KYIV, Ukraine — Britain says it has intelligence that Russia is trying to target civilian cargo ships carrying grain in the Black Sea by laying sea mines and planning to blame any attacks on Ukraine. The U.K. did not provide any evidence for the allegation, which comes as Ukraine appears to be gaining momentum in…
Justice Europe With one video, Russia’s Chechnya problem seizes the spotlight again | View caption Hide caption In theory, Russian law applies everywhere within Russia’s borders. But over and over, the Chechen republic proves exempt from those rules, no matter how blatant a violation might be. Russia’s military devastated and pacified Chechnya, and the Russian…
First Look Karabakh dissolves separatist government amid exodus, crackdowns The breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh government will cease to exist by next year, after Azerbaijan’s invasion last week. Ethnic Armenians are fleeing Karabakh in fear of civilian reprisals, raising concerns of ethnic cleansing. | View caption Hide caption | Ethnic Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh said on Thursday they were…
Safety Europe Armenians flee victorious Azerbaijani troops in Nagorno-Karabakh | View caption Hide caption Thousands of ethnic Armenians are not waiting to see whether they can trust the Azerbaijani troops who seized their enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh last week. They are fleeing their homes despite pledges of fair treatment from their historic enemies. More than 19,000…
First Look Kosovo and Serbia were on the brink of detente. Why is it unraveling? A standoff between ethnic Serbs and Kosovo police left four dead on Sunday, including a Kosovar police officer, threatening to sink negotiations between the two neighbors. Kosovo split from Serbia in 2008, a decade after it endured a bloody civil…
It seemed like a touching and timely tribute by Canadian lawmakers to a 98-year-old war “hero” who fought for Ukraine’s independence during World War II. But it soon emerged that the man was in fact part of a notorious Nazi unit, leading to fury at the standing ovation he was given in the presence of…
First Look After cease-fire, Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan discuss their future The Azerbaijan government has held talks with separatist officials from Nagorno-Karabakh after Azerbaijan claimed full control of the region after a military offensive. Local Armenian forces in Nagorno-Karabakh agreed to a cease-fire. | View caption Hide caption Representatives from Nagorno-Karabakh and the Azerbaijan government met…
First Look Ukraine warns of food crisis after four EU states ban grain imports Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, and Croatia have banned grain imports from Ukraine, which in turn lodged a protest with the World Trade Organization. The ban widens a rift between war-torn Ukraine and several of its nominal allies in the fight against Russia. |…
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was heading home on Monday, most likely with gifts from his Russian hosts including a rifle, a cosmonaut’s glove, and military drones — which on their own are a violation of U.N. sanctions. Following are some of the items he is bringing back to the “friendship” museum, where gifts received by…
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un peered into the cockpit of Russia’s most advanced fighter jet as he toured an aircraft factory Friday on an extended and rare foreign trip that has raised concerns about banned weapons transfer deals between increasingly isolated countries. Since entering Russia aboard his armored train on Tuesday, Kim has met…