• Yanukovych says he would like the Crimea to return to Ukraine

    Former Ukrainian President, Viktor Yanukovych, who fled to Russia, said he would like the Crimea to return to Ukraine. Interfax news agency quoted him as saying that the "cowardly" Ukrainian authorities were afraid to "use force and bar the referendum [in the Crimea]."

    Yanukovych stated that he had met with the Crimeans and seen their alarm that the Maidan revolution could spread to the Crimea. According to him, Pro-Russian sentiment had been there already, it only needed an occasion – and …

  • The Head of Crimea to dismiss three ministers

    Head of the Crimea Sergey Aksyonov said that the recent resignations in the government of the republic are not connected to any criminal prosecutions.

    Earlier Aksyonov announced his intention to dismiss three regional ministers: Resorts and Tourism Minister Sergei Strelbitsky, Fuel and Energy Minister Svetlana Borodulina and Housing and Public Utilities Minister Sergei Karpov. He also spoke about the dismissal of the mayor of Yalta, Andrei Rostenko at his own request.

    The Head of Crimea noted …

  • Ankara: Turkey will stand up for the rights of Crimean residents

    Turkey will stand for the rights of Crimea’s residents and the Crimean Tatars, stated Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Ahmet Yıldız at a conference dedicated to the reforms in Ukraine, Anadolu news agency reports.

    Yıldız expressed confidence that despite the tense situation in the Crimea and the Donbas, Ukraine will become stronger. He also emphasized the significance of implementing the Minsk agreements.

    “This agreement, despite the discontent over the process of its implementation, still …

  • Lavrov: Russia expects information from U.S. after Tillerson’s statements about no-fly zones in Syria

    Russia requested information from the U.S. about statements made by U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson about no-fly zones in Syria, said Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, as reported by RIA Novosti.

    The day before, Tillerson said that the United States was studying the possibility of implementing, with Russia, an agreement on no-fly zones, observers for keeping the ceasefire, and the delivery of humanitarian aid in Syria.

    “The United States is ready to consider the possibility of …

  • Russians picket in support of political prisoners

    A series of one-man protests in support of Russian political prisoners took place in St. Petersburg with about 10-15 people lining up with posters along Nevsky Prospect, Rosbalt.ru reports.

    "The signs demanded the release of political prisoners. We also tried to draw attention to the beginning of new mass political repressions in Russia. This is evidenced by the cases brought against the participants of the protests on March 26 and June 12. These events show that the ‘Bolotnaya Square Case’ is …