Russia’s actions in the Black Sea region have violated the zone’s military balance, NATO Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs James Appathurai stated, the Agerpres agency reports.

Appathurai, who is NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia, made this statement while speaking on Tuesday at a forum devoted to security in the Atlantic and Black Sea.

Following the annexation of the Crimea by Russia, “a lot of military equipment was …

Ukraine could grant special status to the Donbas, the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin stated in an interview with Austrian TV channel ORF.

Putin reminded the journalists that the same thing happened in Russia with Chechnya, which was granted the status that gave it a "great degree of independence within the  Russian Federation".

According to Putin, the decision was "very difficult" but it had to be taken because Al‑Qaeda terrorists wanted "to tear off" Chechnya, creating an Islamic …

Moldovan President Igor Dodon will take part in the opening ceremony of the FIFA World Cup at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, said Dodon on Tuesday in an interview with the NTV-Moldova television channel.

"Next week I will be at the World Cup, as I promised Putin in response to his invitation. There will be an opportunity to talk with many leaders of state, including Vladimir Vladimirovich. During the first match I will be rooting for Russia and, overall, I have a few …

Countries that permit airplanes from Iran to land and be serviced at their airports may face consequences, including sanctions. Acting US Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Sigal Mandelker, who also serves as Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, announced this on Tuesday while speaking at the Washington-based Foundation for the Defense of Democracies.

 “Countries and companies around the world should take note of the risks associated with granting landing …

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said he was in favor of revising the system of European sanctions against Russia, ANSA news agency reported.

"We will become advocates of openness towards Russia, which has strengthened its international role in resolving various geopolitical crises in recent years. We will become the initiators of a review of the sanctions system, starting with those that oppress civil society in Russia," Conte said, speaking in the Senate.

He stressed that Italy intends …

Iran expressed its intention to buy agricultural products from Ukraine for $1.5 billion and suggested simplifying the export process to promote significant trade potential between the countries,as reported on the website of Ukraine’s Ministry of Agrarian Policy following the meeting of Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy Viktor Sheremet with an Iranian delegation.

It was noted that Iran is interested in increasing imports of agricultural products from Ukraine, including vegetable oil and …

The United States has called on Ukraine to create an anti-corruption court that meets the requirements of the International Monetary Fund.

US State Department Spokeswoman Heather Nauert noted this in a statement released on June 5.

"The United States calls on the government of Ukraine to implement deep, comprehensive, and timely reforms that reflect the demands the people of Ukraine made during the Revolution of Dignity: an end to systemic corruption, faster economic growth, and a European …

The Polish commission to investigate the Tu-154 airplane catastrophe over Smolensk, which killed then Polish President Lech Kaczyński, said that it has found traces of explosive substances on the body of one of the crash victims. This was announced in a communique from the Polish investigators, as cited by the Polish Press Agency.

According to the Polish investigators, explosive substances were also found “on many fragments” of the plane. However, no traces of it were found on the ground at …