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Anti-Russian sanctions

Moscow needs to take certain steps for lifting sanctions — leader of Germany’s FDP

The West may also show readiness for dialogue with Moscow by discussing Russia’s return to G8, the German politician noted

Leader of Germany’s Free Democratic Party Christian Lindner AP Photo/Markus Schreiber

Leader of Germany’s Free Democratic Party Christian Lindner

© AP Photo/Markus Schreiber

BERLIN, September 25. /TASS/. Leader of Germany’s Free Democratic Party Christian Lindner believes that Moscow needs to take certain steps for lifting anti-Russian sanctions.

"For FDP it is unacceptable what Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel has suggested, namely unilateral lifting of sanctions without certain steps of Moscow," the politician told reporters in Berlin.

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Diplomat expresses ‘no surprise’ at extension of ‘biased’ EU sanctions against Russia

"For us it is important to link consequences [of sanctions] to the readiness for dialogue," said the leader of party, which may join the ruling coalition after Sunday’s elections to Germany’s Bundestag.

The politician also confirmed his position on the need to leave Crimea aside in relations with Moscow. "We should not expect that the Kremlin’s position on this issue will change quickly, that’s why we need to look how to deal with this conflict and maybe settle it in the future," he said. According to him, the Free Democratic Party has never supported fueling tensions without studying the possibility of detente.

The West may also show readiness for dialogue with Moscow by discussing Russia’s return to the Group of Eight, Lindner has noted:

"Readiness for dialogue also implies, for example, to again speak in the G8 format with [Russian President] Vladimir Putin."

Russia was suspended from the G8 in March 2014 amid the crisis in eastern Ukraine and the group’s name was reverted to the G7 (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States).

On Sunday, Germany held parliamentary elections. German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative CDU/CSU bloc won the polls, securing 33% of the vote, according to the official preliminary results published by Germany’s Federal Returning Officer Dieter Sarreither overnight.

The Social Democratic Party (SPD) comes second with 20.5% of the vote, the worst result in its history. The right-wing Alternative for Germany party will for the first time enter the Bundestag, with 12.6% of the vote. Some 10.7% of Germans backed the Free Democratic Party, while the Green Party and the Left Party took 8.9% and 9.2% of the vote, respectively.

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Sanctions vs. Russia

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Ukrainian army strikes own surrendering soldiers — POW

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

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North Korea’s economic delegation leaves for Iran — agency

According to Yonhap news agency, the trip may be related to the two countries’ plans to boost military ties

Putin informed about detention of Deputy Defense Minister Ivanov

Minister Sergey Shoigu was also informed beforehand, Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said

No damage, casualties after drone attack over Russia’s Kursk Region

Roman Starovoit thanked air defense troops and the regional crisis center and cautioned residents against approaching the drone wreckage if found

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

Arms supplies are only reasonable if a large number of military personnel able to use those weapons in defense and assault operations is available

Russia has significant amount of West’s funds in case of confiscation of its assets

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Russian presidential envoy visits Afghanistan to discuss political cooperation

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

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US Senate approves aid bills for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan

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

Throughput capacity of Baikal-Amur Mainline surging threefold in twelve years

Shipments over the Eastern Range uniting BAM and the Trans-Siberian railroad is to reach 270 mln metric tons per year over the ten-year period, the head of state said

Russia’s UN envoy, Serbian leader discuss coordination on Kosovo at UN

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

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Russia seeks to break down barriers for its food exports — MFA

Sergey Vershinin recalled that Russia suspended its participation in the Black Sea initiative for the export of grain and food due to the fact that it could not be implemented in the original volume

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

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

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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

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

According to Im Chon Il, Washington's goal is to use the Ukrainian conflict to serve the interests of the US military monopolies and at the same time to subjugate the "puppet regime" of Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky

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"

All those linked to Crocus terrorist attack must be punished — Putin

"Russia’s intelligence services and law enforcement agencies are investigating and scrutinizing every detail of this despicable act [the Crocus City Hall terrorist attack], identifying all parties involved, including instigators, sponsors, and orchestrators," the Russian president stressed

Israel retaliates missile launches from Gaza Strip — IDF

A warning had been issued before the attack calling on people to temporarily evacuate from the area