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EU, China to discuss trade disagreements, Ukraine, Middle East in Beijing

The EU will be represented by Presidents of the European Council and the European Commission, Charles Michel and Ursula von der Leyen, as well as High Representative Josep Borrell

BRUSSELS/BEIJING, December 7. /TASS/. Leaders of China and the EU will hold a summit in Beijing, the first in almost five years, with the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East being the main points of the agenda.

The EU will be represented by Presidents of the European Council and the European Commission, Charles Michel and Ursula von der Leyen, as well as High Representative Josep Borrell. The European colleagues will be received by Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang.

Initially, the summit was supposed to last for two days, but the sharp disagreements within the EU on Ukraine forced the European side to cut the program - all main events will take place on December 7, after which Michel will depart for Europe. It is unclear whether von der Leyen will stay in Beijing for another day.

The last in-person EU-China summit took place in 2019. Previously, a European diplomat told reporters that the sides will not sign any joint declarations and will not hold a joint press conference afterwards.

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Natural disasters

As many as 750 wildfires leave 24 houses burned in DPR over past 5 days

A total of 800 employees of the Russian Emergencies Ministry and more than 150 units of special equipment are involved in firefighting effort

Ukrainian breakthrough attempts thwarted: developments in Kursk Region

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Russian National Guard eliminates about 30 Ukrainian vehicles in Kursk Region

The National Guard noted that its troops provide extra protection measures for important state facilities

Russia deeply concerned by events unfolding in Lebanon — diplomat

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

West’s attempts to turn UNGA into pro-Ukrainian show doomed to fail — Russian MFA

"The UN General Assembly always encompasses a very broad agenda," Sergey Ryabkov stressed

US mistaken if it thinks nuclear conflict would affect Russia, Europe only — diplomat

Anatoly Antonov reiterated that there must never be a nuclear war and that there can be no winners in any nuclear conflict

Biden, Harris to meet with Zelensky at White House on September 26

The leaders will discuss the state of the conflict in Ukraine, including Ukraine’s strategic planning and US support for Ukraine

US Treasury sanctions two banks from Russia and South Ossetia

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NATO was called obsolete, braindead in past 10 years — Stoltenberg

"During my time as Secretary General, the relevance of NATO has been questioned," Jens Stoltenberg noted

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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"

Tver region governor says no serious injuries in drone attack on Toropets

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

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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

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

The Russian Aerospace Forces delivered a strike with a glide munition

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Zenkovich also addressed the US side

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With the situation escalating, Washington’s control over the region appears weaker than ever, the publication says

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Belarus ready to cooperate with Ukraine on same terms as with DPR

Alexander Lukashenko stressed that by cooperating with the DPR, Belarus "is absolutely not violating any international norms"

Hezbollah fires anti-tank missiles at Israeli positions in Metula

According to the broadcast, at least three of them hit targets

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

Russia firmly committed to principles of UN Charter unlike West — Lavrov

In this context, the foreign minister noted with appreciation that the position of Russia enjoys "the broadest support from like-minded BRICS countries and other states of the world majority"

Peace talks between Russia, Ukraine unlikely to happen in near future — DPR head

As Denis Pushilin noted, for now the word "peace" is interpreted in different ways, but everything should end in negotiations sooner or later

Israeli forces kill over 300 radicals in southern Gaza — portal

Besides, they found and destroyed a cache with long-range missiles and an arms depot with sniper rifles

Russian Baltic Fleet's training ship Smolny makes port call at Equatorial Guinea’s Malabo

The Baltic Fleet’s sailors and cadets will meet with military sailors from Equatorial Guinea to share experience

Investigator charge 33 people in case of shooting at office of retailer in central Moscow

The Russian Investigative Committee wants the suspects to be kept in custody until trial

Russian troops entrenched in liberated settlements of Kursk Region’s Sudzha District

According to commander of the Akhmat special forces unit Apty Alaudinov, the situation is under control

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

Ukrainian servicemen captured: developments in Kursk Region

Over the day, Ukraine lost up to 400 troops and 23 armored vehicles

Russian Industry Ministry does not rule out restricting strategic raw materials exports

First Deputy Minister Vasily Osmakov noted that the regulator develops measures to counter sanctions pressure on Russia

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The Russian leader noted that products manufactured by small enterprises, including drones, are not inferior in quality to those made by large ones

Press review: US shifts rhetoric on Ukraine and walkie-talkie explosions rock Lebanon

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Maria Zakharova compared the Ukrainian president with a drug baron from classic US movies

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Maria Zakharova drew attention to the speculations about Romania's plans for redirecting to Moldova the mobile maintenance stations for F-16 fighter jets received by Bucharest for their subsequent deployment at the Marculesti airbase

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The minister to say that NATO is becoming increasingly interested in the Arctic region

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

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Israeli attacks Hezbollah facilities, red lines: Middle East escalation

The constant shelling of the Lebanon-Israel border continued amid Israel's operation in the Gaza Strip

Hezbollah sets up committees to look into circumstances of gadget explosions

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Russia delivers urgent assistance to Mali — portal

The delivery was organized as part of military cooperation between Russia and Mali to boost defense and security ties

Ursula von der Leyen arrives in Kiev

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Ukrainian troops captured: situation in Kursk Region

In total, the enemy has lost over 11,800 servicemen since fighting began in the region

Mexican president-elect refuses to visit Ukraine

"I will attend certain international events, which we consider important, but we will not travel much - our responsibility lies here," Claudia Sheinbaum said

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

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

Businessman probably related to exploding gadgets in Lebanon missing in Norway

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

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Russia’s response to long-range weapons supplies to Kiev will be brutal — MFA

"The opponents in Washington, London, and other places clearly underestimate the degree of danger of the game they continue to play," Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia Sergey Ryabkov said

First five Baikal aircraft will be delivered in 2026 — minister

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In case of deep strikes Russia to respond with more powerful weapons — Duma speaker

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Press review: Hezbollah pagers attack threatens wider war and Russia ready to test nukes

Top stories from the Russian press on Wednesday, September 18th

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

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

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

Hezbollah fires rockets at seven Israeli barracks

Large-caliber Burkan missiles were used in an attack on the town of Metula and its environs, causing several fires and disrupting power supply to the settlement

Russian forces take control of two settlements in Kursk Region

According to Major General Apty Alaudinov, the entire frontline in moving forward, with Ukrainian soldiers surrendering

Russian military in Syria help 26 refugees leave US-occupied Al-Tanf zone

No attacks on Syrian pro-government forces were registered in the Idlib de-escalation zone in the past day, the Russian military official added

Ukrainian forces create concentration camps in Russian border areas — diplomat

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

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

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

Kremlin slams Poland's idea to revise Crimea's status 'absurd'

"Russian territory and Russian regions cannot be the subject of any discussion or transfer to anyone," Dmitry Peskov emphasized

Putin calls for meeting Russian army’s demand for drones

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

Theft of Russian assets to nullify trust towards EU — MFA

Maria Zakharova pointed out that the European Union had lost independence

EU may cancel visa-free regime with Georgia due to ‘backsliding on democracy' — newspaper

According to the newspaper, under the 2017 agreement, Georgian citizens do not need visas to visit EU countries, where they can stay for six months a year

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

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

Kiev still plans to attack Kursk NPP — Foreign Ministry

Maria Zakharova pointed out that the US and the UK were behind all of Kiev's crimes

Medvedev allows use of nuclear weapons by Russia when ‘patience runs out’

The politician underscored that no one really needs a nuclear conflict - it is "a very bad story with a very difficult outcome."

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