• German tanks and armored vehicles arrive in Lithuania

    A heavy machine division of the Bundeswehr successfully reached Lithuania on Friday, February 24, a representative of the German armed forces reported. Twenty Marder infantry fighting vehicles and six Leopard 2 tanks were delivered by rail to Sheshtokai station. From Sheshtokai they were transported to their place of permanent deployment at the Rukla military base.

    Transports of the heavy machine division to Lithuania took several days. On February 21, part of the division departed from …

  • Russia will veto if UN votes to impose sanctions on Syria

    Russia will use their veto right if the UN Security Council decides to approve a resolution on sanctions against Syria for the use of chemical weapons during the conflict.

    On Friday, the US Permanent Representative to the UN, Nikki Haley, said that "it is time to consider the resolution."

    Meanwhile, the Deputy Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations, Vladimir Safronkov, voiced the opinion that the draft resolution "prejudges the outcome of the investigation in …

  • OSCE calls for ceasefire at Donetsk water filtration plant

    The Special Monitoring Mission of the OSCE in Ukraine (OSCE SMM) insists on the cessation of shelling of the Donetsk filtration plant by all sides of the conflict in the Donbas. This position was announced in a statement by the Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine, Ertugrul Apakan, which was published on Facebook on Friday, February 24.

    "The shelling of the filtration plant, as well as the fact that, contrary to their promises, these parties have still not taken away …

  • Trump supporters accuse Obama of organizing Maidan

    Protests were held in several cities across the US, where participants expressed a number of accusations against the previous U.S. administration. The protests were timed to coincide with the anniversary of the revolution in Ukraine.

    Protesters meeting near UN headquarters promoted a version of events that claimed that former president Barack Obama and billionaire George Soros had a hand in the change of power in Ukraine.

    The activists emphasized that the same people are now trying to remove …

  • Belarusian Defense Minister: Joint military exercises with Russia does not pose a threat to anyone

    Western countries, especially the Baltic states, should not be afraid of the exercises which Belarus and Russia are planning to carry out this year, as stated by Andrei Ravkov, Defense Minister of Belarus.

    According to him, the fears which have been expressed by a number of politicians and experts are “hysteria”, Belarus Segodnya news website reports.

    “Zapad 2017” does not pose a threat to European countries, since “it has a defensive character, not directed against third countries, and it is …

  • Chairwomen of the National Bank of Ukrain: The former owners of PrivatBank could face criminal charges

    The Chairwomen of the National Bank of Ukraine, Valeriya Hontaryeva, stated in an interview with Reuters that the former owners of PrivatBank could face criminal charges if auditors reveal that they intentionally brought the financial institution to bankruptcy.

    According to her, the National Bank of Ukraine hired the international audit and consulting firm, Ernst & Young to conduct an audit of PrivatBank. Ernst & Young will verify the solvency of companies that received loans from the former …

  • Groysman: Ukraine has achieved full economic independence from Russia in the defense sector

    The Prime Minister of Ukraine, Volodymyr Groysman, stated that Ukraine has achieved full economic independence from Russia in the defense sector, the press service of the Cabinet of Ministers reported.

    “The work on import substitution was successfully completed. We were traditionally attached to the Russian economy, due to the aircraft construction and defense sector. Today, we have reached full import substitution. In general, the majority of products are manufactured by Ukrainian enterprises. …

  • Montenegro could become a NATO member country as early as May of this year

    Minister of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro Srdjan Darmanović said in an interview with Reuters that the country was assured that the U.S. Senate would ratify the accession of Montenegro to NATO. He expects Montenegro to become a member of the alliance by the end of May 2017.

    Darmanović noted that Montenegro has received assurance from the United States Senate that "this will happen 100%." According to him, 24 out of 28 NATO members have ratified Montenegro's accession to the alliance, though …

  • Lithuanian President: Construction of nuclear plant near Lithuanian border is the Russian geopolitical project against Lithuania

    The Belarusian NPP (BAES) which is being constructed near the Lithuanian border is a geopolitical project of Russia directed against Lithuania, said Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite, as reported by Delfi media source.

    “I consider this project, BAES, a Russian geopolitical project, malevolently directed against Lithuania. This is an opportunity to blackmail and put pressure on Lithuania, to impede its integration with the West,” Grybauskaite stated.

    According to her, Lithuania needs to …

  • Ukraine will work with western partners to tighten sanctions against Russia for recognizing 'documents' of the separatist republics

    Ukrainian leadership intends to hold negotiations with western partners regarding a possible tightening of sanctions against Russia in connection with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s issuing of a decree to recognise the “documents” of the separatist republics, reported Oleksiy Makeyev, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.

    “The President clearly specified that such destructive acts of the Kremlin must be brought to discussion in the EU, with our main partners, not to ease the …