Section: AsiaOne (Singapore)
West presses Putin to back ‘last-chance’ Ukraine peace bid
MUNICH, Germany – Western leaders challenged Russian President Vladimir Putin Saturday to prove he wants peace in Ukraine, warning both sides a new Franco-German peace drive may be a “last chance” to stop all-out war.In a dramatic gesture at a gathering of world leaders in Germany, Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko...
Australian PM brings forward vote on leadership to Monday
SYDNEY – Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, fighting for his political life, said he would bring forward to Monday a meeting of his parliamentary colleagues to consider a challenge to his leadership, in an effort to halt a destabilising internal revolt.A member of Abbott’s ruling conservative Liberal Party called on Friday for a...
Merkel leads last chance Ukraine peace drive
MUNICH, Germany – German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Saturday pushed a new peace bid to end the Ukraine conflict, warning that sending weapons to government forces fighting pro-Russian rebels would not stop the bloodshed.Fresh from overnight talks in Moscow with French President Francois Hollande to thrash out a new peace plan, Merkel said...
Ten killed in latest east Ukraine fighting: officials
DONETSK, Ukraine – Five civilians and five government soldiers were killed in the latest fighting in east Ukraine, government and pro-Russian rebel officials said Saturday.Over the past 24 hours four civilians were killed by shelling across government-held territory while one local resident died in rebel bastion Donetsk, officials from the...
Merkel, Hollande take Ukraine peace plan to Putin
MOSCOW – German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande were due in Moscow Friday after getting Kiev’s tentative backing for a crunch peace plan aimed at ending surging violence in Ukraine.Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said talks with Merkel and Hollande late Thursday raised “hope for a...
Putin wants constructive talks on Ukraine with Merkel, Hollande: Adviser
MOSCOW – President Vladimir Putin is ready to hold constructive talks with French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Ukraine, the Russian leader’s top foreign policy adviser said on Thursday.Yuri Ushakov told reporters Russia hoped Merkel and Hollande would take into account measures proposed by Putin...
Putin wants constructive talks on Ukraine with Merkel, Hollande: Adviser
MOSCOW – President Vladimir Putin is ready to hold constructive talks with French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Ukraine, the Russian leader’s top foreign policy adviser said on Thursday.Yuri Ushakov told reporters Russia hoped Merkel and Hollande would take into account measures proposed by Putin...
19 civilians and troops killed in Ukraine in 24 hours: officials
KIEV – Fourteen civilians and five government soldiers have been killed in fighting in east Ukraine over the past 24 hours, government and rebel officials said Thursday.Pro-Russian separatists said shelling killed eight residents and wounded 33 more around their stronghold Donetsk.Across the lines, a local Ukrainian official said six...
NATO to unveil strengthened Eastern Europe defence
BRUSSELS – NATO was set Thursday to agree a major boost to the alliance’s defences near its Russian borders, including six command centres and a quick-reaction spearhead force of 5,000 troops in response to the crisis in Ukraine.Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said ahead of a meeting of defence ministers in Brussels that the move...
Hospital shelled in east Ukraine as calls mount for truce
DONETSK, Ukraine – Four people were killed when a hospital in east Ukraine was shelled Wednesday ahead of a visit to Kiev by US Secretary of State John Kerry that will focus on the possibility of arming Ukrainian forces.The latest deaths came as international pressure grew for an immediate halt to surging violence that has seen hundreds of...
