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Consolidation in the Union State allows to react to challenges effectively — Lukashenko

Today Belarus and Russia experience an unprecedented external pressure, according to Lukashenko

MINSK, April 2. /TASS/. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who chairs the Supreme State Council of the Union State, said that consolidation in the Union State allows to react swiftly and effectively to the entire range of contemporary challenges and threats. He noted this in his address on the occasion of the Day of Unity of Belarus and Russia, the press service of the Belarusian leader reported on Friday.

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"The pandemic has maximally aggravated negative geopolitical trends, and today Belarus and Russia experience an unprecedented external pressure. In this situation consolidation on all sites of the Union State allows us to react rapidly and effectively to the entire range of modern challenges, firmly guarantees security and strategic stability in the region," his statement said. The Belarusian president noted that joining of efforts in fighting the novel coronavirus infection became a confirmation of truly brotherly, friendly, unbreakable relations between the two countries.

The president noted that 25 years ago a treaty on forming the Community of Belarus and Russia was signed which allowed the two brotherly nations to overcome devastating centrifugal tendencies in economy and social sphere and move on to building a common union state on the steady basis of historical, spiritual and cultural solidarity. "We have significantly advanced over a quarter of a century. There are no equals to the Union State in the Eurasian space in terms of depth of alignment of national legislations, development of legal and contractual framework and a scale of interaction in industrial, scientific and technical, defense, foreign policy, social and humanitarian spheres," he stated. According to the Belarusian president, not only did the countries preserve but also multiplied cooperative relations in industry, education and culture.

Among joint achievements the Belarusian leader noted a launch of space crafts, development of supercomputers, implementation of numerous high technology projects in industry and agriculture. According to him, a launch of the first power unit of the Belarusian nuclear power plant was the latest major achievement of this cooperation.

Middle East conflict

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According to Florian Filippot, France should urgently withdraw from the EU and advocate for a peaceful settlement of the Ukrainian conflict

US afraid Israel may launch offensive in Lebanon — media

The newspaper emphasized that Israel had deployed a military contingent of thousands of special forces and paratroopers from the south to the north of the country

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

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

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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

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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"

Russia's military to restore control of all districts of Kursk Region — Kremlin

"The situation in those areas which are under the control of the Ukrainian militants is extraordinary, of course," Dmitry Peskov stated

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The Russian leader emphasized that "drones of various classes have already become an indispensable attribute of modern combat operations"

Russia delivers urgent assistance to Mali — portal

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

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Zelensky says Ukrainian troops in extremely difficult situation in two DPR areas

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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

Russia deeply concerned by events unfolding in Lebanon — diplomat

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

Ukrainian forces in difficult situation in Kursk Region, try gain foothold — commander

Major General Apty Alaudinov added that, on Thursday, he visited the rightmost flank of the Russian troops on the Kursk direction - near cities of Rylsk and Lgov

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Germany says supplies to Kiev included 22 Leopard 1A5 tanks, 3 Gepard air defense systems

Germany is also preparing to deliver 12 Panzerhaubitze 2000 self-propelled artillery units

Florida court rules to arrest Russian citizen Postovoy, take him to Washington

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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

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

Ukraine participates in NATO’s counter-drone drills for first time

The document says that "more than 60 counter-drone systems and technologies such as sensors, drone-on-drone systems, jammers and cyber interceptors were tested live" during the exercise

US carries out mock electronic launch of Minuteman III ICBM

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West assists Kiev in striking civilian facilities in Russia — diplomat

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Russia’s battlegroup Center repels 9 Ukrainian attacks, inflicts over 510 enemy casualties

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

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US to step up efforts to limit Russia’s fuel exports, defense imports – White House

Sanctions and export controls are "our tools", US Deputy National Security Advisor for International Economics Daleep Singh said

Russian forces move to better positions in Zaporozhye Region — politician

The Russian forces are making progress in the Orekhov direction near Malaya Tokmachka, Novodanilovka, and Marfopol

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

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

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

Zelensky may be overthrown if Ukraine fails to hold elections — Ukrainian MP

Ukraine is still facing the question of the legitimacy of power in the absence of parliamentary and presidential elections, which cannot be held during martial law

Putin examines kamikaze drones, unmanned systems at St. Petersburg defense plant

The Russian president was accompanied by Defense Minister Andrey Belousov, First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov, Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration Maxim Oreshkin and Presidential Aide Alexey Dyumin

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

Russian aviation wipes out base of Ukrainian militants in DPR — expert

The Russian Aerospace Forces delivered a strike with a glide munition

Theft of Russian assets to nullify trust towards EU — MFA

Maria Zakharova pointed out that the European Union had lost independence

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

Lebanese citizens turn off phones, appliances for fear of more blasts — newspaper

The newspaper pointed out that the pager blasts have turned daily life in Lebanon into scenes of panic and violence

Putin has no plans to attend Mexican president's inauguration — Kremlin

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

Hezbollah sets up committees to look into circumstances of gadget explosions

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

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North Korea convinced Russia to win special military operation in Ukraine — top diplomat

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