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Lavrov: Russian officials do not require Ukraine's permission to visit Crimea
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Russian leaders do not require permission to visit the Crimea, commenting on Ukraine’s protest over Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to the annexed peninsula, TASS reported.
On Wednesday, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry issued a note of protest over Putin’s visit to the Crimea, where he was participating in “Forum for Action” in Yalta.
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine expresses its strong protest to the Ministry of Foreign …
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Germany to deploy Leopard 2 tanks to Lithuania
German Leopard 2 tanks will be deployed to Lithuania along with German soldiers as part of NATO’s plans to create multi-national battalions in the Baltic States and Poland, TASS reported, citing a representative of the German Defense Ministry, Thomas Frueh.
"Indeed, the decision was made to dispatch tanks, but we cannot say what their numerical strength will be," Freuh said.
He also added that the tanks will participate in military exercises, and that their “main aim is to demonstrate their …
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Putin: Russia and Ukraine will find a way to end the current crisis
Russian President Vladimir Putin, while answering questions during a meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club in Sochi, said Russia and Ukraine will find a way to end the current crisis, TASS reported.
"First we were separated and then set against each other. We are partially to blame for that ourselves. Now we are to find a way out of this situation on our own. I am certain that common sense will prevail and we will find a way out,” Putin.
The Russian President also noted that he is not opposed …
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NATO confirmed the presence of Russian warships in the Baltic Sea
BNS reported that according to Dylan White, Press Secretary of NATO, the Alliance has confirmed the entry of two Russian warships into the Baltic Sea. He said the ships may be carrying Kalibr long-range missile systems that are allegedly armed with nuclear warheads. The effective attack range of those missiles is 2,600 kilometers.
The NATO representative noted that Russia is “allowed to act in international waters” but such actions “show yet again Moscow’s military activities near NATO borders. …
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US Intelligence: Russia could attack American aircraft in Syria
The director of national intelligence of the United States, James Clapper, suggested on Tuesday that Vladimir Putin could give the order to shoot down US aircraft to ensure the no-fly zone over Syria if the United States and its allies decide to establish such zones for the protection of civilians.
“I don’t think that they rule out the option of destruction of US aircraft if they think that it poses a threat to their ground forces,” James Clapper said during his speech at the meeting of the …