Section: Voice of America (USA)
As Montenegro Looks to NATO, Anxiety Grows Over Future US Commitment
As America’s European allies try to figure out their future relationships with Washington under President-elect Donald Trump, analysts say NATO and Russia are involved in an increasingly tense battle for influence in the Balkan states. Montenegro – formerly part of Serbia until declaring independence in 2006 – is about to join the NATO...
Ukraine Scrambles to Bolster US Support
Ukrainian authorities are laying the groundwork for President Petro Poroshenko to visit Washington early next year, hoping to shore up U.S. support against Russia and allay concerns about what a Donald Trump presidency means for Kiev. Ukraine has relied on Western support and economic aid since street protests in 2014 which toppled a...
Turkey’s Receding EU Hopes Seen as Setback to Cyprus Reunification
Turkey’s prospects of joining the European Union seem remote after the bloc this week criticized Ankara’s crackdown following the attempted coup in July. Turkey’s actions are also impacting the talks continuing in Switzerland over the reunification of Cyprus, which has been divided since Turkey invaded in 1974, in response to a...
Russia Says Its Officials Were in Contact With Trump Campaign
Russian government officials were in contact with members of Donald Trump’s campaign prior to Tuesday’s election, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Thursday. “Obviously, we know most of the people from his entourage,” Ryabkov told the Interfax news agency. “Those people have always been in the limelight in...
Russia Congratulates Trump, Hopes for Better Relations
Russia warmly welcomed the presidential election victory of Donald Trump with officials, analysts, and ordinary citizens cautiously hoping it could turn a new page in relations between Russia and the United States. Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Trump on his win, saying he hoped to work together with the next American president to...
EU Agrees New Sanctions Against Crimea Officials, EU’s Presidency Says
European Union finance ministers agreed on Tuesday new targeted sanctions against Crimean officials, adding to restrictive measures adopted after Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014. “The Council adopted new listings under the restrictive measures in respect of actions undermining Ukraine’s territorial integrity,”...
Is Russia Trying to Influence the US Elections?
As the U.S. presidential campaign winds down to its final hours, Kremlin presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov issued Russia’s own last appeal to US voters: Russia has no intention of interfering in America’s elections. Never mind White House charges of Kremlin hacking of Democratic Party computers. Never mind the Wikileaks release of...
Pro-Russian Candidate Wins First Round of Bulgarian Election
Socialist-backed candidate Rumen Radev, who has called for an end to European Union sanctions against Russia, won the first round of Bulgaria’s presidential election, partial official results showed on Monday. Radev’s close-fought victory over ruling party candidate Tsetska Tsacheva makes the former air force commander the favorite to...
Saakashvili Resigns as Governor of Ukraine’s Odessa Region
Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili tendered his resignation as governor of Ukraine’s southern Odessa region on Monday, accusing highly-placed officials in Kyiv of obstructing his attempts at reform. Saakashvili, who is widely credited with cracking down on graft when he was president of Georgia from 2004-2013, was appointed...
Britain Invests Billions in Cybersecurity in Face of Russian Threat
Britain says it will spend more than $2 billion on cybersecurity and recruit 1,000 more intelligence officers as the country’s intelligence services warn of increasingly aggressive espionage tactics by Moscow, a charge the Kremlin denies. The $2.3 billion investment is aimed at countering emerging threats to national security. British...
