Russia to give logistics support for Syria weapons transfer

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  Russia has decided to provide naval escorts to ships ferrying tonnes of material as part of a multinational exercise, involving the United States and its European allies as partners, to destroy Syria’s stockpile of chemical weapons.
• Russia, which has played a leading role in convincing Syria to shed chemical arms will render its assistance in two stages – Russia will provide material and technical support to first transport chemical agents on land to the Syrian port of Latakia. From the Syrian coast, the stockpile of around 500 tonnes will be moved along ships that are being mainly provided by the EU and then it will be transferred to U.S where the toxic agents would be destroyed in full compliance with all environmental requirements
• According to the Pentagon, it would take 45-90 days to neutralise the chemical components used for making mustard gas and Sarin.
• Russia had persuaded Syria to destroy its chemical weapons after it was accused in August, 2013 by U.S. and its allies of using Sarin gas against civilians on the outskirts of Damascus.

Russia slashes gas price, to help Ukraine

• President Vladimir Putin has come with a plan to buy $15 billion of Ukrainian bonds and slash Kiev’s bill (Ukraine) for Russian gas imports, in a boost for President Viktor Yanukovych as he faces a huge protests over a rejected EU pact.
• Russia also agreed to remove trade barriers it put up at the start of the year when it seemed that Ukraine was on the verge of signing a historic trade and political association agreement with Brussels that would have pulled it out of Russia’s orbit for the first time.
• The help from Russia may allow Ukraine to avoid the threat of an imminent balance of payments (BoP) crisis and possible default amid a recession that has seen the economy shrink since the first half of 2012.