Section: Voice of America (USA)
Clashes in Kyiv Injure 100 After Vote on East
Clashes broke out between police and nationalist protesters outside the Ukrainian parliament on Monday after a controversial vote to give greater powers to separatist regions in the east. About 100 law enforcement officers were injured, 10 of them seriously, the Interior Ministry said. At least some of the officers were injured in the explosion...
Ukraine Cancels Upcoming Local Polls Near Combat Zone
Election officials in Ukraine have canceled upcoming local polls in parts of two rebel-controlled regions near the Russian border, after determining that authorities can not guarantee voter or polling place safety. The Central Election Commission, in a statement Sunday, said the cancellations of October 25 voting will affect 91 local councils in...
Ukraine Asks Russia for Lower Gas Prices
Ukraine asked Russia on Friday for lower gas prices for the winter and said Moscow should accept to write off a part of its loans to Kiev, as other international bondholders did this week. Gas disputes between Russia and Ukraine have led to cut-offs of supply in the past, and one standoff in 2009 caused serious disruptions in gas flowing from...
Higher Prices Dent Putin’s Popularity
Russians’ concern about rising prices has eroded President Vladimir Putin’s approval ratings but these remain extremely high, the daily Vedomosti reported on Friday. It cited a poll by the Public Opinion Foundation as showing that 72 percent of Russians would have voted for Putin in August, down from 76 percent in May. Another poll,...
Death Toll in Austrian Migrant Truck Climbs to 70
The Austrian government says the number of dead found in a truck trailer full of refugees on an Austrian highway is higher than first estimated, with 70 or more victims now believed to have suffocated during their journey. Austrian Interior Ministry spokesman Alexander Marakovits on Friday told reporters that at least 70 people were found...
Kyiv Accuses Separatists of Multiple Cease-fire Violations
Ukraine accused Russia-backed rebels of multiple cease-fire violations Thursday, a day after representatives of the two sides agreed to try to halt the ongoing violence by September 1. The headquarters of Kyiv’s “anti-terrorist operation” (ATO) reported that separatist forces in eastern Ukraine violated the cease-fire 54 times...
Russia Courts Mideast With Military Hardware
As Russia’s economy heads into recession, its defense industry is one of the few that seems to be prospering. And that was made clear at Russia’s International Aviation and Space Show (MAKS) this week with the display of its military hardware. The recession, coupled with Western sanctions, has also meant courting customers and allies...
NATO: Training Center in Georgia Step to Membership
NATO said a new training center opened in Georgia on Thursday would help the former Soviet republic to move closer to membership in the military alliance, a prospect sharply opposed by neighboring Russia. Georgia’s government has long hoped to join the alliance. But Russia, which fought a 2008 war with Georgia over two Moscow-backed...
Report: Poland to Store US Military Equipment From Mid-2016
The United States will store heavy military equipment at two sites in Poland from mid-2016, Poland’s defense minister said, a part of Washington’s efforts to reassure allies made uneasy by Russian actions in Ukraine. The move will mark the first time Washington has stored heavy military equipment in the newer NATO member states in...
Western Balkan Leaders, Merkel Discuss Migrant Crisis
As leaders from the western Balkans were meeting Thursday in Vienna to discuss action to stem Europe’s migrant crisis, as many as 50 refugees were found dead in a parked truck in eastern Austria, the Krone newspaper reported. Initial reports indicate the refugees had suffocated, the paper reported. An Austrian official confirmed that a...
