Section: Cyprus
Putin says Russia economy will be cured but offers no remedy
By Timothy Heritage and Alexei Anishchuk President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday Russia’s economy would inevitably rebound after the rouble’s dramatic slide this year but offered no remedy to a deepening financial crisis. Under pressure to show he has a plan to fix the economy, Putin told an end-of-year news conference the actions...
Russia carried out snap military drills in Kaliningrad region
By Thomas Grove President Vladimir Putin ordered snap military drills in Russia’s westernmost Kaliningrad region earlier this month, the Defence Ministry said on Tuesday. The drills, which mobilised 9,000 soldiers and more than 55 naval ships, were carried out to test the military’s combat readiness in Kaliningrad, an exclave that...
Ukraine is an outpost of the European Union
Borys Humeniuk WHEN in 1991 Ukraine gained independence, we were very glad and proud to have been able to break up with Russia in a civilised way and remaining friends. But, it turned out that our war has just been late for 23 years. The Kremlin could not imagine realisation of its provocative ambitions of restoring the Russian empire without...
EU considers tightening ban on energy, tourism in Crimea
By Robin Emmott The European Union is considering widening its ban on investment in Crimea to include barring the sale of technology for oil and gas exploration and stopping EU firms running tourist businesses there, according to a draft document seen by Reuters. The proposals, being worked on by EU officials, would also ban EU citizens from...
Ukraine’s military says suspends combat operations on ‘Day of Silence’
Ukrainian government forces said they had suspended combat operations as a “Day of Silence” began in the war-torn east on Tuesday, marking an effective ceasefire on the front line of the conflict with separatist rebels. In the city of Donetsk, the separatists main stronghold, a Reuters correspondent said firing was heard up to 9 am but later...
Putin says foes hope to dismember Russia; rouble falls as he speaks
By Timothy Heritage and Alexei Anishchuk President Vladimir Putin accused Russia’s enemies on Thursday of seeking to carve it up and destroy its economy to punish it for growing strong, in an annual state of the union speech that seemed to outdo even his own recent strident nationalism. The Kremlin leader trumpeted his annexation of...
Ukraine energy minister says “no threat” from accident at nuclear plant
Ukraine’s energy authorities said on Wednesday that an accident at a nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhya in the south-east of the country posed no danger and the plant would return to normal operations on December 5. “There is no threat … there are no problems with the reactors,” Energy Minister Volodymyr Demchyshyn, who took up his post in...
EU, US present Russia with united sanctions, energy front – draft
By Barbara Lewis US and EU leaders will on Wednesday pledge to work together on sanctions and on strengthening the energy security of Europe and Ukraine, as they seek to present a united front to Russia, a draft document said. US Secretary of State John Kerry and Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz are in Brussels for talks after a year in which the...
US says to discuss possible new Russia sanctions with Europe
By Lesley Wroughton US Secretary of State John Kerry will talk to European allies this week about imposing further sanctions on Russia if pro-Moscow separatists in Ukraine do not halt violence, a senior State Department official said on Tuesday. The United States and the 28-nation European Union have both imposed sanctions on Russia’s...
Turkey strikes gas deal with Russia
Russia will reduce the cost of gas it supplies to Turkey by 6% beginning next year, President Vladimir Putin has said. Turkish daily ‘Zaman’ reports that Turkey would be buying an additional 3 billion cubic meters of gas from Russia. Last year, 13.7 bcm of gas was pumped to Turkey via Blue Stream. Addressing a joint press conference with...
