Lavrov: Russia never asked to be allowed back into the G8
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that Russia never asked to be allowed back into the Group of Eight (G8) and considers the Group of Twenty (G20) as the most promising format for the future.
"We never asked to be allowed back," Lavrov said on Russia's Channel One, Interfax reports. He said that when Western partners decided that Russia would be excluded from the summit and that they would return to the G7 format, Moscow accepted "their decision."
"We have been working well in …
Putin says he is waiting for Trump to fulfill his campaign promise regarding Russia
During the TV program News on Saturday with Sergey Brilev, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that he expects US President Donald Trump to fulfill his campaign promise regarding the improvement of Russian-American relations, Interfax reports.
“One of the [campaign] promises was to improve Russian-American relations,” Putin stated. “I hope that it will also happen. We are ready for this. The ball, I think, is on the American side, it is in their court.”
Putin stressed: “We are ready for the …
US sends four military refueling aircraft to Ukraine
The US Air Force dispatched four Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker tankers to the airport near Lviv to participate in the exercises, the US Air Force website in Europe and Africa reports.
In addition to the aircraft, about 150 aircrew and ground support personnel arrived in Ukraine. "The KC-135 deployment to Ukraine is a part of the US strategy to defend European Allies, enhance security in Eastern Europe and increase the level of military understanding between Allies and partners," the statement …
Russia voices demands ahead of Normandy Format meeting
The Russian Foreign Ministry (MFA) will demand the withdrawal of forces from Stanytsia Luhanska and the documentation of the Steinmeier formula at a meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the Normandy Four on June 11.
"Without implementing the process in Stanytsia Luhanska, Ukrainian security forces are significantly strengthening their positions near the settlements of Zolote and Petrivske, from which them and the Donbas militia withdrew troops and equipment in the autumn of 2016," stated the …
Kremlin: the meeting of Putin and Trump can take place in Vienna
On Saturday, Dmitry Peskov stated that in March, Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump discussed the possibility of meeting, and Vienna was mentioned as a prospective location.
Peskov, who is accompanying Putin in the regional summit in Qingdao, China, noted that the decision for both meeting and location has not yet been decided.
According to the Kremlin’s press secretary, there have been no specific arrangements or negotiations made yet.
Russian presidential aide …