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Military operation in Ukraine

Kremlin unaware of Macron’s initiative to arrange Russia-Ukraine talks jointly with China

"Indeed, there were some reports saying that the French side had voiced some aspects during a visit to China, but those aspects haven’t surfaced anywhere yet," Dmitry Peskov noted

MOSCOW, April 18. /TASS/. The Kremlin is not aware of French President Emmanuel Macron’s plan to arrange negotiations between Russia and Ukraine jointly with China, Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Tuesday.

Earlier, Bloomberg reported that Macron had tasked his adviser Emmanuel Bonne to work with Wang Yi, director of the Foreign Affairs Commission Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, to establish a framework that could be used as a basis for talks between Russia and Ukraine.

"We are unaware if there is a certain French initiative, nor have we received any [proposals] from the French side," Peskov said.

"Indeed, there were some reports saying that the French side had voiced some aspects during a visit to China, but those aspects haven’t surfaced anywhere yet," the Kremlin spokesman added.

Le Monde said earlier that Macron’s visit to China had not led to any change in Beijing’s position on either the Ukrainian crisis or Russia. While on a state visit to China, Macron told Chinese leader Xi Jinping that he expected Beijing to mediate in the Ukrainian conflict.

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Foreign policy Ukraine China France Dmitry Peskov Emmanuel Macron Military operation in Ukraine

Russian prime minister approves list of countries imposing destructive attitudes

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West switches to open support for Kiev's terrorist attacks against civilians — MFA

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According to columnist Ishaan Tharoor, "Israeli officials have not publicly taken responsibility for the attacks, but have in private in confirmed their hand in them with their interlocutors in Washington"

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Hezbollah fires anti-tank missiles at Israeli positions in Metula

According to the broadcast, at least three of them hit targets

Putin instructs authorities to support small producers of drones

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Kadyrov send two more Cybertucks to special military operation zone

"The electric car’s mobility, comfort and maneuverability are what is needed here," the Chechen leader said

Ukrainian troops attack two settlements in Russia’s Belgorod region, leaving no casualties

Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov added that in the settlement of Murom, the Shebekinsky district, the windows of a private house were broken out, the roof and fence were damaged due to a drone attack

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Maria Zakharova asserted Russia’s solidarity with the people of Lebanon

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According to the movement’s Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah, experts are analyzing all circumstances surrounding the devices in question

West’s attempts to turn UNGA into pro-Ukrainian show doomed to fail — Russian MFA

"The UN General Assembly always encompasses a very broad agenda," Sergey Ryabkov stressed

European Parliament urges end to restrictions on strikes on Russia with Western weapons

In addition, the EU member states and NATO allies are asked to "collectively and individually commit to supporting Ukraine militarily, with no less than 0.25% of their GDP annually"

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It includes the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Japan and other states

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Earlier, the Mexican embassy in Moscow stated that the Russian president had received an invitation to Sheinbaum's inauguration ceremony

Hezbollah handing out pagers hours before their detonation — agency

The sources said that the Shiite movement did not have any specific suspicions about these pagers and their "checks had been part of a routine 'sweep' of its equipment to find any indications that they were laced with explosives"

Turkish banks want to stop transactions with Russia, transfer them to one bank — source

The issue reportedly concerns private and state-owned Turkish banks that do not have foreign partners, mainly Western ones

In case of deep strikes Russia to respond with more powerful weapons — Duma speaker

According to Vyacheslav Volodin, it is crucial for the parliaments of the United States and European countries to "understand and realize what can happen"

West is persuading Ukraine to give up claims to 1991 borders — legislator

Yegor Chernev shared a "feeling" that the Western world is ready to declare as a victory for Ukraine at least the fact that "Kiev has not fallen" and that it "has not lost its sovereignty"

Kremlin slams Poland's idea to revise Crimea's status 'absurd'

"Russian territory and Russian regions cannot be the subject of any discussion or transfer to anyone," Dmitry Peskov emphasized

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Anatoly Antonov reiterated that there must never be a nuclear war and that there can be no winners in any nuclear conflict

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"Most positions around the city, including those at the most important sites and heights are Russian, the whole city is exposed to fire," the sources explained

Russian Baltic Fleet's training ship Smolny makes port call at Equatorial Guinea’s Malabo

The Baltic Fleet’s sailors and cadets will meet with military sailors from Equatorial Guinea to share experience

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The Russian Aerospace Forces delivered a strike with a glide munition

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Maria Zakharova pointed out that the US and the UK were behind all of Kiev's crimes

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"The North Korean people express their support for the Russian people in their just struggle," Choe Son Hui stressed

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"The Minister of Communications of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan signed this Memorandum, emphasizing the importance and significance of this project for the development of trade and economic relations and cargo transportation in the region," the statement reads

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The Russian global navigation satellite system is designed to promptly provide navigation information to users of land, sea, air and space

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According to Dmitry Peskov, Moscow has not discussed the events in Lebanon with regional actors

European Parliament calls for arrest warrant for Maduro

The lawmakers recognized Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia as the legitimate president of Venezuela and urged EU member countries to do the same

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EU will grant loan to Kiev that will be paid from frozen Russian assets — EC president

Ursula von der Leyen stressed that 35 billion euros is the part which the European countries will contribute to the 45 billion euro loan approved by the G7 in Italy in the summer

EU may cancel visa-free regime with Georgia due to ‘backsliding on democracy' — newspaper

According to the newspaper, under the 2017 agreement, Georgian citizens do not need visas to visit EU countries, where they can stay for six months a year

Situation on Korean Peninsula becomes tenser because of US — North Korean Foreign Minister

Choe Son-hui underscored that "global peace and security are in jeopardy"

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Russian Federation Council Speaker calls detonations in Lebanon a 'heinous attack'

Valentina Matviyenko noted that Russia’s position regarding the ongoing escalation in the Middle East was "clearly stated by the Russian Foreign Ministry and the Russian Representative to the UN"

Russia’s Akhmat special force destroys military storage facility in Kursk direction

Akhmat also eliminated one armored personnel carrier and one self-propelled artillery weapon, the deputy chief of the Main Military-Political Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces Apty Alaudinov said

US citizen Zenkovich, convicted in Belarus, asks Lukashenko for pardon

Zenkovich also addressed the US side

Russia fully ready to defend its interests in Arctic — Lavrov

The minister to say that NATO is becoming increasingly interested in the Arctic region

Belarus ready to cooperate with Ukraine on same terms as with DPR

Alexander Lukashenko stressed that by cooperating with the DPR, Belarus "is absolutely not violating any international norms"

Ukrainian servicemen captured: developments in Kursk Region

Over the day, Ukraine lost up to 400 troops and 23 armored vehicles

Lavrov says he agrees with Trump about destructiveness of sanctions for US dollar

The Russian foreign minister stressed that, despite the continued dependence of many economies on the dollar, the risk of this phenomenon has already been recognized

Turkey’s top diplomat confirms Ankara seeks to join BRICS

Ankara always looks for new opportunities to expand its trade and economic cooperation anyway, Hakan Fidan added

Ukrainian forces create concentration camps in Russian border areas — diplomat

Maria Zakharova pointed out that one of the Ukrainian prisoners of war reported an attack on a passenger train being prepared in the Kursk Region

Russia firmly committed to principles of UN Charter unlike West — Lavrov

In this context, the foreign minister noted with appreciation that the position of Russia enjoys "the broadest support from like-minded BRICS countries and other states of the world majority"

Russian forces take control of two settlements in Kursk Region

According to Major General Apty Alaudinov, the entire frontline in moving forward, with Ukrainian soldiers surrendering

Theft of Russian assets to nullify trust towards EU — MFA

Maria Zakharova pointed out that the European Union had lost independence

Biden, Harris to meet with Zelensky at White House on September 26

The leaders will discuss the state of the conflict in Ukraine, including Ukraine’s strategic planning and US support for Ukraine

Physicists from Russia to be banned from Large Hadron Collider from December 1 — Nature

At the same time, CERN will continue to work on projects already underway with about 270 employees of the Russian Joint Institute for Nuclear Research

Senior Russian lawmaker warns that calls for long-range strikes open way to nuclear war

Vyacheslav Volodin commented on a recent resolution of the European Parliament to allow strikes inside Russia with Western weapons

Russia wants no nuclear war — Lavrov

The foreign minister still assured that Russia possesses weapons "that will have serious implications for the handlers of the Ukrainian regime"

Two-thirds of Abrams tanks in Ukraine already destroyed — Russia’s deputy OSCE envoy

As Maxim Buyakevich noted, the discussion is afoot in the West about the possibility of using high-accuracy long-range weapons against facilities deep inside Russian territory

Russia cautions Chisinau against involvement in Ukrainian conflict — Foreign Ministry

Maria Zakharova drew attention to the speculations about Romania's plans for redirecting to Moldova the mobile maintenance stations for F-16 fighter jets received by Bucharest for their subsequent deployment at the Marculesti airbase

Over 6,200 Kursk Region residents evacuated from border areas over week

Around 11,000 people are currently staying in temporary accommodation centers across 32 Russian regions

Iran warns about pending response to Israel after Hamas leader Haniyeh’s killing

The head of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s office slammed human rights activists for practicing double standards, when they are "silent while 41,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, mostly women and children, have been killed by the cruel Zionist regime"

Cases against Ukrainian servicemen: situation in Kursk Region

Russian investigators have initiated three criminal cases against Ukrainian militants involved in crimes against civilians in the Kursk Region

Press review: Hezbollah pagers attack threatens wider war and Russia ready to test nukes

Top stories from the Russian press on Wednesday, September 18th

Stoltenberg's statements on use of long-range missiles against Russia senseless — MFA

According to the outgoing NATO Secretary-General, Ukraine's use of long-range missiles will not lead to the alliance being drawn into a conflict with Russia

Ukraine's terrorist community growing by recruiting fighters in Syria — diplomat

Citing media information from Syrian sources, the Maria Zakharova said that 250 Ukrainian instructors arrived in Idlib the other day to train militants

One Ukrainian drone attacks Energodar, another downed — administration

Meanwhile, according to ZNPP communications director Yevgeniya Yashina, no Ukrainian drone attacks have been recorded on the territory of the plant

West assists Kiev in striking civilian facilities in Russia — diplomat

In his words, Kiev is not independent from the military point of view, having no material and technical capabilities for independent warfare that involves western weaponry

First five Baikal aircraft will be delivered in 2026 — minister

"It has been decided that we will switch to the domestic VK-800 engine," Anton Alikhanov said

Ursula von der Leyen arrives in Kiev

In the Ukrainian capital, von der Leyen intends to discuss defense issues, as well as G7 lending to Ukraine

Israel’s explosive gadget operation in Lebanon took 15 years of preparation — ABC

ABC sources confirmed that the Jewish state was involved in the production of these communication devices