Section: Cyprus
Russia puzzled at Norway’s decision to allow stationing of US troops in 2017
Russia is puzzled at the decision by its neighbour Norway to allow US troops to be stationed on its soil from next year, a Russian embassy official said on Tuesday. Oslo said on Monday it would allow some 330 US Marines to be billeted temporarily at the Vaernes military base in central Norway from January, the first foreign troops allowed to be...
Europe’s mood hardens on Russia sanctions despite pause in Aleppo bombings
European Union leaders condemned Russia on Thursday for its bombing of civilians in Syria’s besieged city of Aleppo and Britain, France and Germany backed a push to consider sanctions against Moscow if the atrocities continue. Arriving in Brussels after late-night talks on Wednesday in Berlin with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, French...
Hollande to push ceasefire extension at Syria talks with Putin, Merkel
French President Francois Hollande said on Wednesday he would do everything possible to try to extend a ceasefire in eastern Aleppo when he discusses Syria with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin this evening. “As we speak bombings are still taking place. It’s true a truce was announced and it’s...
Finland sees propaganda attack from former master Russia
Finland is becoming increasingly worried about what it sees as Russian propaganda against it, including Russian questioning about the legality of its 1917 independence. The country shares a 1,340km border and a difficult and bloody history with Russia, of which it was once a part. Moscow’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and sabre-rattling in...
Leaders of France, Germany, Ukraine and Russia to meet on Ukraine conflict
The leaders of Germany, France, Russia and Ukraine will meet in Berlin on Wednesday to discuss the stalled Minsk peace plan to end the conflict in eastern Ukraine, but officials quickly dampened expectation of any breakthrough. French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said the meeting would aim to establish a timetable for elections in the...
Kremlin-backed broadcaster RT says loses UK banking services
State-funded Russian broadcaster RT complained on Monday that NatWest had withdrawn its banking services in Britain without explanation, questioning how the move squared with the right to freedom of speech. RT published NatWest’s letter on its web site, saying that the bank, which is part of the Royal Bank of Scotland Group, had reached the...
Prominent Russian separatist commander killed in eastern Ukraine
A prominent Russian separatist commander was assassinated in eastern Ukraine on Sunday evening, his allies said on Monday, accusing Ukrainian government forces of murdering him to try to destabilise an already fragile ceasefire. Arseny Pavlov, a Russian national who went by the nom de guerre “Motorola”, was blown up in the lift of his apartment...
Britain, France seek EU condemnation of Russia over Syria
Britain and France sought to persuade the European Union on Monday to condemn Russia’s devastating air campaign in Syria and pave the way for imposing more sanctions on President Bashar al-Assad’s government. After a weekend of US-led diplomacy that failed to find a breakthrough, EU foreign ministers met in Luxembourg to call for an...
Revived Turkey-Russia relations boosts TRNC citrus fruit sales
The improved relations between Turkey and Russia is expected to enhance exports of citrus fruits from the TRNC. Turkish Cypriot citrus fruit producers appear optimistic about the production of citrus fruits in 2017, after steps taken by Russia to normalise relations with Turkey by lifting its ban on importing Turkish produce. According to Turkish...
Putin rejects accusations of meddling in US election
Even as WikiLeaks released another trove of internal documents from Hillary Clinton’s campaign on Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin insisted his country was not involved in an effort to influence the US presidential election. Last week, the U.S. government formally accused Russia of launching a hacking campaign to “interfere with...
