Section: News & Summaries

      Ukraine at Minsk talks insists on disengagement in Debaltseve, occupied by Russian militants
      Dec22

      Ukraine at Minsk talks insists on disengagement in Debaltseve, occupied by Russian militants

      Darka Olifer, the spokesperson for ex-President of Ukraine Leonid Kuchma who represents Ukraine in the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) at Minsk peace talks on Donbas, says the Ukrainian side continues insisting that the contact line agreed as of September 19, 2014, should be observed and also demands disengagement of troops and equipment in the...

      A Lukewarm Hot Springs Summit in Japan
      Dec22

      A Lukewarm Hot Springs Summit in Japan

      Russian President Vladimir Putin held all the cards in the Kuril Islands negotiations with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on 15-16 December. Amid a rapidly changing geopolitical landscape there were advances, but those who expected that the two leaders would, at one stroke, resolve the decades-old territorial dispute, were disappointed. Putin...

      Ukraine used as `corruption ATM` for past 23 years, no instant changes expected – Head of the EU Delegation to Ukraine
      Dec22

      Ukraine used as `corruption ATM` for past 23 years, no instant changes expected – Head of the EU Delegation to Ukraine

      Head of the EU Delegation to Ukraine Hughes Mingarelli says that a difficult initial state of the country should be taken into account in assessing the progress of reforms in Ukraine. During the presentation of a Foreign Policy Audit study in Kyiv Wednesday, Mingarelli stressed that he considered the current progress of reforms in Ukraine...

      Russian militants attack Ukraine 33 times in last day
      Dec22

      Russian militants attack Ukraine 33 times in last day

      Combined Russian-separatist forces attacked Ukrainian army positions in eastern Ukraine 33 times in the past 24 hours, according to the press service of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) Headquarters. View map in full size In the Mariupol sector, the occupiers fired artillery systems on the village of Lebedynske, and mortars on the town of...

      Bellingcat presents interactive data map of Russia artillery attacs on Ukraine
      Dec21

      Bellingcat presents interactive data map of Russia artillery attacs on Ukraine

      Bellingcat, an international OSINT community, has presented an interactive data map of Russian artillery attacs on Ukraine in summer 2014. Bellingcat experts have used available satellite images and open sources to analyze hundreds of impact craters left after Russian artillery strikes in Donbas, eastern Ukraine, and spotted hundreds of firing...

      Facebook says government requests for account data rise 27%
      Dec21

      Facebook says government requests for account data rise 27%

      Facebook Inc said on Wednesday that government requests for user account data rose 27% in the first half of 2016 compared to the second half of last year, with U.S. law enforcement agencies topping the list, according to Reuters. Government requests for account data globally rose to 59,229 from 46,710 and more than half contained a non-disclosure...

      Rada lifts pension fee in foreign currency purchases
      Dec21

      Rada lifts pension fee in foreign currency purchases

      The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on December 20 canceled a 2% pension fee when buying foreign currency by individuals. The provision was included in budget bill No.5132 ”On Amendments to the Tax Code.” The document amends the law ”On a fee for obligatory state pension insurance.” The MPs excluded from the revenues of the general budget fund a fee...

      Ukraine`s chief prosecutor may probe into some provisions of 2017 budget
      Dec21

      Ukraine`s chief prosecutor may probe into some provisions of 2017 budget

      Ukraine`s chief prosecutor Yuriy Lutsenko has announced that his office will analyze some provisions of the national budget for 2017, which was passed by the Verkhovna Rada in the early hours of Wednesday, December 21. ”Unfortunately, what was passed yesterday has some challenges that the Prosecutor General`s Office should deal with. The bill [on...

      US-Romania Ties in Need of an Upgrade
      Dec21

      US-Romania Ties in Need of an Upgrade

      There are several reasons why Donald Trump’s administration must upgrade the relationship with Romania—an important US partner in Eastern Europe. Romania is an enduring friend and ally—from a cultural, security, and military standpoint—and offers a wealth of economic opportunities. It aspires to be more present on Washington’s...

      Mykhailivsky Bank`s depositors blocking Khreschatyk in Kyiv demand ”bank must return the deposits!”
      Dec21

      Mykhailivsky Bank`s depositors blocking Khreschatyk in Kyiv demand ”bank must return the deposits!”

      About a hundred depositors of the Mykhailivsky Bank have blocked the roadway of Khreshchatyk Street near the Maidan Square, according to an UNIAN correspondent. People do not let driving a single car, and some drivers have to turn back toward the European Square. People are holding flags ”Mykhailivsky Bank: return of deposits!” They are also...