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Conflict in Syria

Russian, Iranian diplomats discuss Syria ahead of National Dialogue Congress

The diplomats have discussed the Syrian settlement

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Syrian opposition still undecided on participation in Sochi congress — source

MOSCOW, January 19. /TASS/. The detailed coordination of approaches on the settlement in Syria head of the Syrian Congress of National Dialogue in Sochi is important for both Moscow and Tehran, Russian Special Presidential Envoy for the Middle East and the African Countries, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said at the beginning of the meeting with Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Jaberi Ansari on Friday.

He reported that the situation regarding the Syrian settlement will become the central issue of the talks. "Today’s meeting is very important to us, because we can specify some details and coordinate our approaches on the Syrian settlement issue," Bogdanov stressed.

He expressed gratitude to his Iranian counterpart for the visit, reiterating that on Friday Ansari will go to Sochi to participate in a three-lateral meeting of the Russian, Iranian and Turkish deputy foreign ministers on preparations for the Syrian Congress of National Dialogue.

The diplomat also noted that he will discuss with his Iranian counterpart a range of Middle East issues. "The situation in the Middle East is actively developing," he noted. "Different, sometimes contradictory, processes are going on there, so it is important to us to share our assessments, ideas and forecasts with our Iranian partners and friends."

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Foreign policy Syrian conflict

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Ukraine could send special forces to capture Zaporozhye NPP — politician

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Top brass posts video of Leopard tanks, Bradley combat vehicles seized by Russian troops

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

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Russia presents world’s first hydrogen-fueled luxury car at Innoprom exhibition

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

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

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

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Russia tasked with 'building new world' — Putin

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

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

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

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Belarusian KGB reports thwarting attempted drone strikes on Minsk from Lithuania

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Senior Russian MP dubs pervasive gender reassignment in West 'human tragedy'

Vyacheslav Volodin pointed to a law recently passed by Sweden’s parliament enabling minors to transition without surgery that a national survey showed was disapproved by 59% of citizens

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Gagauzia against Chisinau’s policy of severing ties with Russia

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Lukashenko sees Ukraine conflict posing risks to Belarus

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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

West bends sanctions rules when it suits them — Kremlin

Dmitry Peskov noted that, "according to some parameters, companies in Europe and other regions can hardly maintain their competitiveness if they completely abandon our products"

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

13 violations by US-led international coalition’s aircraft recorded in Syria

According to Major General Yury Popov, nine violations of the deconfliction protocols of December 9, 2019

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

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

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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"

Moscow slams NATO drills near Russian borders as inflammatory

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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

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

Release of new tranche for war to Ukraine by US escalation factor — Lukashenko

"The fact that ATACMS long-range missiles were financed is very dangerous," the Belarusian president noted

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

Russia to retaliate immediately if Kiev gets ATACMS missiles — diplomat

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China vows decisive response to US move to deploy intermediate missiles in Asia-Pacific

The Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson stressed that "US steps are posing a major threat to security and stability of regional players"

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

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

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

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