• EU extends sanctions against Russia

    The European Union has extended sanctions against Russia because of the annexation of the Crimea in 2014 for another 6 months. This was reported by Radio Liberty correspondent in Brussels Rikard Jozwiak on Twitter on Wednesday, September 7th. This decision affects 146 people and 37 legal entities from Russia, Ukraine, and the occupied Crimea.

    According to the correspondent of 112 Ukraine TV channel in Brussels, this decision should be published before September 15th, when the term of the …

  • Stoltenberg: Russia is the reason for stationing NATO troops in the Baltics and Poland

    The presence of NATO battalions in the Baltic States and Poland is associated with the military ambitions of Russia, the secretary general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Jens Stoltenberg, said.

    “The reason for placing the four battalions of NATO in the Baltic States and Poland is that we saw the military ambitions of Russia and its desire to use force against its neighbors,” Stoltenberg said on Wednesday, August 7, 2016, speaking during the International Conference “Europe’s …

  • Russian budget estimated to sink to 20-year low by 2019

    The revenues of the Federal Budget of the Russian Federation will drop to a 20-year low in 2019. On Monday, September 5, 2016 the Russian daily Vedomosti made the announcement, quoting the forecast of the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation, which projected that revenues will be reduced to 13.3% of the Gross Domestic Product for three years. The last time the actual figure was below forecast was in 1999.

    The Ministry predicted these results on the basis of oil priced at 4 …

  • PACE President isn't satisfied with relationship with Russian Duma

    The President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Pedro Agramunt, who arrived in Moscow on an official visit, noted the poor state of relations between PACE and the Russian State Duma.

    “The fact that the Russian Parliament decided not to appoint a delegation for the session of the Assembly and the fact that the voice of the MPs from one of our member states is no longer present in PACE is an exceptional situation,” RIA Novosti quoted the president of PACE on …

  • 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 …