VIDEO REPORTS
Kravchuk: Putin Is Not Immortal
In this exclusive video, part of RFE/RL’s series “Russia & Me,” former Ukrainian President Leonid Kravchuk recalled that ex-Russian President Boris Yeltsin considered the idea of a war between Russia and Ukraine "crazy." Now, he says, Ukrainians and Russians will never be brothers again.
Moscow Mourns Small Businesses
Activists gathered flowers and photographs in a makeshift memorial to small businesses nine days after they were demolished during “the night of long bulldozers” in Moscow. (Russian Service)
Raising Debaltseve From The Ruins
Efforts are underway to rebuild Ukraine’s separatist-controlled city of Debaltseve, with Russia supplying construction materials and humanitarian aid. (Ukrainian Service)
Food Policy Showdown: France Vs. Russia
On December 10, 2015, France became the first country to pass a law banning supermarkets from wasting food. In Russia, bans on Western imports mean food continues to be destroyed by the ton.
Kazakh President’s Awkward Shopping Trip
Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbaev toured a new French-owned supermarket in the country's biggest city, Almaty.
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS
Ukraine’s Ruling Coalition Collapses
The political party Samopomich (Self Reliance) announced its withdrawal from Ukraine’s ruling coalition on February 18, leaving it with 218 votes out of the 226 needed to form a majority. (Current Time TV)
Poroshenko’s Office Confirms Shokin Resignation
The president’s office confirmed on Twitter on February 19 that Ukraine's embattled prosecutor-general has resigned, following reports that he had hindered investigations into corruption.
Shoigu Approval Rating Sky High
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has an approval rating of 88 percent, the Russian Public Opinion Research Center finds, and disapproval of military service for family members has fallen among respondents by 20 percent since 2010. (Current Time TV)
The exiled head of the Chechen separatist government says strongman Ramzan Kadyrov has become so powerful that the Kremlin, even if it wanted to, might have difficulty removing him.
Crimeans Questioned About Ties To Islamic Group
Four more people were arrested by Russia’s security service (FSB) in Crimea and are being investigated for connections to Hizb ut-Tahrir, a pan-Islamic political group that is regarded as a terrorist organization in Russia. (In Russian)
Ukraine Separatists Launch Kids Mag
In a revisionist reference to “little green men,” the term used by Ukrainians to refer to the fighters who formed the vanguard of Russia’s advance into Ukraine in 2014, a new children’s magazine calls itself “Polite Little People,” and seeks to promote the "spiritual-patriotic education" of young people in the country’s separatist-controlled regions.
VimpelCom Admits To Conspiracy, Agrees To Pay $795 Million
In the most significant development to date in the multinational investigation into alleged illegal payments by major telecoms looking to invest in Central Asia, VimpelCom, a mobile communications giant, says it has agreed to pay $795 million to resolve U.S. and Dutch investigations into a bribery scheme in Uzbekistan.
U.S. Dismisses Defamation Suit Linked To Kazakh Family Feud
A U.S. federal judge has thrown out a defamation lawsuit brought by a close business associate of Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev's former son-in-law, who was found dead in an Austrian jail cell last year.
Walesa Rejects Latest Collaborator Charge
Former Polish President Lech Walesa has rejected fresh reports that revive allegations he was a paid informant for the communist-era secret services in a scandal that some say is politically motivated.
Tear Gas Takes Over Kosovo Parliament
A session of Kosovo's parliament has been postponed as opposition lawmakers released tear gas into the chamber.
COMMENTARY: Petro Poroshenko’s House of Cards
Prominent journalist and Ukrainian Member of Parliament Serhiy Leshchenko describes the maneuvering behind Tuesday’s no-confidence vote.