Russia

MOSCOW, March 8. /TASS/: Russia and Turkey would like to hold a four-party meeting at the level of deputy foreign ministers in Moscow next week, but so far there has been no response from Syria and Iran, Russia’s special presidential representative for the Middle East and African Countries, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov told TASS.

MOSCOW, March 8. /TASS/: The US and the UK are using the tactics of controlled leaks in the issue of the Nord Stream explosions in a bid to build an agenda that suits them, but the truth will come out, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement on Wednesday.

"Washington and London follow the beaten path of using controlled leaks in this matter, shaping up the agenda that suits them," she said. "But the truth will come out, I’m sure," the diplomat said on Telegram.

MOSCOW, March 7. /TASS/: Russia will not recognize any "price cap" on its oil and has taken steps to ensure that its interests are not harmed, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Tuesday.

The Kremlin spokesman was asked to comment on Amos Hochstein, Senior Energy Security Adviser at the US State Department, who said the cap on Russian oil prices imposed by the G7 and a number of its allies is "working."

MOSCOW, March 7. /TASS/: Russia can see no prerequisites for peace in Ukraine, so it continues to attain its goals by conducting the special military operation, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Tuesday.

"The special military operation is ongoing. There are no prerequisites for transition to peace in this situation. Therefore, Russia has been achieving its tasks and goals by continuing the special op," he said, commenting on whether Beijing’s peace proposals could amend the situation.

MOSCOW, March 7. /TASS/: The challenging situation for Russia evolved amid sanctions can be a step towards further sovereignization of the country, President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday at the meeting with Sberbank CEO Herman Gref.

"Certainly, there would be no fortune but misfortune helped: this is nevertheless a strong step towards further sovereignization, growth of our economic and financial sovereignty; this is very important," the head of state said.

MOSCOW, March 7 (Reuters) - Russia said on Tuesday that the United States was driving the war in Ukraine, saying China's foreign minister was joking when he said an "invisible hand" was to blame.

In effusive comments on China's stature in world affairs, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also said Moscow was paying close attention to a 12-point peace plan for Ukraine that Beijing published last month.

7 Mar 2023; MEMO: The United Arab Emirates has been taking more cargoes of Russian crude oil, according to ship tracking data and trading sources, in another example of how Western sanctions on Russia have adjusted traditional energy trade flows, Reuters reports.

MOSCOW, March 6. /TASS/: The further strengthening of relations with the countries of the Islamic world is among the priority areas of Russia’s foreign policy, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday.

"Russia, the biggest Eurasian power, a state, a civilization, maintains good, fair, mutually respectful relations with all countries of the Islamic world," he said at a meeting of the Russia - Islamic World Strategic Vision Group. "Their (the relations - TASS) further development is among the continuing priorities of Russia’s foreign policy."

MOSCOW, March 6. /TASS/: Argentina is justifiably fighting to regain sovereignty over the Malvinas (Falklands) Islands, which are still considered a British overseas territory, Dmitry Medvedev, deputy head of the Russian Security Council and chairman of the United Russia Party, said.

He recalled that Argentina had withdrawn from its agreement with the United Kingdom governing administrative and economic activities on the Malvinas.

MOSCOW, March 6. /TASS/: Russia is deeply concerned about escalating tensions in Nagorno-Karabakh and is calling on the sides to exercise restraint, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement on Monday.

"We express serious concern about the escalating tensions in the zone of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. There have been repeated ceasefire violations in recent days. An armed incident that took place on March 5 resulted in the loss of life on both the Armenian and Azerbaijani sides," the diplomat said.