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Turkey may approve Sweden’s NATO bid before alliance’s July summit — top diplomat

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said last Friday that Ankara was ready to ratify Finland’s application for NATO membership

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu

© AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici

ANKARA, March 20. /TASS/. Ankara may approve Sweden’s application for NATO membership in time for the alliance’s summit in Vilnius in July, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Monday.

"Last Friday, I spoke with the Swedish foreign minister. I told him about the decision on Finland, so that he learned about it from us first. <…> He expressed hope that the NATO accession process would be completed by the alliance’s summit, to which I replied, ‘It all depends on you,’" Cavusoglu said.

Finland and Sweden applied for NATO membership in May 2022 but their bids were blocked by Turkey, which demanded that the Nordic countries declare Kurdish organizations as terroristic as well as extradite individuals accused of terrorism or having participated in the attempted coup in Turkey in 2016.

Ankara believes that Helsinki is generally in compliance with the terms of the relevant memorandum, whereas Stockholm has given the Turkish side grounds for significant grievances. Turkey insists that Sweden is not yet ready to become a NATO member, since it has failed to fulfill its commitments under the memorandum.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said last Friday that Ankara was ready to ratify Finland’s application for NATO membership. The relevant protocol has been submitted to the Turkish parliament for review. Finland’s bid is expected to be approved this week.

North Korean agriculture committee’s delegation sets off on visit to Russia

According to the embassy, the delegation is expected to hold talks with the Russian agriculture minister and meet with officials from the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Supervision and the Federal Agency for Fishery

Kiev ordered mandatory evacuation from Kharkov Region to accommodate mercenaries

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Russia not to go for settlement on Ukraine based on 'Zelensky formula' — Lavrov

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Lavrov says Borrell let it slip that Europe ‘fighting against Russia’

Russia’s top diplomat noted that Josep Borrell may made the statement in a moment of weakness

Switzerland does not suit Russia for negotiations on Ukraine — Lavrov

The Foreign Minister pointed to the fact that Switzerland is on board with all Western sanctions

Court arrests another man accused of blowing up car of former SBU officer in Moscow

Ivan Paskar is charged with illegally transporting explosive substances, but he does not recognize his guilt

Russia knows French military instructors working in Ukraine — Lavrov

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Swiss parliament votes against joining task force on frozen Russian assets

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North Korean agriculture committee’s delegation sets off on visit to Russia

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Russian government increases customs duties on beer from unfriendly countries

This measure is not a prohibitive one and will make it possible to make competitive conditions equal for Russian producers, the ministry said

Press review: Biden backs aid to Israel, Ukraine and Russia assets giving West legal fits

Top stories from the Russian press on Friday, April 19th

FACTBOX: Collective Security Treaty Organization

The Collective Security Treaty came into force on April 20, 1994 to herald the emergence what would eventually become the Collective Security Treaty Organization. The six member-countries are Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan

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Dmitry Polyansky noted that the IAEA chief is being very cautious about the issue of attacks on the nuclear facility

Russia ready for Ukraine talks, but not with Zelensky — Lavrov

The first negotiations between Russia and Ukraine after the start of the special military operation took place in early March 2022 in Belarus, but they did not bring tangible results

West close to sending military to Ukraine, this would 'drag Europe to bottom' — Orban

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Moscow International Film Festival kicks off

MIFF President Nikita Mikhalkov, a celebrated Russian film director, declared the festival open, praising the bravery of foreign cultural figures who are visiting Russia at this time

West wants to make Transnistria hotbed of tension — Lavrov

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Russia can join top three countries by lithium reserves — governor

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UN secretary general urges Azerbaijan, Armenia to normalize relations

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North Korea conducts new anti-aircraft missile test — KCNA

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US volunteer Russel Bentley missing in Donetsk killed — RT editor-in-chief

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Russian stock indices rising on Friday

The MOEX Russia Index edged up by 0.44%, the RTS Index surged by 1.13%

West can’t comprehend Russia’s resilience — Lavrov

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Russian industrial producers’ prices up 2.4% in March — statistics

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Russia’s defense chief inspects production of tanks, flamethrowers at Siberian enterprise

Sergey Shoigu handed down an instruction for the defense enterprise to ramp up the production of T-80BVM tanks, the Defense Ministry said

Russian military base may appear in CAR’s eastern region — President Touadera

According to the president, this step will help strengthen his country’s defense potential and contribute to bolstering the national armed forces’ capabilities

American Abrams tanks vulnerable even to Soviet-era weapons, says expert

US President Joe Biden announced on January 25 that Washington would hand over 31 M1 Abrams tanks to the Kiev regime

French president says creating Israeli-type air defense network for Ukraine impossible

Emmanuel Macron added that Europe’s resources are limited, and the European Union will continue helping Kiev keeping in mind its own reserves

Major Western investor accuses Zelensky's office of extorting millions of euros

Arnulf Damerau said that he provided details of the meeting, along with evidence and a list of names of those involved, to US and European intelligence agencies

Russian defense chief checks implementation of orders to develop drones

All the presented drones and payload were created from domestic composite materials and elements

Air defenses repel Ukrainian drone attack in Russia’s Smolensk Region — governor

Vasily Anokhin urged local residents to remain calm and refrain from filming air defenses in operation.

Ukrainian drone damages energy infrastructure in Russia’s Kaluga Region

There are no casualties, Governor Vladislav Shapsha said

Security guarantees on Ukraine did not apply to Crimea, Donbass — Lavrov

The Russian Foreign Minister noted that "Ukrainian negotiators came and said that, for example, on the issue of maneuvers with the participation of third countries, let's replace the wording 'if all guarantor countries agree' with 'unless the majority agrees'"

Russia’s advanced radar in Kaliningrad to monitor entire territory of Europe — source

The first Konteiner radar went on combat duty in the Volga area region of Mordovia on December 1, 2019

North Korean leader arrives at public event in Aurus luxury car gifted by Putin

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Unidentified man attempts suicide outside courthouse where Trump trial is underway

The man set himself on fire

US-led coalition’s aircraft violate Syrian airspace 13 times in past day

Two shelling attacks on the positions of Syrian government army by the Jabhat al-Nusra groups were reported in the Idlib de-escalation zone

Proposals on Russian assets confiscation undermine financial system — Finance Minister

Russia urges the International Monetary Fund to resume the effort of improving the global monetary and financial system, Anton Siluanov noted

Sites for practicing ways to counter drones to be set up at all Russian testing grounds

Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu has visited a testing ground in the Moscow Military District where new models of small arms developed with the participation of snipers who carried out missions in the special military operation zone were presented

Russian LNG exports to China rise by 2% in first quarter of 2024 — Chinese customs

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Russian instructors help train over 10,000 Central African troops — CAR president

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Izvestia correspondent Semyon Eremin killed in special operation zone

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The process is largely driven by increasing contribution of developing countries, Alexey Overchuk said

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Ukrainians abroad storming embassies to avoid mobilization, Russian diplomat says

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S-500 system to be supplied to Armed Forces after 2015

Victor Gumenny said the advanced systems may solve the tasks of air-space defence and may fight hypersonic weapons

Water level of Ishim River in Russia’s Tyumen Region surpasses dangerous mark

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Two people killed in borderline Belgorod Region in Ukrainian drone attack — governor

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G7 leaders to decide on Russian assets use — Italian Deputy PM

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Two pilots of jet that crashed in southern Russia hospitalized

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Lavrov labels way West ramping up sanctions against Russia as mindless

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Russian Cabinet expands list of perfumery, cosmetic products subjected to import duty

"The effect of the customs duty totaling 35%, renewed in December 203 in respected of imported perfumery, cosmetics and home care products will cover certain new positions of these products from unfriendly countries," the ministry said

Armenia’s relations with Russia not at their highest — top diplomat

Ararat Mirzoyan also said that Yerevan is currently making efforts to expand cooperation with the European Union and the United States

Russian investigators start inquiry into financing of terrorism by US, NATO officials

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Vladimir Saldo called on other Ukrainian servicemen to switch to the Russian side and request the corresponding assistance

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Armenia has to define CSTO’s zone of responsibility on its territory, says Lavrov

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Russian military closely monitors all Ukrainian 'novelties' — Kremlin on UAVs

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US 'not forgetting' to help itself with aid to Ukraine — Kremlin

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Moscow demands international organizations condemn killing of Russian war correspondent

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also expressed condolences to Eremin’s family and friends

Iran may target Israeli nuclear center in Dimona in case of Israel’s attack — TV

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CIA chief says Ukraine could lose by end of this year — Politico

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KazMunayGas, Sibur, Sinopec sign protocol on plant construction in Kazakhstan

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Israeli aviation strikes towns in Gaza Strip

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Explosions reported in several Ukrainian regions

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Lavrov speaks of West’s agony, Russia’s approach to any future talks with Kiev

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Russia delivers 34 strikes on Ukrainian military infrastructure over week — top brass

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Nearly half of those present in UN Security Council hall walk out before Israel’s address

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China’s Russian oil imports rise by 13% in first quarter of 2024 — customs

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Russian economy positively influences neighboring countries — Deputy PM

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Iran has no plans to immediately retaliate to attack on its soil — agency

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Ukrainian trace obvious in Crocus City Hall attack — Russian prosecutor general

The law enforcement employees exert efforts to identify the instigators of this crime, Igor Krasnov said

No foreign state attacks Iran — TV

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French, US, British nukes all interwoven — Russian diplomat

Maria Zakharova described France’s decision to place its aircraft carrier, the Charles de Gaulle, directly under NATO control as a symbolic move marking the end of "the era of an independent Paris in the international arena"

Shoigu orders additional tank protection sets for Ukraine operation

The minister also inspected the training process in Omsk Armor Engineering Institute

BRICS looking at creating common digital payment platform

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Kremlin declines to comment on alleged assassination attempt on Zelensky in Poland

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Kiev lacks both troops and equipment near Chasov Yar in DPR, says retired general

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Putin signs law on holding World Friendship Games

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Russian forces destroy Ukrainian command post, two S-300 missile launchers over day

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Russia has significant amount of West’s funds in case of confiscation of its assets

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No plans for pauses in fighting if talks on Ukraine begin, Lavrov says

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World’s anti-doping agency WADA still waits for Russia’s 2023 financial contribution

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Number of flooded residential buildings in Russia drops to 16,200

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NATO discussing transfer of ‘deep precision strike capabilities’ to Ukraine — Stoltenberg

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