Section: The Guardian (The United Kingdom)
Crimean gold artefacts must go back to Ukraine, Dutch court rules
Kiev argued for return of treasures, which were on loan to Amsterdam museum when Russia seized the peninsula in 2014 A priceless collection of gold artefacts from Crimea that was on loan to a Dutch museum when Russia seized the peninsula must be returned to Ukraine and not Crimea, a Dutch court has ruled, in a judgment likely to anger Moscow.Kiev...
Trump and Russia critics fear Rex Tillerson will upend European relations
Republicans assert ‘friend of Putin’ must back Nato and sanctions at Senate confirmation hearing amid concerns that business ties could drive state agendaThe surprise pick of Rex Tillerson as Donald Trump’s nomination for secretary of state has led to excitement in Moscow – and trepidation in other eastern European capitals – at the...
‘Putin’s new ghetto has no barbed-wire fence – just surveillance and harassment’
A Crimean Tatar activist says the world is staying silent as his people are persecuted by RussiaThe Crimean peninsula, annexed by Russia in 2014, has swiftly degenerated into the scene of the greatest repression being conducted anywhere in the entire country.The targets of the Kremlin’s crackdown are the Crimean Tatars, the ethnic group...
Crimean Tatars accuse Russia of kidnappings and political arrests
Moscow said to be trying to scare activists into submission over annexation, with growing numbers disappearingHuman rights activists have warned of a worsening campaign of harassment in Crimea against Crimean Tatars, including political arrests, trials and kidnappings.Crimean Tatars lived in the area for centuries before it was settled by either...
My hunting trip with Yeltsin killed off the Soviet Union
Belarusian politician recalls his role 25 years ago in reaching deal that led to breakup of USSR without major bloodshedThe man whose signature in effect dissolved the Soviet Union 25 years ago on Thursday has admitted that was not his intention as he travelled to the fateful meeting.The Belavezha Accords, which were signed in Belarus on 8...
‘It’s a pretty disturbing time for Ukraine’: Trump’s Russia ties unnerve Kiev
The Obama administration has been a strong supporter of Ukraine – a relationship many fear will evaporate once Trump enters the White HouseKiev was far from the only capital city in which the ruling elite reacted with alarm to the election of Donald Trump, but the Ukrainian government has more reason than most to fear the new US...
Kiev apartment resident turns scruffy stairwell into a gilded palace
Vladimir Chaika has spent years installing ornamental plaster mouldings and art reproductions in a Soviet-era block of flatsFrom the outside, number 11A is a drab block of flats like any other in Troyeshina, a scruffy Kiev suburb of identikit Soviet-era housing. The entrance door is daubed with graffiti, the ground floor hallway dingy and...
Ukraine missile drill to avoid Crimea airspace, military officials say
Move averts possible confrontation with Russia, which annexed the peninsula in 2014 and was angered by military exerciseUkraine’s military has said a two-day missile drill will avoid the airspace over Crimea, sidestepping a possible confrontation with Russia, which annexed the peninsula in 2014. News of the tests starting on Thursday had...
The Guardian view on world chess rivalries: no return to the cold war | Editorial
It is tempting to present the Carlsen-Karjakin tussle in world chess championship as a clash between east and west. Thankfully times have changedFrom Wednesday night chess lovers can finally get some sleep. The world chess championship, which has been gripping chess fans for three weeks, with some games lasting seven hours or more, must be...
Timelapse shows Chernobyl shelter construction – video
Timelapse footage shows the construction of a steel shelter designed to prevent radiation leaks from the site of reactor No 4 at Chernobyl. The series of videos captures the shelter’s progression over several years up to its placement on Tuesday. High radiation levels near the reactor meant parts had to be assembled several hundred metres...
