Section: Cyprus
Russia drops South Stream pipeline, Putin blames Europe
By Darya Korsunskaya RUSSIA’S Gazprom on Monday cancelled a project to construct the South Stream pipeline to supply gas to southern Europe – an apparent casualty of the dispute between Moscow and the West over Ukraine. The announcement was made after Russian President Vladimir Putin said during a state visit to Turkey earlier in the day...
Putin and Erdogan meet to enhance trade links
Turkish President Erdogan and Russian President Putin, along with a number of ministers will meet today to discuss ways to further enhance economic and energy cooperation, as well as to increase trade volume despite their disagreements over issues such as Syria, Ukraine and Cyprus, ‘Hurriyet’ reports. The Turkey-Russia High-Level...
Cyprus solution looking unrealistic
An article published in the ‘Economist’ online points to EU hypocrisy regarding the “frozen conflict” between Russia and Georgia, Modova and recently the Ukraine. However, much less is said about Cyprus which has been in conflict for over 50 years. It is unsurprising that onlookers are sceptical about a solution to the Cyprus problem given...
Saudis block OPEC output cut, sending oil price plunging
By Alex Lawler, David Sheppard and Rania El Gamal Saudi Arabia blocked calls on Thursday from poorer members of the OPEC oil exporter group for production cuts to arrest a slide in global prices, sending benchmark crude plunging to a fresh four-year low. Brent oil fell more than $6 to $71.25 a barrel after OPEC ministers meeting in Vienna left...
Ukraine cock-up
By Gwynne Dyer THIS is what former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, subsequently driven from office by mass protests in Kiev, said to German Chancellor Angela Merkel just one year ago, at the start of the crisis. It was recorded by a Lithuanian television crew, eavesdropping on the conversation with a directional mike, at the European Union...
US Biden voices support for Ukraine, denounces Russia’s Putin
By Alessandra Prentice US Vice President Joe Biden on Friday condemned Russia’s behaviour in Ukraine as “unacceptable” and urged Moscow to abide by a September peace deal and pull military forces out of the country. Addressing himself rhetorically to Russian President Vladimir Putin after holding talks with Ukrainian President Petro...
The fall of the would-be emperor
By Alon Ben-Meir President Erdogan has recently come under intense criticism for his unwillingness to come to the aid of the beleaguered Syrian Kurds in the city of Kobani just across the Turkish border. Sadly, Erdogan’s behavior is not surprising as he has always pursued policies consistent with the image of himself as a great leader and...
Ukraine peace outlook is bleak – OSCE official
By Michael Shields Prospects for peace in eastern Ukraine are “bleak”, underscoring the need to uphold a shaky ceasefire between government forces and pro-Russian separatist rebels, a senior official from the OSCE security watchdog said on Thursday Swiss diplomat Heidi Tagliavini, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s...
Five more Ukrainian soldiers killed, German foreign minister visits Kiev
By Alessandra Prentice and Richard Balmforth Five Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in the conflict in eastern Ukraine in the past 24 hours, the military said on Tuesday, as Germany’s foreign minister prepared to hold talks on the crisis in both Kiev and Moscow. The trip by Frank-Walter Steinmeier will be one of the first visits by a...
Obama toughens line on Putin over Ukraine at G20 summit
U.S. President Barack Obama said on Sunday that Russia would remain isolated by the international community if President Vladimir Putin continued to violate international law in Ukraine, some of his toughest remarks yet on the crisis. Putin has come under intense pressure from other leaders at this weekend’s G20 summit in Brisbane over his...
