Russia

Maduro says meeting with Putin most useful in his career

Moscow - TASS

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has described his last week's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin as the most useful session in his whole political career. "This was the most useful meeting in my career. We strengthened the process of cooperation between Russia and Venezuela in the sphere of military-technical cooperation," Maduro told a press conference. Last Friday Maduro finished his..Read more

Assad discusses Syrian constitutional committee with Russian delegation

Moscow - TASS

Syrian President Bashar Assad has discussed the current state of affairs in Syria and the soonest launch of the constitutional committee with Russian Presidential Special Representative for Syria Alexander Lavrentyev and Deputy Foreign Minister Sergeн Vershinin, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday. "During the talks, [they] considered in detail the unfolding situation in Syria and in the region," the..Read more

Expansion of Russia’s presence in Arctic should not do harm to environment, says PM

Sabetta - TASS

Expansion of Russia’s presence in the Arctic should not be harmful for environment, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said on Tuesday. "We should not forget about ecology when implementing projects in the Arctic zone. Our presence in the region should not do harm to environment, as it regrettably occurred before," he said. ..Read more

Merkel, Putin discuss gas transit via Ukraine after 2019

Berlin - TASS

The incident in the Kerch Strait, gas transit via Ukraine after 2019, the situation in Syria and US’s plans to withdraw from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty) were in focus of telephone talks between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Russian President Vladimir Putin, German government spokesman, Steffen Seibert, said on Monday. "The chancellor and the president among other..Read more

No cooperation possible between Russian, Ukrainian intelligence services

Kamchatsky - TASS

Cooperation between Russian and Ukrainian intelligence services is impossible in the current conditions, Sergei Naryshkin, chief of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service, said on Sunday. "After the state coup in that country, under the current authorities, such cooperation is impossible," he said in an interview with the Deistvuyushchiye Litsa (Political Actors) with Nailya Asker-zade on the Rossiya-1 television channel. The..Read more

Kremlin slams rumors about Russia’s alleged involvement in France’s Yellow Vests

Moscow - TASS

Statements about Russia’s alleged involvement in the French protests are nothing but slander, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. "Any statements about Russia’s alleged involvement are nothing but slander," he said when asked to comment on media reports about alleged foreign involvement in the Yellow Vest protests in France. In particular, The Times said, citing sources, that Russia could be..Read more

Turkey’s dilemma should NATO challenge Russia

Yasar Yakis

Tension is once again mounting between Russia and Ukraine, this time in the sea. On Nov. 25, the Russian navy fired at and seized a Ukrainian tugboat and two ships off the Crimean peninsula when they were on their way from Odessa to Mariupol in the Sea of Azov. The Ukrainian Security Agency (SBU) said that officers who were onboard..Read more

Syria media says no attack on airport after reported air defense fire

Damascus - Egypt Today

Syrian state media said Sunday that air defenses had opened fire near Damascus airport, before withdrawing the report after what appeared to be a false alarm. “Our air defenses engaged hostile aerial targets in the vicinity of Damascus International Airport,” the official SANA news agency said, without providing more details But the report was later withdrawn by both SANA and..Read more

OSCE's document on protection of journalists adopted thanks to Russian efforts

Moscow - TASS

Russia's efforts allowed participants in the session of the Ministerial Council of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in Milan to coordinate a document on protection of journalists, Russian Foreign Ministry's official spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Saturday. On Friday Italy's Foreign Minister Enzo Moavero Milanesi said that for the first time in 27 years, the OSCE..Read more