Meetings in Minsk between leaders from France, Germany, Russia and Ukraine continued throughout the night on Monday and through much of the day on Tuesday as leaders attempt to craft a lasting cease fire agreement. The Ukrainian side, for one, has been optimistic in its predictions, with President Petro Poroshenko stating that he was certain…
The European Union will delay the continuance of sanctions against Russia by one week. The decision was made by the foreign ministers of the European Union in order to encourage successful peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, set to begin tomorrow in Minsk. The EU’s decision to forestall sanctions coincides with declarations made by German…
Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel staunchly refused to provide lethal military support to Kiev on Saturday, instead throwing her support behind diplomatic and persuasion efforts to enact a ceasefire between government forces and Russian backed separatist militias currently engaged in ongoing fighting in eastern Ukraine. Her statements were immediately denounced by US Senator Bob Corker…
The value of the Ukrainian hryvynia plummeted yesterday after the Ukrainian central bank decided to raise interest rates and take steps towards adopting a free floating currency, losing nearly 30% of its value. The decision to abandon currency saving measures such as auctions of foreign currency has been widely criticized by the Ukrainian populace, though…
The summit organized by the OSCE on Saturday in Minsk, which aimed to end the months of fighting between the Ukrainian military and separatist groups came to an end just hours after the meeting was convened. The talks ended with “no signature” on any proposals, and discussions were unlikely to resume the following day. One…
The Ukrainian military announced that its forces have successfully regained control of the Donetsk airport. The Ukrainian military has long laid siege to the airport, which for months has been the sight of intensive fighting between separatist militias and Ukrainian military. The latest spat of intense fighting has seemingly shaken the last bastions of separatist…
Russian-backed Ukrainian separatists of the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic claim to have captured the Donetsk city airport, although officials in Kiev deny these reports. If true, the claim would signal the first significant territorial advance by the rebels since signing the cease-fire pact. The pact has mostly been considered a nominal one, with near-daily violations…
Ukrainian bonds have dropped to record lows over concerns that Kiev may default on debts this year. The Financial Times, in collaboration with the International Monetary Fund, recently released a tool that demonstrates the concerning state of Ukraine’s economy, leaving few hopeful that the conflicted nation will be able to make ongoing debt payments despite…
Talks on peace and de-escalation appear to be in progress between Kiev, Separatists, Russia, and the EU. Foreign Ministers of Ukraine, Russia, Germany, and France will speak over the phone on January 9 as the first step in a collaborative effort to stop violence in eastern Ukraine and reach a political solution. The phone conference…
Tensions between Moscow and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization flared again yesterday, as the Kremlin responded to rumors that Ukraine may become a member of NATO. The Kremlin has promised to cease all remaining ties with NATO should Ukraine begin the accession process, and accused NATO of using Ukraine for its own purposes of turning…
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