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Estonia expels Russian-backed Orthodox church leader over security concerns
Estonia has decided not to renew the residency permit of the head of the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, Metropolitan Yevgeny (secular name Valery Reshetnikov). The cleric, who holds Russian citizenship, is required to leave the country by February 6 when his current residence permit expires, according to reporting by Delfi, citing the Estonian Police and Border Guard Board.
The Ministry of Interior officials have repeatedly spoken with the Metropolitan, urging him to …
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Turkish banks suspend transactions with Russian counterparts amid US sanctions threats
Turkish banks are universally halting operations with Russian counterparts, reported the newspaper Kommersant, citing financial market sources and foreign trade participants.
According to the newspaper, Turkish banks have severed correspondent relationships with nearly all Russian financial institutions as well as suspended payment processing without formally terminating the contracts. The only exception has been made for the subsidiaries of foreign banks in Russia.
Kommersant sources say the …
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Macron announces upcoming Kyiv visit and enhanced military support for Ukraine
French President Emmanuel Macron has announced his intention to visit Kyiv and sign a security guarantee agreement, along with providing Ukraine with an additional 40 long-range SCALP missiles and other military assistance.
According to Macron, he is working with Kyiv on a bilateral security guarantee agreement expected to be signed within a few weeks. The French President also revealed that France was going to supply about 40 SCALP missiles, several hundred bombs, and CAESAR self-propelled …
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Pressure mounts on German Chancellor to supply Ukraine with Taurus long-range missiles
Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz is facing increased pressure from the opposition CDU/CSU bloc to supply Ukraine with Taurus long-range missiles, as announced by CDU chairman Friedrich Merz. The conservatives plan to call a parliamentary vote on the issue following a report by the Bundestag's armed forces commissioner Eva Högl, said Merz on Tuesday, January 16.
Looking at the worsening situation in Ukraine, Merz said that "there are no prospects" for the Ukrainian army to repel Russian forces …
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Media: Finnish companies continue exporting defense-related components to Russia despite sanctions
Russia continues to receive components and equipment that are used in its defence industry from Finland, an investigation by the public broadcaster Yle has revealed.
Around 20 companies that exported components potentially used in the defence industry to Russia were uncovered by journalists. The report points to small logistics firms with Russian-linked owners and offices predominantly located in tiny spaces in the southeast part of the country, near major logistics hubs.
One company supplied …