Section: Voice of America (USA)
Ukraine Says Clean Russian Oil Starts Flowing from Belarus
Pipeline operator Ukrtransnafta said on Monday that clean Russian oil had started flowing from Belarus towards Ukraine and it was ready to resume oil exports to the European Union following a transit hiatus over contaminated crude. Flows through the Druzhba pipeline were suspended in late April because tainted crude had entered the system,...
China, Climate, Russia to Dominate Pompeo Europe Tour
The Trump administration is energizing its campaign to counter China’s growing global influence as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo heads to Europe this week on a four-nation trip that will also highlight disputes with Russia over Venezuela and elsewhere as well as deep U.S. isolation on the cause and impact of climate change. With China...
Slovak PM’s White House Visit Spotlights US Defense Accords
VOA’s Russian Service contributed to this report. WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump applauded Slovak Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini’s announcement that his country plans to increase its military spending to 2% of its GDP in the next three years, as well as purchase U.S.-made F-16 war planes. A joint statement issued by the two...
Venezuela Crisis Discussed in Trump-Putin Call
VOA’s Nike Ching at the State Department and Carla Babb at the Pentagon contributed to this report. WHITE HOUSE — The crisis in Venezuela was among the topics discussed in a Friday phone call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. “The president reiterated the need for a peaceful transition” in...
Trump, Putin Discuss Possible New Nuclear Accord
U.S. President Donald Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin for more than an hour on Friday, discussing the possibility of a new nuclear accord, North Korean denuclearization and the political situation in Venezuela, the White House said. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told reporters Trump and Putin talked about the possibility...
UN Mission: Ukraine Actions After Odessa Fire Inadequate
Five years after 48 people died in clashes in the Ukrainian city of Odessa, including dozens in a burning building, the U.N. human rights monitoring mission in the country is criticizing authorities for delays in prosecution and investigation of the violence. The violence started in a confrontation between demonstrators calling for autonomy for...
New Names New US Commander in Europe Amid NATO Worries, Tensions
The United States is installing new military leadership in Europe at a moment of heightened worries about Russian aggression, doubts about the future of arms control and rising tensions among NATO allies. These pressures are reflected in stepped-up U.S. military maneuvers in Europe, including the unusual simultaneous deployment last week of two...
Georgian President: Decadelong Russian Military Occupation a Failure
Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili says Russia’s decadelong military occupation of South Ossetia and Abkhazia has failed to break the national will to maintain sovereignty and achieve European Union and NATO accession. “Despite the occupied territories and despite the … constant everyday pressure with hostage-taking, with...
Putin Suddenly Sacks Russian Envoy to Belarus Amid Oil Row
Russian President Vladimir Putin suddenly sacked Moscow’s ambassador to Belarus, Mikhail Babich, the Kremlin said on Tuesday, amid a row over contaminated oil and a wider political discord between the ex-Soviet countries. Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko has generally been more closely aligned with Moscow than any other ex-Soviet...
Zelenskiy Officially Declared Winner of Presidential Election in Ukraine
Ukraine’s Central Election Commission has formally declared Volodymyr Zelenskiy the winner of the country’s presidential election, releasing final results from the April 21 runoff vote. Commission Chairwoman Tetyana Slipachuk announced on April 30 that Zelenskiy received 13,541,528 votes, more than 73 percent, while incumbent...
