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State Department: Syria talks are dragging on because Russia rejected previous agreements
The United States did not make the progress that President Barack Obama was hoping for in the negotiations with Russia about Syria, despite, according to him, working around the clock. “This is a very difficult matter,” he told reporters on Sunday, September 4. The US State Department said that the agreement was close to a conclusion, but it was again postponed due to a number of issues about which Russia renounced previously-reached arrangements.
“The Russians have returned to their previous …
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Latvian National Armed Forces spotted Russian submarines, warships and aircraft near its borders
The representatives of the Latvian National Armed Forces reported that warships and submarines belonging to the Russian Navy were again spotted in the exclusive economic zone of Latvia. On the 3rd of September, Russian Kilo-class and Finik-class submarines were spotted at 10 nautical miles from the border of Latvia’s territorial waters. A Russian Kashtan-class SS-750 warship was also spotted at 20 nautical miles from the border of Latvia’s territorial waters.Russian Tu-134 aircraft and two Su-27 …
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Latvian Foreign Minister: Debate about lifting sanctions on Russia was premature
It’s too early to discuss abolishing the EU sanctions against Russia, said the head of the Latvian Foreign Ministry, Edgars Rinkēvičs, during an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in Bratislava, as reported by the press service of the Foreign Ministry of Latvia.
Rinkēvičs stressed that it was premature to talk about lifting sanctions against Russia and it is necessary to continue efforts to achieve full implementation of the Minsk agreements. In addition, the Latvian minister expressed …
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German media: Steinmeier is making a mistake by seeking rapprochement with Russia
The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper published a commentary by political observer Reinhard Veser, who evaluated the statements of German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier regarding a possible rapprochement of the West with Moscow.
“Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier has put himself in an ambiguous position. Through a variety of statements all summer he was creating the impression that the common position of the German authorities on the Russian aggression in Ukraine is in …
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Russia's Caucasus 2016 military exercises begin
Russia’s Caucasus 2016 military exercises have begun, involving the entire Southern Military District, the Crimea, and the Black Sea and Caspian fleets, Reuters reported. A total of 12,500 troops are expected to take part.
Last week, Russia conducted a series of combat readiness checks in the lead up to the exercises.
The Russian Defense Ministry said Caucasus 2016 is the last major military exercise of the year. It is scheduled to end on September 10th.
An unspecified number of aircraft, …