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Putin arrives in Tokyo from Nagato to hold second round of talks with Japanese PM

Joint documents will be signed in the presence of Vladimir Putin and Shinzo Abe

© Mikhail Metzel/TASS

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Abe informs Putin about progress made on eight point plan of Russian-Japanese cooperation

TOKYO, December 16. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived to Tokyo. He will hold the second round of negotiations with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe here and visit the Russian-Japanese business forum and the Kodokan Judo Institute.

Putin came to the capital from the small town of Nagato in the Yamaguchi prefecture - Abe's home constituency. The two leaders held talks there on Thursday, which will continue today with participation of the delegations of the two countries.

The extended meeting will be held in the format of a working breakfast. Representatives of Russian and Japanese business will also take part in it. After that, joint documents will be signed in the presence of Putin and Abe. Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov said earlier that 10 inter-state agreements are expected to be signed after talks, as well as 12-15 important commercial agreements.

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Armenia–Azerbaijan conflict

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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

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

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Russian defense minister dismisses his deputy Ivanov

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Kremlin vows to resolve situation with Turkish Airlines refusing service to Russians

Russia has "very constructive and friendly relations" with Turkey, Dmitry Peskov stressed

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The resolution gained 13 votes

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

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Moscow slams NATO drills near Russian borders as inflammatory

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

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Russia maintains position on 'buffer zone' in Ukraine to counter missile threats

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"Today, under the two countries’ leaders’ special attention, political contacts, exchanges, cooperation in the economic, culture, science and other areas are developing with renewed momentum," Minister Plenipotentiary of the republic's embassy in Russia Lee Yong Zin said

West steps up aerial reconnaissance near Russia-Belarus borders — security official

"Today, 20-30 reconnaissance planes fly in the airspace of the Baltic states and Poland weekly," Pavel Muraveiko added

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Tim Burchett added that "it’s not about little green man or flying saucers, it’s about tens of millions of dollars that our federal government is spending"

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Sergey Ryabkov noted that such problems exist for Russians using Turkish Airlines flights to other Latin American countries

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

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

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

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

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Russian forces take Ukrainian strongholds near Klescheyevka under control

Apty Alaudinov posted a drone video footage of elimination Ukrainian personnel and Russian forces capturing enemy trenches

US shifted conflict in Europe onto EU, NATO shoulders to weaken Russia, says Lukashenko

The Belarusian leader specified that the US had organized the conflict in Europe, in this case in Ukraine, and "shifted it onto the shoulders of the European Union and NATO, promising to help with money"

Radioactive cloud from Ukraine’s eliminated munitions drifts to Europe — Security Council

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Musk concurs that civil war looming in West

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Russia tasked with 'building new world' — Putin

Speaking at a plenary session of the Valdai Discussion Club, the Russian leader also highlighted "the role and responsibility" of its members

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

Anti-Russian measures prove world cannot exist in unipolar diktat, envoy says

According to Anatoly Antonov, "the further it goes, the more America corners itself into a zugzwang"

Press review: Dissecting US aid package to Ukraine and sands of global economy shifting

Top stories from the Russian press on Monday, April 22nd

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

Alexander Pankin noted that during his visit to New York he did not have any talks with UN officials on the Russian-UN memorandum

US effectively dooms Ukraine by its new decisions, Russian envoy says

"The American aid won’t save Zelensky. New weapons will be destroyed, and the special military operation goals will be achieved," Anatoly Antonov stressed

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"

Putin proclaims Odessa Russian city, challenges Ukraine's historical narrative

At the same time, the president noted that once upon a time "Vladimir Lenin gave away the whole of Ukraine when he created the Soviet Union"

US will have to take Russia into account and find common ground with it — Putin

Russian President said in an interview with Rossiya-1 TV channel journalist Pavel Zarubin

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

Rafael Grossi may visit Russia in late May

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"

Nearly 70 Israeli hostages killed in Gaza, Hamas says

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Russian court blocks JPMorgan’s funds in VTB lawsuit

The court also blocked any securities held by JPMorgan’s entities in Russia

No response from West to killing of Izvestia war reporter Eremin — diplomat

The Russian war correspondent died of wounds suffered from a strike by a Ukrainian FPV drone on April 19

Over 330 bodies recovered from mass grave at hospital in Khan Yunis — TV

According to the Al Mayadeen, more mass graves continue to be found following the withdrawal of Israeli troops

US arms supplies unable to change situation in Kiev's favor — Kremlin

Dmitry Peskov pointed out that a year ago the opponents "were telling everyone that they were waiting for the moment Russia would be defeated on the battlefield"

Dust from Sahara turns rain in Ukraine yellow

According to the agency, dust from the Sahara will be observed in Ukraine for two more days on April 25 and 26

Gagauzia against Chisinau’s policy of severing ties with Russia

According to Yevgenia Gutsul, Gagauzia has never experienced such pressure from Chisinau

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

Russian athletes have right to decide on Olympic participation — aide

Russian and Belarusian athletes will be able to compete only under a neutral status, provided that they are not associated with security agencies and do not represent team sports

White House alleges that Russia working on satellite carrying nuclear device

"We have heard President Putin say publicly that Russia has no intention of deploying nuclear weapons in space. If that were the case, Russia would not have vetoed this resolution," Jake Sullivan stressed.

Iran denies reports it pulled some military advisers from Syria — Al Mayadeen

The source denied news media reports on the subject, which appeared earlier

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

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

All the existing Hugo Boss stores will be reopened in July - August 2024, Russian Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Viktor Evtukhov said

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

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

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

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

Radicals, intel services behind terror attacks in various countries, says Putin

The tactics employed by these criminals are becoming increasingly complex and barbaric, the Russian leader pointed out

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"

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