An employee of the Central Office of the Russian Federation Council, Mikhail Bochkaryov, who was recently detained in Norway on suspicion of espionage, has now been released, according to the head of the Committee of the Upper House on International Affairs, Konstantin Kosachev.

“Yes, the Norwegian delegation in the Inter-Parliamentary Union informed us about it.  We have repeatedly discussed this problem with them,” Kosachev stated.

On September 23, it was reported about a Russian citizen …

On Thursday, speaking at the traditional Valdai Forum in Sochi, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that US President Donald Trump is ready to listen to him and is determined to improve the relations between the two countries.

 “In my opinion, the current president [of the US] is determined to stabilize and level the relations between Russia and the US,” Putin said and added that “we will see how the situation will further develop”.

Putin denied the accusations of Western countries …

The Polish Radio announced that the Norwegian subsidiary (Upstream Norway AS) of the Polish oil and gas company (PGNiG) acquired Equinor Energy AS concession shares on the Norwegian continental shelf for $ 220 million.

PGNiG reported that the signed contract states the acquisition of a 30% stake in the PL044 concession at Equinor Energy AS, which is the equivalent of buying a 42.38% stake in the development of the Tommeliten Alpha field, operated by ConocoPhillips Norway AS.

Tommeliten Alpha …

One of the largest hi-tech development projects in Russia, initiated by the government and the Security Council, has come to ruin due to sanctions.

The Angstrem-T microchip plant, which belongs to former Communications Minister Leonid Reiman and has received $1 billion in state financing, is close to bankruptcy.

The company, which received an €815 million credit line from Vnesheconombank (VEB) in 2008 to build a factory in Zelenograd, has not yet even begun repaying the loan. Reuters reports …

On October 18, the State Duma of the Russian Federation adopted a statement on the aggravated situation in Ukraine.

 In this small document in several paragraphs, Ukraine is accused of killing the leader of the so called Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), Alexander Zakharchenko, tearing apart Orthodoxy, ignoring the "will of the fraternal Russian and Ukrainian peoples” in connection with the decision to terminate the Friendship Treaty and, in general, anti-Russian politics.

“The State Duma is …

The US offered to provide the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense with military-technical assistance for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. In part, the US authorities propose to strengthen the Ukrainian Navy with frigates. The appropriate letter was sent to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry through the military attaché of the US embassy, reports the Ukrainian military portal.

It is reported that among other things the Americans are ready to transfer to Ukraine two Oliver Hazard Perry-type frigates which will …

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Russia would not allow NATO vessels to enter the Sea of Azov to participate in the joint exercises with Ukraine.

“Now Ukraine wants to invite NATO to conduct joint exercises in the Sea of Azov, but this will not be possible because our agreement with Ukraine requires mutual consent for the passage of warships into the Sea of Azov,” said Lavrov in his interview with RT France, Paris Match and Le Figaro.

“But they want it, and they are actively …

The US will continue its systematic tightening of sanctions on Russia in order to force the Kremlin to change its policy towards Ukraine, US State Department Special Representative for Ukraine said at the Atlantic Council in Washington on Thursday.

According to Volker, new sanctions will be imposed at a rate of “once every month or two”, in order to increase the pressure on Russia’s leaders.

“We are increasing the pressure in order to force them to negotiate. This includes keeping US …