Section: Voice of America (USA)
Ukraine: Three More Soldiers Killed in Fighting with Pro-Russian Separatists
Ukraine says three of its soldiers were killed and 17 wounded in new fighting with pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine as a cease-fire in the region continues to unravel. Ukrainian military spokesman Andriy Lysenko said two of the deaths occurred from a mortar attack near the town of Svitlodarsk, northeast of the rebel stronghold of...
Russia Wants Cash From France if Mistral Deal Is Voided
Russia wants 1.163 billion euros ($1.32 billion) from France in compensation for canceling a contract to deliver two Mistral helicopter carriers, a Russian source close to the negotiations said Friday. French President Francois Holland has come under pressure from his Western allies not to deliver the Mistrals because of Russia’s role in...
Russia-US Dialogue Elevated, But Ukraine Tensions Remain
Political analysts agree the four-hour meeting this week between U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian President Vladimir Putin was a step up in contact between the two countries. Despite tensions over Ukraine, the two sides hold regular discussions, including president-to-president phone calls and numerous meetings between their top...
NATO, EU to Work Together to Counter Russia’s ‘Hybrid’ Warfare
NATO and the EU agreed on Thursday to work together more to counter “hybrid warfare” – the blend of unidentified troops, propaganda and economic pressure that the military alliance says Russia has used against Ukraine. EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini also briefed NATO foreign ministers meeting in Turkey on her plans...
Russia Slams EBRD Lending Decision as ‘Politically Motivated’
Russia criticized on Thursday a decision by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to suspend further loans to the country over the Ukraine crisis and said the bank should not be swayed by “temporary political trends.” Last year the London-based EBRD, set up in 1991 originally to invest in ex-Soviet bloc...
Baltic Military Chiefs Seek Permanent NATO Presence
Baltic states Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia will seek a permanent presence of NATO troops on their territory to counter increased Russian air and naval activity, the Lithuanian army said on Thursday. The states, all with ethnic Russian minorities, fear they could become a target of Kremlin pressure after a pro-Moscow rebellion in eastern Ukraine...
Kerry says Ukraine Peace Deal at ‘Critical Moment’
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry says now is a “critical moment” for Russia and pro-Russia separatists to fulfill a peace deal meant to end violence in eastern Ukraine. VOA’s Jeff Custer has more. …read more Source: Voice of...
Romania Turns Hacking Crisis Into Advantage, Helping Ukraine
Ukraine is turning to an unlikely partner in its struggle to defend itself against Russian cyber warfare: Romania. The eastern European country known more for economic disarray than technological prowess has become one of the leading nations in Europe in the fight against hacking. The reason: the country’s own battle against Internet...
Kerry: Now is ‘Critical Moment’ for Ukraine Conflict
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said now is a “critical moment” for Russia and pro-Russia separatists to fulfill a peace deal meant to end violence in eastern Ukraine. Kerry made the comment in Antalya, Turkey, where he met Wednesday with NATO foreign ministers. Kerry’s comments follow meetings Tuesday with Russia’s...
US, Russia Talk Cooperation, but No Breakthroughs
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has met with Russian President Vladimir Putin for the first time since the Kremlin’s annexation of Crimea and its ongoing support for rebels fighting in eastern Ukraine sparked the worst tensions with the West since the Cold War. The two sides, however, spoke in conciliatory tones. VOA’s Daniel...
