Section: The Epoch Times (USA)
Putin Postpones Visit to France Amid Diplomatic Tensions
MOSCOW—Russian President Vladimir Putin has indefinitely postponed a trip to France after Paris had revised its program for the visit and said it would talk about nothing else but the Syrian crisis. French President Francois Hollande said Tuesday that Putin put off his visit set for next week after Hollande let him know he wouldn’t take...
Russia Moves Nuclear-Capable Missiles to Kaliningrad, Alarming Neighbors
Russia has confirmed the deployment of Iskander missiles, capable of nuclear strikes, at its Kaliningrad outpost near the borders of Poland and Lithuania. Lithuania, Estonia, and Poland—all NATO members—have expressed concerns over the missiles’ deployment in the region. But the Kremlin has downplayed the significance of moving the Iskander...
Russia’s Power Play in Syria
Just a few short weeks ago, U.S.–Russia relations were poised for a post-Soviet breakthrough that could have seen them join forces to target the ISIS terrorist group. Now the United States has given up on talks with Russia aimed at ending the fighting in Syria. And Russia has suspended a long-standing deal to dispose of weapons-grade plutonium...
Syria Peace Efforts Plunge as US Suspends Talks With Russia
WASHINGTON—International efforts to end the fighting in Syria have been dealt a serious blow, with the United States suspending direct contacts with Russia on halting the war, and chilly relations are turning even frostier after Russia put a hold on a plutonium disposal deal with Washington. The two decisions, announced in their respective...
Putin Suspends Weapons-Grade Plutonium Deal With US
MOSCOW—President Vladimir Putin on Monday suspended a Russia-U.S. deal on the disposal of weapons-grade plutonium, a move that comes amid escalating tensions over Syria between Moscow and Washington. Putin’s decree released by the Kremlin cited Washington’s “unfriendly actions” and the United States’ inability to fulfill its...
Russia Fighting in Syria for a Year, Still at Odds With US
WASHINGTON—A year after Russia waded into the war in Syria, aiming to flex its national security muscles and prop up beleaguered Syrian President Bashar Assad, Moscow appears no closer to one of its military goals: getting the U.S. to coordinate combat operations in the civil war. And prospects of a diplomatic resolution seem dim. The yearlong...
Dutch Probe: Malaysian Jet Downed by Launcher From Russia
NIEUWEGEIN, Netherlands—Dutch-led criminal investigators said Wednesday they have solid evidence that a Malaysian jet was shot down by a Buk missile moved into eastern Ukraine from Russia. Wilbert Paulissen, head of the Central Crime Investigation department of the Dutch National Police, said communications intercepts showed that pro-Moscow...
Central Europe Sees Anti-Immigration Fervor, No Migrants
BUDAPEST, Hungary—Together, Hungary and the Czech Republic took in just around 1,000 asylum-seekers last year. Still, rallying cries against migration have dominated the debates ahead of upcoming ballots in the two Central European countries. Along with Poland and Slovakia, they have also become the most vocal critics of the EU’s plan to...
Obama, in Final UN Speech, Calls for World Course Correction
UNITED NATIONS—President Barack Obama conceded Tuesday that the United States and other world powers have limited ability to solve the most profound challenges facing the world, while calling for a “course correction” for globalization to ensure that nations don’t retreat into a more sharply divided world. Obama, in his final speech to the...
US to Shift Military Assets to Syria Under Deal
WASHINGTON—The U.S. military will have to shift surveillance aircraft from other regions and increase the number of intelligence analysts to coordinate attacks with Russia under the Syria cease-fire deal partly in order to target militants the U.S. has largely spared, senior officials say. Senior defense and military officials told The Associated...
