: :inin Kyiv (EET)

Section: USA

    Ukraine’s president signs bill dropping nonaligned status; won’t seek NATO membership yet
    Dec29

    Ukraine’s president signs bill dropping nonaligned status; won’t seek NATO membership yet

    The Ukrainian president has signed a bill dropping his country’s nonaligned status but signaled that he will hold a referendum before seeking NATO membership. …read more Source: FOX...

    Russian Moves Provide New Mission for NATO
    Dec29

    Russian Moves Provide New Mission for NATO

    Russia’s more aggressive military posture in Europe during the past year has pushed NATO to take new steps to strengthen its defenses, providing it, analysts say, with a much-needed new mission. The change in NATO-Russia relations grew out of protests in Ukraine that led to the ouster of the country’s pro-Russian president. Russia...

    Russian Ruble Drops 7 Percent as Economy Shrinks
    Dec29

    Russian Ruble Drops 7 Percent as Economy Shrinks

    MOSCOW— The Russian currency extended its losses on Monday after a report showed the economy has started shrinking in annual terms for the first time since 2009 as the country is buffeted by falling oil prices and Western sanctions. Meanwhile, the government, which has been scrambling to support the ruble and the economy, announced fresh steps to...

    European stocks slide as Greece fails to elect leader
    Dec29

    European stocks slide as Greece fails to elect leader

    London (AFP) – European stock markets mainly slumped on Monday following the holiday break, as attention focused on Greece’s failure to elect a president, triggering sharp losses for share prices in Athens.In early afternoon deals, Frankfurt’s DAX 30 lost 0.53 percent to 9,869.44 points and the CAC 40 in Paris dipped 0.07...

    FP’s Situation Report, presented by Lockheed Martin: America’s longest war is officially over; The Islamic State executes nearly 2,000 in six months; Russia declares NATO expansion a national security threat; and much more.
    Dec29

    FP’s Situation Report, presented by Lockheed Martin: America’s longest war is officially over; The Islamic State executes nearly 2,000 in six months; Russia declares NATO expansion a national security threat; and much more.

    By David Francis with Sabine Muscat The war in Afghanistan, America’s longest, is now formally over. The 13-year war, which claimed more than 2,200 American lives and cost more than one trillion dollars, ended quietly at a ceremony in Kabul yesterday. U.S. President Barack Obama and other Western leaders promised their ongoing commitment...

    Russia’s Media Machine Looks West
    Dec29

    Russia’s Media Machine Looks West

    In 2014, Russian propaganda outlets ramped up beyond Russia’s borders. If the Kremlin’s aim at home is to convince a captive audience, the goal abroad may be to confuse. …read more Source: Radio Free Europe / Radio...

    Ukraine’s draft budget far from perfect
    Dec29

    Ukraine’s draft budget far from perfect

    Daniel J. GraeberKIEV, Ukraine, Dec. 29 (UPI) — Though debt obligations to Russian energy company Gazprom were cleared, Ukraine’s prime minister said Monday the budget for next year will be tight. …read more Source: United Press...

    Russian ruble drops 7 percent as economy shrinks
    Dec29

    Russian ruble drops 7 percent as economy shrinks

    MOSCOW (AP) — The Russian currency extended its losses on Monday after a report showed the economy has started shrinking in annual terms for the first time since 2009 as the country is buffeted by falling oil prices and Western sanctions. Meanwhile, the government, which has been scrambling to support the ruble and the economy, announced fresh...

    Everything We Know About the Missing AirAsia Flight QZ 8501
    Dec29

    Everything We Know About the Missing AirAsia Flight QZ 8501

    In the third Malaysian-linked aviation disaster this year, an AirAsia plane traveling from Indonesia to Singapore disappeared early Sunday over the Java Sea. Officials indicate that it probably crashed into the ocean, and although possible wreckage has already been spotted, nothing has yet been confirmed. What happened? AirAsia Flight QZ 8501...

    7 awful conflicts that were under-reported in 2014

    2014 has been a brutal year. The death toll of Syria’s ongoing civil war likely eclipsed 200,000, while the hideous rise of the Islamic State spurred a U.S.-led bombing campaign. A separatist insurgency in eastern Ukraine led to thousands of deaths and clouded relations between the West and Moscow, which is believed to be aiding the rebels....