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Obama: Ukraine is slipping away from Russia's orbit
During his eighth and final State of the Union Address, US President Barack Obama made two brief mentions of Ukraine, a topic that had been an integral part of his foreign policy assessment during his annual address last year.
One comment addressed the ailing Russian economy and the Kremlin's inisistence on providing military aid to separatists in eastern Ukraine and President Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria.
"Even as their economy contracts, Russia is pouring resources to prop up Ukraine …
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Russian Government Considering 10 Percent Budget Cut
The Russian Federation plans to start the year by again making budget amendments including a 10 percent spending cut due to the sharp decline in oil prices and the economic recession, Reuters reported. According to their sources, after a meeting with the Russian Prime Minister, Dmitry Medvedev, it was decided to adjust approved spending to 90% of the previously approved amount. "We have the minutes from the meeting. According to it, government offices are required to create new budget …
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OSCE Observers Recorded Thirty-two Tanks in Occupied Donbas Region
On the 9th of January, observers of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM)to Ukraine recorded 32 tanks (T-72 and T-64) in the temporarily occupied territories which are under the control of the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR). The tanks were seen in Ternov, 57 km east of Donetsk, the report says.
The report notes that observers also found a T-64 tank the next day on the 10th of January in the territory that is controlled by the so-called Luhansk People’s Republic (LPR), in Uspensk, …
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Construction of the South Stream Pipeline Postponed
The construction of the South Stream Pipeline remains suspended, as reported by Bulgarian National Radio based on Russian sources. Earlier the Standard, a Bulgarian newspaper, stated that the construction of the South Stream Pipeline may resume in the next few weeks. They reported that their sources stated that the delay is due to the deterioration of Russian-Turkish relations and the refusal of the Turkish Stream project which was discussed as an alternative to the South Stream.
On Monday, a …
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Russia to Stop Exporting Electricity to Ukraine
Russia decided not to renew contract negotiations on the supply of electricity from Russia to Ukraine after its refusal to buy Ukrainian electricity for Crimea. According to the newspaper Kommersant, “Russia will stop commercial energy supplies to Ukraine. The contract will not be renewed in its last year.”
The Russian Federation’s Ministry of Energy stated that “Russia does not negotiate about the supply of electricity from Russia to Ukraine. We will not renew the present agreement, as …