• Merkel and Putin discuss Normandy Four meeting

    German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed preparations for the Normandy Four summit during a telephone conversation, reports RIA news agency, citing the spokesperson  of the German Cabinet Steffen Seibert.

    "The main topic of their talk was the preparations to hold the Normandy Four summit as soon as possible. Also, they discussed the situation in Syria and Libya, as well as ongoing negotiations on the continuation of gas transit through Ukraine," said …

  • Germany and NATO allies conduct military exercises with nuclear weapons

    The German Armed Forces and its NATO allies are participating in secret exercises, the scenario of which involves simulation of a nuclear war. During the Steadfast Noon military drills, it is planned to practice the use of fighter-bombers that can be equipped with nuclear weapons, reports Deutsche Welle with reference to Deutsche Presse-Agentur (DPA) news agency.

    The participants of the exercise will also work out the safe transfer of nuclear weapons from underground storage facilities to …

  • Syrian Kurds ask Israel for help

    An unnamed Kurdish politician in an interview with the Israel Army Radio (Galey Tzahal or IDF Radio), appealed to the Israeli government for help. According to the Kurdish politician, "the whole region will suffer" if no one stops the Turkish operation in Syria.

    He also warned of severe consequences not only for the Middle East but for the whole world if former militants of the Islamic State group, who fled because of the Turkish invasion, will get out of Syria.

    Earlier, representatives of …

  • Ukraine may receive World Bank's funding in 2020

    After the meeting of the Ukrainian delegation with the World Bank's representatives, the press service of the Ukrainian Finance Ministry reported that Ukraine might receive financial support from the World Bank Group in early 2020 if it carries out several reforms, including privatization and the continuation of a balanced fiscal policy.

    The Ukrainian delegation headed by Finance Minister Oksana Markarova and Economy Minister Tymofiy Mylovanov presented the agenda for the Ukrainian government. …

  • Vietnam to suspend Russian wheat imports

    Vietnam is suspending its imports of Russian wheat. Rosselkhoznadzor, Russia’s federal veterinary and phytosanitary supervisory authority, has received a letter from Vietnam containing a request to stop issuing phytosanitary certificates to suppliers of wheat to Vietnam, said department’s spokesperson Yulia Melano as reported by finanz.ru.

    Russia is the world’s largest wheat exporter, and Vietnam is a major buyer, although it cut back on its purchases a year ago, when it began to combat wheat …