Section: Voice of America (USA)
China’s Panda Diplomacy Comes to Moscow
Chinese leader Xi Jinping is on a three-day state visit to Russia aimed at underscoring Russian-Sino cooperation — and his close relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin — in the face of strained relations with the United States. “In the past six years, we have met nearly 30 times,” said Xi of the Russian leader....
Putin Says Russia Prepared to Drop Arms Control Treaty
In a far-ranging discussion on foreign policy, President Vladimir Putin said that Russia is prepared to drop the New START arms control treaty if the United States is not interested in renewing it. Speaking on June 6 at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin also denied Moscow is pulling defense personnel out of Venezuela,...
Russian, Chinese Leaders Hail Burgeoning Ties
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday hosted Chinese leader Xi Jinping for Kremlin talks that reflected increasingly close ties between the two countries that were communist rivals during the Cold War. Xi called Putin his “close friend,” noting that they have met nearly 30 times over the last six years. The trip marked...
Two More Victims of Hungarian Boat Disaster Found
Hungarian police say they have found two more victims from last week’s collision between a tour boat and a cruise ship on the Danube River. Divers found the body of a woman outside the sunken tour boat Mermaid Monday at the site of the disaster in Budapest. The second body was pulled out of the river in a town about 100 kilometers (62...
Exile: Data Dump Shows More Russian Political Meddling
A prominent exiled Russian opposition figure says recently leaked documents show Russian meddling in U.S. affairs was more sophisticated, ambitious and potentially more dire than the social media influence campaigns during the 2016 election. First reported by NBC, the documents involve Kremlin-linked oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin and other figures...
Hungarian Rescue Crews to Raise Tourist Boat from River
Rescue crews in Budapest Friday are working to raise a sightseeing boat from the bottom of the Danube River, while searching for 21 people still missing after a cruise ship collided with the smaller tour boat late Wednesday. Seven people are confirmed dead and seven have been rescued All but two people on the boat were South Korean tourists....
Cruise Ship Captain Arrested After Deadly Collision with Tour Boat
Hungarian police have arrested the captain of the cruise ship that collided with a smaller tour boat on the Danube River late Wednesday, causing the boat to sink in just seconds. Seven people are confirmed dead and 21 others missing. All but two people on the boat were South Korean tourists. Police arrested the Ukrainian captain of the Viking...
Germany Urges Resumption of Ukraine Peace Talks
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas called Thursday for the resumption of stalled Ukraine peace talks, after a meeting with French colleague Jean-Yves Le Drian and new Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv. France and Germany have been prime movers behind what is known as the Minsk peace process, bringing in Ukraine and Russia for talks...
Ukraine MPs Vote Against Cabinet Resignation
Ukrainian lawmakers have refused to accept the Cabinet’s resignation in a snub to the nation’s newly sworn-in president. Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the comedian who won a landslide victory in last month’s presidential election, faces a hostile parliament dominated by supporters of former president Petro Poroshenko. Zelenskiy called...
Former Georgian Leader Returns to Ukraine
Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has returned to his adopted homeland of Ukraine a day after its new leader reinstated his citizenship. Saakashvili became a Ukrainian citizen in 2015 after giving up citizenship of his native Georgia, where he faced abuse-of-power charges related to his time as president in 2004-13. He moved to...
