The European Union’s move to suspend an agreement to facilitate visas for Russian citizens because of Moscow’s war in Ukraine is a step “in the right direction” if implemented by member states, Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto said on Wednesday. “This is moving in the right direction, but once again we have seen that so […]
Tag: International political news & developments
EU foreign ministers have agreed to suspend the visa facilitation agreement with Russia
European Union foreign ministers agreed today to completely suspend a visa facilitation agreement with Russia, making it harder and more expensive for Russian citizens to enter the EU, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell said. “We have agreed on… the complete suspension of the European Union-Russia agreement on the facilitation […]
Kremlin: Turkey’s view on Crimea does not hinder our cooperation
The view of Turkey and its President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the status of Crimea does not prevent cooperation with Russia when there is a mutual interest, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. “Ankara from the beginning was talking about its disagreement with us on this issue, but Crimea is part of the Russian Federation, so […]
Germany: Huge, ‘precise and targeted’ relief package promised by Scholz
With a huge, “precise and targeted” relief package, the federal government intends to support citizens and businesses in the face of high energy prices, Chancellor Olaf Solz (SPD) said after two days of cabinet deliberations at Brandenburg’s Meseberg Castle. Mr. Soltz avoided giving details or a specific timetable for the announcement of the relief measures, […]
Navalny: Under Gorbachev’s leadership, the last political prisoners were released
Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny called the first and last president of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, “one of the few (leaders) who did not use power for personal gain and enrichment.” In his post on his Telegram channel, Navalny wrote: “The loudspeakers in the cells broadcasting the radio program announced the death of Mikhail […]
Slovakia: Government crisis intensifies – Finance minister resigns, calling for resignation of finance minister
Slovakia’s Economy Minister Richard Sulic said on Wednesday that he has submitted his resignation to the country’s President Milos Zeman and is ready for further talks within the governing coalition to overcome the impasse facing the government. Mr. Sulik’s liberal, center-right SaS (Freedom and Solidarity) party, a junior government partner, has called for the resignation […]
The 27 member countries of the EU appear divided on the issue of banning the entry of Russians
The EU should not appear to be at odds over the ban on Russian tourists, European foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said today, calling on member states to find common ground. “We need to reach an agreement and a political decision,” Borrell told reporters on the sidelines of the second day of an informal meeting […]
Peskov: Moscow cannot meet gas delivery obligations due to Western sanctions
Russia remains committed to its gas supply obligations, but is unable to fulfill them due to economic sanctions imposed on it by the West, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said today, Interfax news agency reported. Earlier today, Russian energy giant Gazprom announced that it had suspended natural gas deliveries to Europe via the Nord Stream 1 […]
France was prepared for the ‘pretext’ of Gazprom to stop the supply
Gazprom is just using an excuse to stop supplying natural gas to French energy company Engie, France’s energy minister said today, adding that her country had foreseen the loss of supply. “As we expected, Russia is using gas as a weapon of war and is using the way Engie’s contracts are being implemented as a […]
Afghanistan: A year after the American withdrawal, Biden and the US have turned the page
Despite the fierce criticism he received for the fiasco of the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan a year ago, American President Joe Biden seems to have turned the page. Biden in his announcement commemorates the one-year anniversary of the complete withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan, but also the death on August 26, 2021, […]