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Ahead of Zapad-2017 military exercises Germany and France condemn Russia for 'strategy of intimidation'
Germany and France have criticized the future joint Zapad-2017 military exercises by Russia and Belarus, saying that Moscow is trying to demonstrate its military strength near the border with the EU and NATO.
"It is particularly important in this context that we reaffirm our presence in the face of...this demonstration the Russians are making, which is a strategy of intimidation," French Defense Minister Florence Parly said on September 7, as part of an informal meeting of the defense …
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Russia: Introduction of peacekeepers in Donbas must be coordinated with DPR and LPR
According to the Kremlin, the DPR’s (Donetsk People’s Republic) and LPR’s (Luhansk People’s Republic) consent must be one of the conditions for peacekeeping forces to be deployed in the Donbas.
The Kremlin’s position was voiced by Dmitry Peskov, press secretary to the Russian president, RBC reports.
“The conflict in south-eastern Ukraine is something to be negotiated primarily between Kyiv and the authorities of the unrecognized republics – LPR and DPR. This is, perhaps, the core modality …
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Russia’s VTB Bank admits it has difficulties selling its subsidiaries in Ukraine
The Russian banking group VTB cannot sell two of its subsidiary banks in Ukraine: VTB and BM Bank. This was stated on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum by the head of VTB, Andrey Kostin.
"We will reduce the size of business and expenses, sell the assets little by little, take back loans, and sell all kinds of collateral. And withdraw from there. No one will allow anything to be sold there, probably," Kostin said.
VTB Group in May last year announced its intention to sell Ukrainian …
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India walks away from buying two oil deposits from Russia’s oil giant Rosneft
India refused Rosneft's offer to buy five additional oilfields in the Vankor cluster (Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia), reported Indian newspaper The Economic Times citing sources familiar with the negotiations.
"We do not want to put all of our eggs in one basket. Russia can continue to offer oil deposits, but we cannot accept all proposals," the source said. "We have invested enough in Russia, so, there is no need to close this deal urgently. There are other attractive opportunities for investment …
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Head of Crimea calls the prices and quality of fuel on the peninsula unacceptable
The Kremlin-appointed head of the Crimea, Sergey Aksyonov, is dissatisfied with the fuel prices and quality at gas stations on the peninsula, as indicated in a Facebook post he made on September 6th.
Aksyonov noted that the 95 RON gasoline is not carried by some gas stations in Crimea. "The cost of 95 RON gasoline on average is 43 rubles 30 kopeks ($0.76), 98 RON gasoline - 47 rubles ($0.82). In the neighboring regions of the Russian Federation, fuel prices are 10% lower," he wrote.
The …