Section: Voice of America (USA)
Economists Slam Russian PM’s Optimistic Growth Forecast
Russian economists have slammed Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev’s optimistic outlook on his country’s economy. In a group interview with five Russian television channels Wednesday, Medvedev claimed Russia’s economy was no longer receding and, by his estimation, would begin growing in 2016. “Based on the data that are available to...
Russian Journalist Suspected of Espionage Forced to Leave Poland
A Russian journalist who has come under suspicion of espionage in Poland – but who has never been confronted with specific spying accusations by Polish authorities – is being forced to leave Poland. Leonid Sviridov told The Associated Press on Thursday that he will leave Warsaw on Saturday after running out of legal options for...
Ukraine Says Breaks Up Armed Insurgent Group in Kyiv, 2 Killed
Ukraine’s security service said on Thursday it had broken up an armed insurgent group that operated out of Kyiv and other major Ukrainian cities and that two people had been killed during the operation. The SBU security service said it had detained three Russian and four Ukrainian citizens after a shootout in which a special forces officer...
US General: Russia Has ‘Changed the Security Environment in Europe’
General Ben Hodges, the commanding general of U.S. Army Europe, sat down with VOA Pentagon correspondent Carla Babb to discuss Russian aggression in Ukraine, the Islamic State threat to European allies and U.S. women in combat. Hodges told VOA that Russia has “changed the security environment in Europe.” He said the Crimea crisis would be a...
UN: As Ukraine Fighting Dwindles, Rights Abuses Rise
While the United Nations has found a marked decrease in fighting between Ukraine’s forces and Russian-backed rebels in the country’s east, it also reports an increase in abuses of civilians in the insurgent-controlled areas of Donetsk and Luhansk. Monitors for the U.N.’s Human Rights Office in Ukraine reported Wednesday that the...
Time Magazine Names Merkel “Person of the Year 2015”
Time magazine has named German Chancellor Angela Merkel its 2015 “Person of the Year”, noting her leadership during the Syrian refugee crisis, the Greek bail-out deal, currency turmoil in the European Union, and Russia’s intervention in Ukraine. The magazine said Merkel “stepped in” every time Europe faced a serious crisis. It...
Kerry Plans to Visit Russia Within the Week
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry says he hopes to visit Russia within the next week for talks on the crisis in Syria and Ukraine. Kerry said Wednesday in Paris that he is planning to visit Moscow “in a week” to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the two matters. If he makes the trip, it will come...
UN: Violence Slows in Ukraine, But Death Toll More Than 9,000
The United Nations’ human rights office says more than 9,000 people have died in 21 months of fighting in eastern Ukraine, even though there has been a “sharp de-escalation of hostilities” since August. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said in its report released Wednesday that the withdrawal of heavy...
US Troops Show Solidarity with Ukraine Through Training
U.S. soldiers in western Ukraine are training Ukrainian soldiers on how to survive and thrive on the battlefield. VOA Pentagon correspondent Carla Babb found the 60-day course is helping to better prepare Ukrainian troops for the fight they face in the country’s east. …read more Source: Voice of...
Ukraine Partially Restores Electricity Supplies to Crimea
Ukraine partially restored power to Crimea on Tuesday, after a series of explosions last month damaged high voltage lines supplying electricity to the peninsula, annexed by Russia in March, 2014. Electricity started flowing again along one of the four power lines destroyed by blasts during protests against Russia’s annexation of Crimea....
