The United States set up on Monday a likely showdown with Russia and China later in April over its plans to hold a U.N. Security Council meeting on human rights, an issue that Moscow and Beijing oppose being broadly discussed by the 15-member body.

• Date: 03.04.2017  |  Published on EGF: 03.04.2017  |  External Relations  |  from http://www.reuters.com

Russia has developed the capability to launch an attack on the Baltic states with as little as 24 hours' notice, limiting NATO's options to respond other than to have military forces already deployed in the region, Lithuania's intelligence service said on Monday.

• Date: 03.04.2017  |  Published on EGF: 03.04.2017  |  External Relations  |  from http://www.reuters.com

France's conservative presidential candidate on Friday dismissed as "fantasy" concerns that Russia could be interfering in the election and said he would seek a better balance in relations with a country that was nevertheless "dangerous".

• Date: 01.04.2017  |  Published on EGF: 01.04.2017  |  External Relations  |  from http://www.reuters.com

NATO still has "clear disagreements" with Russia over the Ukraine crisis and expects Moscow to do more to rein in armed separatists battling Kiev's forces, the Atlantic alliance's Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Thursday.

• Date: 30.03.2017  |  Published on EGF: 30.03.2017  |  External Relations  |  from http://www.reuters.com

The Syrian opposition and a senior Russian diplomat agreed on Wednesday that Syria's fragile ceasefire needed to be shored up amid growing violations in the multi-sided civil war.

• Date: 29.03.2017  |  Published on EGF: 29.03.2017  |  External Relations  |  from http://www.reuters.com

Russia has the European Union in a bind.

The bloc is divided between eastern European and Baltic Sea countries that see a new pipeline carrying Russian gas across the Baltic making the EU a hostage to Moscow - and those in northern Europe, most especially the main beneficiary Germany, for whom the economic benefits take priority.

• Date: 25.03.2017  |  Published on EGF: 25.03.2017  |  External Relations  |  from http://www.reuters.com

Russia, Iran and Turkey need to convene more Syrian ceasefire talks as soon as possible to bring the situation on the ground under control, U.N. Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura said on Friday.

• Date: 25.03.2017  |  Published on EGF: 24.03.2017  |  External Relations  |  from http://www.reuters.com

Ukraine accused Russia of "state terrorism" after a former Russian lawmaker and key witness in a treason case against former leader Viktor Yanukovich was shot dead in broad daylight outside a hotel in central Kiev on Thursday.

• Date: 23.03.2017  |  Published on EGF: 23.03.2017  |  External Relations  |  from http://www.reuters.com