• Lavrov: Turkey is not Russia’s strategic ally

    Russia does not and has never considered Turkey a strategic ally, said Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in an interview with Russian radio stations.

    According to him, Russia does not share Turkey's view on the possibility of a military solution to the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh and considers the presence of Turkey’s troops in Syria illegitimate.

    "We have never looked at Turkey as our strategic ally, it is a partner, very close partner. On many fronts, this partnership is strategic, …

  • Russia withdraws from consultations with the Netherlands and Austria over MH17 plane crash

    Russia withdrew from trilateral consultations with the Netherlands and Australia on the crash of Malaysian Boeing over the Donbas in July 2014, said the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

    The Ministry stated that the "hostile acts by the Netherlands have made any continuation of the trilateral consultations and our participation senseless," Earlier, the Netherlands filed an interstate complaint against Russia in the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) over the crash of flight MH17.

    "We …

  • Russia to lift sanctions from some Ukrainian companies

    Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin has proposed lifting sanctions imposed againats several Ukrainian companies. His initiative was supported by Russian President Vladimir Putin, reported RIA Novosti.

    It is expected that the restrictions will be removed from three companies - Bratslav (produces milking machines), Rubezhansky cardboard plant (produces corrugated cardboard) and Barsky machine-building plant (produces central heating boilers).

    Putin noted that it was not Moscow that " …

  • German airport workers refuse to service Lukashenko’s plane

    Lufthansa Technik employees refused to service the plane of the self-proclaimed president of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, reports the Belarusian news outlet Nasha Niva.

    It is noted that a Boeing 737 with registration number EW-001PA landed at Hamburg airport. After that, the local trade union issued a statement saying that the airliner belonged to "the same Lukashenko that gave the order to shoot at demonstrators in Belarus."

    "We, Lufthansa Technik’s activists , do not forget the long …

  • Putin expresses concern to Erdogan over Syrian militants in Nagorno-Karabakh

    Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a telephone conversation with Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, expressed "serious concern" over the involvement of militants from the Middle East.

    The telephone conversation between Putin and Erdogan took place at the initiative of the Turkish side. The main topic of discussion was the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh. "Hopefully Turkey, as a member of the OSCE Minsk Group, will make a constructive contribution …

  • EU and UK impose sanctions on Russia over Navalny’s poisoning

    The European Union has imposed sanctions on six individuals and one Russian legal entity in connection with the poisoning of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, reported the press service of the Council of the EU.

    Restrictive measures have been imposed on the director of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation Alexander Bortnikov, the First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Administration, Sergey Kiriyenko, and four other high-ranking Russian officials.

    EU sanctions have …

  • Norway accuses Russia of cyber attack on its parliament

    In a statement published on the website of the Norwegian government, Foreign Minister Ine Marie Eriksen Soreide said that Norway’s authorities suspected Russia of orchestrating a cyber attack on the country’s parliament.

    According to Eriksen Soreide, the attack took place on August 24. The Norwegian Security Service and intelligence services are investigating the incident.

    "This is a serious event that has affected the most important institution of our democracy," the Minister said. "Based on …

  • Russia threatens to sever ties with the European Union

    EU's leaders do not have enough respect to engage in dialogue with Russia, that is why it is time to renegotiate relations with the EU, stated Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, speaking at the Valdai Discussion Club.

    According to him, "it is time for Russia to stop looking back at the opinion and assessments of the European Union."

    "These are people who are responsible for foreign policy in the West and they do not understand the need for mutually respectful conversation. Perhaps we …

  • British Secret Intelligence Service warns Ukrainian President of Russian moles in his entourage

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held a secret meeting with the head of the British intelligence service MI6 Richard Moore. They discussed the situation with corruption in Ukraine and the entourage of the Ukrainian President, both official and informal, reported the Ukrainian publication Dzerkalo Tyzhnia (the Mirror Weekly), citing a credible source.

    Dzerkalo Tyzhnia notes that the presence of the British intelligence Head service was caused by the desire of Her Majesty's Cabinet to …

  • Ukraine to consider sanctions against Lukashenko after they are finalized by EU

    Ukraine will join the first round of EU sanctions against the Belarusian authorities, but the decision on personal sanctions against Alexander Lukashenko has not been taken yet, said Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba at a press conference.

    "Our position on the crisis in Belarus is consistent and clear. We have supported the relevant EU statements. With regard to the sanctions that have already been imposed, we will join them. Regarding any new sanctions, we will act on an agreed …