Andriy Kobolyev, CEO of Naftogaz of Ukraine, has commented on the statements by Russian President Vladimir Putin and his press secretary Dmitry Peskov that the reciprocal lawsuits should be dropped before Russia and Ukraine sign a new gas transit contract.

According to Kobolyev, Russia essentially wants Ukraine to waive a $22 billion claim, without Russia taking any equivalent steps.

“For Naftogaz, continuing the transit of Russian gas is a strategic task. But this problem must be viewed in …

Russian President Vladimir Putin convened a session of the Russian Language Council in the Kremlin on Tuesday, during which he ordered the preparation of a “corpus of dictionaries and grammars” that will enshrine the linguistic norms that are mandatory for state organs and the media. He also approved a bill to establish a replacement for Wikipedia that is meant to provide Russians with “more reliable” information.

War has been declared against the Russian language by “cave-dwelling Russophobes” …

Ukrainian Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk offered the Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu to intensify opposition to the development of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline in a coordinated manner, reports the press service of the Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers.

Honcharuk said that "it is critical that the EU member states would explain to their citizens the negative effects of the Nord Stream 2 construction project on European energy security." In response, Reinsalu noted the importance of …

During a meeting with the leadership of the Verkhovna Rada and the Government, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that he had ordered the Ukrainian Defense Ministry to implement defense forces management system compliant with NATO standards by the end of 2019, reports the press service of the Ukrainian President.

It is also noted that the Ukrainian Defense Ministry should create new law enforcement body - the Military Police.

"The [Ukrainian] President also considers it necessary for …

Saleh ibn Baz, grandson of the former mufti of Saudi Arabia, Abd al-Aziz ibn Baz, has sharply criticized the leadership of Chechnya and refused to visit the republic. Adam Shahidov, an advisor to Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, had invited Saleh to visit the Chechen Republic in the course of their personal correspondence.

As reported by Kavkaz.Realii, Saleh ibn Baz reacted sharply to Kadyrov’s statement that the Wahhabites killed the supporters of the prophet Muhammad. In response, Shahidov …

Russia is negotiating with Damascus a lease of a military airfield in the city of Qamishli. It is assumed that Russia will deploy there its Middle Eastern missile control center to counter potential US attacks.

Washington can deploy missiles on the territory of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and other countries in the region. The presence of air defense and missile-defense systems in Qamishli will allow Russia to intercept the US missiles long before they reach Russia's territory, reports Avia.Pro …

Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Vasyl Bodnar said in an interview with Ukrinform news outlet that Ottawa and Kyiv are finalizing documents for the shipment of the Canadian sniper rifles to Ukraine.

"The processing of documents for the supply of sniper rifles is in the final stage. The delay was not from the Canadian side, but from the partners supplying the components. We hope, in the next few days or weeks, these weapons will be in Ukraine. It will also help open the doors for further …

Military exercises with the participation of about 4 thousand troops from 11 NATO member countries started in Lithuania, reports the press service of the Lithuanian Armed Forces.

Iron Wolf military drills will last until November 18, and the return of Lithuanian equipment back to the military ranges is scheduled for November 18-22. Soldiers from Germany, Poland, Estonia, the United Kingdom, and the United States will participate in military exercises.

Lithuanian Armed Forces noted that the …