Section: Newsweek (USA)
U.S. Increasing Non-Lethal Military Aid to Ukraine
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States plans to increase non-lethal military assistance to Ukraine, including deliveries of the first Humvee vehicles, having decided for now not to provide weapons, U.S. officials said. The increase in non-lethal aid to Ukraine, which is grappling with a Russian-backed separatist movement in its east, is...
NATO Scrambles Jets 400 Times in 2014 as Russian Air Activity Jumps
AMARI Estonia/LONDON (Reuters) – NATO warplanes have had to scramble 400 times this year in response to an increase in Russian air activity around Europe not seen since the Cold War, the alliance’s chief said on Thursday. North Atlantic Treaty Organisation members have sought to fill gaps in the alliance’s land, air and sea...
Putin Says Russia Must Prevent ‘Color Revolution’; Warns Against ‘Radical’ Internet Sites
MOSCOW (Reuters) – President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday Moscow must prevent a “color revolution” in Russia and stop extremism, warning of the threat posed by illegal immigration and “radical” Internet sites that recruit youths. Putin’s comments at a meeting of his advisory Security Council on combating...
Russia Warns U.S. Not to Arm Ukraine as Biden Due in Kiev
MOSCOW/KIEV (Reuters) – Russia warned the United States on Thursday against supplying arms to Ukrainian forces fighting pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine, hours before U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden was due to arrive in Kiev. Ukraine accused President Vladimir Putin of treating its territory like a “playing field”,...
Putin’s Message for New U.S. Envoy: Don’t Interfere
MOSCOW (Reuters) – President Vladimir Putin greeted the new U.S. ambassador to Russia on Wednesday with a demand for Washington to treat Moscow as an equal partner and stay out of its internal affairs. The new envoy, John Tefft, said in a written statement after presenting his credentials that he wanted to strengthen...
Latvia Cracks Down on Russian-Speaking Teachers
As part of its push to encourage citizens to speak the country’s native tongue rather than Russian, Latvia is cracking down on teachers who are not proficient in Latvian. So far, 55 teachers have been fined in amounts ranging from $44 to $350 and 24 assistants were also fined. The Latvian State Language Center has been conducting the tests...
Rebel Leader Challenges Ukrainian President to ‘End War’ in One-on-One Duel
The head of east Ukraine’s separatist People’s Republic of Luhansk (LNR) has challenged Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to a duel to bring a decisive end to the conflict between government loyal forces and pro-Russian rebels in Ukraine’s east. “Let’s follow the example of the ancient Slav and Cossack chieftains and...
Tiny Baltic States Prepare to Hit Back at Mighty Russia
Earlier this month, a Russian warship entered Latvia’s exclusive economic zone, some nine nautical miles from the country’s territorial waters. Considering that Russian warships have already approached Latvian waters some 50 times this year, according to figures from Latvia’s Ministry of Defence, it was not an altogether...
Lie Detector Tests for Politicians, At Least In Ukraine
Stepan Poltorak, the defense minister of Ukraine, took a polygraph test along with nine other officials today. The test was conducted before a meeting between the president, Poltorak and a group of leaders from volunteer organizations who help maintain the Ukrainian military. The volunteer leaders are in charge of helping maintain the clothing,...
Five More Ukrainian Soldiers Killed as German Foreign Minister Visits Kiev
Five Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in the conflict in eastern Ukraine in the past 24 hours, the military said on Tuesday, as Germany’s foreign minister prepared to hold talks on the crisis in both Kiev and Moscow. The trip by Frank-Walter Steinmeier will be one of the first visits by a senior German official to Moscow since the...
