Russian President Vladimir Putin wished success to Nicolas Maduro, President of Venezuela, whose second term began in the midst of a severe economic crisis, as well as shortage of currency and hyperinflation.

As reported by TASS, at the ceremony of receiving credentials from new ambassadors, Putin wished success to Venezuela in stabilizing the situation in the country.

 “We sincerely wish success to the leadership of the country, our friends in Venezuela and all the people in this country in …

Greece is interested in letting the US deploy new military facilities within its territory, Greek Defense Minister Panos Kammenos said during a meeting with his American counterpart James Mattis, Kathimerini reports.

“It is very important for Greece that the US deploy its military facilities in Greece on a more permanent basis,” he said.

The US would be able to set up its own infrastructure not only in the Port of Souda, but also near the Greek cities of Larissa, Volos and Alexandroupoli, …

Russia recently held large-scale drills for its strategic nuclear forces, Interfax reports, citing the Russian Defense Ministry.

During the exercises, the forces fired combat-training submarine-based ballistic missiles, air-based cruise missiles and guided missiles. The missiles were launched from the waters of the Barents and Okhotsky Seas, as well as from long-range aircraft, which took off from the Engels, Ukrainka and Shaykovka airports in the Amur and Kaluga provinces.

A variety of …

The S-300 anti-air missile systems which Russia has sent to Syria will be operated by Iranian specialists, a source connected to US and Israeli intelligence told DEBKAfile.

The Israeli military intelligence website notes that Russia was clearly planning to let Iranians operate the anti-air defense system all along, since it sent Syria S-300PMU-2 systems, exactly the same model which Iran received from Russia in 2016. Iranian operators are currently being transferred to Syria.

Russia chose to …

Romania is concerned about the increased Russian military activity in the Black Sea. Strengthening European security will be the main topic in January, when this country, in the order of rotation, will take over the European Union presidency, said Romanian Defense Minister Mihai Fifor.

“The Russian Federation is using the Black Sea to move forces into the eastern Mediterranean areas,” stated Mihai Fifor at the international conference hosted by the Aspen Institute.

“The situation has changed …

Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjørn Jagland warned that Russia’s participation in statutory bodies would be terminated if it did not pay its contributions to the OSCE budget in 2019, Evropeyska Pravda reports.

Jagland said that the Committee of Ministers can terminate Russia’s participation in the PACE and Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe in accordance with the statute that imposes restrictions against the State that does not pay membership fees. Russia may …

The Chief Cabinet Secretary of Japan, Yoshihide Suga said that a protest was sent to the embassy in Moscow regarding the military exercises on the Kuril Islands, TASS reports. Suga pointed out to that “the increased presence of the Russian army on the four northern islands contradicts Tokyo’s position on this territorial dispute.”

Japan believes that it’s necessary to solve the territorial problem at its roots. It is determined to conduct “persistent negotiations.” The Sankei Shimbun newspaper …

Ukrainian Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko warned that he will take on Dmytro Firtash next month. "In the coming month, Mister Firtash will have good news for us from the prosecutor’s offices. It will concern regional gas enterprises, chemical factories and enterprises in the temporarily annexed territories,” the Prosecutor General told journalists on Wednesday at the presentation of the strategy of development of the Prosecutor’s Office in the Crimea in 2019 to 2022.

Lutsenko expressed his …