U.S. Marines Arrive In Bulgaria On Reassurance Mission
U.S. Marines accompanied by tanks, artillery, and light-armored reconnaissance vehicles have arrived in Bulgaria, part of a plan to train with allies to improve weapons skills and antiarmor tactics.
The U.S. Marine Corps Forces said on August 25 that some 160 Marines accompanied the tanks and artillery, which are traveling to the Novo Selo Training Range, a major military base in eastern Bulgaria, as part of the Black Sea Rotational Force. They will stay initially for three six-month rotations.
Marine leaders say the troop movement adds to U.S. and NATO reassurance efforts in Eastern Europe, where countries remain nervous over recent Russian assertiveness.
The Black Sea Rotational Force is a semiannual rotation of Marines and sailors under the U.S. European Command. It is based at the Mihail Kogalniceanu base in Romania near the Black Sea port of Constanta.
Based on reporting by AP and Stars & Stripes
Former Foreign, Defense Ministers Urge NATO, Russia To Cooperate
A group of former foreign and defense ministers is urging Russia and NATO to come up with a set of rules to handle unexpected military encounters.
The group of 14 -- including former Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov, ex-German Defense Minister Volker Ruehe, and colleagues from Britain, France, Spain, and Turkey -- said rules for communication at sea and in the air were paramount.
Russia and NATO have both conducted a higher than usual number of military drills because of the crisis in Ukraine, leading to a rise in near misses between rival military jets.
"The situation is ripe with potential for either dangerous miscalculation or an accident that could trigger a worsening of the crisis or even a direct military confrontation," they said in a report published on August 25 by the European Leadership Network.
The London-based think tank said it had recorded 66 "close military encounters" between Russian and NATO military forces and between Russia and neutral Sweden and Finland.
Based on reporting by Reuters
Here is today's map of the security situation in eastern Ukraine, according to the National Security and Defense Council (CLICK TO ENLARGE):
Ukraine's stockpiling of winter gas slower than last year -PM
KIEV, Aug 26 (Reuters) -- Ukraine's efforts to store natural gas for winter are running 1 billion cubic metres behind their pace last year, Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk said on Wednesday.
Ukraine has 14.1 billion cubic metres (bcm) of gas in underground storage, he said.
The country aims to store 18-19 bcm of gas before the winter heating season begins in mid-October.
"On this day last year, we had 1 billion more ... We're in talks with our Western partners to get short-term funding to pump gas," Yatseniuk said at a government meeting.
Ukraine suspended gas imports from Russia in July over pricing, leaving it dependent on domestic output and imports from Europe.
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) said it was considering a $300 million trade finance loan to state-run Naftogaz to help it buy gas.
The government has ordered Naftogaz to borrow $1 billion to create a fund to finance the purchase, transport and storage of gas.
Talks have been held not only with the EBRD, but also with the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko will travel to Brussels on Thursday to meet European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker to discuss gas, among other topics.
Last week the Commission said it might be able to hold another round of ministerial talks with Russia and Ukraine on gas at the end of September.