any case, they [the officials] are fine now, and about …
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Ukrainian Energy Minister: Our gas reserves will last for 50 years
Ukraine has gas reserves of 1 trillion cubic meters that could last for 50 years if sustainable production is maintained, according to the Ukrainian Minister of Energy and Coal Industry, Vladimir Demchyshyn, as quoted by Ukrinform.
"Our reserves are 1 trillion cubic meters. We extract 20 billion. We have enough gas for at least 50 years," he said. By Demchyshyn’s estimate, Ukraine lagged in developing Ukrainian gas extraction in the last 20 years.
"We buy at least 15 billion cubic meters of …
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NATO Secretary General insists on maintaining sanctions against Russia
As reported by Reuters, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg urged the US and EU not to lift sanctions until Moscow has fulfilled its obligations related to the settlement of the conflict.
"We have seen their actions, we have seen the economic sanctions by the US and EU and, I believe, it is important for us that the sanctions remain in effect," Stoltenberg said at a conference of the German Marshal Fund on March 18 in Brussels.
The Foreign Ministers of the EU are trying to preserve the …
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Poroshenko: Ukraine is pursuing the 'Geneva Plus' format for the de-occupation of Crimea
Ukraine is holding negotiations in the Geneva Plus format for the de-occupation of Crimea with the international community involving participation from the EU, US and signatories from the Budapest Memorandum using the 'Geneva Plus' format.
As the President of Ukraine stated on March 18 on his Facebook page, "over the last two years, there have been mass arrests and repressions in Crimea. The rights of the Crimean Tatars are cynically violated. The behavior of Crimean occupants is becoming more …
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Separatist leader: Elections in the Donbas in accordance with Ukrainian legislation are impossible
The leader of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), Alexander Zakharchenko, reported on Friday on the separatists' website that it is impossible to hold elections under Ukrainian law on the territory of the Donbass region.
"We have insisted and continue to insist that the elections in the Republic should be held according to the international standards of the OSCE. Such international standards suit us and Europe as well as all the world community, which completely fits the …
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UN finds a large number of foreign citizens fighting on the side of pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine
A large number of foreigners have been in the armed conflict in eastern Ukraine for various reasons and with different motives. Human rights expert Patricia Arias, a member of the UN Working Group on the Use of Mercenaries said at a briefing in Kiev that the representatives of the organization came to that conclusion as a result of their visit to Ukraine, as reported by Ukrinform.
"Motivation for taking part in the armed conflict in Ukraine is diverse. The Working Group received information …
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UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: The situation in Crimea remains critical
During a UN Security Council meeting regarding compliance with human rights in the Crimea, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid al-Hussein mentioned that the situation in the Crimea remains critical and requires constant monitoring by the international community, as stated by the press service of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry.
The restriction of civil and political rights of Crimean residents, the lack of freedom of expression, and the atmosphere of intolerance are of particular concern …