On December 26th, Vladimir Putin appointed Boris Gryzlov as new representative of the Russian Federation in the Trilateral Contact Group. Gryzlov is a permanent member of Russia’s Security Council and was the former Head of Russia’s State Duma.

The Ukrainian President’s Commissioner for Peaceful Settlement of the Conflict in Eastern Ukraine, Iryna Herashchenko, wrote on her Facebook page that the appointment of Boris Gryzlov to the Trilateral Contact Group will not change Ukraine’s position.

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During an interview with WirtschaftsWoche, George Soros stated that Ukraine is one of the most valuable assets Europe has. His admiration stems from the former Soviet republic’s ability to repel Russian aggression and “for recapturing the spirit of solidarity that characterized the European Union in its early days.”

The Hungarian-born American billionaire philanthropist, however, voiced concerns over how the EU is treating Ukraine financially, explaining that by putting Kiev on a short …

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan refuses to take part in a coalition of Syria, Iran, Iraq and Russia against the so-called Islamic State.

President Erdogan made this known in an interview with Al Arabiya, which will be broadcast in full on December 27th. In response to the invitation to join the coalition, Erdogan told Russian President Vladimir Putin that he could not sit next to a president whose legitimacy is questionable. President Erdogan was referring to Syrian President Bashar al- …

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko confirmed that the military plans to hold training drills with the participation of NATO troops on Ukrainian territory.

According to the president’s press service, more than 5,000 foreign servicemen will participate in the Maple Arch drills in 2016. Participants will include US soldiers, NATO forces, and Ukrainian servicemen.

Another 2,000 foreign troops will participate in the Sea Breeze exercise in the Black Sea. The naval and marine training drill will …

Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking at a New Year’s reception at the Kremlin, summed up the results of this year and noted the most significant event, as reported by TASS.  "We sum up the past and build plans for the coming year.  In the past year there were many events but the most significant was the 70th anniversary of the Great Victory," Putin said.

He stressed that the country has celebrated this date "with honor to our fathers and grandfathers, whose fate is inspiring." The …

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko recognized soldiers who demonstrated heroism, courage and professionalism during combat missions in the Donbas region, the president’s press service reported. Of the 300 medals given by Poroshenko, 22 were awarded posthumously.

Of those honored 282 were members of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (including 22 killed and 51 wounded), 17 were members of the National Guard, and one was a serviceman of the State Border Service.

All awarded soldiers proved …

The French company Danone, one of the largest producers of dairy products in the world, will close two factories in Russia. According to a statement made by company representatives to the newspapers Izvestia, the French company will close its plants in Tomsk and Cheboksary.

“After a company-wide reorganization, the Tomsk dairy plant will be closed. There will also be a consolidation of production facilities in Kemerovo and Krasnoyarsk. The Cheboksary dairy plant will also be closed and its …

Secretary of the National Security Service of Ukraine, Aleksandr Turchynov, has proposed changing the date of Christmas in Ukraine to December 25th.

"Perhaps the time has come for Ukraine to start celebrating Christmas on December 25th with the majority of civilized countries. But a decision on this matter should come first of all from the Council of Christian Churches of Ukraine. During the transition, I think we could celebrate both, on December 25th and January 7th,” he said.

The Orthodox …