• Obama and Merkel: Sanctions against Russia should stay in force until the Minsk Agreements are fully implemented by Moscow

    US President Barack Obama said that he and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have a common stance on sanctions against Russia because of its policy with regard to Ukraine: sanctions can only be lifted if Moscow fulfills the conditions of the Minsk Agreements. Obama said this on April 24th at a press conference in Hannover, after a meeting with Merkel as part of his 6-day trip abroad."Sanctions against Russia can and should be lifted only if Russia fulfills its commitments within the framework of …

  • US sends fifth generation fighter to Romania for Black Sea exercises

    The US Air Force has sent F-22 Raptors from the UK to Romania to participate in exercises in the Black Sea region, Reuters reported.

    Two of the 5th generation stealth fighters and one KC-135 tanker were sent to the Mihail Kogălniceanu Airbase in Romania in order to participate in exercises to support the eastern NATO member states.

    Earlier, the US European Command (EUCOM) reported that the US Air Force had transferred the F-22s to the UK for exercises.

    The US first deployed the multi-purpose …

  • Media: The US expects Germany to take a leading role in strengthening NATO’s eastern border

    The German newspaper Der Spiegel reported that the US expects greater participation from Germany in deterring Russian aggression in Europe. Washington insists that the Bundeswehr actively participate in the planned deployment of rotating NATO units on the eastern borders of the Alliance.

    The US expects Germany and the UK to deploy soldiers and military equipment to the Baltic States, Poland, and Romania, US President Barack Obama reportedly told the US National Security Council.

    Obama plans …

  • Kerry: US proposes creating two separate zones of operations in Syria with Russia

    In an interview with the New York Times, US Secretary of State John Kerry said that it is important to establish two zones of “eligible military operations” in Syria to fight against terrorists and to monitor the implementation of the ceasefire.

    Kerry noted that the US is most concerned about the situation in the north of Syria where Kurds, moderate opposition forces, Syrian government forces, the al-Nusra Front, and the so-called Islamic State are all active.

    According to Kerry, military …

  • NATO is ready to strenghen its support for Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova

    The Deputy Secretary General of NATO, Alexander Vershbow, stated in an interview with BGNES that the Alliance is ready to strengthen its support for Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova.

    "It is essential to strengthen our work of stabilizing the neighboring region by strengthening the support of such countries in the east as Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova, which are under pressure from Russia and need help to improve their security and sovereignty," Vershbow stated.

    The Deputy Secretary General also …