Author: Anadolu Agency
Ukraine on Wednesday signed a deal and memorandum with the EU to attract up to €35 billion ($36.7 billion) in macro-financial assistance to the war-torn country. A Ukrainian Finance Ministry statement said that the funds which will provide for the assistance are part of the Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration Loans for Ukraine initiative of the Group of Seven, but that the final amount to be provided will be determined after all parties to the initiative approve the amount of loans they will give. The statement said the EU’s contribution to the assistance may amount to €18 billion ($18.9 billion), considering the…
The secretary general of the Council of Europe on Wednesday reaffirmed commitment to support Ukraine. Alain Berset’s remarks came after his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv. “The Council of Europe (COE) remains firmly committed to support Ukraine in its fight for freedom and a European and democratic future,” Berset said on X. “President Zelenskyy acknowledged that COE’s support in ensuring accountability and compensation is key,” he added. Zelenskyy, for his part, voiced content over the Council of Europe’s support for Kyiv. “We discussed the need to establish a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression, as it…
Russia claimed Wednesday that the recent escalation in Syria has a “Ukrainian trace” as Moscow accused Kyiv of interacting with the armed anti-regime group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). “It is clear that there is a ‘Ukrainian trace’ involved,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a news conference in Moscow. She said Russia received information about alleged interactions between Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence (HUR) and the HTS, which Russia lists as a “terrorist organization.” Zakharova claimed that the alleged interactions include talks on the transfer of drones and expertise with regards to their use, and said Moscow condemned the attack by…
The crown prince and princess of Japan arrived in Türkiye to mark the centenary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Crown Prince Fumihito and Crown Princess Kiko will attend a dinner hosted by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Wednesday and an official anniversary ceremony in Istanbul on Thursday, where Fumihito will make a speech. They are scheduled to return to Japan on Sunday. Friendly interactions between the two countries date back to the Meiji Era, which lasted from 1868 to 1912. Prince and Princess Komatsu of Japan visited the Ottoman Empire, a gesture reciprocated by the Ottoman frigate Ertuğrul…
Montenegro appreciates Türkiye’s “constructive role” in the Balkans, Montenegrin President Jakov Milatovic said Tuesday during a working visit to the capital Ankara. Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), Milatovic said he was pleased to be in Türkiye, emphasizing that his visit reflects the “excellent” bilateral relations between the two nations. “We very much appreciate the constructive role that Türkiye has also vis a vis the Balkan states … Montenegro is perceived as a good neighbor. I believe that Türkiye has this perception as well,” Milatovic added. Particularly in recent years, he said Türkiye’s role as a “credible” and good “neighbor” has…
Nay San Lwin, co-founder of the Free Rohingya Coalition, told Anadolu that Arakan Muslims (Rohingya), long persecuted by Myanmar’s military, are now facing new threats from the Arakan Army. He urged the international community to establish a safe zone to protect the vulnerable population from escalating violence, describing it as the only viable solution given the current conditions in the region. “When it comes to Rohingya, the Arakan Army has the same intention as the Myanmar military,” he said. The Arakan Army (AA), formed in 2009, is a Buddhist ethnic insurgent group from Myanmar’s Rakhine State. It seeks greater autonomy…
The UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria on Tuesday urged warring parties in the country to strictly adhere to international law and protect civilians, warning that the dramatic increase in hostilities since Nov. 27 threatens to spread to new parts of the country. “The brutality of past years must not be repeated, or Syria will be driven onto a new trajectory of atrocities,” the chair of the commission, Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, said in a statement. “We call on all parties to break from their past patterns and ensure they protect and respect civilians, their human rights and the Geneva Conventions.”…
The Kremlin on Tuesday said that Russia considers Ukraine’s potential NATO membership a threat. “Such a decision is, of course, potentially unacceptable for us, because it is a threatening event for us,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Moscow. Saying that the idea of Ukraine joining NATO is in “absolute contrast” to Russia’s thesis on the “indivisibility of security,” Peskov claimed that the security of one country cannot be ensured at the expense of the security of another. This possibility does not eliminate the “root cause” of what is happening now in Ukraine, he added. Earlier, the Ukrainian Foreign…
NATO remains committed to countering new threats and vowing to continue supporting Ukraine, said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday. NATO is the most effective organization the transatlantic world has to address the world’s myriad threats, Blinken emphasized during joint doorstep remarks with NATO chief Mark Rutte ahead of the NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs meeting in Brussels. Blinken specifically mentioned the war in Ukraine, saying, “Russia is terrorizing winter.” Russia deliberately and methodically targets Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, he alleged. However, he said the alliance will continue to support Ukraine, which will be one of the meeting’s main…
NATO’s new chief on Tuesday drew a grim picture of Russia’s leadership, saying that President Vladimir Putin is “not interested in peace.” Referring to the Ukraine war that Russian launched in February 2022, Secretary General Mark Rutte said: “He is pressing on, trying to take more territory. Because he thinks he can break Ukraine’s resolve.” “Ukraine is entering another crucial winter. And Russia’s aggression shows no sign of abating. Just the opposite, Putin is ramping up his rhetoric and reckless actions,” Rutte, who took office last month, told a press conference ahead of a NATO foreign ministers meeting in Brussels.…