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Crimean Tatar leader: Putin visited Crimea to 'reassure' the people
The head of the Central Election Commission of the Crimean Tatars, Zahir Semdlyaev, believes that the purpose of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to the Crimea on March 18th was to “soothe the Crimean people who live in poor socio-economic conditions.”
"He arrived to promise, to reassure local residents a little, to say that we must still be patient for about another hundred years, and then everything will be fine for sure. But in any case, they [the officials] are fine now, and about …
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Ukrainian Energy Minister: Our gas reserves will last for 50 years
Ukraine has gas reserves of 1 trillion cubic meters that could last for 50 years if sustainable production is maintained, according to the Ukrainian Minister of Energy and Coal Industry, Vladimir Demchyshyn, as quoted by Ukrinform.
"Our reserves are 1 trillion cubic meters. We extract 20 billion. We have enough gas for at least 50 years," he said. By Demchyshyn’s estimate, Ukraine lagged in developing Ukrainian gas extraction in the last 20 years.
"We buy at least 15 billion cubic meters of …
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Poroshenko: Ukraine is pursuing the 'Geneva Plus' format for the de-occupation of Crimea
Ukraine is holding negotiations in the Geneva Plus format for the de-occupation of Crimea with the international community involving participation from the EU, US and signatories from the Budapest Memorandum using the 'Geneva Plus' format.
As the President of Ukraine stated on March 18 on his Facebook page, "over the last two years, there have been mass arrests and repressions in Crimea. The rights of the Crimean Tatars are cynically violated. The behavior of Crimean occupants is becoming more …
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Separatist leader: Elections in the Donbas in accordance with Ukrainian legislation are impossible
The leader of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), Alexander Zakharchenko, reported on Friday on the separatists' website that it is impossible to hold elections under Ukrainian law on the territory of the Donbass region.
"We have insisted and continue to insist that the elections in the Republic should be held according to the international standards of the OSCE. Such international standards suit us and Europe as well as all the world community, which completely fits the …
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UN finds a large number of foreign citizens fighting on the side of pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine
A large number of foreigners have been in the armed conflict in eastern Ukraine for various reasons and with different motives. Human rights expert Patricia Arias, a member of the UN Working Group on the Use of Mercenaries said at a briefing in Kiev that the representatives of the organization came to that conclusion as a result of their visit to Ukraine, as reported by Ukrinform.
"Motivation for taking part in the armed conflict in Ukraine is diverse. The Working Group received information …