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Ukraine stops preparation of agreement with EU

The country now intends to restore dialogue with Russia

© EPA/SERGEY DOLZHENKO

KIEV, November 21. /ITAR-TASS/. The government of Ukraine has made the decision to stop preparations for signing an association agreement with the European Union and to resume active dialogue with Russia and other Customs Union and CIS countries.

An order signed by Ukrainian Prime Minister Nikolai Azarov on Thursday, November 21, said the purpose was to “invigorate economic ties in order to jointly preserve and strengthen the economic potential of the state.”

He instructed relevant ministries to adjust target industry and regional programs in order to preserve jobs and solve social issues.

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Armenia–Azerbaijan conflict

Baku cannot turn blind eye to France, India, Greece arming Armenia — President Aliyev

"If we see a serious threat to us, we will have to take serious measures," the Azerbaijani President warned

Lavrov speaks of West’s agony, Russia’s approach to any future talks with Kiev

The Russian foreign minister also described Armenia and Russia as more than formal allies

Chinese car plant to start production at former Mercedes site in Moscow region in May

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Involvement of NATO states prolongs Ukrainian conflict — Russian ambassador to Germany

"Ukraine today is fully dependent on supplies of Western weapons, military hardware, ammunition, financing, intelligence, and assistance from military advisers," Sergey Nechayev said

Conflict in Ukraine can be over by end of 2025, Hungary’s Orban believes

Prime Minister said that it is possible if proponents of peace, not war, win the June elections to the European Parliament and the US Presidential elections in November

Ukraine 'not in a position to win' against Russia — Spanish reserve colonel

"The Western world cannot accept Ukraine's defeat, because from the point of view of our security, a Russian victory in the war would be a failure," Francisco Rubio pointed out

Development of Baikal-Amur, Trans-Siberian railways important for Russia, CIS — Putin

The Russian leader recalled that Heydar Aliyev, the father Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev, supervised construction of the Baikal-Amur railway

Azerbaijanian leader says reaching peace with Armenia by November 'quite realistic'

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Almaz-Antey adapts air defense launchers for various missiles

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US 'not forgetting' to help itself with aid to Ukraine — Kremlin

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Lavrov slams West for promoting 'dishonest schemes' for restrictions on nuclear weapons

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Russian troops liberate Novomikhailovka community in DPR — top brass

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Ukrainian troops fleeing Ocheretino in small groups, says DPR

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Armenia purchasing only defensive weapons — PM

Yerevan's defense spending is 15-20% of what Azerbaijan spends on it, Nikol Pashinyan said

Ukraine lost best fighters near Artyomovsk, retired general says

Sergey Krivonos added that relocation of troops from one direction to another will not solve Ukrainian forces’ problems, and that each fighter should be used according to their specialization

New anti-Russian sanctions to include ban on LNG supplies — Swedish Foreign Minister

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Destroyed TV tower in Kharkov carried Ukrainian air defense coordination device — official

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Ukrainian army strikes own surrendering soldiers — POW

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Armenians block highway to Georgia in protest of border delimitation with Baku

Protests are also ongoing in Armenia's border region of Tavush, where the authorities are carrying out work to delimit the border with Azerbaijan

Flow of cargo traffic via North-South transport corridor to reach 60-100 mln tons

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Lenin Museum in Finland's Tampere to shut down in November

According to the report, the New Museum of Relations with the East will open on the same premises on February 15, 2025

NATO, Poland made no decision on deployment of nuclear weapons — Andrzej Duda

Polish President pointed out that this issue is being raised during his meetings with NATO partners from time to time

Ukrainian intelligence predicts dire situation from mid-May onward

Kirill Budanov acknowledged that the Ukrainian army had long experienced problems on the frontline

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Units of South battlegroup fully free Bogdanovka in Donetsk People’s Republic — top brass

The enemy lost up to 440 troops, three cars and an Osa-AKM air defense system, a 152mm D-20 weapon

Moldova’s top prosecutor suspects treason behind creation of Pobeda bloc

Prosecutors fear that the creation of the bloc may pose risks to Moldova’s national security as they prosecute several politicians who established the bloc in Moscow, Ion Munteanu said

Ukraine’s military intelligence chief recognizes Russia’s success in Avdeyevka

Ukrainian troops suffered significant losses in the fighting for the control of this town

Damage to TV tower in Kharkov causes problems with digital TV signal

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Nikolay Patrushev also held talks with Brazilian Special Advisor for International Affairs Celso Amorim

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EU reacts to worsening of situation for Ukraine by preparing for new world war — Szijjarto

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Press review: GOP tussles over Ukraine bill and Putin, Aliyev talk partnership

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Russia to incorporate US nuke scenario in Poland in its military planning — diplomat

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

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Russia looking to open diplomatic missions in South Sudan, Niger, Sierra Leone — diplomat

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

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Russian troops level off frontline near Kremennaya in LPR for further advance

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Mobilization law condition for new supplies of arms to Kiev by NATO — source

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Pobeda bloc expects global community to respond to struggle against opposition in Moldova

The opposition suggests that Moldovan President Maia Sandu is behind the law enforcement officers’ actions

Armenia begins border delimitation with Azerbaijan — Interior Ministry

"We also inform that rumors claiming that some part of the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia will be passed over to Azerbaijan have nothing to do with reality," the ministry said

Moldovan authorities try to present Gagauz as separatists — official

Earlier, Yevgenia Gutsul noted that the Gagauz autonomy would withdraw from Moldova if Chisinau decides it wants to unify with Romania

Most agents at Security Service of Ukraine set on war with Russia — former officer

Vasily Prozorov said that "it is extremely difficult to count on any better judgement on their part"

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

The unique vehicle was built on the basis of the Aurus Senat luxury car

Confiscation of Russian assets by the US to affect Europe more — expert

The US decision may provoke panic among investors that would start withdrawing their funds from European banks, being concerned of their freeze and further confiscation

Russian troops destroy four boats with Ukrainian assault force on Dnieper River

Russia’s Dnepr Battlegroup inflicted casualties on the 141st, 65th and 128th brigades of Ukrainian armed formations, delivered strikes on temporary deployment sites, military hardware and artillery positions of the Ukrainian army on the right bank of the Dnieper River, Vladimir Saldo said

Revival Party leader released after being questioned by Moldovan special services

According to Natalia Parasca, around 100 delegates to the Moldovan opposition forum in Moscow were held at the Chisinau airport for about three hours

Duda's Kaliningrad nuke rhetoric political stunt — Russian senator

Alexander Shenderyuk-Zhidkov emphasized that Russia would decide for itself what was required to ensure the safety of its citizens

Assad says sure Russia will win conflict in Ukraine, re-unite brotherly peoples

Russia, in his words, is "correcting what others have done"

Kremlin vows legal action against US bill on seizing Russian assets

Dmitry Peskov noted that the trial will be "very complex," but will cause severe damage to US economic interests if the US authorities finally approve the bill regarding Russian assets

Armenia remains engaged with CSTO — head of post-Soviet security bloc

Imangali Tasmagambetov noted that "relations between the CSTO and Armenia, which is a member state of our organization, are far from being at their best"

Switzerland unblocks Russia-related assets worth 290 mln Swiss francs

The total amount of blocked assets of the Russian Federation decreased by 150 million Swiss francs (about $165 million) due to the fact that a number of individuals "were removed from the EU sanctions lists"

Russian missile cruiser Varyag enters Mediterranean Sea

The ship's crew continues to fulfill the mission it was given for the long-range voyage

Army officer some media point to as Nord Stream blasts coordinator goes missing in Ukraine

The man, Roman Chervinsky, was under arrest in the case of a failed operation to recruit a Russian pilot

Romanian rescuers find Ukrainian deserters who spent four days in mountains

Romanian media regularly report the discovery of young Ukrainians in the mountainous terrain on the Romanian-Ukrainian border

Russian peacekeepers heading for temporary deployment centers in Armenia

The Armenian government provided Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh with places for temporary deployment in Goris and Sisian

Eleven Russians dead, 48 injured in Ukrainian strikes over week

Rodion Miroshnik pointed out that over the past week, Ukrainian forces fired "at least 1,278 rounds of ammunition" at the civilian facilities in the border regions

International meeting of security representatives opening in St. Petersburg

Moreover, discussions within two theme-based roundtables will be held

Value of frozen Russian assets in Switzerland drops to $6.36 bln over the year

The Swiss authorities pointed out that the value of assets of the Bank of Russia "may fluctuate in either direction, notably as a result of valuation changes on frozen securities, bank charges and exchange rate movements"

Top Hungarian diplomat warns US-NATO-EU competition in Ukraine could spark WWIII

"Preparations for a world war are intensifying in Brussels," Peter Szijjarto warned

Moscow Zoo delegation arrives in North Korean capital — media

Russia and North Korea have intensified bilateral exchanges since late 2023

Senior lawmaker threatens US with retaliation for 'stealing' Russian assets

"Now, our country has every reason to make symmetrical decisions against foreign assets," Vyacheslav Volodin said

Dollar almost completely gone from Russia-China trade relations — Lavrov

"The supply of our agricultural products to the Chinese market is growing," the top Russian diplomat noted

North Korea presumably launches ballistic missile — Japan Coast Guard

This is North Korea’s fourth ballistic missile launch this year

Ukraine turns from sovereign country into Western protectorate, Hungarian PM says

Viktor Orban noted that there should be a buffer zone between NATO and Russia and Ukraine could serve as one

Gagauzian leader on unity of Moldova’s opposition, ability to watch Russian TV channels

Yevgenia Gutsul underlined that Gagauzia plans to start exporting products to Russia in the near future

Nicaragua, Russia sign declaration to counter illegal sanctions — vice president

The document "contains provisions on methods to counter, mitigate and compensate for the negative consequences of this aggression," Rosario Murillo said

Over 14,700 residential houses remain flooded in Russia

The source also said that 38,302 Russians have been evacuated from flooded areas and settlements potentially falling into these zones since the beginning of the spring floods

Republika Srpska president praises Moscow-Banja Luka relations, favors strengthening them

Milorad Dodik also touched upon the topic of sanctions mentioned by Patrushev earlier

Moldovan opposition announces creation of Pobeda political bloc

Among representatives are Governor of the autonomous Gagauzia region of Moldova Yevgenia Gutsul and parliamentary deputy Marina Tauber

Russia scraps plans to hold Immortal Regiment march in 2024 amid security threats

This year, the May 9 festivities will take the form of other events, Yelena Tsunayeva noted

Beijing condemns US hypocrisy around Ukraine conflict

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Wang Wenbin reiterated that China "is not an instigator or a party to the Ukrainian crisis and has never fanned the flames of the conflict, not to mention, used the situation for its own purposes"

New US military aid will not prevent end of Kiev regime — Russian mission to the UN

"That’s what happens when the head of state doesn’t care about his own people and sells out his country," Dmitry Polyansky said

US expert says more ATACMS won't alter battlefield dynamics in Ukraine

"There is no magic weapon, there is no series of weapons that could change this" situation for the Ukrainian armed forces, Scott Ritter said

Chinese diplomat cautions US against 'demonizing' China-Russia relationship

The diplomat also called on Washington to "immediately stop imposing unilateral sanctions on Chinese companies and individuals"

NATO’s backing of Kiev’s strikes beyond special op area makes peace unachievable — expert

"The position of the majority of Western states negatively affects the probability of a peaceful settlement of the conflict, creating a risk of further escalation," Jiraporn Ruamphongphatthana believes

Russia ready to offer access to Asian markets to partners in BAM upgrade — Putin

"To this end we intend to implement plans of expedited upgrade of BAM, the Trans-Siberian Railway, development of the entire eastern range of railroads on the basis of advanced technologies," the Russian President said