Merkel: Ukraine must remain a gas transit country
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a joint press statement saying that they discussed the transit of gas to the European Union through Ukraine in the Meseberg meeting, Interfax reported on Saturday, August 18.
"In the context of Ukraine, we also talked about the transit of gas. I believe that even after the launch of the Nord Stream-2, Ukraine must continue to play its role in gas transit to Europe." I am very pleased that we managed to begin the …
Poltorak: Armed forces of 18 countries to participate in Ukraine's Independence Day Parade
The representatives of several foreign countries will take part in the military parade on Ukraine Independence Day, Defense Minister Stepan Poltorak wrote on Facebook.
“We look forward to the arrival of eighteen foreign delegations from around the world to participate in the parade,” said the Defense Minister, commenting on a parade rehearsal held in the center of Kyiv.
The parade will be held on August 24 and will be one of the largest Independence Day military parades ever held in Ukraine, …
Putin attends Austrian foreign minister’s wedding with gift and gives a toast
One of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s gifts to Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneisl was a painting with rural motifs, depicting the places where Kneisl’s husband Wolfgang Meilinger is from, reported Putin’s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.
“Putin gave the newlyweds a painting with rural motifs, because her husband is from precisely these places, and he also gave an ancient butter squeezer and a Tula samovar,” Russian news agency TASS cites Peskov as saying.
The Russian president’s spokesman …
Ukraine receives counter-battery radars from the US
The United States gave two counter-battery radars to Ukraine. The equipment transfer ceremony was attended by the US Ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch, reported the press service of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense on Friday, August 17th.
The Defense Ministry specified that the mobile AN/TPQ type counter-battery radar is an designed for automatic position determination of enemy artillery, missile launchers and mortars.
At the same time, this type of radar can monitor fire from 10 …
Russia stops reducing its share in US government debt
The United States Department of the Treasury published a report of country-holders of American bonds. According to the report, the total amount of treasury securities owned by Russia in June was $14.9 billion. The same figure was recorded a month ago.
As in May, Russia was not on the list of 31 countries that are the main bondholders, but decline of Russia’s holdings in the first month of summer has stopped. For comparison, from March to May, Moscow sold $80 billion of the US treasuries. …