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Secret Syrian deal between Russia and Turkey uncovered
Russia and Turkey have signed secret agreements regarding Syria. Confirmation of this was given in Turkish parliament, reports the Russian news outlet Rambler.ru. Ünal Çeviköz, vice president of the primary opposition force in the country – the Republican People’s Party – has obtained documents confirming that closed-door agreements have been signed between the countries. Moscow has supposedly agreed to allow forces loyal to Turkey to attack the Kurdish armed groups.
Çeviköz managed to get …
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Ukrainian troops destroy pro-Russian military base in Donbas
A week before the so-called "harvest ceasefire" was declared in the Donbass, the military of the 54th Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces destroyed and damaged more than 20 units of military equipment of the pro-Russian militants. The 54th brigade has published a video of this operation.
"So, July 2019, a week before the announcement of the ceasefire. The brigade receives information from the headquarters of Joint Forces Command North: tomorrow, the enemy plans to strike …
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Documents showing Turkey’s plans to join Russian SWIFT alternative found in dump near Moscow
In July, Russia and Turkey held urgent negotiations on the possibility of connecting Turkish companies and banks to the Bank of Russia’s System for Transfer of Financial Messages (SPFS), an alternative to the internationally used SWIFT system.
On Monday, the Telegram channel Baza published photos of documents found at a dump near Moscow, one of which mentions nogatiations conducted by the Russian Finance Ministry to organize payments in national currencies, including support for the Russian “ …
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Russia promises to start developing intermediate and short-range missiles
Russia will develop intermediate and short-range missiles, but will not deploy them unless the US does, said Russian President Vladimir Putin at a press conference after talks with Finnish President Sauli Niinistö.
According to the TASS news agency, Putin said that Russia has not yet heard a reaction from the US or Europe. The Russian president mentioned the US’s testing of sea-based Tomahawk missiles adapted to be fired from the land. Putin also claimed that these rockets can be fired from …
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Germany refuses to reinstate Russia in G8
The German government has rejected a proposal by the presidents of France and the US to invite Russia to the Group of Seven (G7) summit in 2020. According to Steffen Seibert, official spokesperson for the German government, Moscow needs to show that it is willing to change its stance on the conflict in eastern Ukraine. Only after that will the Seven consider inviting Russia, DPA reports.
Ahead of a visit to Moscow on Wednesday, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said that he has “fundamentally …
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Putin: Moscow can live without membership in Council of Europe
At the press conference after talks with Finnish President Sauli Niinistö , Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia doesn't want to participate in the Council of Europe at any cost, and if other members don't want to see Russia there, Moscow can live without membership in this organization.
Finnish journalist, addressed Putin and pointed out that Moscow does not comply with the rules of the organization. The journalist reminded of dispersal of protests in Moscow. Putin replied that …
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Russia may release Ukrainian sailors detained in Kerch Strait by end of August
The exchange of detainees between Russia and Ukraine will take place before the end of August, including sailors detained in the Kerch Strait in November, reports the newspaper Kommersant .
According to the publication, the lists of detainees are still under review. In addition to sailors, other detainees could be transferred to Ukraine. It is unknown whether Russia considers the possibility of transfer to Ukraine the imprisoned director Oleg Sentsov, who was sentenced in Russia to 20 years of …
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Before his visit to Ukraine Finland’s President discuss Donbas with Putin
President of Finland Sauli Niinistö, before his visit to Ukraine, discussed the conflict settlement in the Donbas with Russian President Vladimir Putin, reports EuroIntegration news outlet.
"We had a little talk about Ukraine. I am going to visit Ukraine in a few weeks, and as far as I understand, certain practical initiatives are implemented, and practical work is being carried out. For my part, I will support this process," he said.
Niinistö added that Helsinki had made efforts to return …
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Kremlin offers to facilitate dialog between Iran and Israel
Russia is ready to help Iran and Israel establish a dialogue, RIA Novosti reports, citing "a source in Russian diplomatic circles."
"Our vision regarding how to address security issues in the region is completely different. Instead of demonizing one state, one force, we believe that the interests of all should be taken into account. And when the interests of all countries in the region are taken into account, a collective dialogue is the way that will lead to strengthening security," the …
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Russia and Turkey nearly start a war in Syrian airspace
Russian Su-35S fighters may have intercepted Turkish F-16s and forced the Turkish pilots to leave Syrian airspace. Al-Masdar News reports that the F-16s were 30-40 kilometers into Syrian airspace in the Idlib region, after which they returned to Turkish airspace.
The fact that Turkish fighters entered Syrian airspace and yet returned so quickly could indicate that the F-16 pilots received a warning from the Russian Aerospace Forces, or detected the incoming Russian aircraft on their radars, Al- …