Section: US & Canada
How to Win Friends and Influence Putin
Last week, as the ruble collapsed in value against the U.S. dollar and a full-blown financial crisis threatened to explode in Russia, news broke that President Barack Obama planned to sign a piece of legislation that essentially amounts to a declaration of war on Russia. The evocatively titled Ukraine Freedom Support Act of 2014, which was...
Putin Signs New Military Doctrine Amid Ukraine Crisis
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a new military doctrine echoing Kremlin accusations that Western nations sponsored a coup in Ukraine. …read more Source: Radio Free Europe / Radio...
Conflicting reports about prisoner exchange in Ukraine
DONETSK, Ukraine (AP) — There are conflicting reports about a major exchange of war prisoners that was supposed to be taking place today in Ukraine. One Russian news agency says it’s been completed, while another says it’s been pushed back by a day. The pro-Russia rebels had been set to release 150 Ukrainian prisoners in exchange for...
Ukraine, Pro-Russian Rebels Begin Prisoner Swap
Ukraine and pro-Russian separatist rebels have begun swapping prisoners under the terms of a preliminary peace deal signed in Minsk on December 24. …read more Source: Radio Free Europe / Radio...
Ukraine Cuts Crimea Train and Bus Services
KIEV, Ukraine—Ukraine has suspended train and bus services to the Russia-annexed Crimean Peninsula, citing security concerns. The state railways company said that trains bound for Crimea’s regional capital of Simferopol and the port of Sevastopol will run only to stations on the mainland near Crimea starting Saturday. The company said the...
Putin signs document that calls NATO top military threat
President Vladimir Putin has signed a new military doctrine that describes NATO’s military buildup near the Russian borders as the top military threat amid Russia-West tensions over Ukraine. …read more Source: CTV...
Visa Suspends Operations in Crimea
International payment system company Visa Inc. suspended its operations in Crimea after another round of U.S. sanctions, the company said Friday. …read more Source: The Wall Street...
Russia’s ruble ends 5-day rally, drops 4 percent
MOSCOW (AP) — The Russian currency on Friday ended its five-day rally and declined 4 percent as the markets remain jittery over the outlook of the Russian economy. The ruble has been the worst performing currency this year along with the Ukrainian hryvnia, having lost nearly half of its value … …read more Source: The Washington...
New Russian military doctrine says NATO top threat
MOSCOW (AP) — President Vladimir Putin has signed a new military doctrine that describes NATO’s military buildup near the Russian borders as the top military threat amid Russia-West tensions over Ukraine. The document released by the Kremlin on Friday maintains the provisions of the previous, 2010 edition of the military doctrine regarding...
NATO expansion key risk to Russia, Putin says
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a new military doctrine, naming NATO expansion among key external risks, the Kremlin said on Friday, days after Ukraine made fresh steps to join the Atlantic military alliance. …read more Source:...
