Tag Archives: Ukraine
7 May 2014
At the trilateral consultations that took place in in Warsaw on 2 May, Yuriy Prodan, the Ukrainian Energy and Coal Industry Minister, said that his country could not guarantee the storage of necessary amounts of gas during summer for further transit to Europe. (more…)
Source: Reuters | EU should help Ukraine fill gas storage - agencies cite Russian minister
Source: The Voice of Russia | Ukraine has no right to unilaterally revise gas price – Russian energy minister
Source: ITAR-TASS News Agency | Ukraine can’t guarantee gas storage and transit to Europe - Russian minister
3 April 2014
On 1 April 2014, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) ordered military commanders to draft plans in order to reinforce the defenses in Eastern Europe. The US already sent military aircrafts to increase air patrols over the Baltic nations. Further steps that will be taken to reassure Eastern European countries are expected to include sending more military equipment to Eastern European states, improving the capability of the rapid response forces, holding more military exercises and increasing the naval presence in the Baltic Sea. (more…)
Source: The New York Times | NATO to Firm Up Its Presence in Eastern Europe as It Halts Cooperation With Russia
Source: The Guardian | Nato moves to bolster eastern European defences against Russia
Source: Reuters | NATO suspends cooperation with Russia over Ukraine crisis
Source: The Washington Post | NATO allies pledge to beef up eastern defences
25 March 2014
Meeting in the margin of the Nuclear Security Summit, the G7 adopted a declaration which states that Russia’s actions in recent weeks were not consistent with the ‘shared beliefs and shared responsibilities’ that were the reason why the Group came together. The declaration also states that the ‘clear violation of international law is a serious challenge to the rule of law around the world and should be a concern for all nations.’ It recalls that in response to Russia’s violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and to demonstrate the determination to respond to these illegal actions, ‘individually and collectively we have imposed a variety of sanctions against Russia and those individuals and entities responsible.’ The declaration calls on Russia to take diplomatic avenues, and suspend the participation of the 7 states in the G8 until ‘Russia changes course’.
Source: EUROPEAN COMMISSION | STATEMENT/14/82 | THE HAGUE DECLARATION following the G7 meeting on 24 March | 24 March 2014
4 November 2013
Negotiations held in Hobart, Tasmania by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources failed to reach an agreement to protect the ocean ecosystem in the Antarctic. The United States and New Zealand proposed a 500,000 square mile reserve in the Southern Ocean around Antarctica. Australia, France, and the European Union proposed a network of protected areas in the eastern Antarctic region. Both proposals were blocked due to the resistance of Russia, China, and Ukraine. Agreement between twenty-four members of the Commission and the European Union is required for the adoption of a proposal.
The resisting states argue that such reserves would cut off their access to fish stocks and undermine the fishing industries. However, fisheries scientists state that the reserves would help protect and restore the ecosystem from depletion caused by overfishing, pollution, and climate change. Yuri Onodera, climate adviser for Friends of the Earth Japan and attendee at the conference, stated, ‘once again, national interests and politics are a hurdle to the international interest of protecting the environment.’
Source: New York Times | Talks on Antarctic Marine Reserve Fail to Reach Agreement
28 February 2013
The New York Times reports that Saudi Arabia financed a large purchase of infantry weapons from Croatia, which were secretly moved through Jordan to antigovernment fighters in Syria, according to United States (US) and Western officials familiar with the purchases. It is suggested by a Croatian newspaper that the US were possibly the intermediary.
The weapons supposedly included ammunition and ‘thousands of rifles and hundreds of machine guns’. Swiss-made hand grenades (that were provided to the United Arab Emirates) and Ukrainian-made rifle cartridges (that were purchased by Saudi Arabia) have also been found in the possession of rebels in Syria.
Source: The New York Times | Saudis Step Up Help for Rebels in Syria With Croatian Arms