Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada discusses issue of Internally Displaced Persons
The Parliamentary hearings on the issue of internally displaced people from the occupied Donbas region took place in the session hall of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on 17th of February. The representatives of state authorities, local authorities, human rights organizations and the public participated in the meeting. The issue surrounding the reasonability of blocking the occupied territories was raised among others at the Parliamentary hearings.
As stated by the head of the Crimean Human …
Viktor Orban Calls for Normalization of Relations between EU and Russia During Visit to Moscow
The Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orban, called for the normalization of relations between Russia and the EU during his visit to Moscow.
Budapest is interested in the normalization of relations between Russia and the EU, the Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orban, stated on Wednesday, February 17th, at a meeting with the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin.
"We all would like the relations between Russia and Europe to normalize. It is in the interests of Russian-Hungarian …
Herashchenko: 127 Ukrainians are still held by separatists in the Donbas
The Commissioner of the President for the peaceful settlement of the situation in Donetsk and Lugansk regions and Ukraine’s representative to the humanitarian subgroup of the Trilateral Contact Group (Ukraine-Russia-OSCE), Iryna Herashchenko, stated at a press conference on the 17th of February that 127 Ukrainians are held captive by militants.
“Currently, we have 137 Ukrainians, who are illegally held captive. Ten of them are held in Russian prisons,” the Ukrainian news quoted her as saying. …
UN seeks almost $300 million for 2016's Humanitarian Response Plan for Donbas
2.5 million Ukrainians affected by the conflict in the Donbas region will receive humanitarian assistance in 2016.
Agencies of the United Nations (UN), together with the Ukrainian government, have requested that donors donate $298 million to finance the Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) for 2016. This was reported by the UN News Center.
“Over nearly two years, the affected people, mainly the elderly and families with children, are trying to cope with the consequences of the conflict in …
Finland is opposed to lifting sanctions against Russia
Finland advocates full implementation of the Minsk Agreements. This was stated by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Finland, Timo Soini, during his working visit to Ukraine on February 17th at a meeting with Pavel Klimkin.
During the meeting of the Ministers, the Finnish side assured the Ukrainians that they would continue to adhere to the EU's common positions. However, the full implementation of the Minsk Agreements will be a precondition for the lifting of sanctions against Russia.
In …