OSCE Chairmanship Special Representative, Gernot Erler calls for immediate release of Nadiya Savchenko
BERLIN, 9 March 2016 – Gernot Erler, Special Representative of the German Government for the OSCE Chairmanship, expressed today great concern following reports concerning the health of Nadiya Savchenko, the Ukrainian pilot imprisoned in the Russian Federation. Erler stressed that “Rule-of-law principles are not being upheld in the trial against...
Chernobyl Still a Hazardous Wasteland, Greenpeace Says
Strontium-90 levels have actually risen, posing a danger to people living near the devastated nuclear plant. …read more Source: Transitions Online...
One of the largest enterprises of chemical industry of Ukraine to be privatized
February 16, 2016 President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko has signed a law on amendments to the privatization process. The State Property Fund of Ukraine (SPF) will be responsible for the implementation of the law. Hundreds of companies from energy sector, chemical industry, port infrastructure on the list. Over 25 biggest state-owned entities are...
The problem of VAT non-compliance in Poland
Language English “VAT Gap in Poland grows rapidly, and budget revenues from VAT remain unstable. It is possible to gradually reduce the VAT gap and maintain it at low level, but it takes time. However, a complete elimination of the GAP is impossible, because a certain part of VAT non-compliance has a “natural” character. The fight against shadow...
The case for Open Skies
U.S. military officials recently appeared to question American participation in the Treaty on Open Skies. At a House Armed Services subcommittee hearing on February 24, Admiral Cecil D. Haney, commander of Strategic Command, testified that he was “concerned in terms of overflights of any ability of another nation to learn more about our overall...
Russian soldiers ‘dying in large numbers’ in Ukraine – Nato
Nato’s deputy secretary general, told a conference in Latvia: “Russian leaders are less and less able to conceal the fact that Russian soldiers are fighting – and dying – in large numbers in eastern Ukraine.”There was “mounting evidence that the Russian incursion into Ukraine is becoming much less popular among the Russian public”. The US...
“You Have Not Defeated Me and You Never Will!” Ukrainian Fighter Pilot Nadiya Savchenko Tells Russian Court
Savchenko didn’t beg for leniency and refused to be exchanged for the Russian military intelligence officer captured in Ukraine, deeming such a swap unfair. Savchenko threatened to start a “dry” hunger strike if the court drags its feet. Her earlier experience proves that she is capable of carrying out her threat. If she dies in […]...
The Legacy of Obama’s Foreign Policy
This analysis looks back at President Barack Obama’s foreign policy and contends that it has been marked by three pillars – 1) “military reticence” and greater burden-sharing on the part of allies and partners; 2) an emphasis on dialog with past enemies such as Cuba and Iran; and 3) a shifting of America’s focus away from...
Russian Athletes ‘Still Doping’
German documentary gives new evidence of Russian athletes and coaches violating IAAF and WADA regulations. …read more Source: Transitions Online...
Russia Declares War on Crimean Tatars
Two years after invading and annexing Crimea, Russia appears ready to outlaw the Crimean Tatar Mejlis, the representative body of the largest indigenous people of the peninsula. It is unclear whether Western countries will respond with more than words of deep concern if the Mejlis and its 2,300 representatives at various levels are criminalized....
