Section: Voice of America (USA)
Putin, German FM Discuss Ukraine
Germany’s foreign minister met with Vladimir Putin in Moscow for talks on Ukraine after a last-minute invitation from the Russian president. Frank-Walter Steinmeier talked for 75 minutes late Tuesday with Putin, although details of their conversation were not available as of early Wednesday. Steinmeier said after a meeting with Russian...
Vice President Biden to Visit Ukraine
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden has left Washington for a five day trip that will include talks with leaders in Ukraine later this week. A senior White house official says Biden on Friday will convey U.S. concerns about “Russia’s ongoing violations of the September 5th Minsk agreement with Ukraine.” The agreement called for a...
Can Minsk Cease-fire Agreement Hold?
Growing tensions between government troops and separatists in eastern Ukraine further threaten a cease-fire agreement reached two months ago in the Belarusian capital of Minsk. Critics of U.S. policy in Ukraine say it is time the Obama administration gives up on that much-violated cease-fire and moves toward a new deal with Russia. VOA’s...
Donetsk Residents Angry Over Kyiv Threat
Citizens of the Ukrainian city of Donetsk say they did not ask for pro-Moscow separatists to take over their city and they should not be punished for the breakaway insurgency by the Ukrainian government in Kyiv, which will end the funding of all public services in rebel areas by this weekend. On a misty and bitingly frigid Tuesday morning here in...
Ukraine Readies for Possible Russian-backed Attack
Ukraine’s military is preparing to repel a possible assault by Russian-backed rebels in the east following reports of Russian military reinforcements crossing the border. Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko has said they are ready for total war. VOA’s Daniel Schearf reports from Ukraine’s front lines in the Donetsk and...
Ukraine Readies for Possible Russian-Backed Rebel Attack
Ukraine’s military is preparing to repel a possible assault by Russian-backed rebels in the east following reports of Russian military reinforcements crossing the border. Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko said Monday in an interview with the daily German daily Bild that the country is ready for total war. Ukraine’s military...
Georgian Leader Tells EU, NATO He Remains on Pro-Western Path
Georgia’s prime minister told the European Union and NATO on Monday that his country remained firmly committed to integration with both organizations after his dismissal of a pro-Western minister caused a political crisis. Irakly Garibashvili sparked the resignation of his foreign minister and the walkout of one of the six parties in his...
Russia Oil Czar to Meet With OPEC in Vienna
Top Russian oil producer Rosneft said Chief Executive Igor Sechin would fly to Vienna on Nov. 25 for an energy market conference, just two days before OPEC meets in the city to debate the plunge in oil prices. The state-backed company declined further comment on Monday, but the surprise announcement raised speculation in oil markets that Sechin,...
EU Moves to Sanction Separatists as E. Ukraine Fighting Intensifies
European Union foreign ministers moved Monday to ratchet up sanctions against pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine, amid reports of intensified fighting in the region. EU diplomats reported that the foreign ministers, who were meeting in Brussels, have asked EU officials to put more separatists on the bloc’s sanctions list. However,...
Putin Admits Russian Troop Role in Crimea Annexation
Contradicting previous denials, President Vladimir Putin has admitted that Russia’s armed forces played a role in events leading up to Moscow’s annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula, but denied direct involvement of his country’s military in a referendum that was used to justify the move, according to an interview...
