Section: The Epoch Times (USA)
Ukraine Drops Nonaligned Status
KIEV, Ukraine— 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. Petro Poroshenko told a news conference on Monday that he is working to reform the Ukrainian economy and its military forces to meet European Union and NATO standards,...
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...
Ukraine Says Crimea Transport Halt Temporary
KIEV, Ukraine— A Ukrainian security official says suspension of transport connections with Crimea is expected to be only a temporary measure. Ukraine on Friday blocked rail and bus travel between the mainland and the peninsula that was annexed by Russia in March. On Saturday, the Crimean customs service said automobiles also were being blocked at...
10 Signs (& Causes) Russia’s Economy Is in Serious Trouble
A confluence of forces have besieged the former communist country, creating a perfect economic storm. The rouble is tumbling at an alarming rate, but that’s not all, here are some of the factors. 1. Sanctions Years of political corruption in Ukraine eventually led to the ‘Revolution of Dignity’ in February 2014, ousting the corrupt...
Ukraine Cuts Crimea Train and Bus Services
KIEV, Ukraine—Ukraine has suspended train and bus services to the Russia-annexed Crimean Peninsula, citing security concerns. The state railways company said that trains bound for Crimea’s regional capital of Simferopol and the port of Sevastopol will run only to stations on the mainland near Crimea starting Saturday. The company said the...
Uncertainty Surrounds Planned Ukraine Prisoner Exchange with Rebels
DONETSK, Ukraine—A major exchange of war prisoners was embroiled in controversy Friday, with some reports saying it has been completed and others saying it had has been pushed back a day. Russia’s Interfax news agency said the exchange had been completed successfully on neutral ground between the sectors controlled by the insurgents and the...
Russia’s Ruble Ends 5-day Rally, Drops 4 Percent
MOSCOW— The Russian currency has ended its five-day rally and declined 4 percent as the markets remain jittery over the outlook of the Russian economy. The ruble has been the worst performing currency this year along with the Ukrainian hryvnia, having lost nearly half of its value against the dollar. Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov...
Talks on Ukraine Settlement Break Down
MINSK, Belarus— The foreign ministry of Belarus, which has been hosting Ukraine peace talks, says the much-anticipated round of negotiations on Friday has been scrapped. Ministry spokesman Dmitry Mironchik told The Associated Press that the talks broke down but did not give a reason. The opening round was held on Wednesday, one day after...
Ukraine Conflict Points to De-escalation
Video Transcript Eugene Chausovsky: Hello. My name is Eugene Chausovsky. I’m a Eurasia analyst here at Stratfor, and joining me today is Lili Bayer, a fellow Eurasia analyst. Today we will be discussing the latest in the standoff between Russia and the West over Ukraine. So Lili, there’s been a lot of diplomatic activity recently...
Russia Offers to Help Firms With Foreign Debts
MOSCOW—With inflation showing clear signs of picking up, Russia’s central bank said Wednesday it will look to help companies with their foreign debts — a move it hopes will ease the pressure on the national currency. Following on from other measures to stabilize the ruble, such as a big increase in its key interest rate to 17 percent, the...
