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PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IN UKRAINE

Poroshenko recognizes his defeat at elections but says he is not quitting politics

The president stressed that these were fair and transparent elections

© Anna Marchenko/TASS

KIEV, April 21. /TASS/. Ukraine’s incumbent President Pyotr Poroshenko, who, according to the exit polls, is far behind his rival, candidate from the Servant of the People party, showman Vladimir Zelensky, has recognized the results of the voting but said he is not going to quit politics.

"Next month I will vacate the presidential office. This is the choice of Ukrainians. I accept this decision. But I want to stress that I am not quitting politics," he said, adding that these were fair and transparent elections held in conformity with European standards.

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Zelensky winning 73.2% of votes, Poroshenko scoring 25.3%, shows national exit poll

He pledged that he and his team will keep on advocating reforms geared towards Ukraine’s membership in the European Union and NATO and consolidating the positions of the Ukrainian language in the country. He vowed to "stand guard" of the so-called Orthodox Church of Ukraine and promised to spare no effort at the upcoming parliamentary elections not to let a "pro-Russian majority" be formed in the Verkhovna Rada, or Ukraine’s national parliament.

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Pyotr Poroshenko

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The commission concluded that Ukraine had satisfactorily fulfilled the nine agreed reform indicators for this payment

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"Possible agreements should take into account Russia’s interests in the security sphere, proceed from the new territorial realities and, above all, eliminate the causes of the conflict," the Russian leader said

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"We are witnessing the culmination of the Anglo-Saxons' systematic efforts to vilify our country, exerted over decades, and maybe even centuries," Maria Zakharova said

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Damage will be assessed, and local authorities will provide assistance with restoring the damaged buildings

Chechen leader reports eliminating Ukrainian troops in Sumy Region

According to Ramzan Kadyrov, fighters from the 34th Akhmat-Russia motorized rifle regiment conducted reconnaissance using unmanned aerial vehicles

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In October, Axios reported that an Israeli strike on Iran had disabled a crucial component of Iran's ballistic missiles production program

Ukrainian losses: situation in Kursk Region

Over the day, the enemy lost more than 430 troops, ten tanks, two infantry fighting vehicles, 19 armored combat vehicles, 33 motor vehicles, one Anklav-N electronic warfare station

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US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that European support to Ukraine should continue and that should intensify

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Earlier, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin met with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in Baku

Football fans clash during France vs Israel football match in Paris

The match is taking place a week after a Europa League match involving Maccabi Tel Aviv football club wreaked havoc in Amsterdam

Ukrainian troops surrender as Russian forces advance — captive

Alexander Rapolyuk noted that they had originally been sent to the Kursk Region under the pretext of replacing their comrades, but upon arrival, they found that the servicemen they were meant to replace had already been killed

Russian air defenses destroy 51 Ukrainian drones overnight

Krasnodar Region Governor Veniamin Kondratyev said two municipalities in the region - the town of Krymsk and the Krasnoarmeisky district - came under attack

Russian Rubicon drones strike Ukrainian trench shelters

"Upon detecting enemy positions and equipment, the data was immediately relayed to the strike force," the Russian Defense Ministry reported

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The official announcement will be made on Friday

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European Commission upgrades outlook on Russian GDP growth for 2024, 2025

According to the report, private investment, supported by government-subsidized loans, increased as demand for domestic goods picked up, following the exit of foreign firms

Musk says Trump, himself have public mandate for change

US President-elect Donald Trump announced earlier that Musk and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy would lead the Department of Government Efficiency in his new administration

Press review: Switzerland open to hosting Putin-Trump talks as NATO and EU back Ukraine

Top stories from the Russian press on Friday, November 15th

Finland seizes over 30 more real estate properties owned by Russian government

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In order to stabilize the situation, President Aslan Bzhania decided to withdraw from the parliament a bill on the ratification of the agreement with Russia on the implementation of investment projects by Russian legal entities on the territory of the republic

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Tulsi Gabbard, whom Trump previously nominated to head the U.S. National Intelligence Agency, is also still on the list

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Russian troops liberate five communities in Donbass region, Kharkov area over week

Russia’s Battlegroup South inflicted more than 4,715 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed 10 Western-made artillery guns in its area of responsibility over the past week, the Defense Ministry reported

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Members of the opposition broke onto the parliament’s premises, having rammed a metal fence with a motor vehicle

Trump to rely on forces that brought him to power — Russian presidential aide

Nikolay Patrushev agreed that Trump, when he was still a candidate, "made many statements critical of the destructive foreign and domestic policies pursued by the current administration"

Clear Zelensky won't be the one to decide about talks with Russia, says Lavrov

"Russian President Putin has repeatedly said that we have never refused to negotiate," the Russian foreign minister reiterated

54 countries vote against resolution on combating ne-Nazism

116 countries, including Azerbaijan, Algeria, Armenia, Belarus, Bolivia, Brazil, China, Cuba, Serbia, and Syria, supported the document

Russian troops storm into Kupyansk outskirts in Kharkov Region — military expert

Troops from various Russian army units are engaged in battles in the outskirts of Kupyansk, Andrey Marochko said

German chancellor calls for peace talks with Ukraine in phone call with Putin

Olaf Scholz also highlighted "Germany’s unwavering determination" to support Kiev "for as long as it takes”

Russian Marines destroy Challenger 2 tank with FPV drone in Kursk Region

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Putin proclaims Odessa Russian city, challenges Ukraine's historical narrative

At the same time, the president noted that once upon a time "Vladimir Lenin gave away the whole of Ukraine when he created the Soviet Union"

Gaza radicals post new video of hostage identifying himself as Russian national Trufanov

The man pointed out that the hostages' lives "are in grave danger every day," and recalled the country’s religious obligation to ransom the hostages

Russian troops organizing logistics, ammo delivery in Kupyansk outskirts — military expert

"Logistics is being organized to enable our troops to retain their positions they are trying to secure," Andrey Marochko explained

EU needs to rethink anti-Russia sanctions — Orban

Industrial companies in EU countries pay for gas and electricity several times higher than their main competitors in the US and China, the Hungarian prime minister noted

Ukraine not holding talks on gas transit from Russia after December 31 — Energy Ministry

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German chancellor holds phone call with Putin for first time in two years — agency

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White House official sees possibility of DPRK nuclear test soon

National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said that transition periods in the US 'have historically been time periods when the DPRK has taken provocative actions'

Russia's liberation of Stepanovka in DPR spells trouble for Ukrainian troops in Kurakhovo

Earlier, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that the Russian Armed Forces had liberated the settlement of Stepanovka in the DPR

France wraps up training of new Ukrainian brigade — minister

The brigade is equipped with French weapons