Section: Voice of America (USA)
Russia Slams EU Decision to Extend Sanctions
Kremlin officials denounced the decision by the European Union to extend economic sanctions against Russia for an additional six months. The sanctions were extended to keep pressure on Moscow over the conflict in eastern Ukraine and have drawn a warning of retaliation from Russian officials. The Russian Foreign Ministry accused the Europeans of...
Carter Warns of Growing Russian Threat
U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter has warned that the threat from Russia is growing – and is not limited to its actions in Ukraine. On a visit to NATO allies in Europe, Carter pledged to stand up to Russia’s actions – but said the West would not rely on ‘the Cold War playbook.’ The West accuses Russia of sending troops into eastern...
Carter: No Desire for Conflict With Russia
U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Monday there is neither a desire for a return to a Cold War nor for a new conflict with Russia. He spoke at a forum in Berlin where he was also meeting with German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen. Both were due to travel later Monday to Muenster to meet with their counterparts from Norway and the...
EU Extends Sanctions Against Russia for 6 Months
European Union foreign ministers formally agreed Monday to extend economic sanctions against Russia for an additional six months in response to the country’s role in neighboring Ukraine. The move came during a meeting of the 28-member bloc’s foreign ministers in Luxembourg. EU envoys had preliminarily approved the measure last week....
Iran’s Zarif to Meet EU FMs Ahead of Nuclear Talks
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohamed Javad Zarif is to meet several of his European Union counterparts Monday, before the June 30 deadline for an international accord on Tehran’s nuclear program. The final round of talks on the Iranian nuclear program are to begin later in the week. The French news agency reports an unidentified EU source says...
Artisan Cheese Makers Emerge from Russian Ban on Western Foods
Russia is expected to extend a ban on Western food imports in response to the European Union’s reported decision to continued sanctions against Russia over its actions in Ukraine. The ban has raised prices in Russia for scarce European meat and cheese, but also spurred local producers to fill the gap. One Italian shop in Moscow has made a...
Carter to Discuss New European Defense Posture
U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter will visit Europe this week to urge NATO allies to adapt to a new kind of threat from Russia in the east and Islamic State to the south. He is to meet with officials in Germany, Estonia and Belgium to encourage allied ministers to better work together in countering threats facing Europe. U.S. officials say he...
World Refugee Day Highlights Plight of Nearly 60 Million
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Saturday marked World Refugee Day with a global call to remember the plight of nearly 60 million people forcibly displaced last year by conflict and persecution. In a statement, Ban urged the global community to honor “our common humanity,” while celebrating “tolerance and diversity.”...
One Year In, Ukraine’s President Faces Huge Challenges
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko spent his first year in office struggling against Russia-backed rebels in the east, a crumbling economy and deep-rooted corruption. He has put Ukraine on a European path, but political analysts say more reforms are needed. VOA’s Daniel Schearf reports. …read more Source: Voice of...
Artisan Cheese Makers in Russia Seek Gain From Import Ban
Russia is expected to extend a ban on Western food imports in response to continued sanctions by the European Union over Ukraine. The ban has raised prices in Russia for scarce European meat and cheese, but also spurred local producers to fill the gap. One Italian shop in Moscow has made a clever advertisement making light of the political...
