Section: The Epoch Times (USA)
Ukraine Authorities Scramble to Avoid Unrest Flashpoint
KOSTYANTYNIVKA , Ukraine— Residents in the eastern Ukrainian town of Kostyantynivka have angrily confronted regional officials over an accident in which an armored military vehicle struck and killed a 6-year old girl. Donetsk region head of police Vyacheslav Abroskin on Tuesday traveled to the town in a bid to avoid the mass unrest of the night...
Putin’s Nuclear Warning Suggests Russia Won’t Back Down from Crimea
Russian President Vladimir Putin, who was mysteriously absent for about 10 days, apparently was ready to exercise the country’s nuclear option last year over tensions in Ukraine, which suggests that Moscow will not give up on its plans. “We were ready to do it. I talked with colleagues and told them that this (Crimea) is our historic...
Putin: Russia Prepared Raising Nuclear Readiness Over Crimea
MOSCOW— Russia was ready to bring its nuclear weapons into a state of alert during last year’s tensions over the Crimean Peninsula and the overthrow of Ukraine’s president, President Vladimir Putin said in remarks aired on Sunday. Putin’s comments, in a documentary being shown on state TV, highlight the extent to which alarm...
Childhood a Casualty of Ukraine’s Ongoing War
KHARTSYZK, Ukraine—Seryozha colors in his drawing of a tank, lost in thought. Like many 7-year-olds in eastern Ukraine, he has trouble recalling a time before the war. “They’ve always been shooting,” he says, vigorously scratching with the brightest of pencils. Yelena Nikulenko, the director of the children’s home in the rebel-held...
Russian Central Bank Cuts Key Interest Rate to Help Economy
MOSCOW— Russia’s central bank cut its key interest rate on Friday by one percentage point to 14 percent in an attempt to support the economy, which is sliding into a brutal recession. It is the second interest rate cut in as many months as the Central Bank reverses some of the sharp rate increases it made in December — when it hiked them...
Russia Coup? Putin Died? Rumors About Vladimir Putin, Moscow Leadership Abound
Vladimir Putin hasn’t been seen in public for a week, and there’s been rampant speculation about whether he has fallen ill, had a stroke, is dead, or if Russia is currently in the midst of a power struggle (or maybe even a coup). Now, it seems likely that Putin will just show up at a press conference, wave, smirk, and pretend like...
Is Vladimir Putin Sick? Nope, He’s Just Stressed Out And Can Still ‘Break Hands’ with His Handshake
Russian President Vladimir Putin has canceled a few meetings and hasn’t been seen in public for a week, the government published old photos of him, and his spokesperson said everything is fine. But there’s still speculation that something’s wrong with his health. Dmitri Peskov, a spokesperson for Putin, 62, stressed that the...
Poland Seeks Tomahawk Missiles From US, Others
WARSAW, Poland— Polish Defense Minister Tomasz Siemoniak says his government is seeking to obtain Tomahawk cruise missiles from the United States or another country. Poland considers its security challenged by the armed conflict in neighboring Ukraine, which also involves another neighbor, Russia. The Defense Ministry is inviting citizens to go...
Ukraine Expects $5B Loan From IMF in ‘Coming Days’
KIEV, Ukraine—Ukraine’s finance minister says the country is expecting to receive $5 billion in credit from the International Monetary Fund in the coming days— the first in a sought-for series of bailout loans the government hopes will keep Ukraine from an economic meltdown. The office of Finance Minister Natalie Jaresko said Wednesday that...
Merkel Declines Putin’s Invite to WWII Victory Parade
BERLIN—German Chancellor Angela Merkel has declined an invitation from Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend a military parade in Moscow marking the 70th anniversary of the defeat of the Nazis, officials said Wednesday, citing tensions over Russia’s actions in Ukraine. Merkel’s spokesman said the German leader instead proposed...
