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Putin invites Lukashenko to lunch for a private chat
Vladimir Putin has invited Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who arrived recently in Moscow, to a meal without any delegations from the two countries, TASS reports.
“I propose this arrangement: we will listen to how our colleagues have been working, and then we will give the delegations another opportunity to talk, and then I want to invite you separately to a New Year’s work lunch,” Putin said.
When speaking about how Russia-Belarus relations have been developing in recent times, …
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Nord Stream 2 construction begins in Sweden’s exclusive economic zone
The Solitaire, a ship working on the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, has begun laying pipes in Sweden’s exclusive economic zone, Aftonbladet reports. The pipes needed for construction will be stored at the Swedish Karshamn Port.
Sveriges Radio reported that the pipe-laying operation in this region will last until summer 2019, and that the Karshamn Port administration has hired 110 extra staff for this period.
Nord Stream AG, the pipeline’s operator company, announced on December 23 that the …
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Israel strikes Iranian military bases in Syria
According Syrian sources, Israeli aircraft entered Lebanese airspace at low altitude and then carried a missile attack on military facilities near Damascus. At least three Syrian soldiers were injured during the attack.
The Syrian state agency SANA confirmed that the air attack was carried out by the Israeli Air Force. According to SANA, some of the missiles were intercepted, but several Syrian soldiers were injured.
SANA, citing a source in the Syrian Army, reports that air defense responded …
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Russian military industry cut off from US dollar
US sanctions have led to the Russian military-industrial complex being cut off from dollar transactions, reports finanz.ru.
Although the portfolio of orders of the Russian state-owned arms exporter Rosoboronexport is estimated at $50 billion, the sale of weapons abroad does not bring in hard currency – the deals are made in rupees, yuans and rubles, which are harder to use to pay for imports.
Major defense contracts to supply S-400 systems have to be maintained outside the global dollar …
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Ukraine calls on international community to increase pressure on Russia after Kremlin sentences four Crimean Tatars
In a statement published on the website of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry after the decision of the North Caucasian District Military Court of the Russian Federation, which sentenced four Ukrainian citizens on charges of terrorism, Ukraine called on the international community to increase pressure on Russia “to stop the violation of human rights” in the Crimea and to release Ukrainian prisoners.
According to Russian court, Enver Mamutov was sentenced to 17 years, and Rustem Abiltarov, Remzi …