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Developments in eastern Ukraine

Putin and Finnish president call for strict implementation of Ukraine peace deals

The presidents of Russia and Finland, Vladimir Putin (right) and Sauli Niinisto Mikhail Klimentyev/TASS

The presidents of Russia and Finland, Vladimir Putin (right) and Sauli Niinisto

© Mikhail Klimentyev/TASS

NOVO-OGARYOVO, June 16 /TASS/. The presidents of Russia and Finland, Vladimir Putin and Sauli Niinisto, called for strict implementation of the Minsk agreements for Ukraine at their talks on Tuesday.

"We paid special attention to Ukraine when we discussed international problems. We deem it necessary to strictly implement all the agreements reached in Minsk on February 12," Putin said after talks with his Finnish counterpart.

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Putin said he was confident there are no alternatives to the Minsk agreements on the Ukrainian settlement, which must be implemented despite all difficulties.

"I think there is no alternative [to the Minsk format] and it is necessary to follow this path however difficult it might be," Putin said at a news conference after talks with his visiting Finnish counterpart Sauli Niinisto.

Putin underscored that each and every provision of the Minsk-2 package envisaged that Kiev must agree their implementation with representatives of Donbas. "It is necessary to sit down at the negotiating table directly with representatives of these territories and try to reach agreement. There is no other way out," he said.

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Foreign policy Vladimir Putin Eastern Ukraine Finland

Israeli-Palestinian conflict

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

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Ukrainian army loses 444,000 troops during military operation — Shoigu

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NATO makes Russia its neighbor by expanding eastward, Russian envoy says

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Canada allows Airbus to use Russian titanium despite sanctions — Reuters

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The Kiev regime’s attempted terrorist attack on facilities in Russia’s territory with the use of a fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle was thwarted

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Russia recovers black boxes from crashed Tu-22M3 bomber

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Russian-Kazakh commission discusses border demarcation issues

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Russia’s advanced radar in Kaliningrad to monitor entire territory of Europe — source

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Biden administration raking it in from Ukrainian conflict — North Korean diplomat

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Switzerland unblocks Russia-related assets worth 290 mln Swiss francs

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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

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The aid package includes vehicles, Stinger man-portable air defense system munitions, HIMARS rockets, 155-mm artillery shells, TOW and Javelin anti-tank missiles and other weapons that could be "used at the battlefield immediately"

Ukrainian military’s shelling leaves two civilians wounded in DPR in past day

The Ukrainian armed forces carried out 22 attacks on residential areas in the Donetsk People’s Republic

Hamas threatens that hostages remaining in Gaza may go missing

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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

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"

US using human rights topics to shake political situation in Russia — embassy

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

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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

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Nikolay Patrushev added that Moscow is happy that its position is received well by most countries, whose delegates are attending a meeting in St. Petersburg

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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

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Ukrainian army strikes own surrendering soldiers — POW

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

Raisi doubts 'Israeli regime' to exist in case of its attack on Iran

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Moscow slams NATO drills near Russian borders as inflammatory

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Four women killed in Zaporozhye Region in Ukrainian drone attack

The local emergencies services stressed that the car was targeted deliberately

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

Dmitry Peskov added that the issue of fighting against long-range weapons being supplied to Ukraine and potential strikes on the areas where they are concentrated "is rather under the purview of <…> the armed forces"

Armenia’s decision on CSTO membership its sovereign choice — secretary general

Commenting on the possibility of a confrontation between Armenia and the CSTO amid Yerevan’s remarks on its aspiration to leave the organization and get closer with NATO, Imangali Tasmagambetov noted that such a scenario is "merely hypothetical"

Ukrainian connection to Crocus terrorist attack undeniable — ex-SBU officer

Vasily Prozorov noted that the perpetrators could have been eliminated once they crossed the border

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"

Russian envoy, authorities of Afghanistan call for unfreezing of Afghan assets

The Foreign Ministry noted that the sides discussed "further development of the diverse bilateral cooperation in political and economic areas, and the establishment of the regional cooperation with Afghanistan within the Moscow format"

Continued threats to Pyongyang to put US, allies in danger, Kim Jong Un’s sister warns

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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

Senior Russian diplomat, Chinese special envoy discuss Israeli-Palestinian conflict — MFA

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the BRICS deputy foreign ministers and special envoys for the Middle East and North Africa consultations

Musk concurs that civil war looming in West

The US businessman commented on remarks by Gad Saad, a Canadian professor of Lebanese origin, who insisted that "the path that the West is taking will result in civil war"

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

Calls for joint use of nuclear weapons with US dangerous — ICAN

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Weapons for new US package for Kiev yet to be found — Ukrainian ambassador

Oksana Markarova explained that $4 billion worth of weapons that was to be provided under the previous decisions still remained undersupplied

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

According to Ilham Aliyev, the option of coordinating a basic agreement is also being considered

EU may sanction 10 firms for allegedly shipping weapons tech to Russia — Bloomberg

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Speakers of EU parliaments back idea of creating rapid response forces

The speakers praised the EU initiative to have its own military capability to "defend the security of its people, their interests and democratic values"

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

Russian deputy defense minister detained on suspicion of bribe-taking

"Russian Deputy Defense Minister Timur Vladimirovich Ivanov was detained on suspicion of committing a crime under part 6, article 290 of the Russian Criminal Code," the Russian Investigative Committee said

Russia invites all countries to develop North - South transport corridor — Putin

"The North-South transport corridor should become an example of the broadest international cooperation," the Russian leader said

Ukrainian presidential office confirms London’s agrement to Zaluzhny as ambassador

Verkhovna Rada legislator Alexey Goncharenko said on Monday that the UK had granted its agrement to the Ukrainian former Commander-in-Chief

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

Putin stays in daily contact with Sergey Shoigu, Kremlin spokesman says

Timur Ivanov was arrested by Moscow’s Basmanny Court

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"

France preparing contingent of 2,000 troops to be sent to Ukraine — intelligence chief

According to Sergey Naryshkin, the French military "fears that such a large military unit cannot be transferred and stationed in Ukraine unnoticed"

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"

Top Russian security official praises Republika Srpska’s principled position on Ukraine

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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

Putin’s inauguration to take place on May 7, senator says

According to the law, the president-elect takes office for six years

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

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

Earlier it was reported that the German automobile concern Mercedes-Benz plans to sell its enterprise located in the Solnechnogorsk district of the Moscow region

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

Top Swiss diplomat reiterates need for Russia’s involvement in resolving Ukraine issue

However, Ignazio Cassis declined to comment on Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s recent statement that Switzerland had turned from a neutral country "into an openly hostile one"

US Senate approves aid bills for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan

As many as 79 senators backed the initiative and 18 voted against

MGIMO to host third international forum ‘Russia - Africa: What Next?’

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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

West battlegroup destroys two Ukrainian drones, hit over 170 Ukrainian army’s facilities

The battlegroup’s spokesman Ivan Bigma said that a Gvozdika self-propelled system, nine mortar squads, two Furiya fixed-wing type unmanned aerial vehicles were destroyed

Biden to sign Ukraine aid bill on April 24

According to a statement released by the White House, the US plans to resume weapons supplies to Kiev this week