Section: Daily News & Analysis (India)
Russia strongly reacts to EU’s interference in India-Russia matters
Russia reacted sharply to EU’s comments on Thursday that India should “persuade” Moscow over events in Ukraine, saying it is “sly distortion” of the core reasons which led to the intra-Ukrainian conflict and alleged that with tacit support of the US and EU a violent coup took place in Kiev in February 2014....
Fighting rages despite bid to revive Ukraine truce after government defeat
Fighting raged in eastern Ukraine on Thursday despite European efforts to resurrect a still-born ceasefire, a day after pro-Russian separatists who spurned the truce forced thousands of government troops out of a strategic town. Western nations have refused to give up on a peace deal negotiated last week even though rebels disavowed it to seize...
Ukraine’s Poroshenko says seizure of Debaltseve contrary to Minsk deal
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, speaking by telephone on Thursday with Russia’s Vladimir Putin and the leaders of Germany and France, said the rebel seizure of the town of Debaltseve had been contrary to the ceasefire agreement they reached last week. His website said Poroshenko told them “not to pretend that what happened in...
Britain says scrambles fighter jets to escort Russian bombers
Britain said on Thursday it had scrambled Typhoon fighter jets to see two Russian long-range Bear bombers off the south coast of England the previous day, the second such incident in as many months. Britain summoned the Russian ambassador in January to explain a similar episode, when Russian bombers flew over the English Channel, forcing British...
Ukraine calls for UN peacekeepers to observe ceasefire
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has called for UN 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 clear...
Angela Merkel says wants to work with Russia, not against it
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Wednesday she wanted to work with Russia to restore peace in Europe, but added that she could not ignore Moscow’s violations of international law in the course of the Ukraine crisis. “We want to shape this European peace order together with Russia, not against Russia,” Merkel said during a...
‘Lavrov, Kerry discuss Minsk deal to end Ukraine conflict’
US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov discussed over the phone on Wednesday the implementation of a peace deal to end the conflict in east Ukraine, the foreign ministry said in a statement. “The minister pointed out the importance of direct dialogue between Kiev, Donetsk and Luhansk, including a speedy...
NATO says separatists’ refusal to respect ceasefire threatens accord
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg voiced concern on Wednesday about the deteriorating situation around the Ukrainian town of Debaltseve and said the refusal of pro-Russian separatists to respect a ceasefire threatened the Minsk accord. “I’m deeply concerned by the deteriorating situation in and around Debaltseve,”...
Ukrainian forces start to quit besieged town
Government forces started pulling out of a town in eastern Ukraine on Wednesday after a fierce assault by Russian-backed separatists which Europe said violated a crumbling ceasefire. President Petro Poroshenko said before flying to the town of Debaltseve that more than 80% of his troops in the rail hub had already left following a heavy...
Joe Biden praises Defence Secretary Carter for deepening ties with India
Vice President Joe Biden has praised new Defence Secretary Ashton Carter on his key role in deepening defence relationship with India during his previous capacity as US Deputy Secretary of Defence in the Pentagon. Carter’s significant role in deepening Indo-US defence relationship in particular the path breaking Defence Trade and Technology...
