Region

Russia

Stories under this heading cover Russia, as well as countries in the eastern part of the European continent, such as Belarus, Ukraine, and Moldova.

Editor's choice
News
Zelensky to meet Trump today in Florida for crucial Ukraine talks (Updated)

Zelensky to meet Trump today in Florida for crucial Ukraine talks (Updated)

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky will meet with US president, Donald Trump, in Florida on Sunday (28 December) in what many see as crucial talks on the future of Ukraine. The time of the meeting between president Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine and US president Donald Trump, in Florida today, has been moved to 1300 hours local time. A Ukrainian delegation arrived in the United States to participate in a meeting between the two presidents. Yesterday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the composition of Ukraine's negotiating team: National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov, Economy Minister Oleksiy Sobolev, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Andriy Hnatov, non-staff adviser to the head of the Presidential Office Oleksandr Bevz, and First Deputy Foreign Minister Serhiy Kyslytsya. On Saturday, the Ukrainian president outlined five thematic areas covered in the "peace plan" negotiations and which he wants to discuss with Trump at the meeting: "We are discussing security guarantees between Ukraine and the United States. This is one document. We are also discussing security guarantees with Europe. We are discussing the military dimension. This is part of the security guarantees." The fourth section he mentioned was a "prosperity plan, which will include many other documents," which includes discussions on raising up to $800 billion for Ukraine's reconstruction and creating a number of funds. "And fifth, what we want to discuss with the president is a plan of consistent action. That is, we want to propose, step by step, how to ensure that all the plans I've already mentioned actually work. They will, of course, discuss all of this with the Russians, and we will receive feedback," Zelenskyy stated.

Filter archive

Publication date
Editor's choice
News
Putin and Pashinyan meet to discuss South Caucasus

Putin and Pashinyan meet to discuss South Caucasus

The Armenian prime minister, Nikol Pashinyan, met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Wednesday (7 July). This was the third face-to face meeting of the two leaders in six months. The two men also speak on the phone often. “Putin’s peace” between Armenia and Azerbaijan has so far held, yet the Kremlin must be under no illusion that it will be plain sailing going forward. There is still a lot of work to be done before Armenia and Azerbaijan commence the journey for peace and reconciliation, and the Russian’s may even have their own reasons for not wanting that process to move too swiftly. The alternative is tight management of the current arrangements, and that may mean many more Putin-Pashinyan meetings to come.
Editor's choice
News
EU signals new intensity in relations with the countries of Eastern Partnership and Central Asia, but 3 want more

EU signals new intensity in relations with the countries of Eastern Partnership and Central Asia, but 3 want more

EU leaders stressed the need to further deepen and intensify political, economic and people-to-people ties and co-operation with the Eastern Partners, and underlined their commitment to deepen relations with Central Asia, but Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova want a membership perspective.
Editor's choice
News
EU leaders look at relations with the countries to the East

EU leaders look at relations with the countries to the East

EU leaders on Thursday (24 June) EU's relations with Russia and Turkey, two important and strategic countries with whom the European Union has a complex relationship. The tone adopted in dealing with the two countries was very different, as is appropriate given that Turkey remains an EU candidate country, whilst Russia is increasingly seen as a disruptive neighbour and rival.
Editor's choice
News
Georgian Church irritates Kiev by hosting pro Moscow faction of Ukrainian Church

Georgian Church irritates Kiev by hosting pro Moscow faction of Ukrainian Church

In a move that is likely to cause considerable irritation in Kiev, the Georgian Orthodox Church on Monday (7 June) hosted a delegation of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church that is loyal to the Moscow Patriarchate. Ilia II, the Georgian Orthodox Church Patriarch, and his locum tenens, Metropolitan Shio met the delegation led by Bishop Antony on Monday (7 June).
Editor's choice
News
Kazakhstan rebuffs talk of joint EAEU response to Western sanctions

Kazakhstan rebuffs talk of joint EAEU response to Western sanctions

The government of Kazakhstan, in a statement issued on Saturday (5 June) rebuffed the idea of such a joint response raised last week by Russian deputy foreign minister Alexander Pankin who said that the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), which brings together Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan, was working on a “consolidated response” to Western sanctions against some of its members.
Editor's choice
News
EU bans Belarusian carriers from its airspace and airports

EU bans Belarusian carriers from its airspace and airports

In an announcement on Friday (5 June), the Council of the European Union, which represents the 27 member states, said that it has decided to strengthen the existing restrictive measures in view of the situation in Belarus by introducing a ban on the overflight of EU airspace and on access to EU airports by Belarusian carriers of all kinds.