Kiev agrees to a sweeping economic programme but may need to extend bailout if the unrest in east of country escalates Ukraine is at risk of a prolonged recession and may need an extension of its $17bn bailout should tensions with Russia and unrest in the east of the country escalate, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned. The IMF approved the emergency funding package after Kiev agreed...
Pro-Russian separatists clash with Ukrainian riot police outside the state prosecutor's office in the eastern city of Donetsk on Thursday. The crowd stormed the building after pummeling riot police with bricks and bits of rubble. The state prosecutor, the main target of the demonstration, has been investigating corruption charges against former president Viktor Yanukovych, who was ousted in February...
Trade union members march across Red Square in Moscow on Thursday, in celebration of International Labour Day. Thousands of people carrying banners in support of the president, Vladimir Putin, joined in the patriotic display. Following Russia's annexation of Crimea and much of easter Ukraine, the president's popularity is at its highest since 2010 Continue reading... ...
In phone call with Angela Merkel, Russian president says military withdrawal and national dialogue are key issues in Ukraine Vladimir Putin has called for Ukrainian troops to pull out of the south-east of the country, in a conversation with Angela Merkel on Thursday. The Russian president said military withdrawal, an end to violence and a national dialogue were the key issues in Ukraine, according...
Oleksandr Turchynov issues decree on military service as protesters storm regional prosecutor's office in Donetsk Ukraine's embattled government has announced that it is bringing back military conscription to help counter a growing pro-Russia insurgency in the east of the country. The announcement came after pro-Russia separatists stormed another key public building in Donetsk on Thursday, forcing...
Oleksandr Turchynov says security forces are unable to control situation in Donetsk and Luhansk regions Ukraine's acting president has admitted his government has practically lost control of the east of the country, with his security forces "helpless" to stop a rolling takeover by pro-Russia gunmen. Oleksandr Turchynov said numerous Ukrainian military and security personnel had defected to...
Scotland's first minister clarifies views about Russian president given to Alastair Campbell in GQ interview Alex Salmond has resisted calls for an apology after saying Russian president Vladimir Putin's patriotism was "entirely reasonable". At the launch of Scottish National party's European election campaign, Scotland's first minister said his remarks had been misunderstood and he would...
Russia has five big economic problems ranging from the fallout from the Ukraine crisis to a sharp fall in the rouble Russia's economy was struggling even before the crisis in Ukraine, but things have now taken a turn for the worse, according to the International Monetary Fund. GDP fell in the first three months of 2014 and will fall again in the second quarter. According to the technical definition,...
Pro-Russian separatists continued their occupation of the Luhansk regional administration and interior ministry buildings on Wednesday, a day after seizing them with little resistance from police. Tatiana Pogukai, press secretary for the interior ministry in the region, says they are getting 'no support from Kiev'. Ukraine's acting president today admitted his government has practically lost control...
The attempt to lever Kiev into the western camp by ousting an elected leader made conflict certain. It could be a threat to us all The threat of war in Ukraine is growing. As the unelected government in Kiev declares itself unable to control the rebellion in the country's east, John Kerry brands Russia a rogue state . The US and the European Union step up sanctions against the Kremlin, accusing it...
St Petersburg legislator Vitaly Milonov proposes boycott before demanding exclusion of Austrian drag-queen contestant The Russian politician who inspired a controversial anti-gay law has found a new source of gay propaganda: The Eurovision song contest. St Petersburg legislator Vitaly Milonov who sponsored a local law against homosexual propaganda in 2011 that helped pave the way for a similar federal...
US secretary of state says Kremlin bent on reshaping region's security landscape and warns: 'Nato territory is inviolable' Russia was seeking to "change the security landscape of eastern Europe", John Kerry said on Tuesday, calling on Moscow "to leave Ukraine in peace." Speaking at an event about US-Europe ties at the Atlantic Council think-tank, the US secretary of state warned...
Interim president Oleksandr Turchynov says some police and security forces are co-operating with separatists Ukraine's police and security forces are helpless in the face of a pro-Russia takeover of government buildings in the east and are in some cases co-operating with the separatists, the interim president said. Oleksandr Turchynov, addressing a meeting of regional governors, said his priority was...
US secretary state reportedly tells private meeting recordings disprove Russian denials about involvement in separatist unrest The US secretary of state, John Kerry, claims America has obtained intercepted phone calls that prove Moscow is deliberating trying to destabilise eastern Ukraine, according to reports of leaked remarks he made at a private meeting last week. The US news site the Daily Beast...
BP's group profit fell 24% in first quarter but firm increased its dividend and pledged to return more cash to shareholders The fallout from the Ukraine crisis has hit BP after the plunge in the value of the rouble knocked back underlying profits from the oil group's stake in Russia's Rosneft by 75%. BP's partnership with the Russian state-controlled oil company was in the spotlight after the US government...
Around 2,000 pro-Ukrainian protesters march through the city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine on Monday, resulting in violent clashes. Riot police fail to contain the violence as pro-Russian supporters armed with baseball bats and sticks clashed with demonstrators. Several people were injured Continue reading... ...
Another 15 names added to sanctions list, bringing total to 48, and demonstrators seize government building in Luhansk The European Union has released the names of another 15 people it is targeting for sanctions because of their roles in the Ukraine crisis. The list includes General Valery Gerasimov, chief of the Russian general staff and first deputy defence minister, and Lieutenant General Igor Sergun,...
US attorney general Eric Holder and British home secretary Theresa May pledged on Tuesday to help recover billions of dollars of Ukrainian assets stolen during the Yanukovych regime. The UK is hosting a two-day international meeting to help Ukraine's government reclaim the stolen assets. Former president Viktor Yanukovych and his aides are accused of stealing billions of dollars Continue reading......
EU avoids imposing measures against oligarchs with list dominated by little-known leaders of pro-Russian militias The EU sanctions against 15 Russian officials announced on Tuesday lacked the punch of the preceding US sanctions , since they did not target officials overseeing Russia's state-owned oil group Rosneft or the assets of Kremlin-connected oligarchs. EU countries depend heavily on Russian...
William Hague's statement causes temporary delays to HS2 something many Tories would like to make permanent 'The government regrets that HS2 is subject to an hour's delay due to Russian intervention in Ukraine. We apologise for any inconvenience that has been caused." Let's just hope the Ukrainian people appreciate the enormous sacrifices the British have made in putting back the second reading...