'Normandy 4' Ukraine peace talks in Minsk LIVE UPDATES

Published time: February 11, 2015 

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Russian President Vladimir Putin, France's President Francois Hollande, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko (Reuters)

Albania's Kadare unruffled by elusive Nobel

By Laurent Lozano | AFP – Tue, Feb 10, 2015

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  View PhotoAFP/AFP/File - Albanian novelist Ismail Kadare during an interview with AFP on February 8, 2015, in Jerusalem

• View PhotoAlbanian writer Ismail Kadare receives the Prince of Asturias Award Laureate for …
• View PhotoAlbanian writer Ismail Kadare reads his work at the Frankfurt Book Fair October 6, …

He has been tipped many times as a winner of the Nobel literature prize but has never won it -- and Albanian novelist Ismail Kadare isn't bothered if he never does.

So often has his name been mentioned as a potential Nobel laureate that "many people think I've already won it", the 79-year-old told AFP in an interview conducted in French in Jerusalem.
Kadare, Albania's best-known novelist and poet, was in the city to receive the Jerusalem Prize for work which best expresses and promotes the idea of the freedom of the individual in society -- an award previously won by authors such as Arthur Miller, Haruki Murakami and Ian McEwan.
The award is presented at the opening of the biennial Jerusalem International Book Fair, Israel's largest literary event, which this year has attracted more than 200 publishers from 20 countries.
The prize is yet another accolade for an author whose works have been translated into dozens of languages and who is considered to be one of the greatest living writers in Europe.
Born in 1936 in the Albanian mountain town of Girokaster, Kadare has won a number of prestigious prizes including the first international Man Booker Prize in 2005.
- Surge of interest -
He established an uneasy modus vivendi with the Communist authorities until their attempts to turn his reputation to their advantage drove him in 1990 to seek asylum in France, according to a short bio on the Man Booker Prize website.
His first novel, "The General of the Dead Army", was published in 1963 and then translated into French in 1970, sparking a surge of European and international interest in his work.
He has since written more than 50 novels, essays and collections of short stories, among them "Chronicle in Stone" (1971) and "The Palace of Dreams" (1981) -- many touching on the historical experiences of the Albanian people and the totalitarian regime they endured.
For Kadare, the concept of freedom is an intrinsic part of a writer's work.
"That goes without saying. If you are a serious writer or just a normal one, in one way or another you are writing in the service of freedom. All writers know, understand or dream that their work will be in the service of freedom," he told AFP.
But he refused to be drawn on the question of freedom as it relates to Palestinians living in the annexed eastern part of Jerusalem.
"I did not ask myself that question. I am a writer. I write literature," he said.
- Deadly Paris attacks -
"I come from one of the few countries in the world which helped the Jews during World War II. I believe the number of Jews there grew from 200 at the start of the war to 2,000 by the end.
"The population always defended the Jews whether during the kingdom, under Communism or after it. That is why I haven't thought about this other problem here," he said of the decades-long conflict with the Palestinians.
In an editorial in Le Monde following last month's deadly attacks in Paris, Kadare spoke of Europe as the continent which had "given the most" to the world in terms of literature and art.
"We cannot deny that 80 or even 90 percent of the spiritual treasures from the past 3,000 years have come from Europe," he said.
"There is no other Greek theatre anywhere else in the world. There is no other Shakespeare, Dante or Cervantes."
Although he has been tipped several times as a Nobel laureate, he has yet to receive a call from the Swedish Academy. But it is not something which keeps him awake at night.
"The press has spoken about it so much that many people think that I've already won it," he said.
"I am already part of the family of those who have been tipped, and that is very important. It would be petty and silly to become resentful over that. You won't become divine if you win it. And it's not a disaster if you don't."

Portugal president warns Greece of disaster if it leaves euro

First entry: 11 February 2015

Portugal's president said on Wednesday it would be a disaster for Greece if it left the euro currency and that it needs to "correct" its positions to reach agreement with European creditors.
"I think it would be good for the European Union and Greece to remain a member of the euro," President Anibal Cavaco Silva told reporters in comments aired on television. "I am convinced that it would be total disaster for Greece if it were to leave the euro."
The president, who is head of state in Portugal, said the Greek government had started to learn about the functioning of the European Union and that it had started to change its positions since coming to power last month.
"I hope it continues to correct them (its positions) so that it can reach and agreement in the Eurogroup meeting, in its dialogue with the (European) Commission and in the meeting with the European Council," he said.
The new left-wing Greek government will meet with euro zone finance ministers on Wednesday and with EU leaders on Thursday when assistance to Athens beyond February will be discussed.
Reuters

Russia would consider any economic aid requests from Greece

First entry: 11 February 2015

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday his country would examine a request for economic aid by Greece, if such a request was made.
Speaking at a joint news conference with Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias in Moscow, Lavrov said Russia appreciated the "constructive" position of Greece in ties between Moscow and the European Union, which has imposed several waves of sanctions on Russia over Ukraine.
Lavrov also said the two ministers agreed that there could only be a political situation to the conflict in eastern Ukraine, which has killed more than 5,000 people.
Kotzias said he hoped there would be a "significant" agreement at talks in the Belarussian capital Minsk later on Wednesday and mentioned the issue of ethnic Greeks living in eastern Ukraine.
The minister said over 100,000 ethnic Greeks live in eastern Ukraine and he will make it a priority to give them assistance. "We have a special problem with Ukraine. As you know, in Mariupol and other parts of eastern Ukraine there are about 100,000 people of Greek origin and we are trying to do everything possible to help them," Kotzias said.
Sputnik, Reuters

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The Greek people demonstrating against Troika measures to Greece

Obama warns Putin of 'rising costs' over Ukraine

Ahead of Minsk peace talks, US president urges Moscow to agree to peace deal or face tougher consequences.

11 Feb 2015

Senior Obama administration officials have come out in support of arming the Ukrainian army [Reuters]

US President Barack Obama has urged his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in a phone call to agree to a peace deal with the Ukrainian government.
"If Russia continues its aggressive actions in Ukraine, including by sending troops, weapons, and financing to support the separatists, the costs for Russia will rise," said a statement issued by the White House on Tuesday.
The Kremlin, however, emphasised in its statement about the call that the Ukraine crisis was an "internal" conflict.
Kiev and the West accuse Moscow of supplying and training the heavily armed separatists, but Russia denies the claims.
Peace efforts
The leaders of Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France are set to meet for the peace talks in the Belarusian capital of Minsk on Wednesday.
French President Francois Hollande said the leaders were heading to the talks "with the strong will to succeed, but without being sure that we will be able to do it".
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said simply holding the summit was no guarantee of success, and that nothing had been resolved yet.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said the talks were "one of the last" opportunities for ending the conflict that has killed more than 5,300 people since April.
The renewed fighting has brought calls in the West for more pressure against Moscow. Obama is weighing whether to deliver lethal weapons to Kiev.

Fresh fighting in Ukraine threatens peace talks

Obama met German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday but announced no decision on weapons, despite several senior officials in his administration coming out last week in favour of sending arms.
European countries have opposed sending arms to Kiev, arguing that would escalate the war.
Latest violence
Meanwhile on Tuesday, rockets crashed into the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk, about 50km north of the front line, hitting the headquarters of the Ukrainian military campaign in the east, as well as nearby residential areas.
The government-controlled Donetsk regional administration said 12 people were killed and 64 wounded, including 29 civilians. At least seven of the dead were civilians, local officials said. 
The rebels denied firing on the town.
At the front line in Vuhlehirsk, a small town captured by rebels last week, volleys of artillery crashed in both directions. The rebels are pushing to encircle government forces, holding out in nearby Debaltseve, a rail hub that is the main rebel target.
Rebels sounded triumphant and said they had no intention of halting their offensive.
"The Debaltseve bubble has been shut firmly. We will not let them out. There is no way they can get out," said a commander of a reconnaissance unit.
Asked about a ceasefire, the commander replied: "We are absolutely against it. They will have time to regroup. We have them now."

Source: Al Jazeera and agencies

Greek defence minister says Greece has Plan B if EU rigid on deal

Reuters

"What we want is a deal. But if there is no deal - hopefully (there will be) - and if we see that Germany remains rigid and wants to blow apart Europe, then we have the obligation to go to Plan B. Plan B is to get funding from another source," he told a Greek television show that ran into early Tuesday. "It could the United States at best, it could be Russia, it could be China or other countries," he said.

Kammenos is the leader of Independent Greeks, a nationalist anti-bailout party that is the junior coalition partner of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras' radical left Syriza party.

Greece's Deputy Foreign Minister Nikos Chountis, who holds the European Affairs portfolio, told Greek radio that Russia and China had offered Greece economic support though Athens had not requested it.

"There have been proposals, offers I would say, from Russia, recently after the election, for economic support as well as from China, regarding help, investment possibilities," Chountis said, asked to comment on Kammenos's remarks, adding: "We have not asked for it."
Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias is due to visit Russia on Wednesday.

Chountis said that while Athens was not excluding alternative sources of aid, it's first priority was to "exhaust all options" in reaching a deal with its European partners.
Greece is seeking a new debt agreement with the euro zone that will allow it to shake off much of the austerity that has been imposed by a European Union/International Monetary Fund bailout since 2010.

The euro zone, particularly Germany, has shown no willingness to ease its requirement that Greece make deep budget cuts and economic reforms.

"Our primary plan is to find a solution with our European partners because we are aware of the commitments and obligations that our presence is Europe and the euro zone entails," Chountis said.

Twin Bomb Attack in Albania, No Injuries

 

TIRANA, Albania — Feb 10, 2015, 7:16 AM ET

Two powerful explosions in Albania's capital Tirana have gutted a business owned by the family of the country's interior minister and damaged the apartment of a senior police officer.

Authorities said no one was injured in the pre-dawn explosions Tuesday. Socialist Prime Minister Edi Rama described the incidents as a coordinated "act of terrorism."

Police say a third device was destroyed in central Tirana after they received a warning telephone call.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the explosions that occurred 25 minutes apart. The first destroyed a pharmacy owned by the family of Interior Minister Saimir Tahiri and shattered nearby windows.

The explosion at the drug store of the minister's father occurred close by the main office of the national secret intelligence police, while that of the third device close to the apartment of the prime minister's mother.

Prosecutor's office also said in a statement they had started the investigation for "terrorist acts."

Extra police to be deployed on border with Hungary

Source: Tanjug

BELGRADE -- Top officials of the police forces of Serbia, Hungary, Austria and Germany have agreed on greater cooperation as they work to prevent illegal migration.

(Tanjug)

Serbian Interior Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic met in Belgrade on Monday with German Federal Police chief Dieter Roman, Hungarian Police Director Hungary Karoly Papp, and a delegation of the Austrian police.
Stefanovic announced afterwards that in addition to regular border police, Serbia will soon deploy the Gendarmerie unit and the "general jurisdiction" police at the border crossings with Hungary.

He pointed out that he and his colleagues agreed that experts would help Serbian and Hungarian police forces in preventing illegal migration, as well as provide technical equipment, "that is, thermal imaging cameras."

Stefanovic also said there would be enhanced cooperation in the field of criminal investigations in order to detect smugglers.

The meeting on Monday came as ethnic Albanians from Kosovo have been leaving in great numbers, attempting to reach EU countries.

When asked what kind of documents the migrants passing through Serbia had, Stefanovic explained that, in addition to forged documents, migrants from Kosovo and Metohija also possess certificates that are obtained on the administrative line between Kosovo and central Serbia.

The migrants use those up to the Hungarian border, "after which they obtain forged documents," the minister said.

Asked about the reasons for the "explosion of migration", Stefanovic said this was not a question for the police "because the police do not deal with this analysis - but the reasons are certainly not of a security nature."

"In Germany, less that one percent of requests are accepted from asylum seekers who come via our territory. These people should not sell their property because in that way they only deepen the humanitarian crisis, and will answer in court for committing criminal acts," said Stefanovic.

Dieter Roman said that the talks today were efficient and "made clear the fact that the police of any state are not able to independently solve the problem of illegal migration."

"Serbia, Hungary, Austria and Germany can prevent a humanitarian exodus only together," said Roman.

Karoly Papp agreed with Stefanovic and Roman, pointing out that he was sure that with the help of expert teams from the four countries "good results will be achieved."

This will contribute to greater security of all our citizens, said Papp.

Ukraine conflict: US 'may supply arms to Ukraine'

Continue reading the main story

Ukraine crisis

• Baptism of fire
• Inside embattled town Watch
• Why is east hit by conflict?
• Crisis mapped

President Barack Obama says the US is studying the option of supplying lethal defensive arms to Ukraine if diplomacy fails to end the crisis in the east.

Russia had violated "every commitment" made in the failing Minsk agreement, he added, after talks with the German chancellor on a new peace deal.
Mr Obama has come under pressure from senior US officials to supply arms, despite objections from Angela Merkel.
Russia denies accusations of sending troops and supplying the rebels.
The latest diplomatic efforts come amid renewed fighting between the pro-Russia rebels and Ukrainian government troops, with fighting centred around the strategic railway hub of Debaltseve.
The rebels said on Monday they had cut off a key supply road to the town, which is near the rebel-held city of Donetsk, but the military says the battle is ongoing.
Ukrainian government officials say nine soldiers and at least seven civilians have been killed in fighting over the last 24 hours.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is considering the peace proposals, earlier blamed the West for the crisis.

Mrs Merkel's US trip is the latest in a flurry of diplomatic activity to try end nearly a year of conflict in Ukraine

The crisis in Ukraine has already claimed more than 5,300 lives and displaced 1.5 million people from their homes.
Mrs Merkel met the US president in Washington on Monday to update him on Franco-German efforts to revive last year's Minsk peace plan, which collapsed amid fighting over the winter.
The detailed proposals have not been released but the plan is thought to include a demilitarised zone of 50-70km (31-44 miles) around the current front line.
'One option' Speaking alongside the German chancellor, President Obama said the option of lethal defensive weapons for the Ukrainian government remained on the table.
"If, in fact, diplomacy fails, what I've asked my team to do is to look at all options," he said, adding that offering lethal arms was only one of the options under consideration.
Mrs Merkel, who has made it clear she opposes sending lethal arms, acknowledged setbacks in efforts to reach a diplomatic solution with Russia over Ukraine, but said that they would continue.

Meanwhile Mr Obama criticised Russian aggression in Ukraine, saying that the borders of Europe could not be "redrawn at the barrel of a gun".
But this Russian aggression had reinforced the unity of the US and its European allies, he added.
'Broken pledges' EU foreign ministers in Brussels agreed on Monday to impose further sanctions against Russian and rebel officials, but have put them on hold for a week to give the peace efforts a chance.
Mr Putin earlier said Western countries had broken pledges not to expand Nato and forced countries to choose between them or Russia, leading to the current crisis in Ukraine.
In comments to an Egyptian newspaper, Mr Putin accused Western states of supporting a "coup d'etat in Kiev" - a reference to the ousting of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych last year.

Ukrainian troops rest on a tank

Many civilians have fled the Donetsk fighting

Pro-Russian rebels in the east Ukrainian town of Vuhlehirsk

He lost power amid protests over his decision to scrap a deal that would have seen Ukraine establish closer ties with the European Union.
Since then, Russia has annexed Ukraine's Crimea Peninsula and rebels in the east have sought to establish full control over the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk.
Germany's peace efforts were sharply criticised by senior US Republicans who attended an international security conference in Munich over the weekend.
Senator Lyndsey Graham, who attended with Senator John McCain, said: "At the end of the day, to our European friends, this is not working. You can go to Moscow until you turn blue in the face. Stand up to what is clearly a lie and a danger."
Mr McCain said: "The Ukrainians are being slaughtered and we're sending them blankets and meals. Blankets don't do well against Russian tanks."
US Secretary of State John Kerry has denied any rift with EU leaders, stating that they remained "united" and were "working closely together".

What was the Minsk agreement?

• A ceasefire signed by Ukraine and pro-Russian separatist rebels on 5 September 2014 in Minsk, Belarus

• They agreed to 12 points including pulling back heavy guns by at least 15km (9 miles), releasing prisoners, allowing access to international observers, and setting up a buffer zone on the Russia-Ukraine border. Foreign mercenaries were to withdraw and Donetsk and Luhansk would get wider self-rule

• But military clashes never entirely stopped. Each side accused the other of violating the deal and violence later flared the length of the ceasefire line

• Rebels also held their own local elections in November 2014, in defiance of Kiev. The government responded by saying it would scrap partial autonomy for Donetsk and Luhansk

Why violence is surging

Are you in Eastern Ukraine? Have you been affected by recent events? Email your experiences to haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk
Please include a contact number if you wish to be contacted by a BBC journalist.

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February 9, 1914: The Major Spyros Spyromilios raises for the first time, the flag of Independent of Epirus in Himara

Cyprus denies 'Russia deal on military bases'

Limassol, May 2013: The Russian anti-aircraft ship Admiral Panteleyev paid a visit

Continue reading the main story

Related Stories

• Cyprus profile
• Why so much Russian money in Cyprus?
• How vital is Syria's Tartus port to Russia?

Cyprus has denied Russian media reports that it is ready to lease two military bases to Russia.

"There is no question of Russian air or naval military bases on the soil of Cyprus," said Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides.
Earlier, Russian government newspaper Rossiiskaya Gazeta said Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades would make the offer on an official visit to Moscow on 25 February.
Cyprus is in the EU but not in Nato.
The leasing deal would concern an air base near Paphos and a naval base at Limassol, according to Rossiiskaya Gazeta. Russia can already use the bases temporarily.
But Mr Kasoulides dismissed the leasing claim, saying "there has never been any request from Russia about this", the Cyprus News Agency CNA reported.
He said President Anastasiades was referring to "the renewal of a military co-operation agreement with Russia consisting of maintenance of military equipment sold to Cyprus years ago, as well as the purchase of spare parts according to existing contracts".
He added that "as regards the offering of facilities, these are of a purely non-military humanitarian nature, such as the evacuation of Russian civilians from the Middle East if the need arises".
Russian warships can already use the Limassol base for refuelling and the Andreas Papandreou air base for humanitarian missions.
Financial help? In the eastern Mediterranean the Russian navy can only repair ships currently at a small naval dockyard in Tartus, on Syria's coast, Rossiiskaya Gazeta reports.
In exchange for a deal on bases Cyprus could receive Russian financial help for its still ailing banking sector, which suffered a meltdown in 2013, the paper says.
However, Russia - a major oil and gas exporter - faces financial difficulties itself this year, because of EU sanctions and the slump in oil prices.
Russian businesses began moving billions of dollars to Cyprus in the early 1990s, taking advantage of low tax rates and treating it as a "safe haven". But the 2013 Cyprus bailout imposed losses on Russian investors, as well as others.
Tensions with Turkey As part of a deal Russia could also help Cyprus by putting pressure on Turkey, Rossiiskaya Gazeta says, as Turkey is opposed to Cypriot offshore oil and gas exploration.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded the north in response to a military coup on the island which was backed by the Athens government. The self-styled Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is not internationally recognised.
The idea of leasing bases to Russia would be highly controversial, as Cyprus has to comply with EU sanctions imposed on Russia over Moscow's intervention in eastern Ukraine. Those sanctions include Russian military industries.
Such a move could also raise tensions with the UK, which has two big sovereign military bases in Cyprus - RAF Akrotiri and Dhekelia.
Nato has complained about a surge in the number of Russian military flights in European airspace, seen as an echo of the Cold War.

Cyprus in spat with Britain over Russian use of military bases

First entry: 9 February 2015

Cyprus’ offer to allow Russia the use of air and navy bases on its territory has triggered a feud with Britain, which is concerned over Russian military activities amid the Ukraine crisis.
The top British envoy to the island made a series of warnings to Nicosia regarding the gas crisis in the eastern Mediterranean and the use of military bases by Russia during an interview with Greek daily Kathimerini, sparking reaction from Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades.
In his interview, British High Commissioner to Cyprus, Damian Roberick Todd, said the EU has a common and voted stance against Russia over the recent developments in Ukraine, urging the government to act according to this.
Anastasiades, however, reacted to Todd’s remarks, asking the envoy to avoid using “baseless” words.
“There is an old [defense] agreement, which should be renewed as is. At the same time, some additional services will be provided in the same way as we do with other countries, such as, for example, with France and Germany,” the Cypriot president reportedly said. “Cyprus and Russia have traditionally had good relations, and this is not subject to change.”
Andreas Papandreou Airbase, which was constructed by the southern Cypriot government jointly with Greece, is presumed to be the base at issue.
Both France and Israel have also demanded use of the facility.

Greek FM Kotzias to visit Moscow Wednesday - Interfax, TASS

First entry: 9 February 2015

Greece's Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias is to visit Moscow on Wednesday, Feb. 11, to hold talks with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, Russia's Interfax and TASS news agencies reported on Monday, citing a source in the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Le Pen says Washington attempting to start ‘war in Europe’

Published time: February 09, 2015 

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Marine Le Pen (Reuters / Charles Platiau)

The leader of France’s rightwing Front National (FN), Marine Le Pen, has called Brussels “American lackeys” over the EU's Ukraine policy. She further accused Washington of attempting to start a “war in Europe” and expand NATO towards Russia’s borders.
READ MORE: Crisis in Ukraine is ‘all EU’s fault’ – France’s Marine Le Pen
"European capitals do not have the wisdom to refuse to be dependent on US positions on Ukraine," Le Pen told French journalists on Sunday.
"Regarding Ukraine, we behave like American lackeys," she said, before warning that “the aim of the Americans is to start a war in Europe to push NATO to the Russian border."

She went on to accuse European leaders of turning a blind eye to the Ukrainian government’s “bombing of civilians,” adding that both those in Crimea and Eastern Ukraine believed the country should be federalized.
Le Pen has regularly criticized the EU for its policy on Ukraine and its alleged lack of independence from Washington.
In September, she told Le Monde that the ongoing crisis in Ukraine is “all the European Union’s fault,” saying Brussels had “blackmailed the country to choose between Europe and Russia.”
In June, she similarly told RT’s Sophie Shevardnadze that there were “no independent states left in Europe,” saying many of their foreign policy mistakes in recent times had been made “under Washington’s influence.”


Her words echoed statements by former French Prime minister Francois Fillon, who told the public broadcaster France 5 on Sunday that the United States was attempting to “unleash a war in Europe, which would end in catastrophe.” He added that once a war broke out, the US would attempt to distance itself from it.
“Total war caused [by the] Ukrainian conflict is absolutely unacceptable. And really there is no reason for it," he said.
Fillon accused the US of suffering from “blindness” and an oversimplified approach to reality, which saw them constantly attempting to “solve all problems by force.”
He further said Washington was always attempting to force others to join its camp, a mistaken approach given that a country like Ukraine has ties to both Europe and Russia.

Francois Fillon (Reuters / Philippe Wojazer)

"The Americans have made one mistake after another and today they have simply been discredited,” said Fillon.
He added that attempting to punish Russia with sanctions was like trying to intimidate a bear with a pin prick. He further commended recent efforts by French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel to open a dialogue with Moscow.
“The West is trying to imagine today Russia as a threat to the whole world, while deliberately forgetting that Russia is a large and truly a great country, not to mention a nuclear power,” he said.
“Humiliating Russia is simply unacceptable.”
Also on Saturday, former French President Nicolas Sarkozy said that Europe was part of “a common civilization with Russia,” saying they needed to avoid conflict on the continent.
“The interests of the Americans with the Russians are not the interests of Europe and Russia,” he said, adding that “we do not want the revival of a Cold War between Europe and Russia.”

Financial Times: US urges Europe to compromise with Athens

First entry: 9 February 2015 - 07:05 Athens, 05:05 GMT

Last update: 09:41 Athens, 07:41 GMTPolitics

The Obama administration is pushing euro zone leaders to compromise more with Greece's new government as fears grow that a protracted budget stand-off could damage the global economy, the Financial Times reported on Sunday.
The U.S. lobbying effort comes amid mounting concerns in Brussels and Washington about the hardline stance taken by some members of the euro zone, particularly Germany, that Greece must press on with its budget-cutting commitments, according to the report, which cited European Union and U.S. officials.
"We've advised all sides there needs to be some compromise on everybody's part," the FT cited a senior U.S. official as saying. "There are limits to how much austerity a society can withstand."
A U.S. delegation is heading to Athens, led by the Treasury Department's top Europe official, Daleep Singh, the FT said.
U.S. officials are expected to raise their concerns about the standoff with Greece at this week's meeting of the Group of 20's finance ministers in Istanbul and during bilateral meetings in Washington on Monday between Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the FT reported.
U.S. and European leaders are concerned about the possibility that the situation in Greece could lead to its departure from the EU.
"We believe that any fragmentation would have a severe spillover effect," a senior U.S. official told the FT.
Financial Times via Reuters

Weather misery continues in southern Albania

The worst flooding in more than 40 years to be followed by freezing conditions in coming days.

09 Feb 2015 09:31 GMT |

Much of southern Albania has been hit by record rainfall in the first week of February {AFP]

After the worst flooding in more than 40 years, Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama has pledged to compensate flood victims in the country's south.
Around 600 families have been evacuated from their homes in four southern districts in recent days as floods inundated more than 17,000 hectares and killed more than 3,500 sheep.
The first week of February saw 283mm of rain falling in Gjirokaster district – more than twice the average rainfall for the entire month of February.
Although no significant rainfall is expected in the coming days, any precipitation which does fall could be in the form of snow.
Cold weather is expected to sweep across much of the Balkans in coming days with sub-zero nighttime temperatures set to add to the misery of those residents still waiting for the floodwater to subside.
Army units have been deployed to bolster flood defenses and to deliver food and supplies.
Speaking on Sunday, as he visited the region of Fier, hit by the flooding of the River Vjosa, Rama blamed the damage on years of neglect by previous governments.
Soil erosion, deforestation and poor river management were the fault of previous administrations, he claimed.
In recent years many trees, close to rivers such as the Vjosa, Osum and Shkumbin have been cleared by villagers for building and fuel, or by companies developing dams and other construction projects.
"There are some critical hotspots where disasters can occur," he told the UK’s The Guardian. "We could have very bad surprises. The dam reservoirs are old and have not been maintained. This is where the most dangerous part of this scenario is."
In Novosela, within the floodplain of the Vjosa, much of the agricultural land remains under water. It was reported that the river rose by 20cm an hour until it was one metre above normal levels. Roads and railways, and then houses were submerged by the rising waters.

Source: Al Jazeera

Russia is reportedly getting military bases in an EU state

Analysts for Change
 
By Elena Holodny
.

 
Yuri Maltsev/Reuters A Russian sailor watches amphibious vehicles move during a naval parade rehearsal in the far eastern port of Vladivostok, July 25, 2014.

Cyprus has offered Russia to have air and navy bases on its territory.

Cypriot president Nicos Anastasiades announced that the country is ready to host Russian aviation and naval bases.  The official agreement on military cooperation between the two nations is expected be signed on February 25, 2015,  according to  Lenta.ru .

"There is an old [defense] agreement, which should be renewed as is. At the same time, some additional services will be provided in the same way as we do with other countries, such as, for example, with France and Germany," Nicos Anastasiades said.  "Cyprus and Russia have traditionally had good relations, and this is not subject to change."

Cyprus' announcement comes after Russia expressed interest in having a military base in Cyprus in late January, according to the Global Post and Greek Reporter.

Notably, Cyprus is one of the 28-member states in the EU, which have been imposing sanctions on Russia over the past year in response to the actions in Ukraine.
And just like Greece has recently caused a stir by complicating the process of extending sanctions on Russia, Cyprus, too, just voiced some  opposition to the additional sanctions  on Russia, adding that many EU members share that opinion.

"We want to avoid further deterioration of relations between Russia and the European Union," the Cypriot president reportedly said.
So military cooperation between Cyprus and Russia is yet another red flag for the EU..

Presumably, the Russian Air Force will use the airbase "Andreas Papandreou," along with the international airport of Paphos in the southwest of the island, approximately 50 kilometers from the air base of the British Royal Air Force "Akrotiri." Additionally, the Russian navy will be able to permanently use the base of Limassol, according to Lenta.Ru.
"The Limassol port borders on the British air base of Akrotiri which serves NATO operations and is also an important hub in the electronic military surveillance system of the alliance," according to the Global Post .
Given Russia and Cyprus' shady economic relationship over the last two decades (ever since the fall of the USSR), perhaps this isn't all that surprising.

Russia Today  reports  that "Russians have transferred over $30 billion (around $1 trillion roubles) to Cyprus over the past twenty years, according to a study published by a group of economists from Russia, Finland and Canada."
In 2013, during the Cypriot financial crisis, analysts estimated that over a third of bank deposits in Cyprus may have had Russian origin, and reportedly, many Russian companies are registered on the island. Some r eports   even went as far  as saying that  Cyprus has become “a major money  laundering machine  for Russian criminals” back in 2013.

Even today, Russia's current economic problems are reportedly further dragging down Cyprus.
"Russia's presence in the economy has been a huge supporting factor. Its footprint is everywhere from tourism to real estate, so it is worth monitoring the impact,"  said Michael Florentiades , chief economist and head of investment research at XM.com, an online financial services company in Limassol.
Naturally, Russia's heavy-duty financial involvement in a EU state "raised concerns among the island country's Western allies" over the past few years, according to Euractiv.
But the most alarming Russia-Cyprus dalliance came during the height of the Cypriot financial crisis when Cyprus was reportedly negotiating with Russia for a bailout in 2013. The EU was particularly nervous about this because there was speculation that Russia might ask for a naval port and access to the country's gas reserves in return.

Ultimately, however, Cyprus opted for a "€10 billion bailout agreed with the troika, in return for closing the country’s second largest bank Laiki, and imposing a one-time levy on all uninsured deposits, including those held by foreign citizens."
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On top of all of that, it's notable that Russia made some major moves in the Mediterranean recently.
In mid-January, Russia announced that it will shift all its natural gas flows to Europe via Turkey, instead of Ukraine.

"Our European partners have been informed of this and now their task is to create the necessary gas transport infrastructure from the Greek and Turkish border," the head of Gazprom Alexei Miller said in a statement.
Additionally, Russia and Greece's new government have taken initiatives to explore their military and economic relationship
In fact, the new Greek prime minister  Alexis Tsipras even   stated in early February : "Greece and Cyprus can become a bridge of peace and cooperation between the EU and Russia."
So this part of the world could soon become very interesting — a nd a huge pain for Europe.

50,000 casualties in Ukraine: German intel says ‘official figures not credible’

Published time: February 08, 2015 13:53

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Burnt military machinery in Uglegorsk. Background: a DPR bus column heading to Debaltsevo for evacuation of local residents from the combat zone. (RIA Novosti)

The German intelligence service estimates the real losses in the Ukrainian civil war at 50,000 dead (civilians and servicemen), which is nearly 10 times higher than reported by the Kiev authorities, German media report.
The information comes from a source in German intelligence, who spoke to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung (FAZ) newspaper.
“Germany’s special services estimate the probable number of deceased Ukrainian servicemen and civilians at up to 50,000 people. This figure is about 10 times higher than official data. Official figures are clearly too low and not credible,” the newspaper reported on Sunday, citing its source.

A militiaman of the People's Republic of Lugansk inspects a burnt-out Ukrainian tank in Novosvetlovka. (RIA Novosti / Valeriy Melnikov)

Just one day before the report was published, the Ukrainian president gave completely different numbers to the international community.
“The death toll for the Ukrainian soldiers defending land from the aggressor is now 1,432. Thousands of people, 5,638, have been killed since April [2014] and every single day the number of victims among the civilians is rising,” Petro Poroshenko said in his address to the 51st Munich Security Conference on Saturday.
The Ukrainian army is reported to be suffering its heaviest losses since the beginning of the conflict last spring. According to the Donetsk militia representative, Eduard Basurin, the Ukrainian army has lost 1,569 servicemen in just three weeks since restarting the offensive.
READ MORE: Blitzkrieg turned mayhem: Hacktivists claim they reveal Ukrainian troops’ annihilation

The situation on the battlefield is dire for the Ukrainian forces. Some 8,000 Ukrainian troops are believed to be surrounded near the village of Debaltsevo in Donbass. Militia units cut off the only road linking this pocket of land to Kiev-controlled territory.
READ MORE: Thousands of Ukrainian troops thought to be trapped in Donbass
Taking into account these heavy losses, Ukraine is set to call up as many military age Ukrainians as possible. The national military draft for 2015 is expected to see 100,000 people joining the army in three stages throughout the year.
The recruitment effort, coming amid intensified fighting in eastern Ukraine, is being met by a distinct lack of enthusiasm by potential soldiers.
READ MORE: Potential conscripts evade draft, flee country amid escalation in E. Ukraine