Putin decides to lend Belarus $600 million

Russian President Vladimir Putin has decided to grant Minsk a $600 million government loan, Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov told reporters on Monday. The funds will be used to refinance the repayment of prior loans issued by Moscow.

Siluanov also noted that, by the end of April, Belarus may also receive a $200 million tranche from the Eurasian Fund for Stabilization and Development (EFSD).

According to the finance minister, the countries are currently discussing the procedures …


Stoltenberg confirms funding for US army depot in Poland

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has confirmed that the alliance will allocate $260 million to the construction of a military storage site for the US forces in Poland, Polish Radio reports.

The base will be located in Powidz, and will house armored vehicles, ammunition and weapons for the American brigade.

Stoltenberg said that this investment from the NATO headquarters is of key significance due to the close proximity of a major military airport.

“This investment in infrastructure in …


Putin and Netanyahu hold telephone conversation to discuss situation in Syria

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a telephone conversation, reported by the Kremlin's press service.

"The issues of bilateral cooperation, including military contacts, as well as the situation in the Middle East region were discussed," the Kremlin reports.

According to the Kremlin, the phone conversation took place at the initiative of the Israeli side.

Earlier, Israeli media reported, citing sources in the government, that Benjamin Netanyahu …


Gazprom CEO sees no obstacles for Nord Stream-2

The head of Gazprom, Alexey Miller, in the interview with the program Moscow. Kremlin. Putin. stated that there are no obstacles for the construction of Nord Stream-2 and promised to complete the laying of two gas lines by the end of 2019, reports RIA Novosti.

“All those statements that have been made lately do not reflect reality. In general, there are no fatal legal obstacles that would make us think that we can not complete the construction of Nord Stream 2 before the end of 2019,” said …


Russia to sell Egypt Su-35 fighter jets for $2 billion

Russia has agreed to sell Cairo several dozen Su-35 multipurpose fighter jets for a price of $2 billion, Kommersant reports, citing two senior managers in the Russian defense industry.

Egypt will also be buying MiG-29M and 29M2 fighters. At present, the Egyptian Air Force is using US-produced F-16s, French Mirage 2000s, Soviet-era MiG-21s and Chinese J-7s.

According to an agreement signed at the end of 2018, Russia will also supply aircraft weaponry. The delivery is scheduled for 2020-2021. …