Section: The Epoch Times (USA)
Russian FM Says Ukraine, Rebels Should Pull Back as Big Battle Looms
MOSCOW—Moscow proposed Wednesday that both Ukraine and the pro-Russian rebels pull heavy weapons back to a previously agreed-upon division line to help reduce hostilities, but said nothing about the rebels surrendering any territory they gained by violating the peace deal. On the ground, fighting between Ukraine and the rebels appeared to be...
Ukraine Shelling Claims More Civilian Lives
DONETSK, Ukraine— At least three civilians were killed in shelling Tuesday in eastern Ukraine as fighting continued between government and rebel forces in the separatist-held city of Donetsk. AP reporters saw the bodies of two people killed while waiting for a bus. Separatist authorities said another person died from an attack elsewhere in the...
EU Maintains Russia Sanctions as Ukraine Conflict Rages
BRUSSELS—The European Union foreign ministers are ruling out any immediate easing of sanctions against Russia as fighting rages in eastern Ukraine, despite concerns about the economic consequences. Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders said Monday that since the fighting around the Donetsk airport in eastern Ukraine had intensified, “this is no...
Crimea Faces Challenges as Part of Russia
SEVASTOPOL, Crimea—Crimea, promised Russian President Vladimir Putin, “will be a home to all the peoples living there.” Yet 10 months since the Kremlin tore up the map of Europe and seized the strategic Black Sea peninsula from Ukraine, many of Crimea’s 2.2 million inhabitants face a future rife with uncertainty and present-day hardships...
Ukraine Leader Vows to Retake Separatist-Held East
KIEV, Ukraine—Ukraine’s president vowed Sunday to reassert government control over eastern regions as the army unleashed a counter-offensive against Russian-backed separatist fighters vying for command over the airport in the city of Donetsk. The separatist stronghold was shaken by intense outgoing and incoming artillery fire over the...
Russian FM Hails Prospective Syria Peace Talks in Moscow
MOSCOW— Russia’s foreign minister says he expects the prospective Syria peace talks in Moscow to be a success despite reports about some key opposition groups’ refusal to attend. Sergey Lavrov on Friday cast those reports as part of “tactical maneuvering” ahead of the negotiations, but he wouldn’t say whom Moscow expects to see...
Ukraine Rebels Claim Victory in Battle for Airport
DONETSK, Ukraine—Russian-backed separatists announced Thursday they had captured the shattered remains of the Donetsk airport terminal in eastern Ukraine and plan to claw back more territory, further dashing hopes for a lasting peace agreement. The airport, on the fringes of the rebel stronghold of Donetsk, has been at the center of bitter...
European Union Parliament Names Russia ‘Potential Threat’
BRUSSELS—The EU parliament on Thursday condemned Russia as a “potential threat to the European Union itself” even as the EU foreign policy chief sought to resume dialogue with Moscow to help end the conflict in Ukraine. The legislature backed a resolution with a show of hands that called for a continuation of the sanctions against Moscow even...
Ukraine Mourns 13 Victims of Bus Blast Possibly Caused by Rebels
KIEV, Ukraine—Ukraine held a day of mourning Thursday after 13 people were killed two days ago when their bus was hit by what the government says was a shell fired by Russian-backed separatists. President Petro Poroshenko said respects would be paid for all people killed by rebel offensives in eastern Ukraine. The separatists deny responsibility...
World Economic Forum Warns Over International Conflicts
LONDON— Following a year that’s seen the conflict in Ukraine and the rise of the Islamic State, geopolitical issues are considered to be the biggest threat to global stability over the coming decade, according to experts polled by the World Economic Forum. In its 2015 Global Risks Report, published Thursday, the WEF found “interstate...
