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Putin, Erdogan to meet in early January in Turkey

No other visits and contacts are expected so far, according to the Kremlin spokesman

MOSCOW, December 17. /TASS/. Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia and Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey will meet in early January 2020 in order to participate in the launch ceremony of the TurkStream gas pipeline, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. According to him, no other contacts between the two presidents are expected so far.

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Putin, Erdogan discuss Syria, Libya, bilateral cooperation in telephone talks

"As you know, the two presidents will meet in early January, when TurkStream will be launched, it will happen in Turkey. It will provide them with an opportunity to discuss all pressing issues. No other visits and contacts are expected so far but they can quickly be added to the schedule," Peskov pointed out.

According to media reports, Ankara plans to host a Turkey-Russia summit on Syria in February 2020.

Turkish Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hami Aksoy said that Erdogan and Putin would meet in Turkey on January 8 to launch TurkStream and discuss the situation in Syria and bilateral matters.

The Russian presidential spokesman, in turn, did not rule out on December 2 that the meeting between the two countries’ leaders could take place in Istanbul.

Russia to hold next international security meeting in 2025 — top security official

The date and location will be announced later

US draft on nukes in space seeks to go beyond legal framework Russia adheres to — MFA

Maria Zakharova pointed out that Russia reaffirms its "strict commitment" to the international legal obligations under space law

Reinforced Ukrainian battlegroup fails to break through Russian defenses in DPR — expert

Andrey Marochko added that the Ukrainians have also intensified artillery and drone attacks at Russian positions

No response from West to killing of Izvestia war reporter Eremin — diplomat

The Russian war correspondent died of wounds suffered from a strike by a Ukrainian FPV drone on April 19

Kiev violates diplomatic relations convention by recruiting mercenaries abroad — diplomat

Maria Zakharova pointed to media reports, according to which Ukrainian embassies in a number of countries are openly campaigning local citizens to join the so-called International Legion of Ukrainian Territorial Defense

US State Department confirms secret shipments of long-range ATACMS missiles to Kiev

Joe Biden directed to send ATACMS to Ukraine in February, the Principal Deputy Spokesperson for the US Department of State Vedant Patel said

US effectively dooms Ukraine by its new decisions, Russian envoy says

"The American aid won’t save Zelensky. New weapons will be destroyed, and the special military operation goals will be achieved," Anatoly Antonov stressed

Russia’s victory in Ukraine to change course of history in Europe — von der Leyen

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Belarusian KGB reports thwarting attempted drone strikes on Minsk from Lithuania

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The head of state accused Washington of preparing a "Belarusian liberation army" and reiterated Minsk's readiness to "defend its country"

Kiev may use ATACMS missiles to hit Crimean Bridge — Russian defense ministry official

Russian military will do its utmost to repel such attacks, Apty Alaudinov said

US nukes in Poland to become target for Russia should confrontation with NATO occur — MFA

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Russia discourages use of UN sanctions for interference in African affairs — envoy

Vasily Nebenzya underscored that Russia continues to "make an important contribution to strengthening of African countries’ potential, including UN Security Council and General Assembly"

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Ukrainian army strikes own surrendering soldiers — POW

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Russian defense minister dismisses his deputy Ivanov

Timur Ivanov was removed from the office of deputy defense minister of the Russian Federation of the federal government’s civil service

Russia, Africa united by common vision on global issues — senior diplomat

Mikhail Bogdanov noted that "the African continent is a dynamically developing part of the world with an enormous growth potential, attractive domestic market and expanding export prospects"

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Gagauzia against Chisinau’s policy of severing ties with Russia

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US shifted conflict in Europe onto EU, NATO shoulders to weaken Russia, says Lukashenko

The Belarusian leader specified that the US had organized the conflict in Europe, in this case in Ukraine, and "shifted it onto the shoulders of the European Union and NATO, promising to help with money"

Court in Cyprus rules to extradite Russian national Petrov to US

Artur Petrov who is also a German citizen, was arrested in Cyprus on August 26, 2023 at the request of the US Department of Justice on charges of illegally exporting US-made microelectronics to Russia

IAEA chief to have working contacts with Rosatom, no meeting with Putin is planned

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Mongolia to enter into free trade agreement with EAEU by year-end

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Ukraine turns into testing ground for future world order, says Belarus president

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"Today, under the two countries’ leaders’ special attention, political contacts, exchanges, cooperation in the economic, culture, science and other areas are developing with renewed momentum," Minister Plenipotentiary of the republic's embassy in Russia Lee Yong Zin said

Ukrainian troops in Kharkov Region lift antennas with kites to get better signal

Military expert Andrey Marochko speculated that the Ukrainian army had to resort to this tactic because the TV tower in Kharkov was damaged

Ukraine to cease to exist unless it enters into talks, Belarusian president warns

Alexander Lukashenko stressed that his Ukrainian counterpart Vladimir Zelensky should have realistic expectations

IN BRIEF: Russian deputy defense minister, entrepreneur arrested for taking bribes

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

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Belarus has no intentions of launching mobilization, says President Lukashenko

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Ukrainian forces refuse to obey Commander-in-Chief Syrsky — CIA ex-analyst

Larry Johnson also noted that the Russian forces manage to advance recently despite the slush on the roads

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Russia dissatisfied with UN’s activity under grain deal — senior diplomat

Alexander Pankin noted that during his visit to New York he did not have any talks with UN officials on the Russian-UN memorandum

US incapable of replicating Cold War-era arms race — Valdai club expert

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Russia vetoes US-backed UNSC resolution on banning nuclear weapons in outer space

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Russia maintains position on 'buffer zone' in Ukraine to counter missile threats

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Foreign delegations show great interest in Russian defense products — security official

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Russian troops wipe out Ukrainian UAV production workshop over past day

The Russian forces improved their frontline positions and inflicted casualties on five Ukrainian army brigades in the Donetsk area over the past day, the Defense Ministry reported

Belarus responds to threats with preventive deterrence measures — defense minister

Viktor Khrenin emphasized that provocations by Western countries could become a catalyst for unleashing a military conflict

Network of international conspirators plotted Crocus terrorist attack — watchdog

Yury Chikhanchin pointed out that the perpetrators of the attack were provided with money, weapons, transportation and ammunition

Ukrainian army short about 150,000-200,000 troops, says Polish general

Waldemar Skrzypczak also said it was "a matter of hours" until Kiev received the weapons allocated by the US as part of its latest military aid package

Israel destroys no more than 20% of Hamas's fighting capacity — top political official

Khalil al-Hayya said that Hamas would like to see "a fully sovereign Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and the return of Palestinian refugees in accordance with the international resolutions"

US has no idea what to do about Zelensky — Seymour Hersh

According to the journalist, the decision to conduct the operation was made by US President Joe Biden personally, following nine months of discussions with White House national security advisers

Armenian police arrests people protesting against demarcation with Azerbaijan

Earlier, demonstrators in several regions of Armenia tried to block highways, including international ones

Ukraine exhausted, needs constant money flow from outside — defense official

Apty Alaudinov added that if the Ukrainian army received long-range weapons, it might try to attack Russia's civilian infrastructure due to its powerlessness on the front

Russia says its battlegroup West seized better positions

The Russian forces also foiled a counterattack of an assault group of the Ukrainian 80th mechanized brigade in the vicinity of the Krasnoye settlement in the Donetsk People’s Republic

Lukashenko sees Ukraine conflict posing risks to Belarus

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West bends sanctions rules when it suits them — Kremlin

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Transfer of US ATACMS missiles to Ukraine cannot be justified — Russian ambassador

"Neither these missiles nor other weapons can help defeat the Russian Federation," Anatoly Antonov said

Proper humanitarian assistance to Gaza impossible amid hostilities — Russian diplomat

"We are tired to repeat over and over again - amid the US-backed Israeli military operation, which has been going on for more than six months already, adequate assistance to the enclave’s population is simply impossible," Vasily Nebenzya said

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West views Europe as potential theater of military operations — Lukashenko

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US arms supplies unable to change situation in Kiev's favor — Kremlin

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According to Luis Arce, instead of pursuing "the policy of diplomacy and dialogue," the United States opts for "continued war and militarism"

Kremlin vows to resolve situation with Turkish Airlines refusing service to Russians

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