Estonian President to visit Russia for the first time in eight years

Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid will visit Moscow on April 18 to open the historic Baltic embassy building. According to the statement publisherd of the Estonian President’s website, this is the first visit of the Estonian president to Russia since 2011.

“The last Estonian president to visit Russia was Toomas Hendrik Ilves in 2011, who visited St Petersburg for the second consecration of St. John's Church, “reads the statement.

Historically, the embassy in Moscow was the first foreign …


Russia’s Federation Council: Military base in Venezuela would be 'inexpedient'

It would be “inexpedient” to establish a Russian military base in Venezuela, commented Vladimir Dzhabarov, deputy chairperson of the Federation Council’s Foreign Affairs Committee, to the Russian news agency Interfax.

The Russian MP made this statement the day after Trump demanded that Russia “get out” of Venezuela, a country that the Kremlin has loaned $17 billion to over the last 12 years.

The political and economic crisis in Venezuela should be resolved through “political methods”, …


Russia and Europe negotiate deal on MH17 air disaster

Russia, the Netherlands and Australia have begun confidential negotiations on the catastrophe in which a Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 (MH17) from Amsterdam to Kuala-Lumpur was shot down over the Donbas in 2014.

The first round of trilateral consultations, without announcement or PR accompaniment, took place earlier in March, announced Dutch Foreign Minister Stef Blok at a press conference in Australia after placing a wreath on the memorial of the tragedy that claimed 298 lives.

Russia’s …


Group of NATO ships enters Black Sea

Two frigates from the Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2) have entered the Black Sea – HMCS Toronto of the Royal Canadian Navy and Santa María of the Spanish Navy. The destroyer HNLMS Evertsen of the Royal Netherlands Navy had entered the Black Sea earlier. All three ships are being escorted by the Turkish frigate “Gelibolu”.

A post retweeted by the official NATO Maritime Command stated that the ships will participate in the “Sea Shield” exercise alongside NATO’s Ukrainian and Georgian …


Two NATO frigates to visit Ukrainian port of Odessa

The press service of the Canadian Embassy in Ukraine reported that two NATO warships from the Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2) are scheduled to arrive for a regular visit at the Odessa Sea Port in Ukraine on April 1, 2019

According to the report, HMCS Toronto and the Spanish Navy frigate Santa Maria will stay in Odessa for several days after patrolling the Black Sea along with other ships of the Standing NATO Maritime Group.

"During their stay in Odessa, the commanders of the ships will …