Section: Voice of America (USA)
Ukraine Bars Entry to Russian Males, Upping Ante in Conflict
Ukrainian officials on Friday upped the ante in the growing confrontation with Russia, announcing a travel ban for most Russian males and searching the home of an influential cleric of the Russian Orthodox Church. The long-simmering conflict bubbled over Sunday when Russian border guards rammed into and opened fired on three Ukrainian vessels...
Report: Russia, China ‘Stress-Testing’ Resolve of West
Russia and China are among several countries attempting to “stress-test” the resolve of traditional powers, according to a report from the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies. It claims so-called “challenger” nations are persistently testing the tolerance of established powers for different forms of aggression, from proxy...
Trump Cancels Putin Meeting over Moscow Seizure of Ukrainian Ships
U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday abruptly canceled a planned two-hour meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in response to Moscow’s seizure of Ukrainian ships in the Black Sea region. “Based on the fact that the ships and sailors have not been returned to Ukraine from Russia, I have decided it would be best for all...
Kerch Naval Clash Upends Planned Trump-Putin Talks
Until the Russian attack Sunday on Ukrainian vessels in the Black Sea, the White House and the Kremlin had at least agreed on one thing, the agenda for Saturday’s scheduled face-to-face between U.S. President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, their second summit meeting. Arms control, security issues as well as the...
Erdogan, Trump Set to Meet at G20
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and U.S. President Donald Trump are due to meet on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Erdogan indicated U.S. support for a Syrian Kurdish militia would top their agenda. Speaking before leaving for Buenos Aires, Erdogan said the planned talks would pick up on themes raised in...
Trump Under Pressure to Take Forceful Line With Putin at G20
Until the Russian attack Sunday on Ukrainian vessels in the Black Sea, the White House and the Kremlin had at least been agreed on one thing: the agenda for Saturday’s scheduled face-to-face between U.S. President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, their second summit meeting. Arms control, security issues as well as...
Ukrainian President Seeks NATO Support in Russia Dispute
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko is asking NATO allies to send naval ships to the Sea of Azov to aid his country and “provide security” amid tensions with Russia. Poroshenko’s comments were published Thursday in the German newspaper Bild. NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu responded to Poroshenko’s request by saying the...
Russia Blocks Passage in Kerch Strait After Ukraine Incident
Russia has blocked passage through the Kerch Strait, a narrow body of water nestled between Crimea and the Russian mainland, after three Ukrainian navy ships made what the Russian coast guard has called an unauthorized crossing through Russian territorial waters. The move comes after months of growing tensions between Ukraine and Russia, which...
Scuffles in Romania at Blessing of Orthodox Cathedral
Tens of thousands of Romanians braved hours of cold weather Sunday for the blessing of a grandiose Orthodox cathedral consecrated to mark 100 years since modern-day Romania was created in the aftermath of World War I. The event was marred after three people were hospitalized when scuffles broke out between riot police and Orthodox believers....
Russian Minority Party Wins Latvian Vote; Populists Surge
An opposition party favored by Latvia’s large ethnic Russian minority has won the Baltic nation’s parliamentary election, but it’s expected to face difficulties forming a ruling coalition after a vote that saw new populist parties surge and government parties falter. Voters in Latvia, a member of the European Union and NATO,...
