Section: Voice of America (USA)
Plunging Oil Prices Have Unpredictable Impact on Politics, Economics
Global oil prices are falling drastically, and a new World Bank study says they may remain low for a year or more. Lower energy costs can often help boost economic growth. Low prices might also increase political tensions and hurt investments in key energy sectors. The oil market is seeing a production surge from the United States as new...
Putin Meets with Ukraine’s Poroshenko in Milan
Russian President Vladimir Putin has met with Ukrainian leader Petro Poroshenko in the latest attempt to ease tensions over the simmering conflict in eastern Ukraine. Several other European leaders attended the meeting Friday morning in Milan, but there was little indication of progress in patching up the cease-fire in eastern Ukraine and...
Ukraine Crisis Shadows EU-Asia Summit in Milan
Amid ongoing tensions over the crisis in Ukraine, European leaders are holding their first formal meeting since June with Russian President Vladimir Putin during a two-day EU-Asian summit in Milan. Putin is also expected to hold talks with his Ukrainian counterpart, Petro Poroshenko. In opening remarks at the bi-annual meeting between European...
Putin to Launch Diplomatic Push Over Ukraine at Asia-Europe Summit
The ongoing crisis in Ukraine will dominate the agenda at the Asia-Europe Meeting, which begins Thursday in Milan, Italy. Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold a series of talks with his European counterparts during the two-day summit, beginning with German Chancellor Angela Merkel after his arrival on Thursday from Serbia. He will then...
UN Members to Elect 5 Countries to Security Council
The U.N. General Assembly will elect five new members to the Security Council on Thursday, each for a two-year term. The outcome is mostly pre-determined before the ballots are cast. Regional groups decide which country to put up as their candidate, eliminating competition. This year, the African Group has chosen Angola, the Latin American and...
Putin: Standoff Over Ukraine Threatens ‘Strategic Stability’
Russian President Vladimir Putin says tensions between Moscow and Washington over the Ukraine crisis threaten “strategic stability,” and that his country will not be “blackmailed” by Western sanctions. Putin’s comments, released Wednesday in Moscow, appear in the Serbian daily Politika ahead of a brief Putin visit to...
Putin, Poroshenko to Discuss Gas Deal, Peace Moves in Italy
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian leader Petro Poroshenko will look for ways to settle a dispute over natural gas supplies and end months of conflict in east Ukraine at talks in Italy this week. The meeting in Milan on Friday, is an encouraging sign for Moscow, Kyiv and Brussels, which fears Russia’s decision to cut supplies to...
Experts Divided Over Whether Russia Sanctions Are Working
After several rounds of international sanctions against Russia for its annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula in March and support of pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine, experts are divided over whether they are working. “It depends on what your understanding of the purpose of sanctions is,” said Matthew Rojansky with the...
China, Russia Sign Landmark Energy, Finance, Tech Deals
Chinese leaders are in Moscow forming a range of deals and collaborations with Russian companies. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang personally attended meetings that saw signings more than 40 agreements across many sectors and industries. The deals cover energy, finance and technology. They also extend credit lines from Chinese banks and arrange for...
Kerry, Lavrov Meet, Discuss Ukraine
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has called for the withdrawal of all “foreign forces” from eastern Ukraine, after meeting Tuesday in Paris with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Kerry called for a halt to fighting between Ukrainian government forces and Russia-backed separatists around eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk airport....
