Section: Voice of America (USA)
Kremlin Official Calls Ukraine Authorities ‘West’s Henchmen’
A Kremlin official has accused Ukrainian authorities in Kyiv of being “henchmen,” acting on orders from the West. “The West’s henchman came to power [in February] and have now, in my opinion, lost some of their sovereignty, independence in decision-making and are acting under orders,” said Nikolai Patrushev, a top...
Britain Does U-turn on ex-KGB Agent Litvinenko Murder Inquiry
Britain on Tuesday overturned its decision not to hold a public inquiry into the death of former KGB spy Alexander Litvinenko, who accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of ordering his murder from his London deathbed in 2006. A year ago, the British government rejected a request for an inquiry into the killing of Litvinenko, who died after...
EU Ministers Threaten Russia with Sanctions but Action Unsure
European Union foreign ministers threatened Russia on Tuesday with harsher sanctions over Ukraine, but tougher talk may not be matched by much action after France’s president signaled the disputed delivery of a warship to Moscow would go ahead. The 28 EU ministers met under growing pressure from the United States and Britain to step up...
France Defies Allies, Confirms Warship for Russia
President Francois Hollande won broad domestic applause on Tuesday for defying allies Britain and the United States by confirming plans to deliver a helicopter carrier to Russia. One backer dismissed their objections as hypocritical. Speaking on the eve of a European Union meeting to discuss sanctions on Moscow over Thursday’s downing of a...
Australian PM Alleges ‘Coverup’ At MH17 Crash Site
Australia’s prime minister is alleging a “cover-up” amid tampering of evidence at the Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 crash site in Ukraine. Meanwhile, Russia’s ambassador to Malaysia denies the crashed plane’s black boxes were opened before they were handed over to Malaysian officials. Prime minister Abbott says...
Ukraine to Call Up More Reservists
Ukraine’s parliament approved a presidential decree on Tuesday to call up more military reserves and men under 50 to fight rebels in eastern Ukraine and defend the border against a concentration of troops in Russia. Some 45 days after the latest call-up of additional reserves, which has now expired, Kyiv repeated the decree to...
Train Carrying Crash Victims’ Remains Arrives in Ukraine-held City
The remains of some of the nearly 300 victims of the Malaysia Airlines plane downed over Ukraine were making their way to the Netherlands on Tuesday as a senior Ukrainian separatist leader handed over the plane’s black boxes to Malaysian experts. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte told a news conference on Monday that a train carrying around...
Romania’s Basescu Slams EU for Soft Putin Stance
Romania’s President Traian Basescu on Monday accused the European Union of being weak and too slow in imposing sanctions on Russia to deter it from encroaching further into Europe after its annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea. An ex-communist state on the Black Sea, Romania joined the EU in 2007 and has been among the most vehement...
UN Demands Rebels Give Access to MH17 Site
The U.N. Security Council unanimously demanded on Monday that armed groups controlling the crash site in eastern Ukraine where Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 went down immediately allow safe and unrestricted access to the wreckage. The Council strongly condemned the downing of the aircraft and called for a “full, thorough and independent...
Obama Urges Full, Unimpeded Ukraine Probe
U.S. President Barack Obama says Russia must do its part to pressure pro-Russian separatists to allow international access to the downed Malaysian airliner in Ukraine. In remarks at the White House Monday, Obama said the truth must come out and international teams must be allowed access to the crash site, which has been blocked by separatists....
