German Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke against the sanctions that the United States intends to impose on the Russian Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, reports Focus.de news outlet.

Merkel said she sees no other solution to this issue than to discuss sanctions.

"I would like to note that negotiations on a gas contract with Ukraine are continuing," said Merkel.

The United States is trying to increase pressure on Germany by imposing sanctions against the Nord Stream 2 project.

On December 17, the US …

An article has appeared in the Chinese press which claims that the companies Tianjiao Aviation Industry Investment Co (Skyrizon Aircraft) and Xinwei Group (both Chinese) will be acquiring a controlling package of shares in the Ukrainian engine manufacturer Motor Sich.

The deal will involve a package of shares worth around $250 million, the amount that the Chinese firms will “invest” in the factory over the next two years.

Initially Ukraine did not comment on such statements published in the …

Belarus has signed an agreement to borrow 3.5 billion yuan (around $500 million) from China, announced the Belarusian Finance Ministry.

The 5-year loan will be provided by the Shanghai branch of the China Development Bank. The loan is not tied to any particular project, and can be used for general purposes, including the servicing of government debt, supporting Belarus’s foreign currency reserves, and facilitating the development of bilateral trade.

This is an “unprecedented” deal for Belarus, …

During a briefing with military attaches from foreign countries, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov said that Russian fifth-generation Su-57 fighter jets have passed the second stage of tests in Syria, reports the newspaper of the Russian Defense Ministry Krasnaya Zvezda.

"Tests of the fifth-generation Su-57 aircraft are continuing. They were re-tested in Syria, and all the planned tasks have been completed," said Chief of the General Staff.

He noted that …

In Crimea, between the towns of Foros and Yalta, construction work is underway on state dachas (“country homes”) number 6 and 8, which are now called “Putin’s dachas”, the Russian news outlet Proekt reports.

According to the Russian journalists, over the last few years, a six-meter stone wall has been erected around the dachas, with surveillance cameras, and the area on Crimea’s southern coast where the cottages are situated is guarded by armed men.

The most unusual object in the area is a …

The fire on the Russian aircraft carrier “Admiral Kuznetsov” at the Russian port of Murmansk may have been caused by a pile of rubbish, reports Kommersant, citing a source familiar with the situation.

Experts believe that the fire was caused by welding slag coming into contact with an oiled rag discarded in the hold. From there, the fire spread to power cables. According to current regulations, the crew is supposed to clean up garbage before authorizing work with a fire hazard, but apparently …

The Russian government has expanded the list of Ukrainian citizens who fall under economic sanctions, reports the website of legal information of the Russian Federation.

According to the decree signed by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, nine Ukrainians, who are officials and deputies of the Odesa City Council, are included on the sanctions list.

At the same time, two Ukrainian citizens have been removed from the Russian sanctions list. General Director of the "112 Ukraine" TV channel …

During the meeting in Baku, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev confirmed the immutability of the official position of the two countries on Nagorno-Karabakh and Crimea, reports the press service of the Ukrainian President.

"An important topic of today's conversation is regional and national security. First of all, we are talking about the war in eastern Ukraine and the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. We continue to support each other in restoring the …