• US denies visas to Russian Finance and Foreign Ministry officials

    Russia and the US are on the brink of another visa scandal. For the second time this year, a delegation of Russian officials was denied visas and was thus unable to fly to Washington, the Russian embassy to the US reported on Wednesday.

    On December 3, representatives of Russia’s Federal Treasury planned to attend a conference of the International Institute on Regulation of the Auditing Profession. However, they did not receive visas in time.

    Last week, the US Department of State also did not …

  • Germany expels Russian diplomats following murder in Berlin linked to Kremlin

    Germany has expelled two Russian embassy employees following the murder of the Georgian citizen Zelimkhan Khangoshvili in Berlin, which Berlin suspects was orchestrated by the Russian government.

    Two Russian diplomats have been declared personae non gratae in accordance with article 9 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of April 18, 1961, Interfax reported, citing a spokesperson of Germany’s Foreign Ministry. “This status becomes effective immediately,” the diplomat clarified. …

  • Russian S-400 missile systems deployed in Turkey will not become part of NATO air defense

    NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said that the Alliance is searching for a solution in connection with Turkey's purchase of Russian S-400 missile systems, reports RIA Novosti.

    According to Stoltenberg, Russian anti-aircraft missile systems will not be integrated into the overall Alliance's air defense, as they technically cannot function together.

    NATO is currently discussing how to combine the presence of American Patriot and Russian-made S-400 missile defense systems.

    The supply of …

  • Russia and Turkey establish new military bases in Syria

    The Russian Armed Forces have established a new military base in northern Syria after reaching an agreement with the Syrian Democratic Forces, which consists primarily of Kurdish fighters.

    According to the Lebanese newspaper Al-Masdar News, the base was established in the border city of Amuda in the Al Hasakah Governorate. As the new facility was being built, heavy vehicles started to arrive. The base will reportedly serve as an observation point for the Turkish border.

    At present, the …

  • Putin announces navy upgrades in light of ‘NATO threat’

    In response to “threats from NATO”, the Russian Navy will continue to undergo modernization, said Russian President Vladimir Putin at a military meeting in Sochi, RBC reports. By the end of 2019, the navy will have acquired more than 480 new vehicles and weapons.

    “Today we must assume that NATO’s expansion, the development of its military infrastructure near Russia’s borders, is one of the potential threats to the security of our country. For this reason, we have been and will continue to pay …