• John Kerry calls on Russia to withdraw from eastern Ukraine

    Speaking at the annual ministerial council of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, a two-day session held in Belgrade, Serbia, the U.S. Secretary of State John F. Kerry called on Russia to withdraw its troops and equipment from eastern Ukraine so a peace deal can take effect by the end of the year.

    “This is the time for concrete steps to end this disastrous and unnecessary conflict, and begin the process of rebuilding in Ukraine’s east,” Kerry said.

    Russian Foreign …

  • U.S. Missile Cruiser USS Ross to enter the Black Sea.

    According to the reports by the US Navy 6th Fleet, USS Ross will enter the Black Sea on Thursday to promote peace and stability in the region and enhance cooperation with "allies and partners."

    Earlier in October, the USS Ross intercepted a ballistic missile as a part of exercises testing the first part of the US missile shield in Europe.

    The Black Sea is adjacent to countries with tense relations, in particular Ukraine, Russia and Turkey.

    The USS Ross is an Arleigh Burke-class guided …

  • Vega rocket with Ukrainian engine successfully launched

    A Vega rocket powered by a Ukrainian made engine successfully launched from the European spaceport at Kourou, French Guiana on Thursday morning.The European Space Agency’s LISA Pathfinder mission launched atop a Vega rocket begins a year-long mission to demonstrate technologies that could be used for future missions to observe gravity waves.Ukrainian RD-869 engine was originally developed for the post-boost stage of the R-36M2 missile. 

    LISA Pathfinder was the sixth launch for the four-stage …

  • Crimean Tatar activists promise a naval blockade of the Crimea

    The coordinator of the civil actions to blockade the Crimea, Lenur Islyamov, said that the road blockade prohibiting the supply of goods, and the destruction of the supply of electricity to Crimea from mainland Ukraine will soon be followed by a “naval blockade” of the Peninsula, including the Kerch ferry, the main transport artery connecting the Crimea with the Krasnodar region of the Russian Federation.

    In an interview with Open Russia, Islyamov stated, "We will go further.  We will do the …

  • US and EU to continue sanctions against Russia until Ukraine regains control over its borders

    The U.S. and the EU agreed to extend sanctions against Russia until full compliance with the Minsk agreements is reached. This information was confirmed by the Coordinator of Sanctions Policy at the U.S. Department of State, Daniel Fried.

    The last defining element of all the Minsk agreements – the Minsk Protocol, Minsk Memorandum and Minsk set of activities – is for Kiev to regain control over its internationally recognized border with Russia in Eastern Ukraine, Fried explained, speaking at …