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Putin, Merkel discussed gas transit via Ukraine after January 1 — Kremlin

Leaders of Russia and Germany gave a positive assessment of the results of the Normandy Four summit, held in Paris on December 9, according to the Kremlin’s press service

Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on the sidelines of the 2018 G20 Leaders' Summit Mikhail Klimentyev/Russia's presidential press service/TASS

Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on the sidelines of the 2018 G20 Leaders' Summit

© Mikhail Klimentyev/Russia's presidential press service/TASS

MOSCOW, December 16. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed natural gas supplies to Europe in a telephone conversation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the Kremlin’s press service said on Monday.

"Issues of cooperation in the gas sector pertaining to provision of energy security of EU countries were covered, including in the context of prospects of Russian natural gas transit via the territory of Ukraine after January 1, 2020, and implementation of the Nord Stream 2 project," the press service said.

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Russian Energy Minister describes trilateral gas consultations as constructive

Leaders of Russia and Germany "gave a positive assessment of the results of the summit in the Normandy Format, held in Paris on December 9, where certain steps were agreed to implement the Minsk complex of measures, which is the sole option for the settlement in southeastern Ukraine," the press service added.

The current contract between Russia’s Gazprom and Ukraine’s Naftogaz on gas supplies to and transit via Ukraine expires on December 31, 2019. Russia, Ukraine and the European Commission continue consultations on transit of Russian gas to the European Union via Ukraine after 2020, but the dialogue is being complicated by the legal wrangling between Gazprom and Naftogaz.

Moscow insists on the so-called "package solution" when the parties are to drop mutual claims and sign a contract on direct gas purchase at a discounted price. As a fallback option, Russia suggests the current transit contract be extended to 2020. However, Ukraine is reluctant to drop litigation and sign a short-term contract.

Oreshnik missile to change course of Ukrainian conflict, Medvedev believes

Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev said it in an interview

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

According to the experts, Ukraine’s incursion into Russia’s borderline Kursk Region turned out to be a "strategic catastrophe" amid "manpower shortages"

Commissioning of Oreshnik and new developments: Putin’s meeting with defense specialists

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US, West have no capabilities to intercept new Russian hypersonic missile — expert

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Russian forces cut off key Ukrainian supply route in Velikaya Novoselka, DPR

According to the security services, Ukrainian troops still have access to several unpaved roads, which are also under Russian fire control

Russia entitled to use weapons against military sites of states attacking it — Duma

"Russia has repeatedly stated that such actions will receive a response – and it will be a stronger one," Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin stressed

Ukraine was warned about possible missile strike — Pentagon

Department of Defense Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh gave no answer to the question of how could Ukraine prepare for this kind of attack

Lukashenko grants asylum to Schmidt persecuted on political grounds by Poland

The head of state also approved citizenship applications from foreign nationals and stateless persons residing in the country

Western countries should 'be afraid, tremble' after Putin's statement — lawmaker

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Biden’s decision to use ATACMS against Russia may 'blow up in America’s face' — US expert

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Ukraine conflict entering decisive phase, Polish PM says

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Russian stock market indices mixed on Friday — market data

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Ukrainian defense line in Donbass may soon collapse — expert

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Lukashenko tells Putin situation is "starting to get tense with Wagner"

The Belarusian leader noted that they want to go to Warsaw

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Kremlin confident Putin's statement got through to US administration

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Enemy has no countermeasures for Russia’s Oreshnik missile — Putin

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Daily death toll from Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon nears 60 — health ministry

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

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Ukraine should consider territorial concessions to Russia in return for peace — magazine

Foreign Policy pointed out that Western officials should stop insisting in public speeches on the need to achieve a strategic defeat for Russia

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

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Putin’s remarks on hypersonic missiles send serious warning to West — Turkish politician

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Russia’s reaction to Austrian OMV’s failure to pay for gas justified — MFA

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

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Russian ambassador says UK prime minister doesn’t understand situation in Ukraine

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Russia’s Oreshnik has no analogues worldwide — Putin

"We know what kind of developments are being carried out there, but this will happen tomorrow or in a year or two, but we have such a system already today," the president said

US, European officials suggest returning nukes to Ukraine — NYT

US officials believe that ramping up weapons supplies to Ukraine is unlikely to change the situation in the combat zone short term, but it may help Kiev strengthen its stance in case a truce is reached

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

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

US-led coalition aircraft violate Syrian airspace ten times in past day

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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

Top stories from the Russian press on Thursday, November 21st

WIPO members adopt Riyadh Design Law Treaty

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Chinese pandas sent back home after years in Finland

In September, a zoo in the Finnish city of Ehtaeri decided it had little choice but to return a pair of pandas given to Finland after the 2017 visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Helsinki

Zelensky shook up by Russia’s response to permission to attack it — Lavrov

According to the Russian foreign minister, the West is directly involved in the use of long-range weapons against Russia, as not a single missile could be launched without its involvement

Western nations should take Putin's statement seriously, warns Hungarian PM

Viktor Orban recalled that Russia has "one of the most powerful armies in the world, which boasts the most advanced, most powerful weapons"

Diplomat mocks US Senator for talking about invading Netherlands

Maria Zakharova quoted the US Senator, who called the ICC a "Kangaroo court" and ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan a "deranged fanatic"

Zelensky fine with conflict continuing due to Western help — Slovak PM

Robert Fico pointed out that "more and more evidence show that the West seeks to prolong the war in Ukraine for various reasons"

Russia’s re-election to UNCITRAL confirms its global reputation — Foreign Ministry

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Eliminating best enemy units: Defense Minister visits special op area

Andrey Belousov stressed that Russian troops have accelerated their advance in the special military operation zone and have effectively disrupted Kiev's 2025 military campaign

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Oreshnik missile to change course of Ukrainian conflict, Medvedev believes

Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev said it in an interview

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

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Russia encircles largest Ukrainian fortification in southern DPR — security services

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

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The meeting was co-chaired by India’s Secretary (Defense Production) Shri Sanjeev Kumar and Russia’s First Deputy Director of the Federal Service for Military Technical Cooperation Andrey Boytsov

Putin’s recent statements reflect long-standing policy, expert says

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The Russian Defense Ministry announced earlier in the day that the country’s latest Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile hit all the targets at a major Ukrainian military-industrial enterprise in Dnepr (Dnepropetrovsk) with its MIRVed warheads

US not seeking confrontation with Russia, but will continue assistance to Kiev — Pentagon

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Zelensky’s actions make Ukraine vulnerable to coup, says politician

"Democratic institutions in the country have been destroyed, rendering dialogue between the government and the people impossible," Viktor Medvedchuk said

German politician slams Ukraine’s ‘irresponsible’ strike on Russia with UK-made missiles

"A diplomatic search for balance and mutual understanding should be the goal, instead of further escalation," Alice Weidel said

Defense ministers of five European nations to meet in Berlin on November 25

The French interior ministry said earlier that an emergency meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council will be held on November 26 following Russia using its new missile against a Ukrainian defense sector facility

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The decision was reportedly made in response to the anti-Iran resolution of the International Atomic Energy Agency

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China urges restraint after Russia, Ukraine's exchange of attacks — foreign ministry

Lin Jian also reaffirmed Beijing's position on the Ukrainian issue

Russian strategic missile forces to be equipped with advanced weapon by 95%

"A large-scale investment program for expanding production capacities at defense sector organizations is being implemented", Vasily Tonkoshkurov said

Bundeswehr prepares plan for Operation Germany in case of war with Russia — newspaper

According to it, the 1,000-page "Operation Germany" plan lists all infrastructure facilities that deserve special protection, and also contains a procedure for defense or "measures to deter Russia on NATO’s eastern flank"

Russian military to warn Ukrainian civilians of future Oreshnik attacks — Kremlin

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Bank of Russia lifts official dollar rate to 102.58 rubles for November 23-25

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Belarusian president believes humanity is on the brink of World War III

Alexander Lukashenko also emphasized that a real information war has been underway for a long time

West irrational, fails to understand it cannot intercept Russia's new missiles — Kneissl

The former Austrian foreign minister stressed that she "counted on rational Western decision-makers, but irrationality is unfortunately on the rise among them"

Zelensky to have no input if Russia, US negotiate, ex-Prime Minister says

Previously, Elon Musk said on the X social platform, commenting on Zelensky’s supposition that the United States cannot force Ukraine to "sit and listen" at the negotiating table because Ukraine is an independent country, that Zelensky has an "amazing sense of humor"

West beginning to realize only part of Ukraine will remain — Lavrov

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Signal to West and 'red card': experts weigh in on Putin’s missile launch statements

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Putin stays open to contacts to reach 'peaceful track' — Kremlin

Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered a televised address to the nation on November 21, announcing that in response to the West’s decision to authorize strategic-depth strikes on Russia, Moscow used its new Oreshnik medium-range hypersonic ballistic missile for the first time

Captives, Ukrainian losses: situation in Kursk Region

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Oreshnik can reach targets across entire Europe — missile troops commander

"Based on the tasks and the range of this weapon, it can hit targets across entire Europe, which sets it apart from other high-precision long-range weapons," Sergey Karakayev said

Russia’s steel production plunged in October — WSA

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China against double standards in international law — Foreign Ministry

Spokesman Lin Jian highlighted Washington's use of double standards in handling the Israeli-Palestinian conflict within the United Nations

Japanese lawmaker praises Putin's restraint amid decision to strike deep into Russia

Top EU diplomat Josep Borrell confirmed that the US administration had lifted restrictions for US-supplied missiles to be used for strikes up to 300 kilometers inside Russia

North Korean leader warns of growing risk of nuclear war — KCNA

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Putin's speech shows West that Russia won’t waver, is ready for any scenario — expert

Dmitry Suslov pointed to a crucial message in the President's speech: "Russia firmly believes that the West has moved from a proxy war to a direct war" and that the sides are already "in a state of global conflict"

IN BRIEF: What Putin said about Russia’s new missile, and Moscow’s response to the West

Moscow used its new Oreshnik medium-range hypersonic ballistic missile in response to the West’s decision to authorize strategic-depth strikes on Russia

Russia uses aerial bombs to destroy Ukrainian positions near DPR’s Konstantinovka — source

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Kremlin clarifies notification process for Oreshnik missile launch

"An automated warning was sent 30 minutes before the launch," Dmitry Peskov said

Western air defense systems unlikely to intercept Russian missiles — France’s Le Monde

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Zelensky begs ‘for his country to be flattened’ — US journalist

"Ukraine should be forever grateful that President Putin is calm, rational and kind - because Zelensky is practically begging for his country to be flattened," American political commentator Jackson Hinkle said

US decision to allow missile strikes deep into Russia fuels global escalation — Slovak PM

Robert Fico also rejected the belief that this escalation would not impact "those living far away, in Spain, England, or America"

Soyuz rocket carrying Progress MS-29 cargo spaceship blasts off from Baikonur spaceport

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Tehran to launch new centrifuges in response to IAEA anti-Iran resolution — statement

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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"

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

The New York Times reported on November 17 that US President Joe Biden had authorized the use of US-supplied ATACMS tactical ballistic missiles for strikes inside Russia

West builds up military presence near Russia’s Arctic borders — presidential aide

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Oreshnik missile to go into serial production, Putin says

The president stressed that given the weapon’s special power, it "will be provided precisely to the Strategic Missile Forces"

Russian air defense deflects attacks with Western missiles — Putin

"As a result, the goals that the enemy apparently set have not been achieved," the Russian leader said

Internet shutdown possible in Belarus if events of August 2020 recur, Lukashenko says

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Russia forced to roll out new weapons as West fuels conflict, Minsk says

According to Belarusian Security Council State Secretary Alexander Volfovich, "the West does not support peace, it supports war"

Russia hammers Ukrainian military-industrial facilities, energy sites over week

Russian forces liberated seven communities in the Donetsk People’s Republic over the past week, the Defense Ministry reported

US administration chooses to escalate Ukraine conflict — Kremlin

Earlier, Putin stressed that the Ukrainian army is unable to fire the latest Western-made long-range missiles on its own without support from NATO satellite feeds and the involvement of the bloc’s military

Turkey’s desire to be gas hub important for energy security — Russian official

Russia will continue developing pipe gas supplies and will "continue supplying competitive energy resources to partners and the whole world," Pavel Sorokin noted

Biden’s actions on Ukraine meant to 'muck things up' for Trump — Lavrov

According to the Russian foreign minister, such behavior is "typical of the Democrats"