Section: Cyprus
Anastasiades pays official visit to Russia
Following an invitation by President Vladimir Putin last year to visit Russia, Greek Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades arrives in Moscow today on an official visit to the Russian Federation during which he will hold a series of meetings in Moscow and St Petersburg. In Moscow Anastasiades (shown with Putin in Milan last year) will have official...
Rebels say they start withdrawing weapons in east Ukraine
By Anton Zverev Pro-Russia separatists said on Tuesday they began withdrawing heavy weapons from the frontline in east Ukraine under a ceasefire deal, but the Ukrainian military, which says it won’t pull back until fighting stops, reported further shelling. Fighting has eased in eastern Ukraine in recent days after the rebels initially...
Kiev says cannot withdraw heavy weapons as attacks persist
By Pavel Polityuk and Anton Zverev Kiev accused pro-Russian rebels of opening fire with rockets and artillery at villages in southeastern Ukraine on Monday, all but burying a week-old European-brokered ceasefire deal. The Ukrainian military said it could not pull weapons from the front as required under the tenuous truce, as long as its troops...
No feel-good victory for Germany in debt clash with Greece
Germany’s 7-1 drubbing of Brazil in the soccer World Cup last summer was uncomfortable to watch, even for jubilant Germans whose cheers turned to sheepish smiles as the goals piled up. The bailout extension deal that Germany and its European partners clinched with Greece on Friday after weeks of public jousting between the countries had a...
Allies discuss new sanctions on Russia over Ukraine
By Lesley Wroughton THE United States and its allies are discussing imposing more sanctions against Russia for undermining a European-brokered truce in eastern Ukraine, US Secretary of State John Kerry said on Saturday. Kerry made the comments as he began talks with his British counterpart Philip Hammond in London, accusing Moscow of...
Ukraine calls for UN peacekeepers to observe ceasefire
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has called for U.N. peacekeepers to be deployed to monitor a ceasefire in east Ukraine, a proposal that pro-Russia rebels swiftly said would be in breach of a peace deal. At an emergency meeting late on Wednesday, Ukraine’s national security and defence council approved Poroshenko’s request, a...
Some pro-government forces start pulling out of besieged Ukrainian town
By Richard Balmforth Some pro-government forces began on Wednesday to pull out of the east Ukrainian town of Debaltseve which is under siege from Russian-backed separatists, commanders of pro-government paramilitary units said. “The withdrawal of forces from Debaltseve is taking place in a planned and organised way,” said Semen Semenchenko, who...
Separatists to battle on for east Ukraine town
Pro-Russian separatists cannot “morally” stop fighting for control of a town in east Ukraine where they have encircled government troops despite a peace deal, a senior rebel representative said on Tuesday. Denis Pushilin also told Reuters before a scheduled conference call on implementation of the agreement that the rebels could not withdraw...
Famous Russian singer, deputy ministers top new EU sanctions list
By Adrian Croft The European Union published a new list of Ukrainians and Russians targeted with sanctions for undermining Ukraine’s independence on Monday, including Russian singer Iosif Kobzon and two Russian deputy defence ministers. The EU’s latest list of 19 people and nine organisations hit with asset freezes and travel bans was...
Heavy shelling hits Ukraine town where rebels reject ceasefire
By Richard Balmforth A government-held town in east Ukraine sandwiched between two rebel-controlled areas came under heavy shelling on Monday, a day after the start of a ceasefire that Russian-backed separatists say does not apply there. A Kiev military source said four Ukrainian soldiers had been killed and 21 wounded since the internationally...
