Section: US & Canada
U.S. loans Ukraine $2B, says more Russian sanctions could occur
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. …read more Source:...
Political Risk Analysts See Ukraine as a Risky Bet Over the Next 10 Years
Subject to Western sanctions and accused of stirring instability, Russia is, unsurprisingly, a bad bet for global investors. A new analysis out Wednesday concludes that a $100 investment in Russia over 10 years would lose $30 to political turmoil. But Russia’s chief victim in nearly a year of strife, Ukraine, is an even riskier place to...
Russia’s new ambassador faces ‘loudspeaker diplomacy’ over Ukraine
Just two months on the job, the Russian Federation’s new ambassador, Alexander Darchiev, faces some difficult challenges in Canada-Russian relations that had not, save for the last year, dominated the decade-long posting of the previous ambassador, Georgiy Mamedov. read more …read more Source:...
Back to Parliament: Legislation
Foreign policy continues to dominate the headlines in Canada, but for all the focus on hotspots like Ukraine, Iraq and Syria, only a few outstanding pieces of legislation brought forward by the government have implications for international affairs. Energy, the economy and anti-terrorism are the primary focus of these bills. Expect more...
Rights Group: Worldwide Democratic Freedoms at Historic Low
The international rights group Freedom House said Wednesday that the prospect of an international system built on democratic ideals is under greater threat now than at any point in the past quarter-century. Freedom House said in its annual roundup Wednesday that the state of democracy in 2014 was “exceptionally grim.” Syria ranked the...
Poroshenko Urges Putin To Release Savchenko
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has called on his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to release the jailed Ukrainian pilot Nadia Savchenko. …read more Source: Radio Free Europe / Radio...
Russian spies center stage in ‘The Americans’
New York (AFP) – The Cold War is officially over, so the concept of husband-and-wife KGB operatives killing, lying and spying in Washington — under the nose of their FBI agent neighbor — may seem a bit far-fetched.But the arrest this week of a suspected Russian agent posing as a New York banker lends new relevance to “The...
Obama, Merkel Discuss Rising Ukraine Violence
U.S. President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have spoken about the “significant increase in violence” in eastern Ukraine. …read more Source: Radio Free Europe / Radio...
Mariupol, Ukraine residents defiant as Russia threat looms over crucial export hub
MARIUPOL, Ukraine — In this city under siege, where many argue the fate of Ukraine rests, citizens are defiant. “Vladimir Putin, if you can hear me, you’re a dead man,” said Mariupol resident Vladimir Ivanovich, calling out Russia’s president, who is accused of sending thousands of troops into Ukraine to …...
Australian leader vows to consult more widely on knighthoods
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia’s prime minister on Wednesday promised to consult more widely before bestowing knighthoods in the future as he weathered an avalanche of criticisms over his decision to make the husband of Queen Elizabeth II an Australian knight. Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s announcement that the Duke of Edinburgh...
