Merkel reaffirms Germany's commitment to increase defense spending
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has made assurances that the government will fulfill its obligations to increase defense spending until 2024 to the NATO target of 2% of GDP each year.
She stated this in interviews with the German television channel Phoenix and the radio station Deutschlandfunk, Deutsche Welle reports.
At the same time, she refuted accusations from the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) that the increase in defense spending would come from a reduction in social programs." …
Head of the Crimea signs law on restructuring debt of Crimeans to Ukrainian banks
The Kremlin-appointed head of the Crimean government, Sergei Aksyonov, has signed the main version of a draft law on the procedure for restructuring debt of the Crimeans on loans taken from Ukrainian banks prior to the annexation of the peninsula. Aksyonov reported this on Facebook on August 14.
"The bill will still be discussed and adjusted, but the main points will remain intact: legal entities and individuals that are in arrears of up to 5 million rubles ($83,478 USD)are completely exempted …
Latvian military begins new training session for Ukrainian instructors in Lviv
The seventh round of training courses for Ukrainian instructors under the leadership of the Latvian Armed Forces have started on base 184 of the Hetman Petro Sahaidachnyi National Army Academy of Ground Forces (Lviv Oblast). The training is part of the exercises of the United Multinational Training Group - Ukraine (JMTG-U).
"The Ukrainian military has adopted all the best practices of the European armies and is able to apply the knowledge gained in practice. Our collaboration will be fruitful …
Ukraine denies accusations of providing space technology to North Korea
The State Space Agency of Ukraine said that the accusations of Ukraine giving space technology to North Korea are “absolutely baseless”.
“As of today, not a single space project is being realized with states which are not members of the Missile Technology Control Regime, which makes provisions for the transfer of category I goods. Given the above, any accusations of transferring goods or technology to North Korea which would enable the development of the ballistic program are absolutely …
Kravchuk: On night of student beating at Maidan, Yanukovych and I sang karaoke after going hunting
On 30 November 2013 when students were protesting at the Maidan, the first Ukrainian President Leonid Kravchuk, together with Viktor Yanukovych and his entourage went hunting, after which they had dinner and sang karaoke, said Kravchuk on the Batsman Live program on channel NewsOne.
Kravchuk related how in 2013 at Yanukovych’s invitation, he used to go hunting with him and his entourage nearly every Saturday. “A lot of people. 20 people, sometimes 22. For the most part, these were people who …