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Russia's G8 presidency

Lavrov outlines Russia’s G8 presidency priorities

"It was these approaches that we were guided by in G20 presidency," the foreign minister added

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov ITAR-TASS/Mikhail Metzel

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov

© ITAR-TASS/Mikhail Metzel

MOSCOW, January 21. /ITAR-TASS/. Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov outlined on Tuesday priorities of Russia’s G8 presidency, listing among them fight against extremism and drug threat, as well as health protection and management of risks connected with natural calamities.

“Tasks of raising the efficiency on such directions as fight against drug threat, terrorism and extremism, health protection, formation of a global system of managing risks connected with man-caused and natural calamities, and of course contribution to the settlement of regional conflicts are among our G8 priorities,” the foreign minister said at a major news conference reviewing the results of 2013.

In pursuing its foreign policy last year, Russia was oriented towards “ensuring favorable social-political conditions for the development of the country, for the transition of its economy to the innovation track and for higher living standards of our citizens and the quality of their life,” he said.

“With that in view, Russia was consistently promoting a positive uniting international agenda to bring closer the settlement of fundamental problems of the modern world,” he said.

“It was these approaches that we were guided by in G20 presidency, and we are guided by the same approaches as the president of G8,” the foreign minister added.

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India, Russia discuss defense industry within military cooperation commission

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

Kremlin confident Putin's statement got through to US administration

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on November 21 that the United States and its NATO allies had earlier announced that they would authorize Ukraine’s use of long-range weapons to hit inside Russia, after which American and British missiles struck Russian military facilities in the Kursk and Bryansk regions

Captives, Ukrainian losses: situation in Kursk Region

Over the day, the enemy lost more than 150 people, while five Ukrainian servicemen surrendered

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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

Putin says Oreshnik missile system cutting-edge innovation by Russia, not Soviet byproduct

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

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

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Oreshnik can reach targets across entire Europe — missile troops commander

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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

US to impose export restrictions against up to 200 Chinese firms — agency

According to Reuters, the Commerce Department plans to publish the new regulations "prior to the Thanksgiving break"

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"

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

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

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

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"

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

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"

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

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

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

The company stated it would seek damages amounting to 230 million euro for failing to receive the contracted volume of gas from the Russian company for delivery to Germany

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

Russia’s steel production plunged in October — WSA

China produced 81.9 mln metric tons in October, up 2.9% on an annualized basis

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

According to the French military source, Russia's recent use of the Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile should be taken in the context of possible negotiations regarding the ongoing Ukrainian conflict

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

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

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

The Belarusian leader noted that they want to go to Warsaw

Russia fires ballistic, non-nuclear-tipped missile at Ukrainian aerospace plant — Putin

According to the president, the missile is code-named Oreshnik, which can roughly be translated as hazel bush

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"