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☆ Ukraine war live updates: Baby among civilians injured in missile strikes on Ukraine; Russia causes a stir at security summit
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Moscow's top diplomat Sergei Lavrov both blamed the West for creating global insecurity and instability. The U.S. and its allies are seeking simultaneously to keep the OSCE alive and hold Russia to account for its invasion of Ukraine. The European Union's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, said he understood unease about Lavrov attending the meeting in Skopje, North Macedonia. But he said it was a chance for Lavrov to hear broad condemnation of Russia's war in Ukraine. Estonia had been due to take over the annually rotating OSCE chairmanship but Russia blocked it for months.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Sergei Lavrov, Russia's Sergei Lavrov, Margus Tsahkna, Lavrov, Josep Borrell, Borrell, Dimitar Kovacevski, — Organizations: Organization for Security, Cooperation, Baltic, OSCE, Soviet, NATO, Tass, Russian, North Macedonia's, Kremlin Locations: Moscow's, Ukraine, U.S, Russia, Estonian, Brussels, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Skopje, North Macedonia, Malta

[1/3] Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov disembarks from a plane upon his arrival at an airport ahead of a meeting of foreign ministers of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in Skopje, North Macedonia, November 30, 2023. Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna told reporters on Wednesday in Brussels where he attended a NATO meeting. The European Union's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, said he understood unease about Lavrov attending the meeting in Skopje, North Macedonia. But he said it was a chance for Lavrov to hear broad condemnation of Russia's war in Ukraine. I think that is simply wrong," said Latvian Foreign Minister Krisjanis Karins.

Persons: Sergei Lavrov disembarks, Russia's Sergei Lavrov, Margus Tsahkna, Lavrov, Josep Borrell, Borrell, Dimitar Kovacevski, OSCE Michael Carpenter, Antony Blinken, Helga Schmid, Krisjanis Karins, Humeyra Pamuk, Aleksandar Vasovic, Ronald Popeski, Francois Murphy, William Maclean, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Organisation for Security, Cooperation, Russian Foreign Ministry, REUTERS Acquire, Organization for Security, Baltic, OSCE, Soviet, NATO, Tass, Russian, North Macedonia's, Kremlin, AS, Ukraine, United, U.S, United Nations General Assembly, Thomson Locations: Europe, Skopje, North Macedonia, BRUSSELS, VIENNA, Ukraine, U.S, Russia, Estonian, Brussels, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Malta, Belarus, United States, Moscow, West, New York, Latvian

☆ Armenia and Azerbaijan Have Agreed on Basic Peace Treaty Principles -TASS Cites Armenian PM
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-18 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

(Reuters) -Armenia and Azerbaijan have been able to agree on the basic principles for a peace treaty but are still "speaking different diplomatic languages", Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Saturday, according to Russia's TASS news agency. "We have good and bad news about the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process," TASS quoted Pashinyan as saying in Yerevan. "It is good that the basic principles of peace with Azerbaijan have been agreed. "The most important bad news is that we still speak different diplomatic languages and very often do not understand each other," Pashinyan said. Pashinyan said Armenia had also proposed swapping all Armenian prisoners for all Azerbaijani prisoners, TASS reported.

Persons: Nikol Pashinyan, Pashinyan, Charles Michel, Alexander MarrowEditing, Andrew Osborn Organizations: Reuters, Armenian, TASS, European Locations: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Nagorno, Karabakh, Yerevan, Brussels

☆ Azerbaijan snubs Armenia meeting in Washington, accusing US of bias
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh region ride in a truck upon their arrival at the border village of Kornidzor, Armenia, September 27, 2023. REUTERS/Irakli Gedenidze/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 16 (Reuters) - Azerbaijan's foreign ministry said on Thursday it could not take part in a meeting with Armenia's foreign minister planned for Nov. 20 in Washington because of the "one-sided approach of the United States". Azerbaijan objected in particular to "one-sided and biased" comments on Wednesday by U.S. Assistant Secretary of State James O’Brien to the House Foreign Affairs Committee. It complained that O'Brien did not mention that "for more than two months Armenia has not been responding" to Azerbaijani peace proposals. The Azerbaijani statement also said Washington was continuing to offer support to Armenia even though Armenia was "an aggressor and a destabilizing source in the region".

Persons: Irakli, Nikol Pashinyan, State James O’Brien, O'Brien, Washington, Ali Asadov, Kevin Liffey, Mark Trevelyan Organizations: REUTERS, Russia's TASS, U.S, State, House Foreign Affairs Committee, U.S ., Reuters, Thomson Locations: Nagorno, Karabakh, Kornidzor, Armenia, Washington, United States, Baku, Azerbaijan, U.S, Tbilisi, Yerevan

☆ China and Russia take aim at US at Chinese military forum
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Yew Lun Tian | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

BEIJING, Oct 30 (Reuters) - Chinese and Russian military chiefs targeted the United States for criticism at a security forum in Beijing on Monday, even as China's second-most-senior military commander vowed to boost defence ties with Washington. Russia's Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu warned the West that its involvement in the Ukraine war created grave danger. China's defence minister delivered the keynote speech in previous years. China and the U.S. have had no high-level military-to-military communications since the Washington-sanctioned former Chinese defence minister, Li Shangfu, was appointed in March. It is not yet known whether the U.S. team will meet separately with Chinese military officials.

Persons: Sergei Shoigu, Shoigu, Zhang Youxia, Xi Jinping, Zhang, Li Shangfu, Li, Cynthia Xanthi, Joe Biden, Wang Yi, Biden, Yew Lun Tian, Lidia Kelly, Laurie Chen, Greg Torode, Gerry Doyle, Tom Hogue Organizations: Washington, Beijing Xiangshan, Russia's, TASS, China's, Military Commission, Communist, U.S, Reuters, Defense, U.S ., Thomson Locations: BEIJING, United States, Beijing, Ukraine, Russia, China, Taiwan, South China, Washington, U.S, Cynthia Xanthi Carras, Singapore, Laos, Mongolia, Belarus, East Timor, Myanmar, Sydney

☆ Russia's Shoigu accuses West of seeking to expand Ukraine war to Asia-Pacific
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING, Oct 30 (Reuters) - Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said the West wants to expand the conflict in the Ukraine to the Asia-Pacific region, Russian state media reported, citing comments made at a Beijing defence forum on Monday. Shoigu said NATO countries were promoting an arms race in the region, increasing their military presence and the frequency and scale of military drills there. U.S. forces will use information exchanges with Tokyo and Seoul on missile launches to deter Russia and China, Shoigu said. "We are only seeking to restore parity with the United States, who have not ratified this treaty," Russia's RIA news agency quoted Shoigu as saying. Shoigu said that Moscow was ready for talks on the post-conflict settlement of the Ukraine crisis on further 'co-existence' with the West, but that Western countries needed to stop seeking Russia's strategic defeat.

Persons: Sergei Shoigu, Shoigu, Russia's, Lidia Kelly, Liz Lee, Laurie Chen, Olzhas, Christopher Cushing, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Russian Defence, Xiangshan, NATO, Russia's TASS, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, United Nations Security, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Ukraine, Asia, Pacific, Beijing, U.S, Tokyo, Seoul, Russia, China, United States, Moscow, Sydney, Almaty

☆ Russia's Shoigu Accuses West of Seeking to Expand Ukraine War to Asia-Pacific
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING (Reuters) - Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said the West wants to expand the conflict in the Ukraine to the Asia-Pacific region, Russian state media reported, citing comments made at a Beijing defence forum on Monday. Speaking at the Xiangshan Forum, China's biggest military diplomacy event, Shoigu said NATO is covering up a build-up of forces in the Asia-Pacific region with an "ostentatious desire for dialogue", Russia's TASS news agency reported. Shoigu said NATO countries were promoting an arms race in the region and increasing their military presence and increasing the frequency and scale of military drills there. U.S. forces will use information exchanges with Tokyo and Seoul on missile launches to deter Russia and China, Shoigu said. (Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Sydney; Writing by Liz Lee and Laurie Chen in Beijing; Editing by Christopher Cushing and Gerry Doyle)

Persons: Sergei Shoigu, Shoigu, Russia's, Lidia Kelly, Liz Lee, Laurie Chen, Christopher Cushing, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Russian Defence, Xiangshan, NATO, Russia's TASS Locations: BEIJING, Ukraine, Asia, Pacific, Beijing, U.S, Tokyo, Seoul, Russia, China, Sydney

☆ Russia's Shoigu Warns West of 'Direct Military Clash Between Nuclear Powers'
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

BEIJING (Reuters) - Russia's Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu warned the West that the escalation of conflict with Russia in the Ukraine war threatens a "direct military clash between nuclear powers" at a defence forum in Beijing on Monday. "The Western line of steady escalation of the conflict with Russia carries the threat of a direct military clash between nuclear powers, which is fraught with catastrophic consequences," Russia's TASS state news agency cited Shoigu as saying. Shoigu also claimed the West intends to inflict "strategic defeat" on Russia in a "hybrid war", and praised the model of Russia-China relations as "exemplary", Russian state media reported. (Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Sydney; Writing by Liz Lee and Laurie Chen in Beijing; Editing by Tom Hogue)

Persons: Sergei Shoigu, Shoigu, Lidia Kelly, Liz Lee, Laurie Chen, Tom Hogue Organizations: Russia's, TASS Locations: BEIJING, Russia, Ukraine, Beijing, China, Sydney

☆ Kremlin laughs off rumors that President Putin uses body doubles
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a joint press statement with his Kyrgyz counterpart after talks in Bishkek on Oct. 12, 2023. Vyacheslav Oseledko | Afp | Getty ImagesThere has been long-standing speculation that Russian President Vladimir Putin uses body doubles to stand in for him at public engagements for health or security reasons, but the Kremlin ridiculed the rumors Tuesday. "Everything is fine with him, this is absolutely another fake," Peskov said, according to a Reuters translation, denying a further question on whether Putin uses any body doubles. "This belongs to the category of absurd information hoaxes that a whole series of media discuss with enviable tenacity. It was during the most difficult time of the fight against terrorism," Putin said, without giving further details.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Vyacheslav Oseledko, Putin, Dmitry Peskov, Peskov Organizations: Kyrgyz, Afp, Getty, Kremlin, Russian Telegram, Putin, Russia's TASS Locations: Bishkek, Chechnya

☆ Russia's Lavrov to arrive in North Korea as cooperation deepens
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Josh Smith | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov speaks during a news conference following talks with Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit in Moscow, Russia, October 9, 2023. Sergei Ilnitsky/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Oct 18 (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is due to arrive in Pyongyang on Wednesday for meetings seen as setting the stage for a visit by President Vladimir Putin, who has stepped up cooperation with politically isolated North Korea. Russia's TASS news agency reported that Lavrov may brief the North Koreans on the results of Putin's visit to China, as well as discuss the standing invitation to visit Pyongyang. U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Sung Kim on Tuesday called relations between North Korea and Russia "worrying," after the White House said last week Pyongyang recently provided Russia with weapons. The two ships had moved several hundred containers to and from a port in North Korea since August, the RUSI report said.

Persons: Sergei Lavrov, General Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Sergei Ilnitsky, Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, Putin, Lavrov, North Korea Sung Kim, Dmitry Peskov, Josh Smith, Lidia Kelly, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Russian, Arab League, Rights, North, Russia's TASS, Special, U.S, Kremlin, Royal United Services Institute, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, Rights SEOUL, Pyongyang, North Korea, Ukraine, Koreans, China, U.S, Korean, Melbourne

☆ Russian Foreign Minister Thanks North Korea for Supporting Its War in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov thanked North Korea for supporting the country's war in Ukraine and pledged Moscow's "complete support and solidarity" for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Russia's foreign ministry said. North Korean state media said Lavrov's visit will mark a "significant occasion" in further consolidating relations between the countries. Photos released by the Russian foreign ministry showed Lavrov greeted by people holding flowers and flags of the two countries upon arrival in North Korea. Lavrov's two-day visit comes a month after North Korean leader Kim made a rare trip to Russia, during which he invited Putin to Pyongyang and discussed military cooperation. Russia's TASS news agency earlier said Lavrov may also brief North Koreans on the results of Putin's visit to China.

Persons: Sergei Lavrov, Moscow's, Kim Jong Un, Lavrov, Vladimir Putin, Kim, Putin, Dmitry Peskov, Soo, hyang Choi, Jack Kim, Sandra Maler, Ed Davies Organizations: Russian, North, Russian Federation, Democratic People's, Russia's TASS Locations: SEOUL, North Korea, Ukraine, Pyongyang, Moscow, Russian, DPRK, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korean, Russia, Koreans, China

☆ Russian foreign minister thanks North Korea for supporting its war in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov takes part in a welcoming ceremony upon his arrival in Pyongyang, North Korea, October 18, 2023. Russian Foreign Ministry/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov thanked North Korea for supporting the country's war in Ukraine and pledged Moscow's "complete support and solidarity" for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Russia's foreign ministry said. North Korean state media said Lavrov's visit will mark a "significant occasion" in further consolidating relations between the countries. Photos released by the Russian foreign ministry showed Lavrov greeted by people holding flowers and flags of the two countries upon arrival in North Korea. The White House last week said North Korea recently provided Russia with a shipment of weapons in what it called a troubling development.

Persons: Sergei Lavrov, Moscow's, Kim Jong Un, Lavrov, Vladimir Putin, Kim, Putin, Dmitry Peskov, Soo, hyang Choi, Jack Kim, Sandra Maler, Ed Davies Organizations: Russian, Russian Foreign Ministry, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, North, Russian Federation, Democratic People's, Russia's TASS, Thomson Locations: Pyongyang, North Korea, Rights SEOUL, Ukraine, Moscow, Russian, DPRK, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korean, Russia, Koreans, China

☆ Rifle, fur hat, drones: North Korea's Kim returns with gifts from Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un waves as he boards his train at a railway station in the town of Artyom outside Vladivostok in the Primorsky region, Russia, September 17, 2023. Following are some of the items he is bringing back to the "friendship" museum, where gifts received by the North's three generations of leaders are kept. GIFTS FROM RUSSIAAfter his summit with Russian President Putin, Kim received a Russian-made rifle "of the highest quality," according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. Kim received a fur hat from Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu in Vladivostok, where he inspected Russian nuclear bombers, fighter jets equipped with hypersonic missiles and a warship. And Comrade Kim Jong Un liked it,” Matsegora said.

Persons: Kim Jong, Putin, Kim, Dmitry Peskov, Oleg Kozhemyako, Sergei Shoigu, Alexander Matsegora, It’s, Kim Jong Un, ” Matsegora, Yuri Gagarin, Kim Il Sung, Jimmy Carter, Francois Mitterrand, Michael Jordan, Madeleine Albright, Fidel Castro, Propaganda, Kim Dae, Kim Jong Il, Chung, yung, Jack Kim, Lidia Kelly, Gerry Doyle Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Russian, North, TASS, Moscow, WHO, U.S, Hyundai, Hyundai Group, Thomson Locations: Artyom, Vladivostok, Primorsky, Russia, Russia's Primorsky Krai, Rights SEOUL, Russian, Ukraine, Pyongyang, Russia's, Khasan, North Korea, Paris, North, Cuban, South, North Korean, Seoul, Melbourne

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, accompanied by government officials, departs Pyongyang, North Korea, to visit Russia, September 10, 2023, in this image released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency on September 12, 2023. Pyongyang and Moscow have denied that North Korea would supply arms to Russia, which has expended vast stocks of weapons in more than 18 months of war. "The presence of Jo Chun Ryong indicates that North Korea and Russia will conclude some type of agreement for munitions purchases," said Michael Madden, a North Korea leadership expert at the Washington-based Stimson Center. The U.S. State Department said any transfer of arms from North Korea to Russia would violate U.N. Security Council resolutions, which ban any arms transactions with North Korea. Russia had voted, along with China, to approve Security Council resolutions as late as 2017 punishing North Korea for ballistic missile launches and nuclear tests.

Persons: Kim Jong Un, Kremlin, Vladimir Putin, Kim, Dmitry Peskov, Putin, Peskov, Jo Chun Ryong, Michael Madden, Chang Ho, Matthew Miller, Sergei Shoigu, Hyunsu Yim, Hyonhee Shin, Josh Smith, Kiyoshi Takenaka, Lidia Kelly, Steve Holland, Humeyra Pamuk, Jack Kim, Gerry Doyle Organizations: North, Korean Central News Agency, KCNA, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Kyodo, South Korea's Defence, TASS, Eastern Economic, OF, North Korean, Munitions Industry, Stimson, . South Korean, The U.S . State Department, Department, Russian Defence, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Pyongyang, North Korea, Russia, Rights SEOUL, WASHINGTON, Washington, Khasan, South, China, Ukraine, Vladivostok, Moscow, Korea, The, Seoul, Tokyo, Melbourne

☆ North Korean leader Kim Jong Un arrives in Russia before an expected meeting with Putin
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

A file photo of Russian President Vladimir Putin meets North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un on April 25, 2019 in Vladivostok, Russia. Citing unidentified Russian regional officials, Japanese broadcaster TBS reported that Kim's train crossed the border and arrived in the border town of Khasan. North Korea has possibly tens of millions of artillery shells and rockets based on Soviet designs that could potentially give a huge boost to the Russian army, analysts say. Based on North Korean state media photos, Kim's delegation possibly includes Pak Thae Song, chairman of North Korea's space science and technology committee, and Navy Admiral Kim Myong Sik, who are linked with North Korean efforts to acquire spy satellites and nuclear-capable submarines. After decades of a complicated, hot-and-cold relationship, Russia and North Korea have been drawing closer since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong, Mikhail Svetlov, Kim Jong Un, Kim, Jeon Ha Gyu, Choe Sun Hui, Ri, Pak Jong Chon, KCNA, Dmitry Peskov, Putin, Peskov, Xi Jinping, Donald Trump, Defense Ministry and National Intelligence Service didn't, Adrienne Watson, Matthew Miller, Song, Kim Myong Sik, Jo Chun Ryong, China — Organizations: North Korean, Getty, Korea's Defense Ministry, Korean People's, Korean Central News Agency, TBS, TASS, Associated Press, Chosun Ilbo, South, South Korea's Presidential, Defense Ministry and National Intelligence Service, White, National Security, North, Democratic People's, Department, Washington, Ukraine — Donetsk, Luhansk —, . Security Locations: Vladivostok, Russia, Ukraine, North, Pyongyang, Korean, Japanese, Khasan, Russian, North Korea, South Korea's, Korea, United States, Ukrainian, DPRK, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Washington, South Korea, Japan, Moscow, Beijing, Syria, China

Russian authorities said Prigozhin was listed as a passenger on a private jet that crashed on Wednesday evening, killing all those onboard. Russia's TASS news agency said the plane was a Brazilian Embraer jet. Embraer (EMBR3.SA) on Wednesday said it was aware of a Legacy 600 plane crash in Russia, but that did not have further information about the case. Flightradar24 online tracker showed that the Embraer Legacy 600 (plane number RA-02795) said to be carrying Prigozhin had dropped off the radar at 6:11 p.m. local time (1511 GMT). The Legacy 600 entered service in 2002, according to International Aviation HQ, with almost 300 produced until production ceased in 2020.

Persons: Denis Balibouse, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Allison Lampert, Gabriel Stargardter, Rosalba O'Brien, Josie Kao Organizations: Embraer, European Business Aviation Convention, REUTERS, International Aviation, Russia's TASS, Brazilian Embraer, EMBR3, Thomson Locations: Geneva, Switzerland, Russia, Brazilian, Brazil, United States

WASHINGTON, Aug 23 (Reuters) - The United States does not encourage or enable attacks inside Russia, a U.S. State Department spokesperson said after Russian authorities said they downed drones that tried to attack Moscow early on Wednesday. Drone strikes deep inside Russia have increased since two unmanned aircraft were destroyed over the Kremlin in early May. The United States, which has supplied Ukraine with massive assistance in the form of weapons and other military equipment to combat the Russian invasion, has consistently said it does not support attacks inside Russia. One drone hit a building under construction in central Moscow early on Wednesday, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on his channel on Telegram, a messaging app. Moscow airports suspended flights early on Wednesday, Russia's TASS news agency reported.

Persons: Sergei Sobyanin, Kanishka Singh, Tom Hogue, Stephen Coates Organizations: U.S . State Department, State Department, Kremlin, Moscow, Russia's TASS, Defence Ministry, Thomson Locations: United States, Russia, U.S, Moscow, Ukraine, Russian, Bryansk, Washington

☆ Russia cleans up after Typhoon Khanun floods thousands of homes
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Aug 13 (Reuters) - Russia sent a task force to oversee cleanup of parts of the country's Far East on Sunday after Typhoon Khanun passed through the Primorye region, the emergencies ministry in Moscow said. Russia's TASS news agency quoted the ministry as saying the number of flooded homes stood at 4,368 while 5,654 adjoining plots and 7 apartment buildings also were flooded. It said most of the affected homes were in the cities of Ussuriysk and Spassk-Dalny, and in the Oktyabrsky municipal district, in the region of Primorye, where the port of Vladivostok is the administrative center. The ministry said in its Telegram channel that the task force would "coordinate the work to eliminate the consequences of the flood." It added there were no reports of casualties and that it had avoided more serious damage by sending units in early.

Persons: Khanun, Sandra Maler Organizations: Russia's TASS, TASS, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Russia, Moscow, Ussuriysk, Oktyabrsky, Primorye, Vladivostok

But he said that for most of the call, lasting about an hour, "we considered and discussed what to do with Ukraine". Ukraine, which was invaded by Russia in February 2022, says other countries should not negotiate its future on its behalf, and the United States has repeatedly backed this principle, described as "nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine". TALKS 'SOONER OR LATER'Naryshkin told TASS that negotiations on the war would become possible at some point. Podolyak said Russia was losing the war and there could be no negotiations with people like Naryshkin. "This Russian elite perceives events completely inadequately, so there is nothing to talk about with them."

Persons: Wagner, Naryshkin, Sergei Naryshkin, William Burns, Burns, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Mykhailo Podolyak, Podolyak, Anna Dabrowska, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: CIA, TASS, The New York Times, Wall Street, Moscow, Kremlin, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, United States, Russian, Russia, Moscow, Washington

☆ One killed in Russian attacks on Ukraine as Zelenskiy talks to NATO
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

KYIV, July 12 (Reuters) - Russia launched a drone strike on Kyiv early on Wednesday, and an old man was killed in Russian shelling in southern Ukraine as President Volodymyr Zelenskiy met NATO leaders in Lithuania, Ukrainian officials said. But an 81-year-old man was killed and his 82-year-old wife wounded in shelling of the southern city of Kherson, Kherson region governor Oleksandr Prokudin said. The Russian shelling and heavy fighting did not stop as Zelenskiy was meeting NATO leaders to discuss security threats posed by Moscow, which denounced the Western military alliance's summit in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius. On Tuesday, Russia drones also attacked Kyiv and the southern port of Odesa, and Kherson came under artillery fire. Russia's TASS news agency cited military groupings as saying they had repelled several Ukrainian attacks in the Luhansk region of eastern Ukraine over the past day.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Oleksandr Prokudin, Yuriy Malashko, Zelenskiy, Olena Harmash, Anna Pruchnicka, Lidia Kelly, Timothy Organizations: NATO, Kyiv, Reuters, TASS, Timothy Heritage, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Lithuania, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Russian, Moscow, Lithuanian, Vilnius, Kyiv, Cherkasy, Odesa, Ukrainian, Bakhmut, Luhansk

☆ Russia, Ukraine differ in accounts of fighting near Bakhmut
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Ukraine's Deputy Defence Minister, Hanna Maliar, also reported fierce fighting further north around the town of Lyman, recaptured by Ukrainian forces late last year. Russia's Wagner mercenary group captured the shattered eastern city of Bakhmut in May after 10 months of fighting. The Russian army in the area has since come under fierce pressure from Ukrainian forces who threaten to encircle it. FIGHTING TO CONTROL VILLAGE NEAR BAKHMUTUkraine has said its forces have had "partial success" in the Klishchiivka area. She said Russian forces were trying to advance near Lyman but were gaining no ground in any single direction nearby.

Persons: Sofiia, Hanna Maliar, Russia's Wagner, Oleskandr Musiyenko, Klishchiivka, Maliar, Mark Trevelyan, Jamie Freed Organizations: Infantry Brigade, REUTERS, Ukraine's, Defence, Ukraine's NV, Reuters, Facebook, Russia's Tass, Tass, Thomson Locations: Ukrainian, Ukraine, Bakhmut, Donetsk region, Russia, Lyman, Russian, Klishchiivka, BAKHMUT Ukraine, Bohdanivka, Donetsk, Makiivka

☆ Belarus leader says nuclear arms will not be used
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

June 30 (Reuters) - Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, the Kremlin's staunchest ally in its war in Ukraine, said on Friday he was certain Russian tactical nuclear weapons deployed in his country would never be used. The Belarusian president, in an address marking his ex-Soviet state's national day, said the stationing of the weapons in Belarus was "my firmest initiative". Lukashenko, like Russia, has repeatedly accused Western countries of trying to destroy his state and says the nuclear deployment is necessary to deter potential aggressors. In his remarks, he said the same Belarusian opposition politicians, now mostly in exile, who denounced the weapons deployment also criticised the construction of a Russian-built nuclear power station now operating in Belarus. "If they shout that nuclear weapons are bad, just do the opposite."

Persons: Alexander Lukashenko, Lukashenko, Vladimir Putin, Sergei Ryabkov, Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Jacek Siewiera, Wagner, I've, Ronald Popeski, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Russia's Tass, Poland's National Bureau of Security, Financial Times, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Belarus, Belarusian, Soviet, Russia, Poland's, Africa, Europe, Poland

☆ Russia seeks calm after aborted mutiny, West sees cracks in Putin's power
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

"We've seen more cracks emerge in the Russian facade," Blinken told NBC's "Meet the Press" programme on Sunday. It was unclear if his visit to Russia's strongest ally was precipitated by the Wagner mutiny. It vouched support for Russia's efforts to maintain national stability, referring to the tension as Russia's "internal affairs". Biden and Trudeau both expressed support of Ukraine as it pursues a counteroffensive to recover territory seized by Russia, according to official statements. Giving its daily morning roundup on Monday, the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces said Russian forces had conducted unsuccessful operations around Bakhmut.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Alexander Lukashenko, Sergei Shoigu, Putin, groping, Antony Blinken, Blinken, NBC's, Andrei Rudenko, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Joe Biden, Justin Trudeau, Biden, Trudeau, Zelenskiy, Lukashenko, Antonio Tajani, Dmitry Peskov, Prigozhin, Hanna Maliar, Serhiy Nayev, ” Nayev, Simon Cameron, Moore, Lincoln Organizations: Wagner Group, Defence, Press, Russia's, Russian Federation, U.S, Canadian, Twitter, Russia's Security, Defence Ministry, Russia's TASS, RIA, Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, Russian, Ukraine's Joint Forces, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, Russian, Rostov, Belarus, Beijing, China, Bolshevik, Lyman, Donetsk, Bakhmut

☆ Russia says regional free trade pact with Iran possible by year-end
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

June 19 (Reuters) - A free trade zone agreement between Iran, Russia and several countries that cover the vast Eurasian region spreading from the borders of Eastern Europe to Western China is possible by the end of the year, Russia's TASS news agency reported on Monday. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk told the state TASS agency in an interview that talks between the Eurasian Economic Union - which comprises Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia - and Iran are in their final stages. The regional agreement with Iran would replace and expand an interim pact that already provides a reduction in customs duties on hundreds of categories of goods. In November 2022, Russia started swapping oil products with Iran and in March, Tehran said it counts on "huge volumes" of both oil and gas swaps with Moscow. Overchuk also told TASS, without providing much detail, that negotiations among the Eurasian Economic Union countries on creating a common gas market continue.

Persons: Alexei Overchuk, Overchuk, Lidia Kelly, Michael Perry Organizations: TASS, Eurasian Economic, Kremlin, Moscow, Thomson Locations: Iran, Russia, Eastern Europe, Western China, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine, Europe, Moscow, Tehran, Russian, China, Melbourne

☆ Russia tries to signal normalcy as Ukraine forces advance
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Vitalii Hnidyi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

But corpses of Russian soldiers and burnt-out armoured vehicles lining the roadside in villages newly recaptured by Ukrainian troops attested to Kyiv's biggest advances since last year. Several bodies of Russian soldiers lay in the streets of ruined and depopulated villages. Ukrainian troops in Storozheve told Reuters they had killed around 50 Russians and captured four there. Kyiv says any elections staged by Russians on Ukrainian territory would be invalid and illegal. Ukrainian troops have yet to reach the heaviest Russian defensive fortifications, which are set back from the front line.

Persons: Oleksandr Ratushniak, Moscow's, Oleksii Hromov, Vladimir Putin, Ella Pamfilova, Lloyd Austin, Austin, Vitalii, Pavel Polityuk, Peter Graff, Frances Kerry Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Ukrainian, Troops, TASS, Defence Ministry, Federal Security Service, U.S . Defense, Thomson Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Storozheve, Donetsk region, UKRAINE, Russia, Ukrainian, Neskuchne, Moscow, Mala Tokmachka, Bakhmut, Europe, Kyiv, Brussels, U.S, Washington

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