Wary of provoking Russia, the United States has been careful to frame the recent decision to supply arms to Ukraine as a purely defensive measure, and not a means to encourage military action against Moscow-led forces in Donbas, the U.S.-based private intelligence firm Stratfor wrote, adding that Moscow, viewing the move as an act of escalation, will doubtless respond in one way or another.
The West’s reaction to the menace from Russia is belated, partial and out of date, Edward Lucas argues in his op-ed published on the Center for European Policy Analysis website.
Spain appeared to reject Catalonia's latest response on independence Monday, saying that it was not valid, according to CNBC citing Reuters.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has called "boorish" the U.S. move to close down Russian diplomatic missions in the U.S. and warned about possible expulsion from Russia of another 155 American diplomats, according to an UNIAN correspondent in Moscow.
Russia is urging the United States to return Russian diplomatic facilities it says U.S. authorities have "seized" in San Francisco and Washington, D.C., calling it an "openly hostile act," RFE/RL reports.
The United States demands that Russia shut San Francisco consulate as well as two annex buildings in Washington and New York in response to Moscow’s actions, The Guardian reports.
The decision on retaliatory measures in response to Ukraine's possible introduction of a visa regime for Russians is to be taken by the Russian president, the Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, told journalists in Moscow, according to an UNIAN correspondent in Russia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed deep opposition to the idea of Sweden joining NATO, calling its potential membership in the alliance a “threat” that would need to be “eliminated,” Newsweek reports.