Tokyo would like the peace treaty negotiations with Russia to be concluded as soon as possible, said Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono in a press conference in Sapporo, Hokkaido, after returning from a visit to Moscow.

The foreign minister stressed the importance of finding an arrangement that satisfies both parties.

“We would like to conclude these negotiations as quickly as possible, taking into account the old age of the former inhabitants of the four northern islands. We must conclude …

The Ukrainian Deputy Minister of Defense for European Integration, Anatoliy Petrenko, stated Russian warships are blocking the maritime economic zones of Ukraine, reports the press service of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry.

He noted that the control of the Kerch Strait passage remains the prerogative of Russia which violates international law regarding free civil shipping.

“The Russian Federation is especially active in the western part of the Black Sea, namely around the illegally seized our …

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said that the damage caused to Belarusian companies by the “dirty” Russian oil in the Druzhba pipeline runs into the hundreds of millions of dollars, BelTA reports.

“Journalists frequently mention this figure, and they are not far from the truth,” Lukashenko commented.

The president explained that the assessment of the damage takes into account several factors. “The damage caused to the oil pipeline, the equipment itself in the pipeline – the pumps …