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EU fails to impose new sanctions on Russia over the Kerch Strait incident
Germany considers Russia’s claims to the Sea of Azov inappropriate, Chancellor Angela Merkel told Bundestag deputies on Wednesday. She stated that Russia’s seizure of three Ukrainian Navy ships in the Kerch Strait was “a cause for concern.”
“Let us call things by their proper names. We do not accept Russia’s actual claims to the Sea of Azov,” Merkel stated. Nevertheless, Germany rejected the idea of new sanctions for the Kerch incident. At the EU Summit on December 13, Berlin will advocate the …
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Russian Tu-160 strategic bombers fly over Caribbean Sea with Venezuelan F-16 fighter jets
The two Russian Tu-160 strategic bombers which arrived in Venezuela earlier this week have made a roughly 10-hour flight over the Caribbean Sea, the Russian Defense Ministry reported on Wednesday evening.
The Defense Ministry’s report notes that the Tu-160 missile carriers were accompanied at certain stages of the route by Su-30 fighters as well as F-16s from the Venezuelan Air Force. During the flights, pilots from both countries practiced cooperating in the air.
The Russian military …
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China wants to buy Siberian river water from Russia
China is hoping to solve its water deficit in a number of regions with Russia’s help. The Chinese Association for Exchanges and Collaboration between Russia, Eastern Europe, Central Asia and China has already sent the corresponding letter to Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.
One of the options proposed by China is an intergovernmental project to divert water from Russia’s Altai Krai to western China through Kazakhstan. The construction of the water pipeline would cost an estimated $80 …
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Putin expresses sympathy for Russian agent Butina detained in the US
At a meeting of the Human Rights Council in Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin commented on the case of the Russian woman Maria Butina arrested in the USA. According to Putin, Russian special services do not know anything about her.
“But this girl Butina, how unfortunate, she is in prison, she faces 15 years. For what?” stated the Russian President.
He added that after he heard about Butina’s arrest, he asked Russian special services leaders about her. “Who is she? Nobody knows anything …
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The US considers imposing sanctions on Russia for violations of religious freedoms
During a telephone briefing with journalists, United States Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Samuel Brownback confirmed that the US government may impose sanctions on Russia because of violations religious freedom. "They [ the Russian authorities] really… intensified their oppression," said Brownback while speaking of Russian authorities and religious freedoms, as quoted by TASS.
The briefing was held after US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo’s recent decision to assign …