Section: Voice of America (USA)
Polish PM Seeks Confidence Vote After Tape Scandal
Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Wednesday he would seek a confidence vote from parliament after secret recordings of senior officials plunged Poland into its worst political crisis for years. The opposition immediately called on Tusk to resign, but he has refused. “I’m ending my statement with a motion to the parliament speaker to...
NATO to Strengthen Ties With Georgia, Not Offer Full Membership
NATO members, wary of antagonizing Russia, propose closer ties with Georgia but stop short of granting full membership to the one-time Soviet republic. NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said Wednesday the Western military alliance instead will offer Tbilisi a “substantive package” of support, without giving details, when...
Ukraine Boxing Superstar Prepares for City Hall Arena
Vitaliy Klitschko is recognized as a Ukrainian icon for his incredible boxing prowess. But the heavyweight hero says he dreams of a different legacy, as the cleanest, most progressive mayor the city of Kyiv has ever had. He has put his pugilistic pursuits behind him, but says he plans to knock out corruption and clean up this city, in more ways...
NATO Chief: ‘No Signs’ Russia is Respecting Ukraine Commitments
The head of NATO says he sees no signs that Russia is respecting its international commitment regarding Ukraine, and added that meetings Wednesday among NATO foreign ministers will address building Ukraine’s military capabilities. Anders Fogh Rasmussen said Wednesday in Brussels that the NATO foreign ministers, including U.S. Secretary of...
IPU Pushes Democracy, Gender Equality, Human Rights for Parliamentarians
As it celebrates its 125th anniversary, the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) says it will continue to push for greater democracy, gender equality and human rights for parliamentarians around the world. In an interview with VOA, IPU Secretary-General, Anders Johnsson reflected on the evolution of his organization as he prepares to step down after...
Separatists Down Ukrainian Military Helicopter
Pro-Russian separatists have shot down a Ukrainian military helicopter, just a day after the rebels announced a week-long truce in eastern Ukraine matching the cease-fire announced by the country’s president. A Ukrainian military spokesman, Vladislav Seleznyov, said the helicopter was brought down near the eastern Ukrainian city of...
UN: Numbers of Displaced Ukrainians Rising
A senior U.N. human rights official says that over the last two weeks, the number of displaced persons in Ukraine has doubled to more than 46,000 and could be higher. In his briefing to the U.N. Security Council Tuesday, Ivan Simonovic said the situation in eastern Ukraine is “rapidly deteriorating.” Assistant Secretary-General for...
Russia to Set Own Barriers in Response to Ukraine’s EU Trade Pact
With Ukraine set to sign a free trade pact with the European Union on Friday, Russia has said it is likely to respond with trade barriers without seeking approval from Belarus and Kazakhstan, its partners in a customs union. Ukraine is due to sign the second part of its association agreement with the EU on June 27. The pact has been at the heart...
Austria Signs Russian Pipeline Deal, Hosts Rare Putin Visit
Austria gave its final approval to a controversial Russian gas pipeline project on Tuesday, defying EU officials as Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the neutral country that has been a long-standing energy customer for Moscow. The chief executives of Russia’s Gazprom and Austria’s OMV sealed the deal to build a branch of the...
Putin Asks Parliament to Withdraw Request for Ukraine Intervention
Russian news agencies say President Vladimir Putin has asked Russian lawmakers to revoke the right they had granted for Russian forces to intervene in Ukraine. The reports said that President Putin issued the request to the upper house of parliament Tuesday. Late Monday, President Barack Obama urged Putin by telephone to help implement Ukrainian...
