Ben Hodges: Reforms and transparency in spending are the key requirements for Ukraine to be able to join NATO
Two key principles Ukraine should adhere to if it wants to join NATO are transparency in the use of budget means and reforms, as stated by the United States Army Commander in Europe, Lieutenant General Ben Hodges, as reported by Ukrainian 24 TV.
He also noted that Ukraine has great potential for producing its own weapons.
"Firstly, the decision to provide lethal weapons is being made at the highest level. We are now providing recommendations on this issue. Let’s see how the situation …
Russia indignant that OSCE 'does not protect the rights of Russian speakers' in Ukraine and Baltics
Andrei Kelin, Director of the Russian Foreign Ministry's Department of European Cooperation (DEC) has stated that the Russian Foreign Ministry is in favor of reforming the OSCE over bias in the organization’s work, reports Gazeta.ru.
"We are concerned about the way the specialized institutions of the OSCE work. The bulk of their activities are concentrated in the field of human rights, and are implemented in relation to countries east of Vienna," Kelin said.
According to Kelin, the …
New head of LPR speaks about close cooperation with the Kremlin
Leonid Pasechnik, who replaced Igor Plotnitsky as head of the Luhansk People's Republic (LPR), has reported on "well-established" cooperation with Moscow.
Pasechnik said that "I personally, and the entire leadership of the LPR, have constructive interaction with all Russian structures that render humanitarian assistance to our Republic at such a difficult time. I am confident that our cooperation will continue in the future,” reports Luhansk Information Centre.
According to Pasechnik, the …
US Ambassador to Russia: American troops will leave Syria only when terrorists are defeated
US Ambassador to Russia, John Huntsman, believes that it will be possible to talk about the withdrawal of US troops from Syria only after making sure that the war with the terrorists has been successfully completed, as he indicated in an interview with Vedomosti, which was published on Monday.
"You can drive out all of the terrorists from Raqqa and the surrounding Euphrates river valley, but they can regroup and restore their resources, which means that premature departure can simply render …
European Parliament MP Rebecca Harms called for boycott of 2018 World Cup in Russia
In an interview with the German publication Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung , Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Rebecca Harms has urged politicians and visitors to boycott the World Cup in Russia.
"Politicians and visitors should stay away from the 2018 World Cup," Harms said.
The MEP added that Russia is not a country where it is worth holding such competitions. She named former German President Joachim Gauck, who refused to attend the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi in 2014, as a model example. …