Kremlin Says Crimea Part Of Russia, Will Not Be Discussed With Anyone, Including Ukraine - UrduPoint

Russia will not discuss the status of Crimea with anyone, including at talks with Ukraine, considering the peninsula the Russian territory, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday.

Ukraine : US trying to draw Russia into war, Putin says - BBC News

Russia's President Vladimir Putin has accused the US of trying to draw his country into a war in Ukraine.

Kremlin regrets ex-Soviet leader Gorbachev was hit by Ukraine’s sanctions

The Kremlin regrets that former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev has been named persona non grata in Ukraine.

Ex-Soviet leader banned from entering Ukraine

Ukraine's Security Service said it has imposed a ban on ex-Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev from entering Ukraine for five years.

Putin again references "Yugoslav scenario" in speech

MOSCOW -- Russia did not allow itself to go down the road of disintegration under the Yugoslav scenario, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said.

During his annual address to both chambers of parliament, the Federal Assembly, he said his country believes it can do much and achieve everything.

Russia Develops New Retaliatory Measures to Protect Against Possible New Western Sanctions

NAYPYIDAW, August 28 (RIA Novosti) – Russia has developed new retaliatory measures in the aircraft and engineering industries, but will only implement them if the West imposes new sanctions against Moscow, Russian Economic Development Minister Alexey Ulyukaev told journalists.

“A lot will depend on the future actions of our partners. If everything stays the way it is, we will not impose new restrictions. However, if they decide to choose a different path and escalate the sanctions, we will have to respond with new measures, for example in the aircraft and engineering industries. We have already made the proposals,” Ulyukaev said.

Ukraine Counting on Assistance From NATO (Prime Minister Yatsenyuk)

KIEV, August 27 (RIA Novosti) – Kiev is expecting that the West will make crucial decisions at a NATO summit in Wales, Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said Wednesday.

“President of Ukraine will attend the NATO summit. NATO is our partner. We expect practical assistance and monumental decisions from our Western partners at the summit, which will take place September 4. We need help,” Yatsenyuk said.

The summit also included meetings of the NATO-Ukraine and NATO-Georgia commissions.

La réunification de la Crimée et de la Russie irréversible (Poutine)

La décision sur la réunification de la Crimée et de la Russie étant adoptée, Moscou n'a pas l'intention de l'annuler, a annoncé jeudi le président russe Vladimir Poutine lors d'une réunion avec les fractions politiques à la Douma.

"Cela reviendrait à renoncer à soi-même. C'est impossible. La décision est prise", a déclaré le chef de l'Etat russe.

M. Poutine a rejeté les accusations selon lesquelles la Russie aurait annexé la Crimée.

"Aucune annexion de la Crimée n'a eu lieu. Il s'agit de la volonté du peuple. Toutes les accusations sont dépourvues de fondement", a affirmé le président russe.

Ukrainian parliament greenlights sanctions on Russia

The Ukrainian parliament on Thursday approved a bill that provides legal instruments for imposing sanctions on Russian companies and individuals over their alleged support for insurgents in the east.

The bill, which was backed by 242 of 318 lawmakers present at the parliament, includes a provision that Kiev may halt natural gas transit from Russia through Ukrainian territory.

Kiev proclame la Crimée zone de libre-échange

La Rada suprême (parlement ukrainien) a adopté mardi une loi sur la création d'une zone de libre-échange sur la péninsule de Crimée qui avait adhéré à la Fédération de Russie en mars dernier suite à un référendum.

Adoptée par 227 voix (pour 226 voix requises), la loi propose de mettre en place d'une zone de libre-échange en Crimée et dans la ville de Sébastopol pour une période de dix ans.

Australia Not to Impose New Sanctions Against Russia (PM Tony Abbott)

MOSCOW, July 26 (RIA Novosti) - Canberra has no plans to strengthen sanctions against Russia following the European Union, Australia’s Prime Minister Tony Abbott said at a press conference in Parliament on Saturday.

“What the EU does is a matter for the EU. We certainly have no plans to increase our sanctions,” Abbott said.

He added that Australia’s main focus is on Operation Bring Them Home, aiming to return the bodies of Australian citizens, who died in MH17 crash, back to the country.

Russia to Respond Adequately to NATO Expansion (Vladimir Putin)

Moscow will respond adequately and equitably if NATO continues its military presence expansion closer to the Russian borders, President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday.

«Russia will respond adequately and equitably to the expansion of NATO military infrastructure closer to the Russian borders and the ongoing buildup of NATO forces," Putin said at a meeting of the Russian Security Council.

He also said that Moscow clearly sees that NATO is demonstratively strengthening its presence in Eastern Europe.

EU summit confirms sanctions expansion against Russia

The European Union’s summit officially confirmed that sanctions against Russia will be expanded, according to the summit’s final communique distributed in Brussels. 

Additional sanctions agreed at a European Union summit envision putting new individuals and companies on a blacklist for Russia and Ukraine, a diplomatic source said on the sidelines of the EU summit.

The source said the talk was about entities whose actions undermine Ukraine’s territorial integrity.

Federation Council cancels resolution on using Russian military in Ukraine

On Tuesday, President Vladimir Putin proposed to the Federation Council to cancel the March 1 resolution over possible use of Russian military forces in Ukraine...

The Federation Council has revoked the resolution of March 1, 2014, on using the Russian Armed Forces in Ukraine. The decision was taken one vote short from unanimously, 153 out of 154 sentaors voted for canceling the resolution.

Poroshenko says Ukraine will not give up Crimea...

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has said in a combative inaugural speech that Ukraine would not give up Crimea, the Black Sea peninsula that Russia annexed from it in March.

"Crimea was, is, and will be Ukrainian," he said in an emotional address after his swearing-in. He was greeted with a standing ovation.

"I put that clearly to the Russian leader in Normandy," he added, referring to his meeting with President Vladimir Putin at D-Day commemorations yesterday.

The Opinion-Makers: How Russia Is Winning the Propaganda War

With the help of news services like RT and Ruptly, the Kremlin is seeking to reshape the way the world thinks about Russia. And it has been highly successful: Vladimir Putin has won the propaganda war over Ukraine and the West is divided.

Ivan Rodionov sits in his office at Berlin's Postdamer Platz and seems to relish his role as the bad guy. He rails in almost accent-free German, with a quiet, but sharp voice, on the German media, which, he claims, have been walking in "lockstep" when it comes to their coverage of the Ukraine crisis.

Belarusian President Offers to Coordinate on Ukraine With Moscow

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko suggested to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday that the two countries could coordinate joint activities in regard to the situation in Ukraine.

“I would like, as one would say, behind the scenes, to openly talk about the situation in Ukraine and somehow coordinate our actions. Because this crisis will probably not end tomorrow and it has a direct influence on you and on us,” Lukashenko said during a meeting with Putin in Moscow.

President Putin Thursday met with leaders of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) member countries – Armenia, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Belarus – who observed Russian military exercises at the national defense control center and discussed mutual issues, including the crisis in Ukraine.

Germany warns Russia over escalating Ukraine tension. -- "Developments to a new quality would lead to the introduction of stage 3 sanctions."

Germany’s Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier has warned Russia against a possible intervention in eastern Ukraine. 

"That would be a grave mistake," Steinmeier told the German weekly Die Zeit. 

"We have clearly signaled to Russia that after Crimea, any actions in eastern Ukraine, southern Ukraine or towards Moldova, would bring the developments to a new quality and would lead to the introduction of stage 3 sanctions."

Russia Continues Economic Aid to Ukraine.--Europe is doing nothing in order to support Ukraine; not a single dollar, not a single euro,” – Putin

Russia does not recognize the legitimacy of Ukraine’s new authorities but continues its economic assistance to its crisis-hit neighbor, a situation that will not last forever, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday.
“As you know, our partners in Europe recognize the legitimacy of the current Kiev authorities, but are doing nothing in order to support Ukraine; not a single dollar, not a single euro,” Putin said.
“The Russian Federation doesn’t recognize the legitimacy of the authorities in Kiev, but will continue to give it economic support and subsidize Ukraine’s economy with hundreds of millions and billions of dollars for now. This situation, of course, can’t continue eternally,” the Russian leader added.

Crimée-Russie: la plupart des pays reconnaissent l'adhésion . -Vitaly Churkin

L'entrée de la péninsule de Crimée au sein de la Fédération de Russie est un fait géopolitique accompli et la plupart des pays le reconnaissent de facto ou de jure, a déclaré le représentant permanent de la Russie auprès de l'Onu Vitali Tchourkine sur les ondes de la chaîne de télévision russe NTV.

"C'est une nouvelle réalité géopolitique: la Crimée est entrée au sein de la Fédération de Russie et je ne vois pas la nécessité d'une campagne énergique, la plupart des pays reconnaissant ce fait de facto ou de jure", a répondu M.Tchourkine interrogé par un journaliste par les démarches à entreprendre en vue de la reconnaissance de l'adhésion de la péninsule par la communauté internationale.