Section: KXAN (USA)
Putin says Russia won’t oust US diplomats in hacking flap
MOSCOW (AP) — President Vladimir Putin has condemned a new round of U.S. sanctions against Russia but said Moscow will not retaliate by expelling American diplomats. U.S. President Barack Obama on Thursday imposed sanctions on Russian officials and intelligence services in retaliation for Russia’s interference in the U.S. presidential...
Europe 2017: Brexit, far-right surging, Russian threat
LONDON (AP) — Europe’s leaders are not expecting a smooth ride in 2017 following a year marked by political upheaval, extremist attacks, unchecked immigration, and a rising military threat from Russia. Britain is suing for divorce, the far-right is on the march, some former Soviet satellites seem disillusioned with the West even as Russia...
US levels sanctions against Russia over alleged hacking
HONOLULU (AP) — The United States is unleashing a string of sanctions and other punitive measures against Russia amid allegations that it engaged in cyber-meddling in the U.S. presidential campaign, putting pressure on President-elect Donald Trump not to let Moscow off the hook after he takes office. Russia’s government threatened...
Russia says new US sanctions signal Obama’s ‘aggressive foreign policy’
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama has imposed sanctions on Russian officials and intelligence services in retaliation for Russia’s interference in the U.S. presidential election by hacking American political sites and email accounts. The State Department also has kicked out 35 Russian diplomats from its embassy in Washington and...
Ukraine releases 15 people to separatists near front line
MOSCOW (AP) — Separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine say the government has released 15 people who had been held in custody. The separatist mouthpiece Donetsk News Agency said Thursday that government representatives handed over eight men and seven women, some of them in poor health, to rebel commanders at a checkpoint near rebel stronghold...
McCain calls for sanctions on Russia over election actions
VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) — Sen. John McCain wants sanctions against Russia for its alleged attempt to influence the U.S. presidential election, adding that the country remains “a threat to the very fundamentals of democracy.” During a visit to Lithuania, McCain said Thursday he doubts Russia’s efforts affected the U.S. electoral result. But...
Trump signals shift from Obama’s focus on multilateralism
For eight years, President Barack Obama’s foreign policy doctrine has been rooted in a belief that while the United States can take action around the word on its own, it rarely should. “Multilateralism regulates hubris,” Obama declared. His successor, President-elect Donald Trump, has derided some of the same international partnerships...
McCain: permanent US troops in Estonia, rather than rotation
TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Sen. John McCain has pledged U.S. support to the security of Russia’s three Baltic neighbors amid worries that the U.S. may not be fully committed to the defense of NATO allies following statements by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. He added that Washington should consider basing troops permanently at least in...
Ukraine summons Israeli ambassador after UN controversy
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel says its ambassador to Ukraine has been summoned by the foreign ministry in Kiev following Israel’s decision to cancel a planned visit by the Ukrainian prime minister. Israel over the weekend called off the upcoming visit by Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman after Ukraine voted in favor of a U.N. Security Council...
AP Photos: Chronicling Russia’s change: 25 years of turmoil
MOSCOW (AP) — When I started working as an AP photographer in Moscow, the Soviet Union was nearing its demise. In August 1991, I took pictures of Russian President Boris Yeltsin rallying opposition to a hard-line coup that briefly ousted Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev. When the coup collapsed, I witnessed triumphant crowds pulling down a...
