Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation

President Vladimir Putin said on April 16 Russia's economy could return to growth in less than two years, even though he considers it unlikely that the West will lift economic sanctions over the Ukraine crisis soon.

"Serbia and Ukraine are friendly countries"

BELGRADE -- Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko have "emphasized that Serbia and Ukraine are friendly countries."

The two countries also "need to work more on interrelations," it was announced late on Monday after Vucic and Proshenko had a telephone conversation.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier dismissed on April 12 calls from the radical Left party to invite Russian President Vladimir Putin to this year's summit of the Group of Seven industrial powers.
   

Latvia, current holder of the EU presidency, said on Friday it was surprised by Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras's criticism of European Union sanctions against Russia.

The Latvian prime minister's comments came after left-wing Tsipras met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, and lashed out against what he termed the EUs «vicious cycle of sanctions».

Russia as "gravest challenge to European security"

OSLO -- Defense ministers of Nordic countries have published a joint statement in a newspaper referring to Russia as "the gravest challenge to security of Europe."

The piece published in Aftenposten, Norway's highest circulation newspaper, was signed by defense ministers of Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, and Iceland.

One of the most visible characteristics of authoritarian rulers is restricting dissident voices through political pressure, curbing freedom of expression and imposing a crackdown on media outlets in order to silence any opposing voice.

Foreign Affairs Minister Bogdan Aurescu on Friday said that Romania does not feel intimidated by Russia's threats and that NATO's protecting the eastern flank is a consequence of the Russian Federation's attitude.

Photo credit: (c) Simion MECHNO / AGERPRES ARCHIVE

Russian authorities on April 1 shut down a television channel for Crimean Tatars, an ethnic group that opposed Moscow's seizure of the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine, despite an outcry from activists and the West.
      
ATR television channel was forced to go off air after Russia's state media regulator refused to give it a broadcasting licence.        

An unofficial Turkish delegation is set to visit Crimea to examine alleged human rights violations against Crimean Tatars, but the visit is being delayed until Ankara and Moscow can determine a route for the commission so that Turkey does not imply recognition of Russian control of the peninsula.

A new pro-Russian party called Zmiana, which means "change", emerged on the political scene in Poland.

The party, which has a strong anti-US orientation, supports Russian President Vladimir Putin's policies and sees Russia as natural ally for both Poland and the EU, EUobserver reports.