Section: The Guardian (The United Kingdom)
Tony Abbott says Australia may send uranium and coal to Ukraine
Prime minister tells Ukraine’s president exports from Australia could help secure Ukraine’s energy sources against Russian threatsAustralia is considering exporting coal and uranium to Ukraine it was announced, as the leaders of the two countries met for a historic state visit.President Petro Poroshenko became the first Ukrainian...
Ukrainian government and Russian rebels begin ‘day of silence’
Ceasefire revival attempted as Russia restarts delivery of natural gas to Ukraine ahead of possible new peace talksGovernment forces and Russia-backed rebels fighting in eastern Ukraine have begun a “day of silence” in an attempt to revive a moribund ceasefire ahead of possible new peace talks.In another tentative step toward resolution of the...
Opera singer Anna Netrebko poses with Ukrainian separatist flag
Russian-Austrian soprano donates 1m roubles to opera theatre in rebel-held Donetsk and says she ‘just wants to support art’The Russian-Austrian opera soprano Anna Netrebko has given support to east Ukrainian separatists, posing with one of their top political leaders and holding up the flag of Novorossia, a self-declared amalgamation of...
Russia’s tough rhetoric over Ukraine does not tell the whole story
While Moscow appears publicly defiant, behind the scenes there are efforts to find a way out of the crisisAn angry claim by Sergei Ryabkov, Russia’s deputy foreign minister, that the US and its allies are plotting regime change in Russia is further evidence that the east-west standoff over Ukraine is hardening. But the public rhetoric does...
Angela Merkel: Russia creating problems for EU-minded neighbours
German chancellor reaffirms Nato’s commitment to defend member states in eastern EuropeAngela Merkel has accused Russia of interfering in the domestic affairs of countries that are seeking closer ties to the European Union.“Moldova, Georgia and Ukraine are three countries in our eastern neighbourhood that have taken sovereign decisions to...
Putin says he hopes for a ceasefire in Ukraine – video
Russian president, Vladimir Putin, says he hopes for a ceasefire in Ukraine “in the nearest future”. Putin was speaking after a meeting with his French counterpart, Francois Hollande, in which they discussed the Ukraine ceasefire “in detail”. Putin says Russia supports the territorial integrity of Ukraine and supports the...
MH17: All Australian victims identified and within weeks of coming home
Tony Abbott and Julie Bishop announce the successful recovery, identification and repatriation of the 38 bodiesAll 38 Australians who died when Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 was downed in eastern Ukraine have been formally identified, the federal government says.Operation Bring Them Home will conclude in the coming weeks when the final remains...
That’s me in the picture: Markiyan Matsekh plays the piano for riot police in Kiev, 7 December 2013
‘I took off my coat and started playing Chopin. It was about -15C, and my fingers could barely move. Not my best performance’My dad thought it was a stupid idea. He said, “Son, it’s a nice thought, but these people have been beaten by riot police. How is a piano going to cheer them up?” I just wanted to give people a reason to keep...
Uefa blocks Crimean clubs from playing in Russian competitions
• Ban will come into effect on 1 January• Three Crimean clubs had been included Russian leagueCrimean clubs have been suspended by Uefa from playing in Russian domestic competitions.“The Russian Football Union (RFU) may not organise any football competition in Crimea, without the consent of Uefa and the Football Federation of Ukraine (FFU),” it...
Kerry: Russia could rebuild trust with west by easing tensions with Ukraine
Kerry spoke at a meeting of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which includes both the United States and Russia as partnersSecretary of state John Kerry said Thursday that Russia could rebuild its relations with the west “if it simply helps to calm turbulent waters” on its border with eastern Ukraine, where pro-Moscow...
