Contents tagged with Ukraine

  • Russia forms delegation to attend PACE session

    The Federation Council and the State Duma of Russia formed a delegation on June 19 for possible participation in the summer session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), reports TASS news agency.

    "The Council of the Duma approved the formation of the Duma delegation of the Federal Assembly in PACE or, as it is officially called, the deputation of the State Duma. It included 22 people - 11 representatives and 11 deputies. According to the inter-factional quota principle, …

  • Russia’s leaders could face charges in MH17 murder case

    Charges could be brought against high-ranking Russian officials and military officers in the MH17 murder case, said Ukrainian Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko, as cited by Interfax-Ukraine.

    “We will start with the soldiers and end with the generals and politicians,” he remarked.

    Lutsenko noted that, at a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) press conference in the Netherlands, relatives of the victims had asked whether it would be possible to press charges against Russian President Vladimir Putin. …

  • Kyiv: Russia deployed 82000 troops along Ukrainian border in Donbas and Crimea

    The Chief of the Verification Department of the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Andriy Gudz, at a briefing in Kyiv, said that "the total number of troops that Russia holds along the state border of Ukraine in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, as well as in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea is about 82 thousand soldiers." He noted that these are combat-ready troops.

    According to Gudz, at the moment there are more than 25 battalion tactical groups along the state border of Ukraine in the …

  • Ukrainian President Zelensky: I'll tell Putin that Crimea and Donbas are Ukraine

    In an interview with the German newspaper Bild, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said that he will start a conversation at a possible meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin with the issue of the Donbas and Crimea.

    "Let's start with the fact that the Donbas and the Crimea are Ukraine," Zelensky said.

    He expressed hope that Crimea will return to Ukraine as soon as possible.

    "I love Crimea so much. I've been there many, many times. This is a unique place in Ukraine with its nature …

  • Pentagon decides to allocate additional $250 million to Ukraine for defense

    The US Department of Defense announced that it will allocate an additional $250 million to Ukraine in the framework of cooperation between the countries in the field of defense, according to a statement on the Pentagon website.

    "This security cooperation is made possible by Ukraine’s continued progress on the adoption of key defense institutional reforms to align Ukraine’s national security architecture with Euro-Atlantic principles," reads the statement of the Defense Department of the USA. …

  • Germany urges the Russia to continue gas transit through Ukraine after 2019

    Germany stressed how important it is to maintain gas transit through Ukraine after 2019, when the current contract expires, said a representative of the German government Steffen Seibert at a briefing in Berlin, as reported by Ukrinform.

     “From our point of view, it is absolutely necessary for Ukraine to remain a transit state. We demand it. It is in our interests and we insist that transit through the country be possible in the future,” Seibert said.

    According to him, Berlin is actively …

  • Ukrainian President Zelensky: preparations for the Normandy format meeting have started

    President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, at a joint briefing with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris, said that the advisers of the member-countries of the Normandy format will meet soon to prepare for the meeting of the leaders of Ukraine, Germany, France, and Russia, reports Ukrinform News Agency.

    "We agreed on the importance of restoring cooperation within the Normandy format. Our foreign policy advisers will meet soon and prepare the next meeting of the leaders. This is a key issue," …

  • Macron does not want Russia completely excluded from Council of Europe

    During a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, French President Emmanuel Macron said that he intends to prevent a full withdrawal of Russia from the Council of Europe. He also said that restricting the rights of the Russian Delegation in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) cannot be considered as a sanction against Russia for its aggression against Ukraine.

    “There are matters of sanctions on Russia, and in this regard France is adhering to …

  • Ukrainian President Zelensky: No direct dialog with DPR and LPR possible

    Ukraine is not willing to negotiate directly with the Donbas separatists, but will continue to operate in the Minsk format, said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a press conference after meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, Ukrayinska Pravda reports.

    Macron’s interpreter had said on his behalf: “Zelensky has given signs from his side that he is willing to enter a ceasefire, and is open to dialog with the separatists”.

    The Ukrainian president denied this.

    “There has been a …

  • Kremlin: Putin adopts wait-and-see approach with Ukrainian President Zelensky

    In an episode of the program “Moscow. Kremlin. Putin”, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that Putin has taken a wait-and-see attitude towards Ukraine’s new president, Volodymyr Zelensky, because it is not yet clear what his approach will be towards the essential items on the agenda, Interfax reports. In particular, it is unclear whether Ukraine will maintain its “hostile” stance toward Russia. The Kremlin would also like to understand the new president’s attitude to the Minsk Agreements. …