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While visiting Ukrainian troops out east, Acting Interior Minister Arsen Avakov wrote on his Facebook page that his office’s investigation of Serhiy Kurchenko, previously known as Ukraine’s youngest billionaire, revealed that his schemes with petroleum products cost the country Hr 26 billion, or $2.2 billion. Avakov said: “I told them (people in Luhansk Oblast's Svatovo) that Kurchenko’s scams with petroleum products cost the country Hr 26 billion last year alone, and that they were done with false re-export and fake invoices.”

The Czech defense minister says his country does not want to host foreign NATO troops on its soil, as part of plans to beef up the alliance’s eastern wing in light of the Ukraine crisis in contrast to some other eastern European countries like Poland. Martin Stropinsky, the Czech defense minister, has said his country is not in favor of any foreign troops being based in his country, even though they would only come at Prague’s invitation, Reuters reports. “We know well how any permanent stationing (of troops) is still a problem. I belong to a generation that experienced the...

This is Part 2 in a series on the terrorist threat out of Russia &#0150 a strange ally. Part 1. Politically Correct Butchers of the Twentieth Century Part 2. Russia: Bear Trap Alliance? Part 3. Russia: Ally of U.S. or bin Laden? Part 4. A Model Potemkin Village Part 5. Out of the Rubble - The New SOviet Union Read Part 1 of our look at Terrorist Russia. Frenchman Alexis de Tocqueville, in his 1835 classic, "Democracy in America," displayed remarkable insight regarding the nature and destiny of Russia, as contrasted with the nature and destiny of the United States. ...

Nantes education authorities have launched a 'Lift the Skirt' campaign to support gender equality. Under the campaign, male students and teachers of 27 public schools are invited to wear skirts on May 16, sparking controversy in the western French city. The idea to swap trousers for skirts in a stand against sexism originated from pupils themselves, and was sanctioned by the city's school authorities and therefore by the Ministry of Education, the Local reported. Those who prefer not to bare their legs have the option of wearing a sticker which says, “I am fighting against sexism, are you?” Although the...

Russia could deploy short-range Iskander missiles in the country’s westernmost Kaliningrad region if NATO decides to strengthen its military presence in Eastern Europe, Lt. Gen. Yevgeny Buzhinsky told RIA Novosti. “Russia is a nuclear power,” he said. “If NATO becomes more active, we will deploy a division of Iskander missiles in Kaliningrad Region,” added Buzhinsky, who previously headed the department of international agreements in the Russian Defense Ministry. US Air Force General Philip Breedlove said Tuesday that NATO will consider permanently stationing troops in parts of Eastern Europe following the increased tensions over Ukraine, Reuters reported. “I think this is...

On Thursday evening, an informal meeting took place of of the Moscow-led Collective Treaty Security Organization, Lenta.ru reports. President Vladimir Putin and his fellow heads of state from Belarus, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan visited a training session on management of the Russian armed forces. The situation in Ukraine was the main topic of the evening. Observers have speculated that Moscow could use the CSTO in some fashion to run a "peace-keeping operation" in the south of Ukraine with the support of allies in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). The Interpreter has translated an excerpt and will add the rest...

Russia ordered crisis-hit Ukraine on Thursday to pay upfront for all its future natural gas deliveries because of billions of dollars in outstanding debts. The largely-anticipated announcement imperils supplies to a large swathe of the European Union because nearly 15 percent of all Russian gas consumed by the 28-nation bloc transits through Ukraine. Ukraine has refused to meet the deadline in protest over Russia's decision to nearly double the price it charges its neighbour for gas imports following the February overthrow of a Kremlin-backed regime in Kiev.

The bloody crisis between the pro-Western two thirds of Ukraine and pro-Russian third of the country is about taxes. The recent $17 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan required Ukraine on May 1st to raise taxes and increase natural gas prices by 50%. With about 58% of the Ukraine’s industry in the eastern zone and workers there making about 50% higher wages, the east is paying the majority of the tax increase. Although residential users will not feel pain from the natural gas price increase until fall, eastern heavy industry is feeling the pain immediately. With the corrupt west raising...

***WARNING GRAPHIC VIOLENCE*** Ignore propaganda from both sides. Watch video at link and make up your own opinion. Two more videos from different angles at bottom of post.

A senior Russian politician said on Sunday he had brought to Moscow a petition by residents of Moldova's Russian-speaking, breakaway region of Transdniestria backing union with Russia. Dmitry Rogozin's comments will further rattle Moldova, an impoverished former Soviet republic which, like neighboring Ukraine, is seeking closer ties with Europe but faces stiff resistance from Moscow. Transdniestria, which broke from Moldova in 1990, has long sought to join Russia and the West fears the narrow sliver of land on the Dniestr river will be Moscow's next target following its annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region in March and its support for pro-Russian...

DONETSK, Ukraine -- Ninety percent of voters in a key industrial region in eastern Ukraine came out in favor of sovereignty Sunday, pro-Russian insurgents said in announcing preliminary results of a twin referendum that is certain to deepen the turmoil in the country. Roman Lyagin, election chief of the self-styled Donetsk People's Republic, said around 75 percent of the Donetsk region's 3 million or so eligible voters cast ballots, and the vast majority backed self-rule.

If Kiev does not pay its gas bills by June 2, exports to Ukraine will be halted the next day, Gazprom CEO Aleksey Miller said. Russian PM Dmitry Medvedev meanwhile urged demanding advanced payment from Kiev as early as Tuesday. Miller told Medvedev on Monday that Gazprom will issue a preliminary June bill to Ukraine’s Naftogaz on May 13. According to Miller, Kiev already owes the company more than $3.5 billion, which compares to Gazprom’s annual gas supply to Poland. “In case Ukraine does not pay for the June supplies, Gazprom will notify the Ukrainian side, before 10am on June...

PARIS/BAKU (Reuters) - France will press ahead with a 1.2 billion-euro ($1.66 billion) contract to sell Mistral helicopter carriers to Russia because cancelling the deal would do more damage to Paris than to Moscow, French diplomatic sources said on Monday. France's move illustrates the limitations of European Union sanctions meant to punish Russia for its annexation of Crimea and dissuade Moscow from intervening in east Ukraine. The United States has been pressing France, Germany and Britain to take a tougher line against Russia. For France, this would mean at least delaying the Mistral contract. For Britain, closing its mansions and...

Donetsk (Ukraine) (AFP) - A day after the people of Donetsk apparently voted overwhelmingly to split from Ukraine, an eerie calm reigned on the streets as people wondered what country they had woken up in. Unlike a similar referendum in the peninsula of Crimea, annexed by Russia in March, there were no wild celebrations, no sense of joy -- just slight confusion about the future and a lingering anger towards the leaders in Kiev. Taxi driver Dmytro Boyko told AFP as he waited to collect his daughter from school that many in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk were "frightened...

White House spokesman Jay Carney avoided responding directly to a question about France's decision to honor its $1.66 billion contract with Russia for Mistral helicopter carriers and reject pressure from the U.S. and other European leaders to punish Moscow by canceling the deal. Carney on Monday said he didn't have “a specific reaction” to the news of France's decision and continued to emphasize U.S. efforts to work with European partners on a coordinated approach to “escalating the costs to Russia for its approach to the challenges in Ukraine.” SNIP---- In making its decision to follow through with the 2011 deal...

Burisma Holdings, Ukraine’s largest private gas producer, has expand edits Board of Directors by bringing on Mr. R Hunter Biden as a new director. R. Hunter Biden will be in charge of the Holdings’ legal unit and will provide support for the Company among international organizations. On his new appointment, he commented: “Burisma’s track record of innovations and industry leadership in the field of natural gas means that it can be a strong driver of a strong economy in Ukraine. As a new member of the Board, I believe that my assistance in consulting the Company on matters of transparency,...

SLOVYANSK, Ukraine — Roughly midway through an hourlong gunfight that began just after midnight Sunday, six high-explosive mortar rounds narrowly missed the home of Yevgeny Kharkovsky and his wife, exploding around them on Yuzhnaya Street. One hit a few feet from their home’s east side. Another hit near the south side of the wall of their shed. A third landed on the shed roof. A fourth hit beside a row of beehives. Two more landed in their neighbor’s yard, blasting out windows there and at the next house down. Continue reading the main story Related Coverage Russia Keeps Its Distance...

Moscow is banning Washington from using Russian-made rocket engines, which the US has used to deliver its military satellites into orbit, said Russia’s Deputy PM, Dmitry Rogozin, who is in charge of space and defense industries. According to Rogozin, Russia is also halting the operation of all American GPS stations on its territory from June 1. DETAILS TO FOLLOW

The farce is complete... "Burisma Holdings, Ukraine’s largest private gas producer, has expanded its Board of Directors by bringing on Mr. R Hunter Biden as a new director. R. Hunter Biden will be in charge of the Holdings’ legal unit and will provide support for the Company among international organizations. On his new appointment, he commented: “Burisma’s track record of innovations and industry leadership in the field of natural gas means that it can be a strong driver of a strong economy in Ukraine. As a new member of the Board, I believe that my assistance in consulting the Company...

Russia is going to suspend the operation of all American GPS sites on its territory, starting from June 1, said Russia’s deputy PM, Dmitry Rogozin, who is in charge of space and defense industries. "Starting June 1, we will halt the work of those stations on Russian territory,” Rogozin said. Rogozin pointed out that American GPS ground stations are located in Russia under an agreement that dates back to 1993 and 2001. “Under this agreement there are 11 GPS stations on the territories of 10 [Russian federal] subjects,” he said.