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Crisis in Belarus

Russia to extend $1.5 bln loan to Belarus

Vladimir Putin hopes that the information about the Russian loan to Belarus will have an effect on the financial markets

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and Russian President Vladimir Putin Mikhail Metzel/TASS, archive

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and Russian President Vladimir Putin

© Mikhail Metzel/TASS, archive

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Russian Finance Ministry ready to consider loans refinancing for Belarus

SOCHI, September 14. /TASS/. Russia will provide a state credit amounting to $1.5 bln to Belarus, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting with his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko on Monday.

"We have agreed that Russia will provide a state credit [amounting to] $1.5 bln to Belarus in this challenging situation, and we will do it. As far as I know our finance ministers are addressing that issue at the professional level," Putin said.

Vladimir Putin hopes that the information about the Russian loan to Belarus will have an effect on the financial markets. "It is no coincidence that I mentioned the loan that Russia is planning to provide to Belarus in the near future. I hope this will have an effect on the financial markets in a proper manner," the Russian leader said.

The Russian president also suggested to his Belarusian counterpart that efforts should be made to restore trade, which had decreased due to the pandemic. "We now have the opportunity to talk about everything in a calm manner, but first of all, we should discuss economic issues," Putin said. He drew attention to the fact that the trade between the two countries had fallen by more than 21% noting that "it's a significant decline."

"This is not related to our work, it is connected with the global trends associated with the coronavirus," Putin stressed.

"We will fight the coronavirus together, and I am sure we will overcome the current difficulties facing the economy," the Russian leader said addressing his Belarusian counterpart.

Issue of Belarus' debt

Lukashenko said at the end of August that Belarus would negotiate refinancing of the republic’s state debt worth $1 bln with Russia. Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said later that the terms and amount of the credit were discussed at the level of financial bodies.

Belarusian Finance Minister Yuri Seliverstov said earlier that the country is to repay a total of around $3.6 bln of its foreign exchange debt this year, of which $2 bln has already been paid. According to the data provided by the republic’s Finance Ministry, as of July 2020 Belarus’ external debt amounted to $18 bln.

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Russia fires ballistic, non-nuclear-tipped missile at Ukrainian aerospace plant — Putin

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Elon Musk denies his impact on Trump’s decisions on nominates for cabinet positions

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Official declines to say if US gives Ukraine targeting data for Storm Shadow missiles

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Russian troops liberate Dalneye community in Donbass region over past day

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Humanitarian situation in Gorlovka harsh as Ukraine targets key infrastructure — DPR head

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Robert Fico noted that authorizing the use of long-range weapons for strikes against Russia would not alter the balance of power in the conflict zone

Newly arrived Ukrainian soldiers rob, loot in Kharkov Region’s Kupyansk

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Russian forces push Ukrainian troops 10 km away from Lisichansk in LPR — expert

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Ex-German chancellor never expected Russia to tolerate Ukraine’s NATO membership — memoir

Angela Merkel added that another fallacy was the belief that the status "would act as a deterrent," and that Moscow "would accept these developments without taking action"

Press review: US lets Kiev use anti-personnel mines and Iran may halt uranium enrichment

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Decision on strikes inside Russia seals US puppet Zelensky’s fate — commentator

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Putin orders protection of critical infrastructure, including Crimean Bridge — Kremlin

Kiev has not accepted the legitimate results of the 2014 referendum, in which the people of Crimea and Sevastopol voted to become part of Russia, and is displeased by the operation of the Crimean Bridge, which connects the Kerch Strait with the Krasnodar Region

Ukraine has around 50 ATACMS missiles — The Times

According to the report, the Ukrainian military has sufficient launchers that are capable of firing them

Russian embassy warns UK about dangers of calling for Moscow’s ‘defeat’

According to th statement, London is promoting new rounds of escalation

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ICC issues arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant for alleged crimes in Gaza Strip

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Zelensky admits Ukraine can't fight its way back to 1991 borders

Vladimir Zelensky also talked about the Crimean Peninsula, stating that Kiev is ready to "bring Crimea back diplomatically"

Railroad development to strengthen ties with foreign partners — Russian PM

Mikhail Mishustin added that "it is necessary to modernize border crossings in coming years, including introduction of practice of electronic paperwork"

US journalist calls US President Joe Biden’s government 'the fascist state'

Earlier, Tucker Carlson said that Joe Biden's approval of long-range missile strikes by the Ukrainian army deep inside Russia could threaten US people

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"There will always be an answer," the president said

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Russian forces successfully advancing in all areas in special military op zone — Putin

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Ukrainian frontline may 'collapse' under onslaught of Russian forces — BBC

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Russian State Duma passes law on federal budget for 2025-2027

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Trump to continue using Ukraine to contain Russia — Valdai program director

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US vote at UNSC rejected chance of stopping 'horrific bloodshed' in Gaza, Russian MFA says

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Russia to address NATO’s engagement in strikes deep inside country — SVR

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US Senate refuses to block arms supplies to Israel

More than 60 out of 100 senators voted against the three corresponding resolutions, while 17 legislators supported them

Russian troops advance in areas north, south of Velikaya Novoselka in DPR — official

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Weapons supplied to Ukraine cannot reach Russian territory, Spanish defense minister says

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Humanitarian crisis in Kiev-controlled Kupyansk district of Kharkov Region near critical

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US missile defense base in Poland long among Russian army’s targets — Foreign Ministry

Maria Zakharova stated that the US-NATO construction project, ongoing for nearly a decade with complete disregard to Russian security concerns, has consistently been a focus of Russia's attention

Moscow-Washington hotline not in use now — Kremlin spokesman

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West launched missiles targeting Russia’s Bryansk, Kursk Regions — Putin

Russian air defenses repulsed all attacks, the Russian president said

US strategic forces ready for Biden-Trump transition — Pentagon

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China holds US responsible for disrupted defense ministers' meeting in Laos

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Russia encircles largest Ukrainian fortification in southern DPR — security services

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Russia hit Ukrainian military-industrial facility in response to use of Western missiles

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Russian diplomat accuses West of using coercive measures to punish certain countries

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US admiral says Washington should be ready for talks with Russia, China

The Department of State and other US agencies "should continue to engage our competitors in real and substantive dialogue," Rear Admiral Thomas Buchanan said

NATO enters conflict, Russia has every right to attack its targets now — expert

Col. (Ret.) Lawrence Wilkerson confirmed to TASS that the launch of ATACMS missiles would be impossible without "US/NATO satellite feeds and/or personnel"

Biden's decision to use ATACMS on Russia threatens to kill Americans — Tucker Carlson

The journalist also criticized US House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson (a Republican representing the state of Louisiana) for "not even mentioning it in public or in leadership meetings" with factions in the lower house of Congress

No Western sanctions to limit Russia’s foreign trade — minister

All restrictions that Western countries impose affect themselves in the first place, Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov added