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US to deploy tank battalion in Lithuania
In October the US will be deploying a tank battalion in Lithuania at a training ground several kilometers from the Belarusian border, the Lithuanian Defense Ministry announced in a post on its website.
The battalion in question is from the 9th regiment of the 1st division of the US army, and it will be deployed at a military training ground near the Lithuanian city of Pabrade, roughly 10 km from the border with Belarus. Around 500 US army personnel, 30 M1 Abrams tanks, 25 M2 Bradley fighting …
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Ex-chief of Estonian bank involved in massive Russian money laundering scandal found dead
The scandal surrounding the Estonian arm of Danske Bank caught laundering dirty money from Russia has now resulted in a death.
Aivar Rehe, former head of Danske Bank’s Estonian arm, had been missing since the start of the week and has now been found dead, TASS reports.
The banker’s body was found by police on Wednesday morning in his own garden, said Valdo Poder, chief of the Estonian police’s North Prefecture.
“There are no signs of a violent death on the body, and nothing indicates an …
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Putin promises Maduro support and assistance
Russian President Vladimir Putin assured his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolas Maduro of Moscow’s full support in the struggle for power in Venezuela, and promised him continued assistance.
“Russia consistently supports all of Venezuela’s legitimate organs of government, including the institution of the president and parliament,” Putin said during the meeting with Maduro in Moscow, as cited by Deutsche Welle. He also expressed his support for dialog between Maduro and Venezuelan opposition leader …
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Poland refuses to extradite to Russia fugitive banker because of his membership with Jehovah's Witnesses
Belsky Regional Court (Poland) refused to extradite Probusinessbank's former Vice-President Yaroslav Alekseev, reports TVP news outlet.
The court ruled that Alekseev's extradition to Russia is "legally inadmissible" under Polish and international law. Judge Teresa Jędrzejas noted that it is also a possible violation of the rights of the accused in his homeland. According to human rights activists, detainees in Russia are subjected to torture and humiliation. She noted that Alekseev is a member …
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Belarus finds new ‘big brother’ instead of Russia
By the end of 2019, Belarus plans to sign a credit agreement with the China Development Bank to replace the loan it did not receive from Russia, Gazeta.ru reports, citing Belarusian Finance Minister Maksim Yermolovich.
According to the minister, the Chinese bank has only provisionally agreed to give Minsk up to $500 million. The interest rate is still being discussed, and the loan will be denominated in yuans.
“For quite a long time we have been building such relations with the Russian …