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EC to phase out Russian gas by end of 2027 — Reuters

The roadmap will reportedly include a commitment to propose, in June, "a ban on new Russian gas import deals and spot contracts by the end of 2025"

© AP Photo/ Michael Sohn

BRUSSELS, May 6. /TASS/. The European Commission (EC) will publish plans on Tuesday to phase out Russian gas by the end of 2027, Reuters reported citing EU officials.

The roadmap will include a commitment to propose, in June, "a ban on new Russian gas import deals and spot contracts by the end of 2025," the officials said.

The document will also include a commitment to make a legal proposal to ban Russian gas and liquefied natural gas imports under existing contracts by the end of 2027. The plans are confidential and could still change before they are published, Reuters added.

European Commission spokesperson Stefan de Keersmaecker told a briefing in Brussels earlier that the EC would present a roadmap plan on how to wean itself off Russian energy on May 6. In May 2022, the European Union launched the REPowerEU program to eliminate Europe’s reliance on Russian gas by 2027. Meanwhile, the cost of Russian LNG imports for the EU has nearly quadrupled in three years due to rising prices and increased supply volumes. Before 2022, the European Union purchased 40% of gas from Russia, by 2023 this share had decreased to around 15%, though in 2024 it started growing again, having reached almost 19%, which courted fierce criticism from Brussels.

Russia ready to consider applications from UAE airlines to operate flights — ministry

The talks were conducted by Deputy Transport Minister Vladimir Poteshkin, who "noted the stable growth in air traffic between our countries, as well as the readiness of the Russian side to consider applications from UAE airlines to operate flights"

China’s army ready to bolster strategic ties with Russia for sake of stability — top brass

Chinese Defense Ministry Spokesperson Jiang Bin added that Chinese-Russian cooperation was becoming more substantive

Ukrainian troops practically dislodged from Bogatyr in south Donetsk region — expert

The Ukrainian army lost a large number of personnel dead and wounded in that frontline area

Russia’s delegation in Istanbul in constant contact with president — Kremlin

According to Dmitry Peskov, the president receives all information online

Russia, Ukraine agree to 1,000-for-1,000 prisoner exchange — Ukrainian defense minister

Rustem Umerov did not specify the date of the swap

Serbia, US have ‘historic’ opportunity to strengthen ties — PM

According to Djuro Macut, the sides expressed mutual readiness to intensify contacts between officials

Lawmaker slams Kiev's massive attack on Crimea before talks as ‘sabotage attempt’

Late on May 15 and in the early morning hours of May 16, air defenses intercepted and destroyed 65 Ukrainian drones over Russian regions

Russian prisoners need medical care after torture in Ukraine — lawmaker

According to Viktor Vodolatsky, the Russian servicemen that are currently in captivity in Ukraine will be provided with highly skilled medical care and rehabilitation in hospitals of the South Military District and Moscow

US seeks to revive NATO-Russia council to aid security dialogue around Ukraine — Bloomberg

Dialogue between Russia and NATO was officially suspended in 2021

Strategy of war of attrition not working with Russia — US official

"We are working to try to fix many years of [Washington’s] failed and bad diplomacy," Morgan Ortagus said

US to reduce its military contingent in Syria to 900 — TV

According to the Al Jazeera source, US President Donald Trump has not yet made a final decision on the US future military presence in Syria

Annual inflation in Russia in April amounted to 10.23% — statistics service

Food products in April increased in price by 0.71% compared to the previous month, in annual terms the prices grew by 12.66

Belarus, Russia ready for joint exercises, these are defensive in nature — Lukashenko

The Belarusian president said that the countries were not going to attack anyone, contrary to what some people think

Russia, Ukraine held talks, agreeing to swap captives and meet again. Here’s what we know

The head of the Russian delegation, presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, said he was satisfied with the outcome of the talks and Moscow is ready to continue communication

West uses Ukrainians as cannon fodder in pursuing geopolitical goals — foreign intel chief

According to Sergey Naryshkin, the crisis of the Western-centered world has primarily affected the system of values

Annual inflation in Russia in April recorded at 10.23% — Economic Development Ministry

In the non-food segment, prices fell against the backdrop of an accelerated decline in prices for electrical goods and other household appliances, cars, and footwear

Lavrov calls Zelensky "nothing man" for demanding Putin come to Istanbul

The Russian foreign minister recalled that Zelensky made some statements demanding that Putin attend in person

Germany currently has no plans to deliver Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine — chancellor

In his words, the delivery may take a lot of time and preparations, because special training is required for operating these missiles

Ukrainian army demoralized by Russia’s successes on battlefields near Donetsk — expert

Yan Gagin added that Russian servicemen continue to fulfill their combat missions to liberate communities in the DPR

Plane presumably carrying Russian delegation takes off from Istanbul — service

The flight took off at 7:57 p.m. Moscow time

West fears that pro-Russian forces could come to power in Ukraine — Polish minister

"We can’t allow the situation that happened after the "orange revolution" on the Maidan to repeat itself," Wladysіaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said

Analyst sees prisoner-exchange deal as Russia’s great accomplishment at talks with Ukraine

Vitaly Kiselyov said only the Russian delegation was constructive at the talks

‘Soft landing’ of national economy will allow Bank of Russia to lower key rate — Putin

Kiev terminates customs cooperation agreement with Moscow

The agreement was originally signed in 1993 in Kiev

US to discuss pulling troops out of Europe this year — US Permanent Representative to NATO

Matthew Whitaker said that the final decision has not yet been made, while the United States is not going to withdraw from the alliance and will remain a "great ally" for other NATO members

Trump's Russia slant on display during Istanbul talks — expert

Arnaud Dubien noted that the US President did not allow Zelensky to "slam the door" on talks, defending the composition of the Russian delegation that arrived in Istanbul, despite Ukrainian criticism of Moscow

Volunteers from Russia’s North Caucasus killed in Gaza

Five members of the Insan charity foundation were killed during the bombing of the Jabaliya refugee camp

Russian, Ukrainian delegations interacted in Russian in Istanbul — source

As reported earlier on Friday, the first direct talks between Russia and Ukraine since the spring of 2022 had kicked off in Istanbul

Russian Cabinet expands list of perfumery, cosmetic products subjected to import duty

"The effect of the customs duty totaling 35%, renewed in December 203 in respected of imported perfumery, cosmetics and home care products will cover certain new positions of these products from unfriendly countries," the ministry said

Meeting between representatives from Turkey, US, Ukraine wraps up in Istanbul

The meeting lasted slightly more than an hour

Leonid Mikhelson becomes richest Russian on Forbes World’s Billionaires List

According to Forbes, the net worth of Mikhelson's assets is estimated at $24 bln

Russia’s stance at Ukraine negotiations shifted due to changes on ground — Zakharova

The diplomat noted that the Ukrainian territory diminishes every time the Kiev regime disrupts the negotiating process

Putin, Turkmenistan’s national leader hold phone call to discuss ties — Kremlin

Vladimir Putin and Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov warmly congratulated each other on the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War

US puts forward official terms for resolving nuclear standoff with Iran

"The Iranian authorities have to move quickly, or something bad's going to happen," Donald Trump said

Six Russian tech companies present their developments at KazanForum — ASI

ASI organized the session "Tech-connect: technological projects of the future," at which the companies were able to discuss the prospects for the development of their production

Turkish foreign minister describes current stage of settlement in Ukraine as critical

Hakan Fidan highlighted the steadfast commitment of the parties to peace

History shows wars are fought as peace talks continue — chief Russian negotiator

Vladimir Medinsky cited several historical examples of when negotiations took place while the war was not over

Meeting with US, Turkish representatives in Istanbul productive — Ukrainian defense chief

Accoridng to the sources, the meeting lasted more than an hour

US State Department official to meet with Russian presidential envoy in Istanbul — media

According to the broadcaster, Anton will not be in the Russia-Ukraine-Turkey meeting at lunchtime

Belarusian leader Lukashenko thanks Russia for help in training country’s troops

"They sit side by side in the classroom, learning the same things," he continued

Ministers of Libya’s Government of National Unity seeking resignation amid protests

According to the Libya Press agency, tens of thousands of protesters are marching to GNU Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh’s headquarters

First batch of 2,000 Gepard kamikaze drones arrives for Russian troops

The Gepard features a ‘blind’ takeoff capability to counter enemy electronic reconnaissance and make the crew safe at the launch site

Conference on Syria in Paris to be held at ministerial level — French foreign ministry

According to the French diplomat Christophe Lemoine, neither religious nor ethnic groups will be represented at the meeting

Kiev’s desire to discuss only ceasefire causes concern — Russian diplomat

"A ceasefire that will not be a part of a long-term solution will naturally not satisfy the Russian side," Rodion Miroshnik said

Putin extended Russia’s 2021-2025 defense plan by 2 years

The defense plan for 2021-2025 was introduced on November 12, 2020

Russia ready to consider applications from UAE airlines to operate flights — ministry

The talks were conducted by Deputy Transport Minister Vladimir Poteshkin, who "noted the stable growth in air traffic between our countries, as well as the readiness of the Russian side to consider applications from UAE airlines to operate flights"

Negotiations between Putin and Trump, not with Zelensky, needed for peace in Ukraine — MP

Viktor Vodolatsky explained that Zelensky’s demands for direct negotiations are driven by instructions from advisers in France, Britain, and Germany, who continuously oversee and direct the Kiev delegation’s actions

Ukraine loses another F-16 fighter jet — Air Force

According to the Air Force, the pilot was quickly found and evacuated; his condition is satisfactory

Israel strikes two Yemeni ports — media

Israeli aircraft attacked port infrastructure in western Yemen more than 10 times

Islamic world shows keen interest in Russian cybersecurity solutions — MFA

"We’ve noticed growing attention both from the countries of the Islamic world and from the states of the global South," Director of the Foreign Ministry’s International Information Security Department and Special Presidential Representative for International Cooperation in the Field of Information Security said

One killed, nine wounded in Israel’s strikes on Yemen — Houthi health ministry

Israel delivered airstrikes on the Red Sea Yemeni ports of Hodeida and al-Salif earlier on Friday

Turkey believes Russia-Ukraine talks were better than expected — CNN

When the discussion seemed to reach a stalemate a prisoner exchange was offered

EU puts itself in economic hell with false Russia threat narrative — MFA

"The EU invents this so-called Russian threat because spreading this narrative distracts the attention of their citizens from the disastrous situation in their own economies," Maria Zakharova noted

Bank of Russia raises dollar exchange rate for May 13 to 80.89 rubles

The official euro exchange rate was lowered by 2 rubles 3 kopecks to 90.1117 rubles

ICC prosecutor Khan takes leave amid sexual misconduct probe — Reuters

The move is unprecedented and there is no clear procedure for replacing Karim Khan

Important to reiterate Gomel agreements to Kiev — head of Russian delegation to Istanbul

Vladimir Medinsky noted that the Istanbul process was already tougher with regard to realities on the ground than what was proposed in Gomel

Russian MP and party leader hails resumption of talks between Russia, Ukraine

According to Leonid Slutsky, issues of a ceasefire are still on the table

Istanbul 2.0 signals a losing game for Zelensky, even if he skips talks — politician

According to Viktor Medvedchuk, Zelensky erred by overestimating his geopolitical role, as he has been a pawn, not a queen as he was told, since the very beginning

Russian embassy points to London’s wish to disrupt Ukraine talks

The embassy further emphasized that these ultimatums, issued amidst ongoing negotiations, appear to be aimed at complicating or torpedoing the peaceful settlement process

Russia comes out with domestic air traffic control security system

The project implies rejection of program and hardware solutions originating from unfriendly countries, as well as the building of efficient algorithms for swiftly detecting cyber incidents and responding to them

Expert says full trade embargo against Russia would cause serious problems for EU

"The news about the possible introduction by the European Union of large duties and even a full-fledged trade embargo against Russia raises questions about the feasibility of such an initiative and its potential consequences," Nikolay Gaponenko said

Kiev can run out of munitions in four months if Washington cuts off supplies — Bloomberg

"The European Union is incapable of filling the gap," Bloomberg opinion columnist Max Hastings said

Russia - Islamic World: KazanForum gathers guests from hundreds of countries

The Kazan Expo International Exhibition Center is hosting an exhibition showcasing the achievements of various countries in different fields

Press review: Russia, Ukraine prepared for negotiations as US aims to deepen OPEC+ ties

Top stories from the Russian press on Friday, May 16th

Russian envoy questions point of Putin-Zelensky summit without framework agreement

According to Rodion Miroshnik, meaningful documents should be drafted before the meeting as requested by Russia from the Ukrainian side

Russia ready to increase exports of oil products to Malaysia — Energy Minister

According to Sergey Tsivilyov, Russia exported about 5 million tons of oil products to Malaysia in 2024

Russian troops liberate six communities in Ukraine operation over week — top brass

Russia’s Battlegroup Center inflicted more than 3,040 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed 26 enemy armored combat vehicles in its area of responsibility over the week

Share of settlements in national currencies between Russia, EAEU reaches 93% — ministry

Dmitry Volvach noted that the share of settlements in national currencies between Russia and Belarus is more than 95% and in settlements with the CIS countries it is 91%

India to continue increasing oil supply to global market — minister

According to Hardeep Singh Puri, India's oil supply increased from 5 to 5.5 mln barrels per day over the span of 3.5 years

US to impose restrictions on Russian oil if no deal on Ukraine is reached — Trump

Trump said that would be that if you buy oil from Russia, you can’t do business in the United States

Russian oil export revenues down in April amid low prices to $13.2 bln — IEA

Russia’s oil exports in physical terms increased by 150,000 barrels per day to 7.6 mln barrels per day

Ukraine fails to turn Istanbul talks into show — Russian diplomat

The Russian delegation, led by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, was ready for dialogue as early as Thursday morning

US has no plans of giving up role of mediator on Ukraine — Rubio

He added that his country was not going to be "chasing this around the world anymore"

IN BRIEF: Lavrov calls Istanbul talks 'intriguing,' urges pan-Eurasian unity

"Everyone, of course, is talking about Ukraine right now due to the intrigue that is unfolding in Istanbul," the Russian foreign minister said

Next round of Russia-Ukraine talks to focus on ceasefire framework, Russian MP predicts

Direct talks between Russia and Ukraine, their first since 2022, were held in Istanbul on May 16, lasting nearly two hours

Analyst sees loss of Ukraine’s another F-16 as blow to reputation of its Air Force

According to the Mikhail Khodaryonok, Kiev deliberately confined the announcement to general phrases, as it didn’t want to suggest the possibility that the jet could have been shot down by a Russian anti-aircraft missile or a long-range air-to-air missile

Russia open to defense cooperation with countries protecting their interests — Putin

The Russian leader stressed that the forum had earned recognition as one of the world’s largest exhibitions of advanced military equipment, making a significant contribution to the development of Russia’s multifaceted ties with other countries

Moscow says Ukraine needs to step away from microphone, come to negotiating table

"No matter how loud these NATO benchwarmers shout from the sidelines, in order to take a shot on goal, the Ukrainian national team needs to take the field," Maria Zakharova said

World increasingly leans toward rejecting so-called Western values — Russian intel chief

According to Sergey Naryshkin, the West decided to limit efforts to promote the interests of LGBT groups, environmental and radical feminist communities

Ukrainian POWs may not want to leave good treatment in Russia to come back home — lawmaker

During the first talks between the delegations of Russia and Ukraine in three years in Istanbul, the sides reached an agreement on exchanging 1,000 prisoners of war from each side

IN BRIEF: What is known about Russia-Ukraine talks in Turkey

The Russia-Ukraine talks opened with words of greeting from Turkey’s top diplomat Hakan Fidan

Umerov says work on Istanbul negotiations continues

"We have discussed a cease-fire, we are working further," the Ukrainian newspaper Strana quoted head of the Ukrainian delegation

Afghan delegation's visit to Kazan strengthens ties with Tatarstan — regional head

At the meeting, the sides discussed prospects for cooperation in several sectors, including agriculture, transportation, and the halal industry

US discusses with Europe boosting support for opposition in CIS states — SVR chief

Sergey Naryshkin said that US was negotiating with its traditional European partners about stepping up their support for anti-system forces in CIS countries

French, European threats not to alter Russia’s stance on Istanbul talks — ambassador

"European nations won’t change anything," Alexey Meshkov said

Russian MP lauds POW swap agreement with Ukraine

"What matters most is the fact that this meeting finally took place, despite the serious obstacles put forward by the Ukrainians in a bid to complicate it, this round of talks," Alexey Chepa said

Trump says progress on Ukrainian settlement depends on his meeting with Putin

According to Donald Trump, the meeting should happen as soon as possible because "too many people are dying"

Kiev government lost hundreds of millions purchasing weapons — FT investigation

It is based on leaked governmental documents and dozens of interviews with officials responsible for arms procurement, as well as arms traders and detectives

Kiev must release pro-Russian civilians alongside POWs — Kherson governor

"It is important that the initiative to exchange prisoners was voiced," Vladimir Saldo said

Russia-Ukraine talks in Turkey represent ‘tactical win’ for Moscow — report

The NYT said the Trump administration is feeling disillusioned due to a lack of progress in the efforts to achieve peace

US pragmatically moves away from 'democratization agenda' — Russian intelligence chief

Russia sees this as a pragmatic shift by the new White House team, which has regained the capacity for critical thinking

IN BRIEF: What we know about Salavat plant explosion in Russia’s Bashkortostan

According to preliminary information from the local department of the Emergencies Ministry, three people have been hospitalized in grave condition

White House expects Putin-Trump meeting to take place very soon

Commenting on whether Trump planned to attend the Russia-Ukraine talks in Istanbul, the White House official replied: "No, because we need to have all the parties decide"

The Vatican could serve as venue for talks on Ukraine — secretary of state

Earlier, Pope Leo XIV asserted that the Holy See is ready to facilitate a peace deal and urged the sides to hold a direct dialogue

West frightened by arrival of Russian delegation in Istanbul — Russian Foreign Ministry

"It’s high time for the West to cease this hysteria, regain composure, and bring their puppets in Kiev to the negotiating table," Maria Zakharova concluded

Russian combat helicopter wipes out Bradley IFV, Ukrainian army’s ferry with one missile

As its specific feature, the Izdeliye-305 missile developed by the High-Precision Systems Holding Company is maximally protected against enemy jamming

EU increases purchases of Russian pipeline gas, LNG by 28% in Q1

In March, the EU imported Russian pipeline gas worth 340 mln euro, marking the lowest monthly figure since October 1999

Russian stock indices mixed as trading on Moscow Exchange closes

The yuan-to-ruble exchange rate rose by 6 kopecks to 11.17 rubles

Moscow expects OHCHR to wake up to persecution of Russian media in West

According to the diplomat Gennady Gatilov, on May 14, a new note was sent to OHCHR with "concrete examples of systematic suppression of freedom of speech, harassment of Russian journalists and media outlets in more than 15 Western countries"

Agenda of Russia-Afghanistan dialogue included rare earth metals discussion — Deputy PM

Alexey Overchuk drew attention to the fact that "Russia has all the necessary competencies to conduct geological exploration"

Foreign mercenaries fight on Ukrainian side in Volnoye Pole

The uniforms of the dead enemy soldiers had foreign stripes and chevrons