• Poland appeals the decision of the European Commission to expand Gazprom's access to the Opal pipeline

    Poland has appealed to the European Court of Justice over a European Commission decision to expand Gazprom's access to the Opal pipeline. This was stated by the Polish Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Joanna Wajda, Gazeta Prawna reported.

    According to her, the decision of the EC leads to a concentration of supplies in a single source, which is contrary to the principle of diversification.

    "According to Poland, this situation threatens the security of gas supplies to the EU, and particularly in …

  • Stoltenberg: Sanctions against Russia are a response to the seizure of foreign territories

    A country that has violated international law and encroached on someone else's territory must pay for it, as stated by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg during an interview with the German newspaper “Bild.” Stoltenberg was commenting on the EU leadership’s approval of the extension of the sanctions regime against the Russian Federation.

    "Economic sanctions send a clear signal to Russia that the violation of international law and changing of borders by using military force entail a high …

  • Media: Female employees of state institutions in Chechnya are forced to wear hijabs at work

    Women working in public institutions in Russia’s Republic of Chechnya are now required to work in headwear that completely covers the hair and forehead, however, this order was only given verbally, Kavkaz Uzel news portal reports.

    "Now you need to wear a hijab to work, it is mandatory to wear a headband and a big scarf, so that the hair could not be seen. In the past it was only required to wear just shawls and head scarves, but now the hijab is required. This applies to all women working in …

  • Russian Energy Minister: No more Russian-Ukrainian-EU format gas talks planned until the end of the year

    There will be no trilateral gas talks in the Ukraine- Russia- EU format for the supply and transit of Russian gas until the end of the year.

    This was announced on Saturday by the Minister of Energy of the Russian Federation, Alexander Novak, as Interfax reports.

    The resumption of Russian gas supplies to Ukraine, which stopped in the fall of 2015, now depends only on Naftogaz’s prepayment.

    "If the money is paid, the supply will resume. We have no dispute over the price, they have no debt. No …

  • Russian agency proposes maintaining strict record of Ukrainians in the Crimea

    The Russian Federal Agency for Nationalities Affairs has offered to maintain strict records of individuals who enter the territory of the Crimea from mainland Ukraine, as stated by the Deputy Head of the Monitoring, Analysis and Forecast Department of the FANF, Andrey Komissarov, TASS reports.

    Komissarov believes an immigration regime in the Crimea should be established "taking into account its strategically important location and the conflict between neighboring Ukraine.”

    "Just on December 13 …