• Belarus to purchase oil from Iran

    A subsidiary of "Belorusneft" has signed a contract with the Iranian NIOC (National Iranian Oil Company), as reported on the latter’s website. Additionally, talks are ongoing about a deal with Polish Beloil Polska on the supply of 600,000 barrels of oil. This will be the first purchase of Iranian oil by Minsk after the lifting of sanctions against Tehran last year.

    The oil is expected to be delivered to Odessa, Ukraine or Ventspils, Latvia, where it will then travel to Belarus by rail. …

  • Estonian President calls for maintaining sanctions on Russia

    Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid expressed support for the continuation of sanctions against Russia at a meeting of the heads of the Baltic States with US Vice President Mike Pence on Saturday in Munich.

    “I emphasized that by attacking Ukraine, Russia has violated the principles of international law. Russia has no "special" right in Ukraine and shouldn't also have any special interests. Therefore, it is important for countries that think as we do to stand collectively for the continued …

  • German Foreign Minister: Normandy Four format will not expand

    The “Normandy Four” format will not grow to accomodate the US, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel announced at the Munich Security Conference.

    According to him, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has agreed to maintain close contact with the “Four”, although there was no talk of expanding the format.

    The participants of the meeting – Ukraine, Russia, France and Germany – also came to the conclusion that implementation of the Minsk Agreements is the only way out of the conflict in the …

  • Media: Russia aims to discredit German soldiers in Lithuania using fake news

    Bundeswehr soldiers in Lithuania have become the victims of information attacks that involve fake news aiming to discredit the German military.

    An official representative of the Ministry of Defense of Germany confirmed this information, Deutsche Welle reported.

    A German Defense Ministry spokesman told the publication Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung that on February 14, Speaker of the Lithuanian Parliament Viktoras Pranckietis received an anonymous letter by email that accused German soldiers …

  • European Commision allows Lithuanian ban of Russian TV channel for inciting hatred

    Lithuania’s decision to suspend broadcasting rights of Russian TV channel RTR-Planeta complies with EU legislation, a report on the European Commission’s website said.

    In December 2016, Lithuanian authorities notified the European Commission that Russian language TV channel RTR-Planeta, broadcasting to Lithuanian from Sweden, was disseminating material inciting hatred. Thus, Lithuanian authorities blocked the broadcasting of the channel for three months.

    "Statements made in several RTR- …