Section: US & Canada
AP Exclusive: Putin aide: Kiev refuses to honor Minsk deal
MOSCOW (AP) — Kiev has failed to meet its obligations under the Minsk peace accord and has instead introduced an economic blockade of eastern Ukraine, Russia’s security chief says. Patrushev — a longtime associate of President Vladimir Putin who serves as the executive secretary of the presidential Security Council — made the remarks in a...
AP Exclusive: Putin aide: Syrian vote must include refugees
MOSCOW (AP) — Syrian refugees should be given an opportunity to cast their ballots in the country’s future elections, Russia’s security chief has told The Associated Press, adding that the international community should focus on creating conditions for a free vote in Syria. However, demands for the immediate departure of Syrian...
Separatist Leader Admits To Razing Ukrainian Village, Hails ‘Good’ Soviet Ideology
A separatist leader in eastern Ukraine has admitted to burning down a village at the height of fighting more than a year ago, while praising a proposal for restoring the place. …read more Source: Radio Free Europe / Radio...
Russia Will Brush Off Litvinenko Accusations—And There Is Little That Can Be Done About It
The final report from the long-running inquiry into the death of former Russian agent Alexander Litvinenko has re-ignited the controversy over what is undeniably the biggest assassination case seen in the U.K. for decades. The story has all the ingredients for a spy thriller, from secret poison to international conspiracy, but its implications...
Vladimir Lenin is having a really bad week
MOSCOW – In Ukraine’s rebel-held east, statues of Vladimir Lenin still stand proud in most towns’ central squares — survivors of the symbol-smashing by backers of Ukraine’s Western-looking government. So an attempt Wednesday to destroy the main Lenin statue in the separatist capital of Donetsk was a rude reminder that not...
Ukrainian Police Fine PM’s Wife For Using Phone While Driving
Traffic police in Kyiv have fined Terezia Yatsenyuk, the wife of Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk, for talking on a mobile phone while driving. …read more Source: Radio Free Europe / Radio...
Russia Less Corrupt Than a Year Ago: Transparency International
Russia has improved its global standing with regards to corruption according to anti-fraud organization Transparency International’s annual league table for 2015. The ranking takes into account the transparency of each country’s public sector and rates it out of 100, with zero signifying little transparency and high corruption, while...
Putin Grants Russian Citizenship To Pro-Moscow Journalist From Ukraine
President Vladimir Putin has granted Russian citizenship to a controversial pro-Russian journalist from Ukraine, Anatoliy Vasserman. …read more Source: Radio Free Europe / Radio...
The Cold Warriors Strike Back
Stephen F. CohenIn Washington, London, Turkey, Kiev, and even Moscow, opponents of a possible US–Russian détente on Ukraine and Syria demonstrate again their power to thwart the process of negotiations. …read more Source: The...
The Best Countries Understand ‘Soft Power’
Cross-posted from U.S. News and World ReportDAVOS, Switzerland — While global leaders who gathered at the World Economic Forum’s meeting debate solutions to social, political and economic uncertainty, quietly a new force is gaining credibility around the world: the desire for “soft power.”Let’s start with the data....
