Section: US & Canada
NATO asked to keep permanent military force in Baltic countries
The three Baltic countries are asking NATO to permanently deploy an army brigade to Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania as a deterrent against an increasingly assertive Russia, the Associated Press writes. Here is the rest of the Associated Press article: The chiefs of defence of the three countries are presenting the request in a joint letter this...
Russia said the ruble has gotten too strong and now it’s tumbling (USD, RUB)
The Russian ruble tumbled on Thursday after the Russian Central Bank sent a signal that its currency had gotten too strong. The currency was down about by as much as 2.7% to 50.6370 rubles to the dollar after closing above 50 per dollar for two days. In morning trade on Thursday, the ruble was trading at around 50.10 to the dollar. On Thursday,...
French President Says Cease-Fire Violations In Ukraine ‘Unacceptable’
French President Francois Hollande has denounced as “unacceptable” cease-fire violations in eastern Ukraine. …read more Source: Radio Free Europe / Radio...
Sanctions Loosen As Assets Of Yanukovych Allies Elude Ukraine’s Grasp
Freed from European Union sanctions, ousted Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych’s deputy chief of staff is suing the EU and warning the current leaders in Kyiv that they will someday face prosecution over financial activities. After more than a year in power, Ukraine’s pro-Western government has had little success in prosecuting...
3 Baltic Nations Request Permanent NATO Troop Presence
VILNIUS, Lithuania— The three Baltic countries — Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania — are asking NATO to permanently deploy ground troops to their nations as a deterrent against an increasingly assertive Russia. The countries’ defense chiefs requested a brigade-size unit of NATO troops — one battalion of 700-800 troops in each country — in a...
Celebrating Destruction
Everyone on the Mall near the Washington Monument was looking up at the sky. I was there, too. But I wasn’t looking up, at least not that far up. On May 8, I was playing Ultimate Frisbee during the noontime game on a stretch of level grass behind the Holocaust Museum. This time we were joined by thousands of people eager to commemorate the...
John Kerry’s Sochi Misadventure
On Monday, the day before John Kerry’s arrival in Sochi to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement blasting the United States. “Russian-US relations are passing through a difficult period caused by targeted unfriendly actions by Washington,” the statement said. “The White House...
Nicholson briefed by Kerry on Putin talks
Foreign Affairs Minister Rob Nicholson is expressing muted optimism that U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin could open the door to resolving the Ukraine crisis. …read more Source: Global...
What People Around the World Dream About
“To be an artist is to live inside a lucid dream.” – New York, USA (Roc Morin) The first thing I learned is: Everybody flies. Consider the surly taxi driver I met in Ukraine who, when asked what he dreamed of at night, responded, “I jump and then I fly—higher than the trees, higher than the trolley wires.” “I think when I die,”...
Baltics to Ask NATO for Thousands of Boots on Ground
The Baltic states will formally ask NATO to deploy several thousand troops as a deterrent, Lithuania said Thursday, amid tensions with Russia over the conflict in eastern Ukraine. …read more Source:...
