US oil companies seek to return to Venezuela's energy sector — Trump

The US leader said that "they're going to rebuild the infrastructure"

WASHINGTON, January 5. /TASS/. US oil companies are preparing to return to Venezuela's energy sector, President Donald Trump stated.

"Oil companies are ready to go. They're going to go in. They're going to rebuild the infrastructure," he told reporters aboard his plane.

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US cannot keep oil prices below $50 per barrel, Jeffrey Sachs tells TASS

Earlier, Trump said that the United States would like to see a further decline in the international oil prices to $53 per barrel

Not only Ukraine, but also entire Western world losing to Russia — Internet entrepreneur

Kim Dotcom, founder of the file-sharing network Megaupload, said that Russia should not waste time normalizing relations with Western countries

France needs at least 10 years to reach Russia's level in hypersonic weapons — expert

Xavier Moreau explained that Russia is the only country in the world capable of mass-producing hypersonic weapons

Wheat to Cameroun shipped first time from Russian Baltic seaport

The batch with the volume of 47,700 metric tons was shipped from the port of Vysotsk in the Leningrad Region

Ukraine, Europe should support Trump’s peace plan — Russian special envoy

Kirill Dmitriev commented on Vladimir Zelensky’s statement that Ukraine did not receive a batch of air defense missiles because Europe did not pay for them

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

Russia’s Battlegroup West inflicted more than 1,300 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed 22 enemy armored combat vehicles in its area of responsibility over the week, the Defense Ministry reported

Sarkozy slams idea of Ukraine’s NATO integration

According to the French ex-president, "Ukraine is a friend of Russia and should be a friend of Europe"

Expert believes Trump wants to pull US-Russia relations out of deadlock

The expert believes foreign policy has a purely applied meaning for Donald Trump, considering the unfavorable atmosphere that surrounded his arrival at the White House

Putin-Trump phone talk scheduled for Saturday — Kremlin

Kremlin spokesman confirmed the US media reports saying that Trump and Putin will speak on the phone on Saturday

Rosatom delivered uranium, gold mining target for 2025

First Deputy CEO of Rosatom Nedra Alexey Shemetov said that commercial operation of the Severnoye goldfield in Yakutia kicked off

Putin praises Russian weapons as advanced and battle-tested

The Russian leader noted that the groundwork laid allows for expanding both the range of weapons and the geography of supplies

OSCE gets no official invitation to observe Turkmen elections

The government of Turkmenistan has not extended an official invitation to the OSCE for sending observers to the presidential election

Zelensky says there are no specific agreements with Russia on energy truce

The head of Kiev regime noted that he was not yet ready to say whether an energy truce would be reached

Rosoboronexport's order portfolio exceeds $60 billion — CEO

The company's CEO Alexander Mikheyev told TASS following a meeting of the Commission for Military-Technical Cooperation with Foreign States chaired by Russian President Vladimir Putin

Trump asks Putin to refrain from striking Kiev until February 1 — Kremlin

Dmitry Peskov did not clarify whether Russia had responded to Trump’s proposal to halt the strikes

NPO Mashinostroyeniya meets all orders from Russian Defense Ministry

NPO Mashinostroeniya produces the Tsirkon hypersonic missile, the Onyx cruise missile, the Bastion coastal defense missile system, maintains the UR-100N UTTKh intercontinental ballistic missile, and creates Earth radar surveillance satellites

Diplomat calls Western panic over risk of nuclear accidents in Ukraine 'far-fetched'

"Due to power outages at nuclear power plants under Kiev's control, it was necessary to reduce output capacity periodically," Russian envoy to international organizations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov said

IN BRIEF: What we know about current escalation around Iran

Donald Trump is looking at different military options against Iran, ground operations among them, but prefers to find a diplomatic solution to the situation

Ukraine’s admission to EU and NATO would lead to war with Russia — Orban

According to the Hungarian prime minister, Ukraine should be given the role of a "buffer zone" between the West and Russia

Grinch tanker detained by French Navy has no connection with Russia — MFA

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stressed that Moscow considers any infringement on freedom of navigation unacceptable

Cuba declares ‘international emergency’ amid US threats

On Thursday, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order allowing for duties on foreign countries that provide any oil to Cuba

Russian military-technical cooperation with Africa returns to level seen during Soviet era

It has even surpassed it in some respects, Rosoboronexport CEO Alexander Mikheyev told

Press review: Russia ready to aid Syria as Trump tariffs fall short on US national debt

Trump says attracted $18 trillion in investment per year against $1 trillion under Biden

Earlier, Trump said that by the end of 2025 investments in the US economy could exceed $20 trillion thanks to imports duties

US cannot keep oil prices below $50 per barrel, Jeffrey Sachs tells TASS

Earlier, Trump said that the United States would like to see a further decline in the international oil prices to $53 per barrel

Europe completely at a loss, does not know where to turn — Russia’s ambassador to UN

Vasily Nebenzya said that Europe became a victim of its own conceptual framework, based on rules it once promoted

Russia develops 340 military-technical cooperation projects with foreign countries — Putin

According to Putin, joint work in this area will improve the characteristics of existing weapons and equipment, as well as develop new promising models, including those in demand on the global market

UN has no moral right to participate in Ukraine talks — envoy

Russian Permanent Representative to the UN Vasily Nebenzya added that Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is "clearly playing on one side"

Frontline situation speaks for itself — Kremlin

Russian forces are going on a successful offensive in Donbass as they clear one locality after another of Ukrainian formations over there

Russian envoy discusses Kiev’s hunt for medics, intensified attacks and manipulation at UN

Russian Foreign Ministry Ambassador at Large on Kiev’s War Crimes Rodion Miroshnik said that at least 293 children suffered from Ukrainian attacks in 2025

Kurdish institutions, army to merge with Syrian state apparatus

The agreement provides for the integration of self-governing institutions into Syrian state structures, as well as the regulation of the status of civil servants

Venezuela and India strengthen strategic cooperation — Rodriguez

Venezuela’s authorized President gratitude to the government and the people of India for their support

Europe rejects Zelensky's claims about delay in delivery of Patriot missiles — news agency

The European officials did not provide any details

Rafah border crossing to open in both directions on February 2

Rafah’s opening in both directions is envisaged by the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal

Israel delivers 17 airstrikes on Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon

Among the targets was an industrial zone in Daoudiya and warehouses holding construction equipment

Russia acquired sound portfolio of new defense export orders last year — Putin

Therefore, the Russian system of military-technical cooperation not merely demonstrated efficiency and high resilience, the head of state stressed

Abandoning New START carries too many risks for US — The American Conservative

Military and political commentator Jennifer Kavanagh casts doubt on the idea that extending the deal could have escaped the attention of the US administration

Putin sees prospects for closer defense cooperation with Africa

He recalled that first the former Soviet Union and then Russia supplied African countries with large quantities of weapons and combat vehicles, trained specialists in their production, use, and repairs, as well as military personnel

Action legend Seagal lists mansion outside Moscow for sale

According to the statement, the residence includes a two-story mansion, a two-car garage, a guest house, a bathhouse, and a barbeque gazebo, all situated on a forested plot of 1,500 square meters

Assad says Syria ready for direct talks with all opposition representatives

Bashar al-Assad has stated that Damascus is ready for direct talks with representatives of all the opposition groups (including the armed ones), according to a Russian lawmaker

Iraq to hold presidential election on February 1 — agency

The presidential election was initially scheduled for January 27, but the parliament session was postponed due to lack of quorum

Trump considering raids, special forces ops inside Iran — media

Among the riskiest scenarios under consideration is the covert deployment of US special forces to destroy or disable Iranian nuclear sites that were not hit during the US strikes in June 2025

Japan to help US build major gas pipeline in Alaska — Trump

US President previously said that besides Japan, South Korea wants to invest in the construction of a gas pipeline in Alaska

FACTBOX: Trump declares state of emergency in US over alleged threat from Cuba

Under US law, this grants the president authority to impose duties on goods from countries supplying oil to Cuba

More than half of Britons want to replace Starmer

Only 21% of the respondents supported Starmer as head of the party and government, while 51% of respondents supported the election of a new Labor leader

Tank army to be formed near Moscow by wintertime — source

Russia's first Tank Army and the newly-formed 20th Combined Arms Army will be the first to receive the newest Armata tanks and Kurganets infantry fighting vehicles, the source says

Assad praises Putin’s role in restoring peace in Syria

A Russian lawmaker says that, according to the Syrian president’s words, the Astana talks should particularly facilitate the reintegration of the Syrian provinces

Trump not to back down from trying to get Greenland — Jeffrey Sachs

Director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University likened Trump’s behavior to that of a four-year-old child

Rodriguez to grant amnesty to political prisoners

"I want to announce a decision to promote a general amnesty law that will cover the entire period of political violence from 1999 to the present," Rodriguez said

US Justice Department announces release of all documents from Epstein case file

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche pointed out that the US Department of Justice is publishing "more than three million pages, including more than 2,000 videos and 180,000 images in total"

Almost all Russia's settlements with China, India conducted in national currencies — VTB

Chief Executive Officer Andrey Kostin said that over these years, the trading partners have gradually moved to a payment system that practically does not use the dollar or euro

Previously doxed teenager says Mirotvorets database used to intimidate children, parents

According to Faina Savenkova, the founders of the website and those backing it should be prosecuted under Russian law

US-Iran conflict would devastate global economy, destabilize Middle East — expert

According to Somchai Virunhaphol, "the world is witnessing blatant double standards"

Free higher education should be off limits to “C” pupils, minister says

According to Kuzminov, “The majority of even poor people agree that ‘C’ pupils should not get higher education at the expense of taxpayers”

Russia to present battle-tested innovations at Saudi Arabia expo

"Rosoboronexport is expanding its range of weapons and military equipment promoted on the international market," the company's CEO Alexander Mikheyev added

Share of grain in Russian agricultural exports to decrease to 25% by 2030 — minister

In 2025, exports of agricultural products with high added value grew by 8% to $19 bln, Russian Agriculture Minister Oksana Lut noted

Issue of Donbass, Crimea’s self-determination reveals UN’s double standards — diplomat

Rodion Miroshnik said the criteria for such a division are clear only to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and "evidently lie outside the legal sphere"

Russian diplomat questions data on Ukraine conflict compiled by UN agencies

According to Rodion Miroshnik, those agencies rely on quite a strange playbook to collect the data based solely on reports from one side of the conflict

State Department approves sale of $5.7 billion of armored vehicles, helicopters to Israel

The documents say the sale of weapons to Israel will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by strengthening the security of a strategic partner in the Middle East

Current tensions within NATO should not be underestimated — Russian MFA

Alexander Grushko added that there have been many splits within NATO

Trump's inaugural address: When America is united, America is totally unstoppable

Tthe United States’ 45th President Donald Trump says the current change of government in the United States means transferring power back to the American people

Russia invited US to join talks on Syria in Astana — Lavrov

Astana will host the talks on the situation in Syria on January 23

Drone operators destroy dozen units of Ukrainian equipment, artillery near Krasnoarmeysk

Russian operators also detected and destroyed a Ukrainian army heavy copter in the sky and a control point for enemy drones

Terrorists in eastern Aleppo surrounded — Lavrov

The Russian top diplomat stresses military operations will go on until eastern Aleppo is liberated from militants

'Warnings' from West regarding vessel movements unacceptable — Russian MFA

According to Maria Zakharova, the desire of European officials to blame others for all their troubles is generally understandable

Interstate Aviation Committee suspends certificate for Boeing-737 aircraft in Russia

According to public sources nearly 190 Boeing-737 aircraft of different modifications are currently in service in Russia

Bank of Russia sets new requirements for payment equipment developers

Approaches effective since 2020 will be replaced

EU, NATO countries preparing for 'inevitable' confrontation with Russia — senior diplomat

"Russia is now viewed as a long-term threat," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko stressed

Senate approves government financing until end of fiscal year

The bills were approved with 71 votes for and 29 against

UR-100N UTTKh missile service life to be extended by several years — developer

The UR-100N UTTKh missiles are used as carriers for the Avangard hypersonic warhead

Energy ceasefire will change nothing for Kiev — former prime minister

Nikolay Azarov said that restoring the system will require approximately two years, emphasizing that the damage is so severe that a mere week’s pause is insignificant

Russia delivers batch of wheat to Syria first time under new power — source

The Pola Marina vessel supplied 6,600 tons of wheat to the Syrian port of Latakia on Sunday, April 20

Russian strategic bombers hammer Islamic State facilities in Syria’s Deir ez-Zor

The Russian long-range bombers delivered the massive strike after flying over Iraq and Iran, Russia’s Defense Ministry reports

Saudi defense minister believes US refusal to strike to strengthen Iran — Axios

According to the sources, the Saudi minister outlined this position at a closed briefing in Washington with the participation of the heads of local think tanks

EU is party to Ukraine conflict, cannot monitor ceasefire — senior Russian diplomat

Alexander Grushko also mentioned the disastrous experience the European Union has accumulated in recent years and its subversive role

Eurasian Economic Union to start free trade zone talks with four countries

Belarusian Vice Prime Minister Natalia Petkevich said that the EAEU approved the top-priority countries

Defense chief praises Russian military's success in Syria

Special operations groups and special forces teams have demonstrated their high efficiency in Syria, according to the Russian defense minister

EU to replace Russian oil price cap by complete ban of marine transportation — Bloomberg

The news agency said the proposal was backed by EU countries, which adopt sanction packages under the principle of unanimity

Trump hopes US Supreme Court monitors results of his tariff policy

Trump had previously said that the duties had brought the United States about $600 billion, and said that if the court invalidated the tariff measures, the American administration would find a replacement for them

Press review: Russia, UAE hold Kremlin talks and NATO plans defense bank by 2027

Expert says Syria talks in Astana have important psychological effect

From the practical point of view, the meeting is only a first step in a long settlement process, a Russian expert said

Russia honored all defense export contracts, with revenues above $15 bln — Putin

Such results provide an additional opportunity to allocate funds for the upgrade of defense sector plants, for the expansion of their production capacities, and for looking-forward scientific studies, Putin said

EU loses autonomy on all key issues, senior Russian official says

Maxim Oreshkin said that the European Union de facto entered the orbit of the United States of America

Agricultural trade between Russia and UAE doubles in 3 years reaching $400 mln

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Patrushev noted the importance of joint work on developing a BRICS grain exchange

US duties play important role in conflict resolution, says Trump

"In nine months, I settled eight raging conflicts, WARS, and tariffs deserve much of the credit," US President said

Western intelligence agencies find no evidence of Iran's creation of nuclear weapons — NYT

According to US estimates, Iran has not built new nuclear facilities, although activity has been observed at two unfinished sites in Natanz and Isfahan, the newspaper said

Guterres’ 'bizarre statement' and costly Russophobia: MFA spokeswoman’s statements

Maria Zakharova also said that Moldova’s Russophobia is pushing the country "to nowhere" and costs it too high

Zelensky must comply with agreements reached by leaders of Russia, US — top lawmaker

Vyacheslav Volodin noted that Vladimir Zelensky's unwillingness to reach a compromise on Donbass and the use of the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant confirms his inadequacy

Zelensky asked for meeting with Putin, not the other way around — Kremlin

Earlier, the Kremlin confirmed that Zelensky had an open invitation to Moscow for talks with Putin, and that Russia would ensure his safety if he came

Syrian opposition refuses to attend Geneva II conference

Earlier in the day, a delegation of the Syrian opposition met with the Friends of Syria Group, which brings together Western and Arab states

Europe has withdrawn 80% of gas it pumped into storage facilities for heating season

Gas withdrawal from UGS facilities in EU countries amounted to around 758 mln cubic meters on January 28

Russia to take into account Japan’s source toward supporting Kiev, anti-Russian sanctions

According to Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, amid the current developments in Japan, where "a parliamentary election campaign has recently started, speculations on the above-mentioned topic are seen as pure populism"

Naryshkin intends to improve discipline in Duma in civilized way

“I come out for the deputies to participate in the debates of all bills with the discipline and the knowledge of their work”

Russian defense exports to grow significantly in 2026 — Putin

Additional support measures will be introduced within the framework of the new federal project for development of military-technical cooperation with foreign countries for the period of 2026-2028, the Russian leader added

Russia will ensure rights of gas exporters if EU violates agreements — MFA

Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova noted that Russia has long been successfully redirecting gas supplies toward new centers of global economic growth, primarily in Asia

Netherlands ruling coalition declares Russia ‘key security threat’

The agreement does not provide any specific evidence or confirmed facts, and the wording is general and evaluative

ICE expands powers of agents to detain people without warrant — NYT

According to the experts interviewed by The New York Times, such an interpretation would make issuing a warrant essentially meaningless and allow federal agents to detain almost anyone

Putin announces additional measures to support defense sector in 2026-2028

"It is extremely important to effectively use available financial and other mechanisms and instruments of support" as Russia expects growth in the export of its defense products in 2026, Putin stressed

Zelensky's policy boils down to dragging out talks as long as possible — politician

At the same time, former Ukrainian prime minister Nikolay Azarov noted that Vladimir Zelensky's refusal to visit Moscow was expected

FACTBOX: What is known about winning bid to acquire Domodedovo Airport

Perspektiva LLC, a subsidiary of the Sheremetyevo Airport, has won the auction

Guterres’ position on Donbass due to pressure of Western states — expert

"I think that this statement by the secretary general pours water into the mill of the policy of neocolonialism," Scientific director of the Russian Military Historical Society Mikhail Myagkov said