20:10
4.4.2014
From our news desk:
The new U.S. ambassador to the European Union says the Ukraine crisis has given a boost to relations between Washington and Brussels.
Anthony Luzzatto Gardner said Friday that Russia's annexation of Crimea "confirmed" the importance of the role of NATO in the West and helped "to reinforce trans-Atlantic ties.”
He also praised the EU’s response to the Ukraine crisis.
The EU has imposed sanctions against Russian individuals and signed an association agreement with Ukraine, even though the bloc relies on Russian gas imports.
Gardner said the EU appeared to be operating more effectively than 20 years ago, when he said it was more difficult for the bloc to agree on a common view.
The ambassador said the crisis has added impetus to talks on a U.S.-EU free trade pact.
Anthony Luzzatto Gardner said Friday that Russia's annexation of Crimea "confirmed" the importance of the role of NATO in the West and helped "to reinforce trans-Atlantic ties.”
He also praised the EU’s response to the Ukraine crisis.
The EU has imposed sanctions against Russian individuals and signed an association agreement with Ukraine, even though the bloc relies on Russian gas imports.
Gardner said the EU appeared to be operating more effectively than 20 years ago, when he said it was more difficult for the bloc to agree on a common view.
The ambassador said the crisis has added impetus to talks on a U.S.-EU free trade pact.
17:36
4.4.2014
Good news for Ukraine's boycotters who still like a tipple: "Forbes" in Ukraine has come up with five suitable substitutes for Russian vodka:
1. French grape vodka -- made from Mouzac Blanc and Ugni Blanc grapes, France's Ciroc vodka boasts a "mild citrusy aroma and a fresh taste." Added bonus: it's gluten-free!
2. Vodka 02 from England -- reminiscent of Willy Wonka's fizzy lifting drinks, O2 is a "sparkling" vodka, carbonated with oxygen. Its creators say the bubbles will make it even more alcoholic.
3. Arkhi Mongolian vodka -- distilled fermented goat milk that really packs a punch. Tasting more like skim milk and served by the teacup, this potable is called "tricky vodka" for a reason.
4. Black vodka -- the sinister-sounding Blavod, distilled in the U.K., gets its color from Black Catechu, an extract from the heartwood of Burmese catechu acacia trees. Obviously.
5. Iceberg vodka -- this Canadian potable is made with pure water harvested from 12,000-year-old ice from Newfoundland's Iceberg Alley. The marketing slogan: "The tip of the iceberg is best served with an olive."
1. French grape vodka -- made from Mouzac Blanc and Ugni Blanc grapes, France's Ciroc vodka boasts a "mild citrusy aroma and a fresh taste." Added bonus: it's gluten-free!
2. Vodka 02 from England -- reminiscent of Willy Wonka's fizzy lifting drinks, O2 is a "sparkling" vodka, carbonated with oxygen. Its creators say the bubbles will make it even more alcoholic.
3. Arkhi Mongolian vodka -- distilled fermented goat milk that really packs a punch. Tasting more like skim milk and served by the teacup, this potable is called "tricky vodka" for a reason.
4. Black vodka -- the sinister-sounding Blavod, distilled in the U.K., gets its color from Black Catechu, an extract from the heartwood of Burmese catechu acacia trees. Obviously.
5. Iceberg vodka -- this Canadian potable is made with pure water harvested from 12,000-year-old ice from Newfoundland's Iceberg Alley. The marketing slogan: "The tip of the iceberg is best served with an olive."
17:04
4.4.2014
Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka on Friday announced that he is prepared to take Moscow's side in all issues that affect Russia.
"No matter what I do today -- talking to Ukraine, the West, the East, and so on -- when it comes to Russia, I will not take a single step without first receiving the consent of the leadership of the Russian Federation.
Lukashenka also attempted to drown any speculation that Belarus was attempting to use Russia's standoff with Ukraine to its own advantage.
"If Russia needs us to work for it in Ukraine, we'll do it. If Russia needs us to travel to a distant land for its benefit, we'll do it." He added, "It's in the interests of our brother Russia, and in the interests of Belarus, and there's no contradiction in that."
16:27
4.4.2014
From the news desk:
The United Nations’ special rapporteur on minority issues has announced a visit to Ukraine to investigate the concerns of the country’s minority communities.
Rita Izsak is expected to visit from April 7-13. In a written statement, the Hungarian expert said she intends to “consult widely with national, ethnic, religious, and linguistic minorities to hear first-hand their issues and concerns.”
She said recent developments in Ukraine “make an impartial assessment of the actual situation on the ground essential.”
Izsak is expected to visit Kyiv, Uzhgorod, Odessa, and Donetsk. The statement said she has also requested access to Crimea, which is under Russian control.
Since the ouster of pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych and Russia’s annexation of Crimea, concerns have been raised about possible threats faced by Ukraine’s ethnic minorities.
Rita Izsak is expected to visit from April 7-13. In a written statement, the Hungarian expert said she intends to “consult widely with national, ethnic, religious, and linguistic minorities to hear first-hand their issues and concerns.”
She said recent developments in Ukraine “make an impartial assessment of the actual situation on the ground essential.”
Izsak is expected to visit Kyiv, Uzhgorod, Odessa, and Donetsk. The statement said she has also requested access to Crimea, which is under Russian control.
Since the ouster of pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych and Russia’s annexation of Crimea, concerns have been raised about possible threats faced by Ukraine’s ethnic minorities.
16:20
4.4.2014
Ukrainian Navy cadets in the Crimean port of Sevastopol today held a formal ceremony of depature before leaving the Black Sea peninsula for Odesa.
Roughly 120 cadets, all students at the city's famed Nakhimov Higher Naval Institute, have opted to leave the school following Russia's military annexation of Crimea. Moscow plans to reopen the school as a Russian institution and gave Ukrainian cadets the option of staying. Many chose to leave, and will continue their studies at the Odesa National Maritime Academy.
Belgian photographer Julie David De Lossy spent time with the Sevastopol cadets in 2012.
You can see a gallery of her photos here:
16:15
4.4.2014
Via Reuters and UNIAN. Ukraine's Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk says Ukraine has been holding "emergency" talks with neighboring European countries on the possibility of importing natural gas from the West.
The talks were being held after Russia announced steep hikes in the price Ukraine must pay for Russian gas.
Moscow raised its gas tariff for Ukraine twice this week, almost doubling it in three days.
Yatsenyuk said Friday the talks were exploring the possibility that Ukraine could receive "reverse" flows of gas from EU countries, such as Slovakia, Hungary, and Poland.
Yatsenyuk has condemend the Russian price hikes as a "political" punishment of Ukraine following the ouster of pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych in February.
Ukraine relies on Russia for 50 percent of its gas needs, and also acts as a transit country for Russian supplies to the EU.
Moscow raised its gas tariff for Ukraine twice this week, almost doubling it in three days.
Yatsenyuk said Friday the talks were exploring the possibility that Ukraine could receive "reverse" flows of gas from EU countries, such as Slovakia, Hungary, and Poland.
Yatsenyuk has condemend the Russian price hikes as a "political" punishment of Ukraine following the ouster of pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych in February.
Ukraine relies on Russia for 50 percent of its gas needs, and also acts as a transit country for Russian supplies to the EU.
16:11
4.4.2014
No football diplomacy between Ukraine and Russia. From our news desk:
A football friendly between Spartak Moscow and Dynamo Kyiv has been cancelled due to the crisis between Russia and Ukraine.
The match had been scheduled for July 24 to inaugurate the Russian team's new stadium in Moscow's Tushino district.
Spartak Moscow said on its website Friday that cancelling the match was a joint decision by the two clubs.
The website said Spartak will announce later which club it will play in the inaugural game.
Dynamo Kyiv's president was quoted as saying in March it would be inappropriate to play the Russian club amid high tensions between the two countries.
Pro-Russian Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych was ousted during mass protests in February, and Russia responded by seizing Ukraine's Crimean peninsula.
The match had been scheduled for July 24 to inaugurate the Russian team's new stadium in Moscow's Tushino district.
Spartak Moscow said on its website Friday that cancelling the match was a joint decision by the two clubs.
The website said Spartak will announce later which club it will play in the inaugural game.
Dynamo Kyiv's president was quoted as saying in March it would be inappropriate to play the Russian club amid high tensions between the two countries.
Pro-Russian Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych was ousted during mass protests in February, and Russia responded by seizing Ukraine's Crimean peninsula.
16:08
4.4.2014
It's been a while since we've heard from Dmytro Bulatov, the Automaidan activist who was kidnapped and brutally tortured in January.
Now the interim government's Minister of Youth and Sport, Bulatov met with hockey enthusiasts, parents, and local officials on April 3 for a touchy conversation on the future of one of Kyiv's most hallowed sports halls -- the Vanguard complex, one of the best Soviet-era sports facilities and the training ground for world hockey greats Alexei Zhitnik, Ruslan Fedotenko, and Dmitri Khristich.
The complex, badly in need of reconstruction, was mired in allegations of fraud and mismanagement under the Viktor Yanukovych regime. But Bulatov promised to resurrect the complex, and to do so with public input. He urged the sometimes testy crowd to cooperate on delegating authority and thinking beyond personal interests.
When they objected, he shot back: "Everyone on Maidan was fighting so that people would have the right to make decisions. Now you're telling me, 'You're the minister, make the decisions yourself.' Tell me please, where's the logic?"
15:38
4.4.2014
