Stoltenberg: European NATO countries will increase defense spending for the first time in 10 years

The defense expenditures of NATO’s European member countries have increased for the first time in nearly a decade. This was said by NATO’s Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, during an interview with the Financial Times.

The newspaper notes that this increase shows that there is considerable concern over Russian aggression and the migrant crisis in the Mediterranean region.

“The 2016 forecast indicates that this will be the first time in many years that there is an increase in defense …


Moscow City Court upholds extension of house arrest for Director of the Library of Ukrainian Literature

The Moscow City Court found the house arrest extension for the Director of the Library of Ukrainian Literature, Natalia Sharina, to be legal. Sharina is accused of embezzlement and extremism, as reported by attorney, Ivan Pavlov.

“The Judicial Board dismissed our appeal and the extension of house arrest was found legal,” 112.ua quoted Pavlov as saying. Earlier, the Presnensky Court upheld the extension of the house arrest for Sharina until 29th of July.

In October 2015, a search of the …


At least 1,000 NATO soldiers will be sent to Poland

According to Polish Radio, Polish Defense Minister Antoni Macierewicz stated after a meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg that at least one NATO battalion consisting of a thousand soldiers will be deployed in Poland after the summit in Warsaw.

Macierewicz said that in support of strengthening the Alliance, the battalion will be sent to Poland and to three other Baltic States as well. "Our conversation today confirmed that combat battalion groups will be stationed both in Poland …


NATO will consider Ukraine’s application to join the Alliance in accordance with the usual procedure

The Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Jens Stoltenberg, is confident that nobody can prevent Ukraine from accession to NATO. If Ukraine files an application to join NATO, it will be considered as all other applications, Stoltenberg stated in Warsaw.

“No one has the right to intervene or veto this process. This is a very important principle – each state, including Ukraine, has a sovereign right to choose its own path, including decisions on which arrangements in the …


Lawyer: 2,200 inmates were transferred from Crimea to Russia

According to Roman Martynovsky, a lawyer and expert from the Regional Center for Human Rights and the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union, 2,200 prisoners were transferred from Crimea to Russia. He said this during an interview with Hromadske Radio.

“Today, we have received reliable information confirming the fact that 2,200 prisoners were transferred from Crimea to Russia to serve their sentences. However, according to unconfirmed reports, that number could be as high as 7,000,” Martynovsky …