Section: Voice of America (USA)
Pro-Putin Party Wins Duma Elections Decisively Despite Low Turnout
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party pulled off a landslide victory in Sunday’s elections for seats in the State Duma, the lower house of Russia’s parliament. Putin’s party won 54 percent of the vote with a historically low voter turnout — just 48 percent. The victory gives United Russia an additional 105...
Putin’s Party Expected to Retain Power in Sunday’s Parliamentary Elections
The ruling United Russia party is expected to retain its absolute majority and perhaps increase its dominance in Russia’s lower house, State Duma, in the parliamentary election Sunday. United Russia, led by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, a loyalist of President Vladimir Putting, has 238 of 450 Duma seats and dominates the more than 80...
Russia Promises Competitive Elections Within Its ‘Managed Democracy’
Russian lawmakers under President Vladimir Putin have proven themselves nothing if not efficient. This last session alone, the lower legislative chamber, the Duma, and the upper chamber, the Federation Council, passed nearly 2,000 laws, including a record 160 pieces of legislation by the upper house in one day last June. Despite the presence of...
US Condemns Russian Elections in Crimea
The United States says it will not recognize the outcome of the Russian parliamentary elections slated for Russian-occupied Crimea Sunday. State Department spokesman John Kirby said in a statement “Our position on Crimea is clear: the peninsula remains an integral part of Ukraine. Crimea-related sanctions against Russia will remain until...
Ukraine Faces Battle to Speed Economic Growth, Secure Peace
Ukraine feels its reform efforts have been vindicated by the International Monetary Fund’s decision to give it another $1 billion in aid, but the country still faces a struggle to speed economic growth and achieve lasting change. After waiting for nearly a year for Kyiv to accelerate reforms, the IMF announced the release of more aid...
IMF Board Approves $1B Loan Disbursement for Ukraine
The International Monetary Fund said its board on Wednesday approved a long-awaited loan disbursement to Ukraine of about $1 billion after a review of the country’s bailout program. The IMF has agreed to pump $17.5 billion into Ukraine’s economy in a four-year bailout, releasing the funds in installments subject to the...
Aligned With Russia in Syria, Pentagon Awkwardly Treads on New Terrain
For Pentagon officers who cut their teeth during the Cold War, the prospect of U.S. battlefield cooperation with Russia in Syria is not only uncomfortable. It’s also unprecedented. Against that background, the reactions of U.S. military officials range from caution to outright skepticism over a Geneva-based “joint integration...
Germany, France See Fresh Momentum From Ukraine Cease-fire
The German and French foreign ministers said on Wednesday an attempt to revive a cease-fire in eastern Ukraine from midnight could set the scene for agreement next week on further peace moves. Visiting Kyiv with his French counterpart, Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Ukraine had agreed to abide by a new seven-day truce proposed by Russian-backed...
Ukraine Rebel Leader Announces Unilateral Truce
The separatist leader in eastern Ukraine on Tuesday announced a unilateral cease-fire starting at midnight Wednesday, which could be a major step in solving the conflict that has been raging for more than two years. The conflict between Russian-backed separatist rebels and Ukrainian government troops has killed more than 9,500 people since it...
3 Ukrainian Soldiers Killed in East Despite Truce
Three Ukrainian servicemen were killed and 15 wounded in the past 24 hours in fighting with pro-Russian separatists, the Ukrainian military said on Tuesday – the first major casualties since a cease-fire came into force on September 1. Over the past two weeks monitors have reported a sharp decrease in hostilities along the eastern front...
