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☆ Putin says civilian losses from Israeli ground operation in Gaza would be 'unacceptable'
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) leaders' summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, October 13, 2023. Sputnik/Pavel Bednyakov/Pool via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsBISHKEK, Oct 13 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday said an Israeli ground operation in Gaza would result in a level of civilian casualties that would be "absolutely unacceptable". Putin said that using heavy weaponry in residential areas was "fraught with serious consequences for all sides". "And most importantly, the civilian casualties will be absolutely unacceptable. Reporting by Reuters; Writing by Alexander Marrow; Editing by Mark Trevelyan and Christina FincherOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Pavel Bednyakov, Putin, Alexander Marrow, Mark Trevelyan, Christina Fincher Organizations: Commonwealth of Independent States, CIS, Sputnik, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Hamas, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Rights BISHKEK, Israeli, Gaza, Gaza City

☆ Palestinian President Abbas condemns violence against civilians
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Ali Sawafta | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas meet on the sidelines of the 6th summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-building Measures in Asia (CICA), in Astana, Kazakhstan October 13, 2022. Sputnik/Vyacheslav Prokofyev/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsRAMALLAH, Oct 12 (Reuters) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned violence against civilians on Thursday in the wake of the devastating attack by Hamas gunmen on Israel and the relentless bombardment of the Gaza Strip by Israeli jets that followed. "We reject the practices of killing civilians or abusing them on both sides because they contravene morals, religion and international law," the official Palestinian news agency Wafa quoted Abbas as saying. Earlier, Israeli settlers in the West Bank killed two Palestinians when they opened fire on a funeral procession. A 37-year-old woman was also killed when she was shot by security forces near Ramallah, the main city in the West bank, according to Palestinian health services.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Mahmoud Abbas, Vyacheslav Prokofyev, Antony Blinken, Abbas, Wafa, Blinken, Israel, Fatah, Ali Sawafta, James Mackenzie, Mark Heinrich, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Sputnik, U.S, Palestinian Authority, West Bank, Thomson Locations: Asia, Astana, Kazakhstan, RAMALLAH, Israel, Gaza, Jordan, East Jerusalem, Al Aqsa, Jerusalem, Old City, Palestinian, Ramallah, West

☆ Putin says U.S. is inflaming Middle East by sending aircraft carrier group
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends the plenary session at the 2023 Russian Energy Week international forum at the Manezh Central Exhibition Hall in Moscow, Russia October 11, 2023. Sputnik/Kristina Kormilitsyna/Kremlin via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsMOSCOW, Oct 11 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin accused the United States on Wednesday of inflaming the Middle East by sending an aircraft carrier group to the region, saying "compromise solutions" were needed and that he hoped common sense would prevail. "I don't understand why the U.S. is dragging aircraft carrier groups into the Mediterranean Sea. "Of course, it will not affect (energy) production, but it could affect all other components that determine the state of the world's energy markets." Reporting by Reuters Writing by Andrew Osborn Editing by Gareth Jones and Toby ChopraOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Kristina Kormilitsyna, Lloyd Austin, Gerald R, Ford, Putin, Tayyip Erdogan, Washington, Andrew Osborn, Gareth Jones, Toby Chopra Organizations: Energy, Exhibition Hall, Sputnik, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Kremlin, Saturday, . Defense, West, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, Kremlin, United States, Israel, U.S, Lebanon, Ukraine, Iran, Tehran, Palestinian

☆ As Israel goes to war, Russia must now decide where its loyalty lies in the Middle East
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Kremlin in Moscow on January 30, 2020. Maxim Shemetov | Afp | Getty ImagesThe outbreak of bloodshed, violence and outright war between Israel and Hamas has put Russia in an awkward position, with Moscow traditionally treading a fine diplomatic line between Israel and its allies in the Middle East. Russia has enjoyed warm and constructive relations with Israel in recent years. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi hold a meeting in Tehran on July 19, 2022. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during their meeting at the Kremlin on April 21, 2016.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Benjamin Netanyahu, Maxim Shemetov, Tatiana Stanovaya, Ebrahim Raisi, Sergei Savostyanov, Stanovaya, Saudi Arabia —, Vladimir Putin's, Bashar Assad's, Bashar Assad, Sergei Shoigu, Alexei Nikolsky, Netanyahu, Putin, Mohammed Shia, Al Sudani, Mikhail Svetlov, tellingly, Russia's, Ian Bremmer, Antony Blinken, Petroleum Javad, Erdogan Organizations: Israeli, Kremlin, Afp, Getty, Hamas, Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, AFP, Saudi, Russian Defense, Sputnik, AP Putin, Iraqi, . Security Council, Israel, Eurasia Group, ., Ukraine, Ministry of Defence, Institute for, Petroleum, Turkish Locations: Moscow, Israel, Russia, Ukraine, Iran, Russian, Tehran, Syria, Eastern, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Egypt, Iraq, Umayyad, Damascus, U.S, Palestinian, China

☆ Russia says it's talking to both Israel and Palestinians as Putin blames failure of US policy
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"I think that many people will agree with me that this is a vivid example of the failure of United States policy in the Middle East," Putin told visiting Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani. The United States, Putin said, had ignored the interests of Palestinians, including their need for their own independent Palestinian state. He did not mention Russia's own role in the Middle East peace process over the years. Along with the United States, the United Nations and the European Union, it has since 2002 formed part of a "Quartet" of powers charged with helping to mediate. Moscow has said it is worried that the violence could escalate into a broader conflict in the Middle East.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Mikhail Metzel, Putin, Mohammed Shia Al, Sudani, Washington, Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Mark Trevelyan, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Financial Security, Sirius, of Science, Art, Sputnik, Rights, Iraqi, United States, United Nations, European Union, Kremlin, stoke, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Krasnodar region, Russia, Israel, Moscow, States, United, United States, Gaza, Russian, Palestinian

☆ Russia starts gas supplies to Uzbekistan via Kazakhstan
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] Russian President Vladimir Putin listens to Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev during a meeting at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow, Russia October 7, 2023. Sputnik/Pavel Bednyakov/Kremlin via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsOct 7 (Reuters) - Russia on Saturday started supplying natural gas to Uzbekistan via Kazakhstan, marking the occasion with ceremonies in Moscow and elsewhere attended by the presidents of the three countries and shown on state TV. Under a two-year deal signed with Russia's Gazprom (GAZP.MM), Uzbekistan will import 9 million cubic metres of Russian natural gas per day. It is the first time Uzbekistan, which is a producer and exporter itself, is importing gas from Russia. "Russia confirms its status as a reliable gas supplier and is open to cooperation in this area," Russian president Vladimir Putin said during the ceremony in Moscow.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Kassym, Pavel Bednyakov, Clelia Organizations: Sputnik, REUTERS Acquire, Saturday, Russia's Gazprom, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, Kremlin, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Nord, Europe

☆ Russia calls on Israel and Palestinians to cease fire
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin makes a statement following talks with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, October 6, 2023. Sputnik/Pavel Bednyakov/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMOSCOW, Oct 7 (Reuters) - Russia expresses its most serious concern at the sharp aggravation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on Saturday. "We call on the Palestinian and Israeli sides to implement an immediate ceasefire, renounce violence, exercise the necessary restraint and establish, with the assistance of the international community, a negotiation process aimed at establishing a comprehensive, lasting and long-awaited peace in the Middle East," she said in a statement. Russia is in contact with Israel, the Palestinians and Arab countries over the flare-up, the Interfax news agency reported earlier, citing Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov. Reporting by Reuters; editing by Jason Neely and Andrew Cawthorne私たちの行動規範：トムソン・ロイター「信頼の原則」

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Pavel Bednyakov, Maria Zakharova, Mikhail Bogdanov, Jason Neely, Andrew Cawthorne 私 Organizations: Kremlin, Sputnik, Rights, Reuters Locations: Moscow, Russia, Israel

The announcement by Mikhail Ulyanov added new fuel to tensions between Russia and the United States over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine and arms control disputes between the world's largest nuclear weapons powers. Ulyanov, Moscow's envoy to the CTBTO, said on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, that "#Russia plans to revoke ratification (which took place in the year 2000) of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty." "The aim is to be on equal footing with the #US who signed the Treaty, but didn't ratify it. While the United States signed but did not ratify the treaty, it has observed a moratorium on nuclear weapon test explosions since 1992 that it says it has no plans to abandon. The spokesperson said Russia should reach an "equal footing" with the United States "by not wielding arms control and irresponsible nuclear rhetoric in a failing attempt to coerce other states."

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Sergei Guneev, Washington, Mikhail Ulyanov, Ulyanov, Robert Floyd, Floyd, Francois Murphy, Alex Richardson, Angus MacSwan, Alexander Smith Organizations: Sputnik, REUTERS, Acquire, Comprehensive, Treaty Organization, United, U.S . State Department, Party, Washington, Russian, Russian Federation, Conference, Disarmament, Thomson Locations: Sochi, Russia, Moscow, States VIENNA, WASHINGTON, United States, Ukraine, Ban, China, Egypt, Iran, Israel, North Korea, India, Pakistan, Vienna, U.S

☆ Putin says Russia got its troubled nuclear-powered cruise missile to work after years of failure and a deadly disaster
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Chris Panella | Ryan Pickrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Putin says Russia tested an experimental nuclear-powered cruise missile. AdvertisementAdvertisementRussian leadership claims the country tested one of its new "super weapons," specifically the Burevestnik nuclear-powered cruise missile, and it purportedly worked. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the latest test of the cruise missile at the Valdai International Discussion Club, Russian state media reported on Thursday. Russia conducted a "successful test" of the "Burevestnik nuclear-powered global-range cruise missile," Putin said, per an AP translation of his remarks. The one-of-a-kind cruise missile has had a troubled history.

Persons: Putin, —, Vladimir Putin, didn't, SERGEI GUNEYEV, Moscow, Donald Trump Organizations: Service, The New York Times, Russian Navy, Ukraine's, Sputnik, Getty, New York Times, CNBC, NATO, State Department Locations: Russia, Russian, Sochi, Moscow, United States, Nenoksa

☆ Putin says Russia has tested next-generation nuclear weapon
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers a speech at the 20th Annual Meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club in Sochi, Russia, October 5, 2023. Putin, who has repeatedly reminded the world of Russia's nuclear might since launching his invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, said no one in their right mind would use nuclear weapons against Russia. He noted that the United States had not ratified the treaty that bans nuclear tests, whereas Russia had both signed and ratified it. In February, Putin suspended Russia's participation in the New START treaty that limits the number of nuclear weapons each side can deploy. I think no person of sound mind and clear memory would think of using nuclear weapons against Russia."

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Grigory Sysoyev, Putin, Sergei Karaganov, Karaganov, Mark Trevelyan, Kevin Liffey Organizations: Sputnik, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Duma, Military, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Sochi, Russia, Moscow, Ukraine, Soviet Union, United States, Russia's, Russian, Western, U.S, Europe

☆ Putin repeats assertion that Russia did not start war in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with the crew of the Alyosha T-80 tank, which destroyed a Ukrainian armoured convoy on the Zaporizhzhia direction in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict, at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia August 24, 2023. Sputnik/Mikhail Klimentyev/Kremlin via REUTERS/ File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 5 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin on Thursday reiterated his position that Russia did not start the war in Ukraine but launched what it calls a "special military operation" to try to stop it. In his yearly speech to the Valdai Discussion Club, being held in Sochi, Putin said Russia, the world's largest country by area, had no need to take territory from Ukraine. He said the conflict was not therefore imperial or territorial but about the global order, and that the West, which had lost its hegemonic power and always needed an enemy, had lost touch with reality. Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin and Guy Faulconbridge; Writing by Alexander Marrow; Editing by Kevin LiffeyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Mikhail Klimentyev, Putin, Vladimir Soldatkin, Guy Faulconbridge, Alexander Marrow, Kevin Liffey Organizations: Kremlin, Sputnik, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, Kremlin, Sochi

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with Chief of the Russian Armed Forces' General Staff Valery Gerasimov, via a video conference call at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence, outside Moscow, Russia October 7, 2020. Sputnik/Alexei Druzhinin/Kremlin via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD... Acquire Licensing Rights Read moreLONDON, Oct 5 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Russia has successfully tested its new Burevestnik missile. - Its nuclear propulsion gives the missile much longer range than traditional turbojet or turbofan engines that are limited by how much fuel they can carry. - Development of the missile's nuclear propulsion unit has been a huge technical challenge, involving a number of test failures. - The Nuclear Threat Initiative said the Burevestnik's nuclear propulsion could enable it to stay aloft for days, if needed.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Staff Valery Gerasimov, Alexei Druzhinin, Putin, Mark Trevelyan, Guy Faulconbridge Organizations: Russian Armed Forces, Staff, Sputnik, International Institute for Strategic Studies, United States Air Force's National Air and Space Intelligence Center, Nuclear Threat Initiative, New York Times, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, Kremlin, United States, Washington

☆ Russia Summons Moldova's Envoy, Blocks Entry to Several Molodovan Citizens
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

(Reuters) - The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Tuesday it had summoned the Moldovan ambassador. The ministry said it had taken reciprocal measures after the expulsion of the head of Sputnik Moldova news agency from Moldova on Sept. 13. The ministry said the Moldovan ambassador was informed that "a number of individuals directly involved in restricting freedom of speech and the rights of Russian journalists in Moldova, as well as inciting anti-Russian sentiments, were banned from entering Russia." The Ministry did not name the people who were banned from entering Russia. (Reporting by Maxim Rodionov; Editing by Chris Reese)

Persons: Maxim Rodionov, Chris Reese Organizations: Reuters, Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sputnik Locations: Moldovan, Sputnik Moldova, Moldova, Russia

☆ Russia pinpoints cause of moon shot failure, looks to bring next missions forward
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Russia's first moon mission for 47 years ended in failure on Aug. 19 with the crash of its Luna-25 spacecraft, dashing Moscow's hopes of beating India to the unexplored south pole of the moon. Russia has previously said that Luna-26 would be an orbital mission and Luna-27 would be a lander with a drilling rig. As a result, the propulsion system was not shut down when needed. The Kremlin has played down the failure of the mission, saying Russia will continue to pursue ambitious plans in space. Borisov said Russia had received strong interest from Turkey, Brazil and South Africa in taking part.

Persons: Moscow's, Yuri Gagarin, Roscosmos, Yuri Borisov, Luna, Borisov, Guy Faulconbridge, Mark Trevelyan Organizations: 2.1b, Vostochny, REUTERS, Rights, Space Station, Russian, Thomson Locations: Amur, Russia, India, Indian, Moscow, Soviet, Russian, United States, Turkey, Brazil, South Africa

In 2021, the year before Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine, defence spending totalled 3.57 trillion roubles, 14.4% of total spending. In 2022, the share of defence spending rose to 17.7%, data on Russia's electronic budget page showed earlier this year. That may mean that defence spending will also be significantly higher than first envisaged. Moscow doubled its target for defence spending in 2023 to 9.7 trillion roubles, Reuters reported exclusively in August, citing a government document. EDUCATION, HEALTHCARE FREEZEAs defence spending in 2024 triples from pre-invasion levels, the share of spending on "national security", which covers funding for law enforcement agencies, is also rising, set to reach 9.2% in 2024, the documents showed.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Mikhail Metzel, Anton Siluanov, Siluanov, Donets, Dmitry Peskov, Darya, Alexander Marrow, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: Sputnik, REUTERS, Defence, Reuters, CIS, Renaissance, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, Kremlin, Ukraine, Russian

☆ Russia's Putin signs decree on autumn military conscription
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers a speech during a concert dedicated to the 100th birth anniversary of Soviet and Russian poet Rasul Gamzatov at the State Kremlin Palace in Moscow, Russia, September 28, 2023. Sputnik/Vyacheslav Prokofyev/Pool via REUTERS/ File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 29 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree setting out the routine autumn conscription campaign, calling up 130,000 citizens for statutory military service, a document posted on the government website showed on Friday. All men in Russia are required to do a year-long military service between the ages of 18 and 27, or equivalent training while in higher education. Putin's move comes as Russia's armed forces press on with their "special military operation" in Ukraine, now in its 20th month. The West says it wants to help Ukraine defeat Russia - an aim Kremlin officials say is an unrealistic pipedream.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Rasul Gamzatov, Vyacheslav Prokofyev, Putin's, Maxim Rodionov, Gareth Jones Organizations: Sputnik, Thomson Locations: Russian, Moscow, Russia, Ukraine

[1/3] Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev arrives for a meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council in Moscow, Russia May 25, 2023. "The stars aligned for certain reasons and President Aliyev saw the alignment," said Suleymanov, who previously worked in Aliyev's office. "President Aliyev is completing something that his father could not do because he ran out of time," said one of the sources, who requested anonymity because they were not authorised to give comments to the media. Aliyev's father, then President Heydar Aliyev, was forced to agree to a ceasefire that cemented Armenia's victory. "President Aliyev has delivered the testament of his father," said Suleymanov, the ambassador to Britain.

Persons: Ilham Aliyev, Ilya Pitalev, Aliyev, Elin Suleymanov, Suleymanov, Hikmet Hajiyev, Hajiyev, Nikol Pashinyan, Pashinyan, Aliyev's, Heydar Aliyev, Ilham, Heydar, Vladimir Putin, Putin, David Babayan, Babayan, Andrew Osborn, Frank Jack Daniel Our Organizations: Economic Council, Sputnik, REUTERS, Reuters, Reuters Graphics, Kremlin, Russia, Karabakh, Baku, Armenian, European Commission, Armenia, West, Moscow, Karabakh Armenian, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, Kremlin, Azerbaijan, Karabakh, Armenia, West, Britain, Baku, Caucasus, Iran, Turkey, Ukraine, Russian, Washington, Soviet, Stepanakert

☆ Explainer: Wagner group - Is it back? Who controls it?
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Is Wagner back, who controls it and are its fighters returning to the Ukraine war? After the fall of Bakhmut, Wagner fighters were withdrawn from the front. While Prigozhin criticised Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, Yelizarov said Shoigu was "out of control" and seeking to destroy Wagner. Russian, Ukrainian and Western sources have indicated that Wagner fighters are returning to the front. Russian war blog Rybar, which has over 1.2 million subscribers, said that Wagner fighters would return to Bakhmut.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Wagner, Andrei Troshev, Yunus, Bek Yevkurov, Mikhail Metzel, WAGNER, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Dmitry Utkin, Bakhmut, Prigozhin, Putin, Anton Yelizarov, Yelizarov, Utkin, Sergei Shoigu, Shoigu, Wagner's Troshev, Troshev, Rybar, Guy Faulconbridge Organizations: Sputnik, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, deniability, United States, . Police, Reuters, Russian, Russian Ministry of Defence, PMC, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, Ukraine, dabble, Syria, Libya, Mali, Bakhmut, Rostov, Russian, St Petersburg, Central African Republic, redeploy

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with senior former commander of the Wagner mercenary group Andrei Troshev and Deputy Defence Minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov in Moscow, Russia, September 28, 2023. Putin was shown on state television meeting at the Kremlin with Andrei Troshev, a former Wagner commander known by his nom de guerre "Sedoi" - or "grey hair". Russia's Kommersant newspaper has reported that just days after the Wagner mutiny Putin had suggested that Troshev take over from Prigozhin. The Putin meeting in the Kremlin appears to indicate that what remains of Wagner will now be overseen by Troshev and Yevkurov. After Bakhmut's fall, Wagner units withdrew from Ukraine.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Wagner, Andrei Troshev, Yunus, Bek Yevkurov, Mikhail Metzel, Putin, Troshev, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Dmitry Peskov, Prigozhin's, WAGNER'S, Yevkurov, of, Guy Faulconbridge Organizations: Sputnik, REUTERS Acquire, Ukraine British, Kremlin, Deputy, Russia's Kommersant, Reuters, British, Russian Ministry of Defence, Islamic State, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, Ukraine, MOSCOW, Russian, Prigozhin, Ukrainian, Bakhmut, redeploy, Afghanistan, Chechnya, St Petersburg, of Russia, Palmyra, Syria

☆ Putin signs decree permitting Italy's Intesa to sell Russian assets
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers a speech during a concert dedicated to the 100th birth anniversary of Soviet and Russian poet Rasul Gamzatov at the State Kremlin Palace in Moscow, Russia, September 28, 2023. Sputnik/Aleksey Nikolskyi/Kremlin via REUTERS/file photo Acquire Licensing RightsMOSCOW, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree giving Italian bank Intesa Sanpaolo (ISP.MI) permission to sell or dispose of its assets in Russia, a document posted on a Russian government website showed on Friday. The latest decree said Moscow was permitting transactions that would lead to the direct or indirect disposal of 100% of Intesa's shares. It stopped new financing to Russian clients and fresh investments in Russian assets when the conflict broke out. The green light for Intesa could pave the way for similar approvals for other lenders still entangled in Russia.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Rasul Gamzatov, Aleksey Nikolskyi, Putin, Intesa, UniCredit, Maxim Rodionov, Alexander Marrow, Susan Fenton, Mark Potter Organizations: Sputnik, REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Raiffeisen Bank, Thomson Locations: Russian, Moscow, Russia, Kremlin, Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a government meeting via a video link at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, September 27, 2023. The impact on refined product supplies bolstered global oil prices , which rose to their highest since last November. Russian domestic fuel prices initially eased on the local commodity exchange, but began to creep up again after an easing of the restrictions was announced over the weekend. The government is also reconsidering a cut to damper payments, or subsidies to oil refineries, which began this month, he said. Wholesale fuel prices spiked, although retail prices are capped to try and keep them in line with the official rate of inflation.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Mikhail Metzel, Novak, Putin, Alexander Novak, Vladimir Soldatkin, Jan Harvey, Kirsten Donovan, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Kremlin, Sputnik, REUTERS Acquire, Putin, Wednesday, Traders, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, MOSCOW

Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said Russia would return to following its budget rule in 2024, envisaging an oil price of $60 per barrel. The government was discussing budget plans for the next three years. Bloomberg News reported that Russia is also planning a huge hike in defence spending next year, swelling to 6% of GDP from 3.9% in 2023 and 2.7% in 2021. Siluanov said Russia planned to raise domestic borrowing to more than 4 trillion roubles annually to fund its deficits. Siluanov said Russia's NWF would hold 6.7 trillion roubles by end-2024, down from 13.7 trillion roubles, or 9.1% of GDP as of Sept. 1.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Denis Manturov, Alexei Krivoruchko, Mikhail Metzel, Mikhail Mishustin, Mishustin, Anton Siluanov, Siluanov, Russia's, Vladimir Soldatkin, Darya Korsunskaya, Alexander Marrow, Mark Trevelyan Organizations: Sputnik, REUTERS Acquire, Finance, National Wealth Fund, Bloomberg News, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Izhevsk, Russia, Ukraine MOSCOW, Moscow, Ukraine

☆ Russia plans huge defence spending hike in 2024, Bloomberg reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin, accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov, Deputy Defence Minister Alexei Krivoruchko and other officials, attends the Gunsmith Forum in the city of Izhevsk, Russia September 19, 2023. Sputnik/Mikhail Metzel/Pool via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsSept 22 (Reuters) - Russia plans a huge hike in defence spending next year, swelling to 6% of gross domestic product (GDP), up from 3.9% in 2023 and 2.7% in 2021, Bloomberg News reported on Friday. Moscow doubled its target for defence spending in 2023 to more than $100 billion, Reuters reported exclusively in August, as the costs of the war in Ukraine spiral and place growing strain on Moscow's finances. Rising war costs are supporting Russia's modest economic recovery this year with higher industrial production, but have already pushed budget finances to a deficit of around $24 billion - a figure compounded by falling export revenues. Reporting by Urvi Dugar in Bengaluru; Writing by Alexander Marrow; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne and Gareth JonesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Denis Manturov, Alexei Krivoruchko, Mikhail Metzel, Urvi, Alexander Marrow, Andrew Cawthorne, Gareth Jones Organizations: Sputnik, REUTERS Acquire, Bloomberg, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Izhevsk, Russia, Moscow, Ukraine, Bengaluru

Adding Ukraine to NATO and the European Union would be the biggest geopolitical shift in our lifetime. If we bring Ukraine into that European Union, that would be one of the most consequential geopolitical tipping points since East Germany was united with West Germany. Who was the Russian spy in East Germany who was introduced to international relations by running the KGB there? It was Vladimir Putin whose big introduction to geopolitics was watching the magnet of the West melt down East Germany and lead to the unification of these two countries. The big decision point going forward is, when do we say to the Ukrainians we may have to settle for a dirty deal?

Persons: I’m Tom Friedman, they’re, Who, Vladimir Putin, Putin, we’re, I’ve, We’re, Peter the, It’s, Dostoevsky, Rachmaninoff, Tchaikovsky, Sakharov Organizations: Foreign Affairs, The New York Times, Orthodox Church, European Union, NATO, EU, Union, East Locations: Kyiv, Ukraine, Saint, NATO, Russia, East Germany, West Germany, East Germany’s Germany, Russian, Germany, Siberia

☆ The mastermind of Russia's treacherous defenses in Ukraine appears to be in a kind of faraway 'exile' as the line is being breached
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Russian Army Gen. Sergey Surovikin appears to be in Algeria, according to recent photos. Surovikin is the mastermind of Russia's formidable defensive lines and fortifications in Ukraine. But as Kyiv's forces break through these elaborate fortifications, the mastermind behind them is nowhere near the action. The experts cited several additional photographs of Surovikin purportedly in Algeria, which were published to Telegram by Russian sources. Insider was unable to independently verify any of the recent photographs of Surovikin shared to X and Telegram.

Persons: Sergey Surovikin, Wagner, Surovikin, Dara Massicot, Yevgeny Prigozhin —, Russia's Aerospace Forces Sergei Surovikin, Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov, Staff Sergei Rudskoi, Vladimir Putin, Mikhail Metzel, subsume Wagner Organizations: Russian, Wagner Group, Service, RAND Corporation, Twitter, Institute for, Commonwealth, Independent States, CIS, Kommersant, Russia's Aerospace Forces, Staff, Russian Armed Forces, Armed Forces, Sputnik, Russian MoD Locations: Algeria, Ukraine, Africa, Wall, Silicon, Russia, Moscow, California, Washington, Yevgeny Prigozhin — Russia, North Africa, Russian, Sochi

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