Section: Voice of America (USA)
Ukraine Parliament Approves New PM
Ukraine’s parliament has approved President Petro Poroshenko’s nominee for prime minister, Volodymyr Groysman, after accepting Arseniy Yatsenyuk’s resignation. Lawmakers voted on the new government Thursday. Groysman, a Poroshenko ally, had been the parliamentary speaker. The 41-year-old Yatsenyuk announced Sunday that he was...
Ukrainian Pilot on ‘Dry’ Hunger Strike in Russian Prison
The Ukrainian pilot whose 22-year prison sentence by a Russian court last month was widely criticized as a farce is now carrying out a “dry hunger strike” to protest her detention. Lawyers for Nadezhda Savchenko said their client had taken no food or water since her conviction formally went into effect one week ago. They said she...
NBA’s Only Ukrainian Player Embraces His Adopted US City
For nearly four-and-a-half years, Ukrainian basketball player Alex Len has been building his career in the United States. His country is very different now from when he left it. No one could have predicted then that Ukraine would be torn apart by the annexation of Crimea and the war in eastern Ukraine. Now, this NBA player has become a big hope...
Russia Pushes Back ‘Putin’s Bridge’ to Annexed Crimea by a Year
Russia has pushed back the completion date of a showcase multi-billion dollar bridge to link the Russian mainland with annexed Crimea by one year, saying the original plan had to be adjusted to take account of the weight of the trains that will cross it. The Kremlin sees the bridge, which will span the Kerch Strait, as vital to integrating...
US Accuses Countries Across Globe of Human Rights Abuses
The U.S. accused authoritarian regimes around the world Wednesday of suppressing their people with “increasing vigor and viciousness” to control any activities that might threaten their power. In its 40th annual human rights report, the U.S. State Department said, “In 2015, this global crackdown by authoritarian states on civil...
US Senator: Russia Policy Needs to Be Tougher
In what could be a preview of the kind of foreign policy debates that will feature in the U.S. presidential race later this year, a senior Republican member of the Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee has strongly criticized the Obama administration’s policy toward Russia. In an interview with VOA’s Georgian service, Senator...
UN Staff Member Kidnapped in Eastern Ukraine
The United Nations is calling for the “immediate and unconditional” release of one of its staff members kidnapped in eastern Ukraine. A United Nations office in Ukraine statement says it is deeply concerned one of its staff members is being held captive in Donetsk. The statement says the United Nations has information the staff member...
Lithuania Blacklists 46 for Their Role in Savchenko Trial
Lithuania blacklisted several dozen Russians and Ukrainians for their role in the detention and sentencing of the Ukrainian pilot Nadezhda Savchenko and two other Ukrainians, Lithuania’s foreign minister said Tuesday. Ukraine expanded sanctions against Russia last month after a Russian court found Savchenko, 34, guilty of complicity in the...
Analysts: Ukraine Government Shake-up Raises Hopes, Concerns
The resignation of Ukraine’s embattled Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk, made official Tuesday, raises hopes for ending a political crisis that has delayed Western financial support and led many to question Ukraine’s path to reform. The current speaker of Ukraine’s parliament, Volodymyr Groysman, is widely expected to be elected...
NATO, Russia Schedule First Formal Talks Since 2014
Officials from NATO and Russia are scheduled to hold their first formal meeting in almost two years, covering Ukraine, the security situation in Afghanistan, and military activities, the Western alliance said Tuesday. The meeting scheduled for April 20 at NATO headquarters in Brussels will take place at the ambassadorial level. NATO suspended all...
