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Russia, France sign agreements totaling about 1 bln euro

Russia and France signed agreements amounting to about 1 bln euro during the visit of France’s President Emmanuel Macron to Russia

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French businessmen to sign around 20 deals at SPIEF-2018 — embassy

STRELNA, May 24. /TASS/. Russia and France signed agreements amounting to about 1 bln euro during the visit of France’s President Emmanuel Macron to Russia, Chief Executive of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) Kirill Dmitriev told reporters on Thursday.

"The total amount of agreements signed with France today is about 1 bln euro," Dmitriev said.

The President of France is in Russia with the official visit from May 24 to 25 and will take part in activities of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

The forum’s events will be held under the motto: "Creating the Economy of Trust." TASS news agency is acting as an information partner and the official photo hosting agency of SPIEF. TASS is also the operator of the zone of SPIEF’s presentations with the support of EY consulting company and the Advisory Council on Foreign Investments in Russia.

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German defense minister says Russia making more arms than it needs for its op in Ukraine

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Belarusian KGB reports thwarting attempted drone strikes on Minsk from Lithuania

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West prepares puppet structures in case of coup in Belarus — KGB

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US stops hiding true purpose of sanctions on Moscow, Russian envoy says

"It’s not about any mythical aspirations to resolve the conflict in Ukraine, but about banal opportunistic and predatory ambitions," Anatoly Antonov said

Modern weapons make up 82% in Russian air defense troops — Shoigu

"The Kiev regime has failed to achieve the goals of its counteroffensive prepared by NATO instructors," the defense minister said

Global community changing tune about how Ukraine conflict started — security official

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IAEA chief to have working contacts with Rosatom, no meeting with Putin is planned

Rafael Grossi may visit Russia in late May

US nukes in Poland to become target for Russia should confrontation with NATO occur — MFA

"The impression is that Warsaw is maniacally seeking to attract even more attention from military planners in the Russian General Staff," Maria Zakharova added

Russia to submit its own resolution on nuclear weapons in outer space to UNSC

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Stockmann company to buy Russian business of Hugo Boss — Industry Ministry

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Transfer of US ATACMS missiles to Ukraine cannot be justified — Russian ambassador

"Neither these missiles nor other weapons can help defeat the Russian Federation," Anatoly Antonov said

Ukraine’s draft dodger makes attempt to cross Dniester into Moldova on air mattress

Men of conscription age try to leave the country in every possible way, often putting their lives at risk

US draft on nukes in space seeks to go beyond legal framework Russia adheres to — MFA

Maria Zakharova pointed out that Russia reaffirms its "strict commitment" to the international legal obligations under space law

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Russian children’s commissioner holds first face-to-face talks with Ukrainian counterparts

Maria Lvova-Belova thanked Qatar for setting up a venue for dialogue between Russia and Ukraine regarding children’s interests

Russia ready to cooperate with all interested partners to ensure security — Putin

The Russian leader expressed confidence that the the 12th International Meeting of High Representatives for Security Issues "will bolster cooperation for the mutual benefit of our countries and peoples"

Russia dissatisfied with UN’s activity under grain deal — senior diplomat

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Ukrainian army short about 150,000-200,000 troops, says Polish general

Waldemar Skrzypczak also said it was "a matter of hours" until Kiev received the weapons allocated by the US as part of its latest military aid package

Niger would like Russia to train its troops — interior minister says

Mohamed Toumba noted that the training of troops could help in the fight against terrorism

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Andrey Babenko said that after a crash course in Britain he had been sent to the frontline near Liman

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Ukraine exhausted, needs constant money flow from outside — defense official

Apty Alaudinov added that if the Ukrainian army received long-range weapons, it might try to attack Russia's civilian infrastructure due to its powerlessness on the front

Russia to retaliate immediately if Kiev gets ATACMS missiles — diplomat

Konstantin Gavrilov also noted that the "manic efforts" of some Western OSCE member countries to isolate Russia "are futile and will backfire on their initiators"

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Russia vetoes US-backed UNSC resolution on banning nuclear weapons in outer space

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Ukraine turns into testing ground for future world order, says Belarus president

"The largest nuclear powers, albeit indirectly, are actually fighting on Ukrainian territory. And not indirectly," the president of Belarus noted

Russian defense minister dismisses his deputy Ivanov

Timur Ivanov was removed from the office of deputy defense minister of the Russian Federation of the federal government’s civil service

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"Republika Srpska comes under direct pressure and under constant US sanctions; and we are looking for ways to solve this problem," Milorad Dodik said

Over 3,100 foreign mercenaries fight for Ukraine, most of them from US

The Russian Investigative Committee added that measures are underway to locate their whereabouts and bring them to criminal liability

US State Department confirms secret shipments of long-range ATACMS missiles to Kiev

Joe Biden directed to send ATACMS to Ukraine in February, the Principal Deputy Spokesperson for the US Department of State Vedant Patel said

West’s unwillingness to give up hegemony escalates tensions in world — security official

According to Nikolay Patrushev, this creates conditions for the devaluation of international law and its institutions and the erosion of the UN's central role in resolving global and regional conflicts

Ukraine says Western systems ineffective against Russia's electronic warfare

Maria Berlinskaya emphasized that the real effectiveness was determined in real combat conditions, and not at "some training ground in Texas"

Russian tourists flock to North Korea — embassy

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Kiev may use ATACMS missiles to hit Crimean Bridge — Russian defense ministry official

Russian military will do its utmost to repel such attacks, Apty Alaudinov said

Switzerland unblocks Russia-related assets worth 290 mln Swiss francs

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Belarus responds to threats with preventive deterrence measures — defense minister

Viktor Khrenin emphasized that provocations by Western countries could become a catalyst for unleashing a military conflict

Agreements on security with Iran, Myanmar, Ethiopia to come into force in 2024 — MFA

"A whole number of similar agreements with Asian, African, Middle Eastern, Latin American countries are being worked out," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin added

Ukrainian forces refuse to obey Commander-in-Chief Syrsky — CIA ex-analyst

Larry Johnson also noted that the Russian forces manage to advance recently despite the slush on the roads

Ukrainian troops in Kharkov Region lift antennas with kites to get better signal

Military expert Andrey Marochko speculated that the Ukrainian army had to resort to this tactic because the TV tower in Kharkov was damaged

Russia’s top brass reports destroying US-made Hawk air defense system in Ukraine operation

Russia’s Battlegroup South inflicted casualties on personnel and equipment of two Ukrainian army brigades and improved its tactical position over the past day, the Defense Ministry reported

Potential nuclear facilities in Poland to be military target for Russia — senior diplomat

According to Sergey Ryabkov, discussions around the deployment of NATO nuclear facilities in Poland are an "unfolding story"

Reinforced Ukrainian battlegroup fails to break through Russian defenses in DPR — expert

Andrey Marochko added that the Ukrainians have also intensified artillery and drone attacks at Russian positions

Armenian police arrests people protesting against demarcation with Azerbaijan

Earlier, demonstrators in several regions of Armenia tried to block highways, including international ones

Network of international conspirators plotted Crocus terrorist attack — watchdog

Yury Chikhanchin pointed out that the perpetrators of the attack were provided with money, weapons, transportation and ammunition

Houthis attack two commercial ships, US destroyer — statement

Simultaneously, the Air Force conducted two more military operation using a huge number of drones to target a US destroyer in the Gulf of Aden

AUKUS expansion to turn Asia-Pacific region into 'nuclear minefield' — news agency

According to the report, "the danger of Japan's participation in AUKUS is making the whole international community tense, not to mention the regional countries"

Europe should be prepared to build relations with Russia post-Ukraine conflict — Macron

According to the French leader, when building relations with Russia, Europe needs to rely upon its own strong security system

Russia discourages use of UN sanctions for interference in African affairs — envoy

Vasily Nebenzya underscored that Russia continues to "make an important contribution to strengthening of African countries’ potential, including UN Security Council and General Assembly"

Attempts are made to turn Moldova into ‘second Ukraine’, Lavrov warns

The Russian foreign minister also said that Chisinau's behavior resembles role-playing

Russia, Africa united by common vision on global issues — senior diplomat

Mikhail Bogdanov noted that "the African continent is a dynamically developing part of the world with an enormous growth potential, attractive domestic market and expanding export prospects"

Israel destroys no more than 20% of Hamas's fighting capacity — top political official

Khalil al-Hayya said that Hamas would like to see "a fully sovereign Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and the return of Palestinian refugees in accordance with the international resolutions"

Central African Republic expects Russia to supply weapons, munitions — defense minister

According to CAR Defense Minister Claude Rameaux Bireau, all necessary documents are ready but there are certain logistical difficulties

Crocus City Hall attack funded using cryptocurrency, Russian finance watchdog says

Russia’s Federal Financial Monitoring Service head added that the act of terrorism was intricately planned and it took an international network of conspirators to carry it out

Russia’s victory in Ukraine to change course of history in Europe — von der Leyen

Ukraine "is carrying a heavy burden" for the benefit of the EU, and therefore EU member states must "provide Ukraine with means to defend themselves," European Commission president said

White House alleges that Russia working on satellite carrying nuclear device

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Mongolia to enter into free trade agreement with EAEU by year-end

Counsellor Delgertsetseg Unubilegt noted that Mongolia and Russia have "a rich history of solidarity and cooperation," though the countries "are under great influence of political and social factors"

US has no idea what to do about Zelensky — Seymour Hersh

According to the journalist, the decision to conduct the operation was made by US President Joe Biden personally, following nine months of discussions with White House national security advisers

Court in Cyprus rules to extradite Russian national Petrov to US

Artur Petrov who is also a German citizen, was arrested in Cyprus on August 26, 2023 at the request of the US Department of Justice on charges of illegally exporting US-made microelectronics to Russia

Gagauzia against Chisinau’s policy of severing ties with Russia

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