MOSCOW, October 6. /TASS/. Work toward Russian President Vladimir Putin’s combined year-end news conference and question-and-answer session is underway already, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said at a news briefing on Tuesday, as he also commented on the possibility of Lithuania hosting a NATO base and nuclear weapons and dismissed Germany’s repeated accusations against Russia as unfounded.

TASS has compiled key statements from the Russian presidential spokesman.

On president’s birthday agenda

- On his 74th birthday tomorrow, the head of state will hold a range of phone calls and other events: "The president’s birthday is rarely a purely celebration day for him. Tomorrow, for example, the head of state is scheduled to hold a series of international phone calls, first of all, certainly, on the occasion of his birthday - we will keep you posted."

On Putin’s Q&A

- Putin will once again hold a combined year-end news conference and question-and-answer session this year, Peskov announced: "We are preparing a combined event, just like last year and in previous years. It will be both together for the head of state - the Q&A session and a year-end news conference."

- The Kremlin has already begun preparations for that event: "Yes, preparations have already begun," the Russian presidential spokesman revealed.

On Lithuania’s plans to host nukes, NATO base

- Any potential deployment of a NATO military base and nuclear weapons in Lithuania will mark yet another escalation of tensions, and Russia will be forced to take retaliatory measures, Peskov warned: "Neither of these developments will contribute to stability and predictability on the European continent. On the contrary, they will, to our regret, mark yet another significant escalation of tensions."

- As for Russia, he continued, it "will be forced to take all necessary measures to guarantee its own security."

On emergency in Irkutsk Region

- Russia’s sanitary watchdog releases detailed updates about the epidemiological situation the Irkutsk Region: "Therefore, I would advise you to contact it - there have been statements from Rospotrebnadzor, and they were available on our media," Peskov told reporters.

- "It’s a good thing when mutual assistance is offered," he said when asked about the Kremlin’s reaction to yesterday’s remark from President Donald Trump that the United States was willing to help Russia, if needed, after a case of "pneumonia of undetermined etiology" was registered in the Siberian region.

On Germany’s accusations against Russia

- The Russian presidential spokesman described Germany’s allegations about Russia waging a "shadow war" as " totally groundless and lacking actual arguments."

- Moreover, he dismissed Germany’s repeated accusations against Russia as a media ploy: "We have repeatedly heard these (accusations against Russia -- TASS). This is, let’s say, a media ploy designed to artificially create an ephemeral enemy in order to justify the expenses on militarization," Peskov argued.