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Greek PM: Sanctions against Russia are unproductive
At a joint press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsirpas said Western sanctions against Russia were unproductive.
"We have repeatedly said that the vicious circle of militarization, of Cold War rhetoric and of sanctions is not productive. The solution is dialogue,” Tsirpas said.
At the same time Putin noted that during his meeting with Tsirpas, the annexation of the Crimea will not be discussed because “the matter is closed forever.”
“Russia will …
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The Council of Europe calls on Ukraine to successfully complete judicial reform
The Council of Europe has sided with Ukraine and its people and supports steps to establish a fully independent, effective and professional judicial system, according to a statement by Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjørn Jagland.
"As far as we have reached the mid-point of the implementation of the action plan of the Council of Europe for Ukraine, I take this opportunity to welcome the progress made by Ukraine towards reforming the judiciary in order to guarantee its …
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Estonia urges NATO to increase its presence in the Baltic states
A strong NATO presence is required in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, according to Estonian Prime Minister Taavi Rõivas.
“We need NATO to provide a permanent military presence in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. These forces may be subjected to a rotational schedule,” Rõivas said this in an interview with Die Welt newspaper, which was published on the 26th of May.
He stressed the need for the constant presence of these troops. “These troops should always be present to act as a deterrence,” Rõ …
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NATO provides Ukraine with demining equipment
The State Emergency Service of Ukraine (SESU) received equipment from NATO for pyrotechnical experts who carry out the de-mining of the Donbas region. The ceremony of transfer of equipment was held on Thursday in Kiev, Interfax-Ukraine reported.
NATO Assistant Secretary General for Emerging Security Challenges Sorin Ducary, who attended the ceremony, noted that the equipment was transferred within the boundaries of the NATO program. Assistance to humanitarian mine clearance in Ukraine was …
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Merkel calls for maintaining sanctions against Russia
The Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel, stated on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Japan that G7 countries want to preserve sanctions against Russia, Finanznachrichten.de reported. “As for me, it is too early to talk about lifting or easing of sanctions,” Merkel said.
“We should do everything in our power to make progress in the political settlement in the coming weeks. There are no large-scale hostilities but there is no stable truce either,” the Chancellor of Germany stated, adding that …