Kiev, Ukraine | Xinhua | Dozens of Russian and Ukrainian soldiers have been freed following a latest prisoner swap, officials from both sides confirmed on Saturday. Andriy Yermak, head of the Ukrainian President’s Office, said in a Telegram post that 116 Ukrainians returned home, whereas Russia’s state news agency TASS said that …
Read More »Ukraine seeks to extend duty-free trade with EU until end of 2024
Kiev, Ukraine | Xinhua | Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said Thursday that his country is seeking to extend the duty-free trade with the European Union until the end of 2024, the government press service reported. While speaking at a meeting with visiting Executive Vice President of the European Commission Valdis …
Read More »Biden says “no” to sending fighter jets to Ukraine
Washington, U.S. | Xinhua | U.S. President Joe Biden said on Monday that he won’t approve sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. “No,” Biden said in response to a question about the possibility of such a decision. As he spoke, Biden arrived back at the White House from a trip to …
Read More »Biden announces equipping Ukraine with U.S.-made tanks
Washington, U.S | Xinhua | U.S. President Joe Biden announced Wednesday that his administration will provide Ukraine with 31 U.S.-made M1 Abrams tanks, which Russia has said will be its target if they were to be used in the ongoing conflict between Moscow and Kiev. “Today I’m announcing that the United …
Read More »EU grants 500 mln euros more military aid to Ukraine
Brussels, Belgium | Xinhua | European Union (EU) military assistance to Ukraine will be topped up by a further 500 million euros (543 million U.S. dollars), foreign ministers agreed on Monday. Training for the country’s military worth 45 million euros has also been agreed, EU foreign chief Josep Borrell said. “This …
Read More »U.S., NATO in proxy war against Russia, says Croatian president
Zagreb, Croatia | Xinhua | Croatian President Zoran Milanovic has said that the United States and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) are engaged in a proxy war against Russia through Ukraine, Croatian media reported on Monday. “Washington and NATO are waging a proxy war against Russia through Ukraine,” Milanovic was …
Read More »Russia appoints new military commander in Ukraine
Moscow, Russia | Xinhua | Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov has been appointed the new commander of Russia’s integrated group of forces in Ukraine, the Defense Ministry said Wednesday. Gerasimov will succeed Sergei Surovikin, commander-in-chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces, who was appointed …
Read More »Putin orders Christmas truce with Ukraine on Jan. 6-7
Moscow, Russia | Xinhua | Russian President Vladimir Putin instructed the country’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to start a 36-hour truce along the entire line of contact between the parties in Ukraine from Jan. 6 to 7, the Kremlin said Thursday. “Taking into account the appeal of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, …
Read More »Putting Putin and Company in the Dock
COMMENT | Gordon Brown | Russian President Vladimir Putin has decided to wage a winter war of attrition against Ukraine, targeting its civilian population in an attempt to starve and freeze the country into submission. In light of this dangerous escalation, the West must heed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s urgent …
Read More »West uses Ukraine to launch cyberwar against Russia: deputy FM
Moscow, Russia | Xinhua | The West has been using Ukraine as a launchpad to carry out cyberattacks against Russia and test new cyber warfare technologies, RIA Novosti news agency reported Wednesday, citing Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Oleg Syromolotov. In an interview with RIA Novosti, Syromolotov said that a vast majority …
Read More »