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Trump believes Hamas to make good on promise to lay down arms voluntarily

The US leader said the sides "are committed to achieving a Gaza that is properly governed throughout the whole area"

WASHINGTON, February 19. /TASS/. US President Donald Trump is confident there will be no need to disarm Hamas militarily because the movement has committed itself to laying down arms on its own.

"Together, we're committed to achieving a Gaza that is properly governed throughout the whole area. We have two countries that want to go in and deal with Hamas. I said, 'I really don't think it's going to be necessary, because they made a promise, and they promised me get rid of their weapons.' Looks like they're going to be doing that, but we'll have to find out," Trump said at the first meeting of the Board of Peace.

The Board of Peace was created on January 22, when 19 countries signed its charter. It was established as part of a peaceful settlement in the Gaza Strip. Washington said that other states had joined the organization. The Board of Peace was established under an agreement between Israel and the radical Palestinian movement Hamas to govern Gaza, but it is assumed that it will also deal with conflict prevention and resolution in other regions.

Middle East conflict

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The Hungarian prime minister said that new initiatives are needed to bring forward the issue of peace globally

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Dmitry Peskov said that Russian President Vladimir Putin has already been briefed by the negotiating team on the results of the Geneva talks

Trump extends order authorizing detention of ships bound for Cuba for year

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UK opens embassy office in Lvov — Foreign Office

London noted that the UK is one of the few countries in the world that will have a diplomatic office in Lvov

Ukrainian soldiers blow up ferry in Dnepropetrovsk Region to skip combat — defense source

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More than 20 countries to take part in first meeting of Board of Peace — White House

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West using post-Soviet space against Russia: deputy foreign minister’s statements

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Russia calls for restraint from all participants in escalation around Iran — Kremlin

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No final decision has been made yet

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Europe wants to extend fighting in Ukraine as long as possible — Russian MFA

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US forces buildup and Geneva talks: what we know about situation around Iran

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Hungary halts diesel fuel supplies to Ukraine — Szijjarto

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Mikhail Galuzin referenced a statement by Vladimir Medinsky, Russia’s chief negotiator and presidential aide, who affirmed that the talks are ongoing

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Russia to demand legal codification of NATO’s non-expansion eastward — newspaper

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Alexander Grushko said that Russia takes the negotiations on the Ukrainian settlement "very seriously"

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Andrey Marochko believes that, given the operational and tactical situation in this area, Russian forces will continue denting the enemy defenses at Krinichnoye

Russia, US discuss root causes of Ukrainian conflict in Geneva, says Lavrov

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Ukrainian official declares he found over $653,000 in his grandmother's garage

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Ukrainian conflict continues to be fueled with US arms supplies — MFA

Maria Zakharova noted that the current US leadership appeared to be making efforts to seek solutions to the crisis

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Maria Zakharova noted that the Russian delegation at the Geneva talks had clear instructions to adhere to the understandings reached at the Alaska summit

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Press review: Board of Peace to fund Gaza and Israel accused of annexing West Bank

Top stories from the Russian press on Thursday, February 19th

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Russian delegation returns from Geneva to Moscow

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Frank Wright criticized the suppression of dissent in Western countries

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Sweden awaits arrival of first non-American nuclear carrier in over half-century

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US attempts to drive Russia out of energy markets — Lavrov

Russian Foreign Minister noted that a couple of weeks after the Alaska summit the Donald Trump administration announced US sanctions on Lukoil and Rosneft

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Kallas tenure not 'golden age' of European diplomacy, Kremlin believes

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Stability in Middle East impossible without Palestinian state, Lavrov says

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Russia expects calls for de-escalation in Gaza at Peace Board meeting — envoy to UN

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Jose Balcazar to become Peru's new interim president

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Conflict in Ukraine to end when one of the sides is 'exhausted' — Merz

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Rare leaks about Geneva talks on Ukraine may indicate positive dynamics — TV

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Vucic says EU membership without veto power would be acceptable for Serbia

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FACTBOX: King’s brother, former Prince Andrew, arrested in UK

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US wants to build datacenter, tunnel to Alaska with Russia — The Economist

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Putin has trusting relations with Saudi Arabia's leadership — Lavrov

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Putin meets with visiting Madagascar leader Michael Randrianirina

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Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico announced that Slovakia could stop supplying electricity to Ukraine due to the Kiev authorities' suspension of oil transit to the republic via the Druzhba pipeline

Russian army stocked with 70% modern weapons — official

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Der Spiegel claims perpetrators of Nord Stream blasts acted without US approval

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Termination of electricity supplies from Slovakia to be severe blow to Ukraine — expert

Alexander Dudchak said that the European supranational bodies ignore Vladimir Zelensky's antics, because they can use Ukraine to punish the countries that show independent will and sovereignty