Section: News & Summaries
Ukraine reports skirmish with Russian special forces group in Donbas
Ukraine`s Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) headquarters has reported about a skirmish with a special forces group of the Russian occupation forces in Luhansk region`s Popasna district in Donbas, eastern Ukraine. ”There was a skirmish with a special forces unit of the Russian occupation forces near the village of Novozvanivka from the side of the...
Ukraine`s Cabinet wants higher excise tax on alcohol and tobacco
Ukraine`s Cabinet of Ministers proposes amendments to the Tax Code providing for a 20% increase in excise tax on alcoholic beverages, and a 30% increase in a specific rate duty on tobacco along with an increase in ad valorem excise tax by 3 percentage points to 15% from 12%. Respective changes are included in draft law No. 5132 on amendments to...
Putin reportedly planning reforms to effectively resurrect KGB
President Vladimir Putin is planning a major restructuring of the country`s security services that would effectively mean a rebirth of the KGB, according to a report in the Russian media, ABC News reported. Respected business paper Kommersant quoted anonymous officials as saying that a new body called the ”Ministry for State Security” would be...
Canada set to ratify Free Trade Agreement with Ukraine
Ukrainian Ambassador to Canada Andriy Shevchenko has announced that the government of Canada has submitted an agreement on a free trade area with Ukraine to its parliament for ratification. ”The Canadian government has submitted the Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement to Parliament for ratification. This has been done on the first day of...
Ukraine`s Economy Ministry cancels decision to amend Naftogaz statute
The Ministry of Economic Development and Trade has canceled its earlier decision on changing the statute of the National Joint Stock Company Naftogaz of Ukraine, providing for the removal of Ukraine`s gas transmission system operator Ukrtransgaz from under the management of the holding, according to the Cabinet`s press service. According to the...
European Parliament to accept no Russian deputies elected in occupied Crimea
Member of the European Parliament`s Committee on Foreign Affairs Michael Gahler has told an UNIAN correspondent in Brussels that the European Parliament would not accept any deputies of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, illegally elected in the temporarily occupied Crimea. ”It is clear that we will not recognize anyone who has been...
Leader of Russian terrorist organization “Oplot” Yevgen Zhylin killed in Moscow
Head of Oplot, a pro-Russian organization founded in Kharkiv, who had been earlier indicted by Ukraine`s PGO for crimes against the Maidan protesters, was murdered in a restaurant in the village of Gorki-2 on the outskirts of Moscow. An unidentified killer shot two visitors of the restaurant, Yevgen Zhylin among them. The identity of the second...
Oil slips as Venezuela says market is 10% oversupplied
Oil prices fell on Tuesday after Venezuela said that global supplies needed to fall by 10% in order to bring production down to consumption levels, and technical indicators also pointed to cheaper crude futures, Reuters reported. Global oil supply of 94 million barrels per day needs to fall by about a tenth if it is to match consumption,...
Skeptical of Russia, Clinton seen going toe-to-toe with Putin
When Hillary Clinton attended her first major White House meeting on Russia in February 2009, the new secretary of state insisted that she wanted to play a leading role in President Barack Obama`s effort to ”reset” U.S. relations with Moscow, according to Reuters. But while Clinton became implementer-in-chief for one of Obama`s signature...
Ukrainian President meets with Hillary Clinton
President of Ukraine held a meeting with a candidate for Presidency of the United States Hillary Clinton, the presidential press service reported. Petro Poroshenko informed Hillary Clinton about the situation in Donbas, according to the report. The Ukrainian president emphasized that Ukraine has been fighting for freedom and democratic values,...