MOSCOW, November 13. /TASS/. Russia and the US are choosing venues for a meeting between legislators, the Kiev regime issues loud statements about halting talks, and the Kazakh leader pays a visit to Moscow. These stories topped Thursday's headlines across Russia.

 

Izvestia: Russia, US choosing site for lawmakers’ meeting

Moscow and Washington are seeking a platform for dialogue between parliamentarians. The State Duma told Izvestia that the American side had proposed holding a meeting in one of the Latin American countries, but Russia deemed this option unsafe. They clarified that options were reviewed on neutral territory, but none turned out to be acceptable to either party. At the same time, the meeting may take place early next year. The talks will focus on the Ukrainian crisis and issues of strategic stability. The initiative for interparliamentary communication, supported by Kirill Dmitriev, special presidential representative for investment and economic cooperation with foreign countries and CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, along with several American congressmen, is viewed as a possible step toward reviving dialogue between the two nations amid a new round of sanctions and Washington's statements about nuclear tests.

Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs Dmitry Novikov told Izvestia that negotiations on a meeting between Russian lawmakers and members of the US House of Representatives are still at a preliminary phase. According to him, various locations are currently being discussed, but no final decisions have been reached on the venue or timing.

"So far, it is clear that it must be a third country. Several possibilities have been mentioned during brainstorming, but all were considered inappropriate for one or the other side," he told the newspaper.

According to the legislator, the likelihood of holding such a meeting before the end of the year is slim, since the schedules and holidays in Russia and the United States differ considerably. He suggested that the talks, if they do happen, may take place at the start of next year.

Russia has long-faced challenges in establishing closer contacts with American congressmen, Andrey Baklanov, deputy chairman of the Association of Russian Diplomats and professor at the Higher School of Economics, told Izvestia.

"Through the Federation Council and the State Duma, we have repeatedly explored the possibility of building closer partnerships. But it seemed that opinions were divided there, and the stance of limiting contacts more often prevailed," the expert noted.

"From the standpoint of security and prestige, neutral countries that are not open opponents of Russia could become the best venues for a meeting between Russian and American lawmakers," political scientist Bogdan Bezpalko, a member of the Russian Presidential Council for Interethnic Relations, told Izvestia.

In his view, Southeast Asian states or China could serve as possible venues, but a visit by an American delegation there is unlikely. The expert mentioned the Persian Gulf nations, including the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, as well as Turkey and Belarus, among potential options, although the latter may not suit the US side due to close ties between Moscow and Minsk.

 

Media: By freezing talks, Kiev diverts citizens’ attention from scandals

The Kiev regime has officially suspended peace talks with Moscow, citing a lack of progress and the claim that the Russian side "ignored efforts to engage in substantive dialogue." However, Moscow has done everything possible to continue talks with Ukraine, the Russian Foreign Ministry told Izvestia. At the same time, Kiev's statements may be aimed at diverting attention from domestic corruption scandals involving Vladimir Zelensky's entourage. The United States is already growing dissatisfied with him, according to the Verkhovna Rada.

However, Moscow has made every effort to continue negotiations with Ukraine, Rodion Miroshnik, the Russian Foreign Ministry's ambassador-at-large for crimes committed by the Kiev regime, told Izvestia.

"Negotiations have been on pause for more than 100 days, and everything has been done on our part to ensure that they resume. Because at first, Ukraine did it de facto, meaning it blocked the talks and did not continue them in any way. <...> In reality, the Ukrainian side made a lot of effort to block the negotiations, first indirectly, claiming that Russia does not want peace, and Ukraine is doing everything to achieve it. But in fact, they themselves have now been forced to admit that Ukraine is unable to do anything within the negotiation process," he said.

Now, by publicizing corruption scandals, the United States is laying the groundwork for a change of the head of state, Verkhovna Rada deputy Artyom Dmitruk told Izvestia. "But it’s not clear, for whom or in what way," he emphasized.

After Donald Trump came to power, the issue of resolving the Ukrainian crisis has become particularly relevant. This has, in fact, turned into an irritant in relations between Washington and Kiev. The United States has repeatedly hinted at Zelensky's complete intractability and excessive demands.

Kommersant noted that the Financial Intermediary Fund for Strengthening Ukraine’s Resilience has remained the only channel of US funding for the Kiev regime.

This fund, established in December by Biden’s departing administration, which contributed $20 billion to it within the framework of a loan to Ukraine backed by interest from frozen Russian assets, is considered a World Bank mechanism outside Washington’s direct control.

By mid-2025, it has provided over $3.5 billion, while the total sum of $20 billion is expected to be disbursed to Ukraine by the end of the first half of 2026. Meanwhile, the National Bank of Ukraine shows data on transfers from European countries and non-EU G7 members such as the UK, Canada, and Japan, as well as from the IMF and the World Bank.

 

Vedomosti: Russian, Kazakh leaders hold talks in Kremlin

Russia-Kazakhstan talks took place in Moscow on November 12. After an official greeting ceremony, the talks continued in a restricted format. "Our relations with Kazakhstan are developing gradually, and both practice and life confirm what is stated in our founding documents: Kazakhstan and Russia are the closest partners, friends, and reliable allies for each other," Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s visit to Moscow was scheduled and agreed upon well in advance of the C5+1 summit in Washington, Head of the Central Asia Sector at the Institute of World Economy and International Relations RAS Stanislav Pritchin noted.

According to him, interaction between Russia and Kazakhstan is longstanding, and the heads of state hold bilateral talks in person at least once a year. "Indeed, the international legal base of bilateral relations is quite extensive. And under the declaration on comprehensive strategic partnership, Moscow and Astana seek to highlight the deepening of strategic cooperation," the expert added.

The Russia-Kazakhstan talks were conducted in line with Astana’s multi-vector foreign policy, political scientist and regional security expert Mars Sariyev said. "Thus, the Kazakh leadership demonstrates that the country remains a reliable partner of Russia despite its recent participation in the American summit." However, in this regard, the Kazakh authorities understand that in a possible rivalry among major powers over Central Asia, Kazakhstan becomes a highly valued prize, the expert emphasized.

 

Kommersant: Pentagon unveils new nuclear cruise missile

Amateur photographers in the US managed to spot twice within a short period a B-52H strategic bomber carrying a prototype of a LRSO nuclear-armed air-launched cruise missile, which has not yet been publicly displayed. American experts believe that this is not a duplicated leak caused by negligence of the US military but rather the Pentagon’s response to Russia’s tests of the Burevestnik nuclear cruise missile.

According to Oleg Krivolapov, head of the Department of Military-Political Studies at the Institute for the US and Canadian Studies, it is too early to say that the emergence of a new nuclear missile could tip the scales in the balance of power between Washington and Moscow.

"According to current data, the range of LRSO may be approximately the same as that of AGM-86B, which is up to 2,500 kilometers, while Russian air defense systems continue to develop, obtaining actual combat experience, including against Western air-launched cruise missiles, such as the British Storm Shadow," he told Kommersant. "From Russia’s security perspective, a far greater concern may be the continued development in the US of ideas about the possibility of winning a limited nuclear war and the potential use of the LRSO for such operations." the expert concluded.

 

Izvestia: US invasion in Venezuela to drive up oil prices

The escalation around Venezuela is mounting. The largest US warship, the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, has been spotted in Latin American waters. In response, Caracas conducts military exercises and trains air defense forces. If a conflict does occur, the oil market will see a sharp spike in prices, experts told Izvestia.

The start of an operation or the invasion of ships into Venezuela's territorial waters will lead to tankers not venturing to load oil, which will force Caracas to stop production, Igor Yushkov, a leading analyst at the National Energy Security Fund and an expert at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, told Izvestia. "This will push oil prices up, even though Venezuela is currently producing and exporting very little, but nevertheless, these crumbs will stop," he says.

In the short term, the market reaction will be violent, and prices may jump, Alexander Frolov, deputy director general of the Institute of National Energy and editor-in-chief of InfoTEK, agrees in a conversation with Izvestia. But due to the fact that Venezuela produces little oil, despite its large reserves, prices will stabilize in the future.

Among the main importers of Venezuelan oil is China, which buys about 85%. Next are Cuba, a number of European countries and the United States. At the same time, if, with the start of the operation, Caracas cannot supply oil to Beijing, then the latter will refocus on purchasing it from other countries and will not suffer losses, Frolov believes. In particular, China will import more from Russia, Saudi Arabia, Iraq or Iran.

TASS is not responsible for the material quoted in these press reviews