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Fillon vows to ‘do his best’ to lift anti-Russian sanctions if elected president

Francois Fillon vows to use other ways of convincing Russia to change its position

French conservative presidential candidate Francois Fillon AP Photo/Claude Paris

French conservative presidential candidate Francois Fillon

© AP Photo/Claude Paris

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PARIS, April 6. /TASS/. French presidential candidate Francois Fillon has promised to make every effort to see that European sanctions against Russia will be lifted if elected.

"I will do my best to work for the lifting of European sanctions against Russia. I have already said this to [German Chancellor] Angela Merkel," the candidate of The Republicans told France Inter radio.

"I think these sanctions have yielded no results, besides they are ruining our agriculture. This is not a method I would use to convince Russia to change its position," said Fillon, who served as Prime Minister of France from 2007 to 2012.

China-Russia-India ties crucial to global stability, China’s Foreign Ministry says

"China is prepared to work with India, adopting a strategic and long-term perspective, to foster sustainable, healthy, and stable development of bilateral relations," Geng Shuang said

End of conflict in Ukraine close — Kellogg

The issues of the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant and the territory of the Donetsk People’s Republic remain on the agenda, special envoy of the US president said

Seizure of frozen Russian assets could impact euro’s role as reserve currency — FT

Euro-denominated assets account for around 20% of foreign exchange reserves held by central banks worldwide, according to the publication

German parliament turns down two anti-Russian resolutions

A total of 455 lawmakers voted against the first resolution, and 77 supported it

Nornickel launches upgraded unique metallic cobalt production facility in Russia

The upgraded production will increase the company's precious metal output, as well as enhance revenues and budget contributions, the company noted

Putin ratifies agreement on naval base in Syria’s Tartus

Russia will be able to deploy up to 11 warships to the facility

Trump says he is a bit disappointed that Zelensky has not read the draft peace deal yet

The US leader also noted that Vladimir Zelensky's people loved the US government's proposal

Servicemen seize power in Benin — news outlet

The servicemen also have announced the dissolution of all state authorities

US to prevent deployment of adversaries’ weapons in Western Hemisphere — Hegseth

The US uses such dominance " to protect our homeland and access to key terrain throughout the region," Pete Hegseth said

Head of Spiritual Board of Russia’s Muslims put on Ukraine’s undesirable persons database

Access to Ukraine’s Mirotvorets extremist website is blocked in Russia by court order

EU eyes seizing Russian money due to depletion of national resources — economist

"The goal is not simply to ‘take money away,’ but rather to establish a sustainable financial flow for Ukraine", said Nikolay Gapenko

Russian, Ukrainian foreign ministers meet for talks in Moscow

The Ministers agreed to intensify negotiations to resolve the Azov-Kerch water area issue with a view to reaching a mutually acceptable solution

Russian army’s successes make Putin-Witkoff meeting more productive — Kremlin aide

Yury Ushakov pointed to US President Donald Trump's words to Vladimir Zelensky that he could have obtained more favorable terms in February, but Ukraine's position is now deteriorating

X deleted European Commission’s ad account after being fined by it

X believes everyone should have an equal voice on its platform, however, it seems European Commission believes that the rules should not apply to its account, Head of Product at X Nikita Bier said

US needs to cut off all military support to Ukraine, former White House advisor says

Steve Bannon pointed out that it would be highly difficult to implement Washington’s 28-point plan, as well as the United States’ plan to resolve the crisis in the Middle East

Bank of Russia lifts limits on foreign currency transfers abroad for Russian citizens

As the Central Bank explained, the decision to lift the limit is due to the stable situation on the foreign exchange market

Malaysia ready to help de-escalate situation on Thai-Cambodian border — PM

Anwar Ibrahim noted that "the renewed fighting risks unravelling the careful work that has gone into stabilizing relations between the two neighbors"

S-400 gets new features unusual for air defense systems — Almaz-Antey

Modernization potential of the S-400 Triumph air defense system allows it to quickly mitigate emerging threats during the special military operation

Royal Thai Air Force carried out airstrikes on Cambodian armed forces positions

According to the statement released by the Royal Thai Air Force, the operation was carried out in response to Cambodia's military actions that posed a direct threat to Thailand's national security

Cambodian military again opened fire on the border with Thailand — army

Civilians are being evacuated from the border area

Strains between US, EU beneficial for Russia — Medvedev

"The Americans continue taming the crazed European Union," The Russian Security Council Chairman wrote

Thailand ready to defend its sovereignty, exercise its right to self-defense — PM

Anutin Charnvirakul said that Thailand's defense actions continue to comply with international law and humanitarian principles, and the country strives for peaceful relations with all its neighbors

New US national strategy signals readiness to discuss security architecture — Medvedev

The Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman noted that for the first time in many years, the US document refers to Russia not as a "threat" but as a participant in the dialogue on stability

Putin’s visit to India clearly shows Russia not isolated — TV

"Signing of numerous contracts between Russia and India in different spheres during the visit is a kind of a demonstrative response to the Western pressure in late months," according to France 5

Hungary to challenge ban on Russian oil, gas with EU court next week — top diplomat

"This dictation will make it impossible to ensure reliable energy supplies to our country and Slovakia and will provoke a dramatic price hike," Peter Szijjarto said

Ukrainian military sites to be hit soon in retaliation for strike on Grozny — Kadyrov

According to Chechen leader, the attack on high-rise buildings makes absolutely no sense from the tactical point of view

Polish PM fears ‘something has changed’ in EU-US relations

The updated US National Security Strategy expresses concern that Europe will be unrecognizable and on the verge of destruction as a civilization in 20 years

Polish Foreign Minister suggests Musk going to Mars after call to disband EU

"There's no censorship of Nazi salutes there," Radoslaw Sikorski said

Lavrov says Savchenko will be headache for Ukraine

The foreign minister considers handing the ex-servicewoman over to Kiev the right decision as Moscow had to bring back its citizens sentenced on terrorism charges in Ukraine

Thai Air Force carries out strike on casino in Cambodia

The Royal Thai Army reported earlier that a Thai service member had been killed, and another four wounded, in clashes on the Cambodian border

UN Security Council will hold a meeting on Ukraine on December 9

The meeting is scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m. local time

Russia urges US to refrain from escalating conflict with Venezuela — senior diplomat

Sergey Ryabkov noted that Moscow views the situation around Venezuela with great alarm and concern

Cambodian Defense Ministry accuses Thailand of violating joint peace declaration

The Cambodian Defense Ministry strongly condemns those "brutal and inhumane" attacks as they seriously violate the Joint Declaration that Cambodia and Thailand signed on October 26, 2025

Putin concludes two-day state visit to India

The Russian president held a series of bilateral talks with Indian officials, took part in the Russia-India Business Forum, and laid a wreath at the Mahatma Gandhi memorial

UAV attack repelled in five districts of Rostov Region, power line pole damaged

Governor Yury Slyusar said that restoration work in the farms will begin in daylight hours

Cambodia fires BM-21 rockets at Thai territory — army

The Royal Thai Army previously reported that one Thai soldier was killed and four others were wounded in clashes on the Thai-Cambodia border

No one wants to share responsibility for seizing Russian assets with Belgium — Kremlin

Belgium opposes the European Commission’s plan for the expropriation of Russian sovereign assets blocked in Europe under the guise of a so-called "reparations loan" to Ukraine, being afraid of Russia’s potential response

Russian cosmonaut Ryzhikov hands over command of ISS and its Russian segment

He has handed over the command of the station to NASA astronaut Michael Fincke and the command of the station’s Russian segment to Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Kud-Sverchkov

Communist Party leader supports Putin’s web camera initiative

The leader of Russia’s Communist Party, Gennady Zyuganov

Air defense forces shot down 67 Ukrainian UAVs over Russian regions overnight

24 of them were destroyed over the Bryansk region

Russia can receive unlimited number of Indian specialists — first deputy PM

Denis Manturov confirmed that the labor mobility agreement was signed during the Russian-Indian summit in New Delhi

Poland asks Interpol to put two Ukrainians suspected of railway bombing on wanted list

They are talking about Alexander Kononov and Evgeny Ivanov

Russian forces advancing toward Konstantinovka from one more direction — DPR head

In the Krasny Liman area, Russian forces are fighting near Yampole, Drobyshevo, Yarovaya, Alexandrovka, and Korovy Yar, Denis Pushilin said

Slovak President Pellegrini put on Ukraine’s undesirable persons database

According to the website, Peter Pellegrini, a "Russian agent of influence in the European Union countries," was put on the database for "denying Ukraine’s sovereign right to defense"

Ukraine conflict likely to be resolved with Russian victory, US expert says

John Mearsheimer stressed that there’s nothing US President Donald Trump "can do to assuage Russian fears that any agreement Moscow reaches with Ukraine and the West will stick over time"

US armed forces learning lessons from conflict in Ukraine — Pentagon chief

The United States are studying the experience of using autonomous weapon, Pete Hegseth said

Qatar Energy head expresses bewilderment at EU's decision to phase out Russian gas by 2027

Saad bin Sherida Al Kaabi noted that ExxonMobil CEO Darren Woods recently announced his intention to withdraw the company from Europe

Legitimate authorities regain control of situation in Benin — news agency

It was a small group of rebels who had access to television, a source told the agency

Russian diplomat slams Kiev regime as international corruption brigade

"Ukrainian patriots," Maria Zakharova said ironically, commenting on reports that senior Ukrainian government officials were involved in the corruption scheme along with businessmen

Lithuania 'playing' with drones for European money — top Belarusian diplomat

Maxim Ryzhenkov pointed out that the European Union is looking at allocating more than billion euro to help Lithuania fight Belarus and Russia’s alleged hybrid aggression

France does not want to expropriate Russian assets held in its private banks — FT

French banks hold around 18 bln euros in Russian assets, which is the second-highest figure in Europe, the paper said

EU sets unrealistic rules to punish companies that reject censorship — Durov

In Telegram co-founder's words, the EU exclusively targets platforms that host inconvenient or dissenting speech

FSB publishes declassified data on Nazi collaborators who took refuge in Canada

The documents reveal that the war criminals were from the Belarusian, Ukrainian, Latvian, Lithuanian, and Estonian Soviet Socialist Republics, as well as the Kirov and Smolensk Regions

ECOWAS to send its Standby Force to Benin

The regional bloc did not say however which countries will participate in the mission

International Court of Justice ready to assess Kiev's crimes — Russian Foreign Ministry

The West's hopes of using "legal weapons" against Russia have once again failed, the ministry said

US to spend $800 million on support for Ukraine in 2026, 2027 — Pentagon budget draft

The document also obligates the Pentagon chief to report to the House of Representatives and Senate on the temporary suspension or cessation of intelligence provision to Ukraine

Putin’s potential meeting with Trump was not discussed at meeting with Witkoff — aide

Russia and the US "have managed to make progress in the context of a better understanding of each other’s positions," Yury Ushakov said

Kiev forces stepped up efforts in Krasny Liman direction last week — expert

Military expert Andrey Marochko emphasized that active combat operations continued along the western borders of the Lugansk People’s Republic

Disappearance of 'Russian threat' from US national security strategy positive — Kremlin

The messages for Russia-US relations sent by the administration of US President Donald Trump differs from approaches of previous administrations, the Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted

Russian troops disrupt Ukrainian army reserves deployment to Khatneye — security official

According to the official, in the forest west of Liman, the enemy’s 225th separate assault regiment launched a failed counterattack against Russia’s Battlegroup North forces

Nigeria sends troops to Benin following government’s appeal — defense official

Benin’s government requested Nigeria to deploy fighter jets to secure the country’s airspace and help remove coup leaders from the national television building and the military camp where they had barricaded themselves

Ukraine loses around 1,450 troops in special military operation area in past 24 hours

The Russian military launched a massive strike using the Kinzhal missile systems against Ukrainian military-industrial complex enterprises and energy facilities in response to Kiev’s terrorist attacks in Ukraine

Press review: US proposed four-part Ukraine plan as EU eyes expropriating Russian assets

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Russia to reduce list of restricted trades for women in 2027

Changes will apply to the spheres of transport and processing industry

Russian security official to visit Vietnam, Laos, meet with leaders — press service

Sergey Shoigu will also visit some defense industry facilities, the press service reported

Ukrainian drone strike leaves civilian injured in Russia’s Belgorod Region

According to the regional crisis center, the man suffered multiple shrapnel injuries and was taken to the hospital

US fears reparations loan will undermine dollar’s status — economist

"The US is acting with restraint not because of sympathy for Russia, but because of concerns that asset confiscation would significantly undermine the status of the dollar and the euro as reserve currencies," Nikolay Gaponenko said

US not going to change status quo in Taiwan issue — Hegseth

"Our interests in the Indo-Pacific are significant, but also scoped and reasonable," war secretary said

Infamous Ukrainian database Mirotvorets doxes Russian gymnast Melnikova

The website claims that Angelina Melnikova infringed on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine as well as publicly supported Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine

EC hopes Germany, Italy, France will become guarantors for loan to Kiev — Politico

The publication reported that EU countries will be required to individually commit to providing billions of euros to guarantee Ukraine's 210 bln euros emergency loan

Thai military retaliate fire in self-defense on border with Cambodia — foreign ministry

According to earlier reports, two Thai soldiers were wounded in a 30-minute shootout on the border with Cambodia

Attempted coup in Benin suppressed, all its foci mopped up — President

Patrice Talon stressed that the authorities have complete control of the situation throughout the country

Odessa Appeals Court adjourns hearing of extradition of Putin’s suspected assailant

The court said the Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office must supply documents to prove the identity of the 31-year-old Chechen Adam Osmayev

Earthquake with magnitude of 5.8 occurred in Alaska — USGS

No information about injured people and damage was reported thus far

Diplomat sees Zelensky fighting against Ukrainian people, not Russia

Maria Zakharova pointed to Kiev’s silence regarding Ukraine refusing a thousand POWs

Ukraine can no longer depend on Western aid — opposition politician

Viktor Medvedchuk noted that the promised economic integration between Ukraine and the EU had never materialized

Conflict in Ukraine entering its decisive phase — Bloomberg

European leaders are deeply concerned about US attempts to broker a deal they see as a capitulation of the West, according to the report

Trump believes Russia is fine with the US plan for Ukraine

Washington proposed a 28-point plan for settling the conflict in Ukraine

Russian troops destroy Ukraine vehicles, stronghold in Zaporozhye

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the enemy was using the vehicles to covertly transport personnel to Gulyaipole to reinforce positions in the locality

Yan to receive $50,000 bonus from UFC for tournament's best fight

At UFC 323, Petr Yan defeated Georgia's Merab Dvalishvili by unanimous judges' decision and regained the UFC bantamweight championship belt

EU, G7 to completely ban transportation of Russian oil on Western ships — Reuters

Representatives of the US and UK are actively promoting this idea at G7 technical meetings, sources told the agency

Congress revokes US president's right to conduct military operations in Middle East

In recent decades, US leaders have broadly interpreted the permissions granted to them by lawmakers to use military force abroad, including launching new operations

Ukrainian militants ordered to shoot retreating troops near Kupyansk — radio interception

This is evidenced by radio intercepts obtained by TASS

Bombs with power of 13 kilos of trotyle found in Russia’s Kabardino-Balkaria

An active accomplice of bandits was detained in the search operation and gave confessing testimony

Russia's main New Year's tree to be cut down outside Moscow on Monday

It will be shipped to the capital on December 10

Congress wants to establish US nuclear contacts with countries where Rosatom operates

Congress intends to "end United States reliance on the Russian nuclear energy sector"

Israel to retain control of security in West Bank — Netanyahu

The issue of the political annexation of the West Bank is still subject to discussion, the Israeli prime minister said

Firefighting efforts at Temryuk port continue for third day after Ukrainian drone attack

According to the Russian emergencies ministry’s Krasnodar Region department, firefighting efforts involve 35 men and 11 fire engines

RDIF CEO gives tips on how to make Europe great again

"To resolve EU-made problems: uncontrolled migration, rising crime, de-industrialization, punishing energy prices, accelerating economic decline and ubiqutious censorship," Kirill Dmitriev said

Medvedev supports Musk’s call to abolish EU

"Exactly," the senior Russian security official commented on Musk’s post on X

IAEA experts to visit Japan to inspect water discharge from Fukushima-1 NPP

According to a statement released by the Japanese Foreign Ministry, the team will visit the country from December 15 to 19

Top Iranian diplomat to soon visit Russia for high-level talks — MFA

The Iranian Foreign Minister also plans to visit Belarus

China demands Japan stop slandering actions of PLA Navy — spokesman

These incidents occurred amid a sharp deterioration in relations after Japanese Prime Minister said a potential military crisis in Taiwan could pose an "existential threat"

Massive strikes launched on Ukraine in response to drone attack on Grozny — Chechen leader

According to him, more than 60 targets across Ukraine were hit overnight

Kiev forces lost nearly 3,900 soldiers, mercenaries in a week along LPR borders — expert

The greatest losses in manpower were inflicted on the enemy in the zone of responsibility of the Battlegroup West

Attempted coup in Benin suppressed — news outlet

The rebels have been arrested and constitutional order has been restored

Benin’s rebel leader in hiding — news portal

According to the Actualites 229 news portal, 13 rebels who took part in the TV company building’s seizure have been arrested but Pascal Tigri and several other officers managed to escape

Nigerian air force strikes putschists in Benin — agency

The attack was greenlighted by Benin’s legitimate government

Tucker Carlson hopes to visit Russia again

He also noted that the trip to Moscow left a strong impression on him

Russian forces destroy French-made Crotale missile system in Kursk Region

According to Akhmat Special Forces Commander Major General Apty Alaudinov, it costs €8.9 million