Section: Daily News & Analysis (India)
Russia’s Gazprom says can exempt rebel-held areas from Ukraine gas contract
Kremlin-controlled Gazprom said on Thursday it would exempt gas supplies to rebel-held regions from its main contract with Ukrainian Naftogaz, days before Kiev uses up gas volumes it has already paid for. The dispute flared up last week when Gazprom said it started direct gas supplies to the regions of eastern Ukraine held by pro-Moscow rebels....
Viber rolls out Viber Games worldwide
Viber, a leading OTT mobile communications platform, offering free messaging and video calls, launched Viber Games today, a major expansion to the app. Viber has partnered with game developers Storm8 and Playtika to bring unique gaming experiences to the platform, featuring Viber characters and exclusive content. Initially released in Belarus,...
John Kerry suggests Russia sanctions decision could come soon
US Secretary of State John Kerry said on Wednesday additional sanctions against Russia are “teed up” should events in eastern Ukraine warrant them, and he suggested a decision may come soon. US leaders will look at whether the Minsk ceasefire plan was being implemented or if there was “some other effort that may be taking place...
Ceasefire takes hold in Ukraine; US angry at Russia’s ‘lies’
A UN-backed ceasefire showed signs of taking hold in Ukraine on Wednesday, but tensions remained high after the US accused Russia of “lies” and Britain ordered a small troop deployment to train Kiev’s forces. Russia in turn has warned it could within days cut off gas supplies to Ukraine — and, by extension, to parts of the...
Kiev says no troops killed at front for first time in weeks
Ukraine’s military said on Wednesday none of its troops had been killed at the front in the last 24 hours and only one had been wounded, with a spokesman describing it as the first day with no fatalities in “at least several weeks”. A ceasefire came into effect on February 15 but last week saw heavy fighting with separatist...
Ukraine central bank defends currency trading ban
Ukraine’s central bank defended its decision on Wednesday to ban most foreign currency trading for the rest of the week, after sharp criticism of the move by Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk. The bank’s website updated the announcement of the move to add a justification, saying the decision was taken to “maintain the stability of...
Pipeline politics: New gas route revives Russian rivalry with West
Thwarted in one attempt to build a gas pipeline to southeast Europe, the Kremlin is working with a small circle of allies to lay the groundwork for an alternative that would help it maintain leverage in its rivalry with the West. Russia last year aborted South Stream, a $40 billion pipeline that was to have passed under the Black Sea and via...
Russia says many in Kiev want Ukraine peace deal to fail
Russia is concerned that many people in Kiev and outside Ukraine want a peace deal in the east of the country to fail, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday. Lavrov also called for the OSCE security watchdog to observe the withdrawal of heavy weapons in eastern Ukraine under the February 12 peace deal agreed in the Belarussian capital...
France, Germany, Russia, Ukraine renew ceasefire calls
The foreign ministers of Ukraine, Russia, France and Germany agreed on Tuesday to seek a reinforcement of the OSCE monitoring mission in Ukraine and renewed calls for an oft-breached ceasefire agreement to be respected. The conclusions of the some three-hour meeting in Paris were read out by French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius. Earlier, his...
Labour councilor claims Putin’s Ukraine actions dictated by ‘reptile aliens’
A Russian councilor has claimed that President Vladimir Putin is controlled by ‘reptile aliens’ who have also been advising him on the ongoing Ukraine conflict. According to Daily Star, Simon Parkes, the Labour councillor, who represents Whitby in North Yorkshire, believes the reptiles, named the “The Nordics”, are said to...
