Section: US & Canada
Russia considers condemning “annexation” of East Germany
Sergei Naryshkin earlier this week faced scathing criticism of Russia’s annexation of Crimean peninsula when he spoke at the Parliament Assembly of Europe. Russian news agencies say Communist deputy Nikolai Ivanov on Wednesday proposed a resolution to condemn what he called the “annexation” of East Germany in 1990. …read...
EU Mulling ‘Terrorist’ Designation For Pro-Russian Rebels In Ukraine
With European leaders calling for potential new sanctions against Russia, officials in Brussels are considering adding pro-Moscow rebel groups in Ukraine to an EU terrorist list. …read more Source: Radio Free Europe / Radio...
Russian govt details spending cuts in view of crisis
MOSCOW (AP) — The Russian government, facing its worst economic crisis in a decade, on Wednesday detailed how it intends to cut spending over the next three years in all parts of the economy except military and social programs. Russia’s economy has been battered by lower energy prices, a collapse in the value of the ruble and Western...
Kremlin: Ukraine gas networks idled by 2019
Daniel J. GraeberVIENNA, Jan. 28 (UPI) — European natural gas consumers need to prepare the infrastructure needed to avoid Ukrainian territory by 2019, an official from Russia’s Gazprom said Wednesday. …read more Source: United Press...
Freedom declines worldwide as terrorism, authoritarianism rise
NEW YORK – Global freedom has suffered a disturbing decline with 60 per cent of the world’s population, or 2.6 billion people, living in countries that are not completely free, according to a report released Wednesday. Freedom House’s annual study which evaluated the state of freedom in 195 countries and 15 territories determined that...
How Ukraine’s outgunned ‘cyborgs’ lost Donetsk airport
The Ukrainian platoon commander sat in a burned-out armored vehicle on the edge of the Donetsk airport runway with the body of his comrade in the driver’s seat next to him. He could hear the separatist fighters who had killed the man just yards away in the thick fog. …read more Source: Los Angeles...
Here’s What’s Really Behind Greece’s Complicated Relationship With Russia
Back in 2013 the Greek government under then prime minister Antonis Samaras was attempting to implement a package of reforms that included the sale of state-owned assets to the private sector. Among these one of the perceived “jewels in the crown” was Greek gas firm Depa, which was purportedly being targeted by Russian gas giant...
Obama’s Foreign Policy Pronouncements Undone by Reality
President Obama’s foreign policy pronouncements all over the world either aren’t holding up or just don’t reflect reality, a new essay by Commentary‘s Peter Wehner points out. At his State of the Union, Obama bragged about his leadership against Russia and his support for Ukraine’s democracy just as more horrific violence...
Russian govt proposes spending cuts in view of crisis
Russia’s economy has been battered by lower energy prices, a collapse in the value of the ruble and Western sanctions over its involvement in Ukraine. Speaking at the upper house of the Russian parliament, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said that the government does not expect oil prices to go back to $100 a barrel so “we and our...
U.S. Signs $2 Billion Loan Agreement With Ukraine, Offers To Increase Pressure On Russia
KIEV, Jan 28 (Reuters) – The United States on Wednesday signed an agreement providing war-torn Ukraine with $2 billion in loan guarantees to help it with “near-term social spending” in 2015 and said it was prepared to step up sanctions against Russia if necessary. After signing the loan agreement with Ukrainian Finance Minister...
