“On 13 March 2017, the Council adopted Council Decision (CFSP) 2017/445 [1]. The Council Decision extends the existing restrictive measures until 15 September 2017. The measures in question are asset freezes and travel bans against persons and entities responsible for actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. The Candidate Countries…
Tag: Russia
US aviation banned in Syria’s de-escalation zones
The planned de-escalation zones in Syria will be closed to the US-led coalition’s aviation, the head of Russia’s delegation and the president’s special envoy for Syrian settlement, Alexander Lavrentyev, said. “The case is that in the de-escalation zones the work of aviation, especially the coalition forces, is absolutely not envisaged, with or without notification,” he…
Stoltenberg debates NATO with MEPs
Addressing the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee and Sub-Committee on Security and Defence on Wednesday (3 May 2017), NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed closer cooperation between the European Union and the Alliance. He stressed that “cooperation is now the norm, not the exception,” and noted that a strong European defence contributes to fair burden-sharing….
First Russian Navy cat goes to Syria
A ginger cat (pictured), was reportedly the first Russian feline to travel on a long-range voyage of naval vessels to the Syrian coast. The Russian Ministry of Defence published the photograph on the official account on the Facebook, flaunting the charming four-paws participant of the mission. The readers were thrilled and a bit upset…
Merkel to visit Sochi
Germany’s Angela Merkel will visit Sochi, Russia, for talks on May 2 with Russian President Vladimir Putin for the first bilateral visit since Maidan revolution in Ukraine and following sanctions over Crimea in 2014. The talks will be ‘pragmatic’ with no immediate prospect that Western sanctions imposed on Moscow over the Ukraine crisis will be…
Moscow imam sentenced for ‘justification of terrorism’
The 65-year-old Imam of the Moscow mosque “Yardyam” Mahmud Velitov was found guilty of ‘publically justifying terrorism’ and sentenced for three years in prison in a penal colony, according to the website of the Investigative Committee of Russia. The decision was declared by the Moscow District Military Court, TASS news agency said. https://twitter.com/ZaxarBorisych/status/857989287375249408 Velitov was…
Mogherini favors dialog with Russia
The European Union’s top diplomat Federica Mogherini said on Monday 24.04.2017 that the block wanted better ties with Russia but there are areas of disagreement as position towards Crimea “annexation” in 2014, and ongoing conflict in Eastern Ukraine, subsequently the EU sanctions would stay in place. However the dialog and co-operation in some areas is…
Moscow wishes to continue talks with EU
The European Union’s sanctions imposed on Russia in 2014 were mentioned during Monday’s talks, 24.04.2017, with the top EU diplomat Federica Mogherini, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a press conference in Moscow. “As far as the sanctions are concerned, this issue was touched upon,” – Lavrov confirmed. “We never raise this issue because…
Russia to revoke citizenship from terrorists
The State Duma – the lower chamber of Russian parliament will consider a draft bill proposing to effectively strip those convicted on terrorism-related charges of citizenship. President Vladimir Putin first suggested the concept after following the St. Petersburg Metro attack. The bill has been put forward by the leaders of all four State Duma factions:…
EU supports Jehovah’s Witnesses freedom of religion
“The decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to ban the activities of the Administrative Centre of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia on grounds of “extremism” could make it possible to launch criminal prosecutions against Jehovah’s Witnesses for mere acts of worship,” – says the statement of the European External Action Service (EEAS). “Jehovah’s…
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