Section: Voice of America (USA)
NATO, Russia Talk But Remain Divided on Ukraine
NATO and Russia held more than three hours of talks on Monday, discussing ways to reduce military accidents but also underscoring their deep disagreement on the conflict in Ukraine. Western diplomats said the fact that the NATO-Russia Council, where the Russian ambassador to the North Atlantic alliance sits with members states’ envoys, had...
Ukraine Nationalizes Largest Bank After Stability Concerns
Ukraine is nationalizing its largest bank following concerns over its stability. The cabinet agreed late Sunday to move PrivatBank into full state ownership, saying the move was carried out “in close coordination with international financial organizations” and with the consent of PrivatBank’s owners – an apparent reference...
NATO Seeks to Allay Concerns at Meeting With Russia
NATO will seek to reassure Russia on Monday that its troop deployments to the Baltics and Poland next year are purely defensive, in a rare meeting of the alliance’s envoys with those of the Kremlin that is unlikely to resolve long-standing grievances. The NATO-Russia Council, the forum bringing together North Atlantic Treaty Organization...
American Accused in Massive Wall Street Cybertheft Deported, Faces US Charges
An American man whom U.S. prosecutors have accused of organizing the largest known cyberattack on Wall Street was arrested and appeared in U.S. court this week after being deported from Russia to the United States. Lawyers for Joshua Aaron, 32, confirmed that he arrived in New York around midday Wednesday aboard a commercial flight from Moscow....
Navalny Calls Minsk Accords a Priority if Elected Russian President
Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny has followed his declaration of intent to run in Russia’s next presidential election by saying one of his top priorities if elected would be to implement the Minsk accords aimed at ending the conflict in Ukraine. …read more Source: Voice of...
Japan, Russia Summit Produces Economic Deals, No Peace Treaty
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Russian President Vladimir Putin ended two days of talks without any significant breakthrough on the major issue that divides them, a territorial dispute that dates back to World War II. The two leaders met Friday in Tokyo after holding talks the day before at a hot spring resort in southwest Japan. In the...
EU Extends Sanctions on Russia
European Union leaders meeting Thursday in Brussels agreed to extend sanctions on Russia for another six months, EU officials said. The one-day summit, which ran late into the evening, capped a turbulent year for the 28-member group as questions loom over the integrity and future of the organization. The decision to extend sanctions on Russia...
NATO-Russia Council to Meet Amid East-West Standoff
NATO envoys will hold a formal meeting with Russia on Monday after Moscow agreed to a “frank discussion” about the east-west standoff that both sides say is a risk to Europe’s stability. The NATO-Russia Council, the forum bringing together NATO ambassadors and Russia’s top diplomat attached to the U.S.-led alliance, will...
EU Deal Aims for Closer Ties With Ukraine
European Union leaders on Thursday agreed to a compromise with representatives from the Netherlands that will allow increased cooperation and trade with Ukraine. The Netherlands is the only country that has not ratified a so-called association agreement between the EU and Ukraine that would help the country achieve closer relations with the West....
Ukraine to Release 15 Prisoners in ‘Goodwill Gesture’ to Pro-Russia Rebels
Ukraine on Thursday said it would pardon and release 15 prisoners captured in separatist areas of eastern Ukraine as a way to start further prisoner swaps with pro-Russian rebels. The prisoners will receive a presidential pardon and be returned home before the two sides meet for talks in Belarus next week, said Ukrainian lawmaker Iryna...
