Russia

MOSCOW (AP) — Britain’s top diplomat urged Russia on Thursday to defuse tensions over Ukraine and take the path of diplomacy even as thousands of Russian troops engaged in sweeping maneuvers in Belarus as part of a military buildup near Ukraine that has fueled Western fears of an invasion.

U.K. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss again warned Russia that attacking its neighbor would “have massive consequences and carry severe costs,” urging Moscow to abide by its international agreements that commit it to respecting Ukraine’s independence and sovereignty.

MOSCOW, February 9. /TASS/: UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss arrived in Moscow Wednesday, the UK embassy in Moscow said on Twitter.

"[Secretary Liz Truss] has arrived in Moscow for a meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov to discuss the situation around Ukraine," the embassy tweeted.

Earlier, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that the sides will discuss European security and legally binding long-term security guarantees during the February 10 talks.

MOSCOW, February 9. /TASS/: American diplomats are leaving Russia in accordance with Moscow's reciprocal demands, with the reduction of embassy staff continuing due to Washington's actions, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told journalists on Wednesday.

"The American side follows our instructions. Unfortunately, the process of reducing the number of employees on both sides continues. This is not our choice, but people from the American embassy are leaving following those demands that we presented," he said.

MOSCOW, February 9. /TASS/: Tensions in Ukraine will remain in place until Kiev starts talks with the self-proclaimed republics of Donetsk and Lugansk, Russian envoy to the UN, Vasily Nebenzya, said on Rossiya 24 television.

"Until our partners in Kiev come to the conclusion that dialogue with Donbass is the only way to resolve the conflict in Ukraine, of course, the situation will remain as it is," he said.

The envoy insisted that in order to resolve the Ukrainian conflict, Kiev must implement the full range of measures set forth in the Minsk agreements.

MOSCOW, February 9. /TASS/: Russian officials for various reasons won’t attend the Munich Security Conference that’s taking place on February 18-20, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a news conference on Wednesday.

"As far as the Russian Foreign Ministry is aware, Russian officials for various reasons won’t attend the Munich Security Conference on security policy that’s taking place on February 18-20 this year," she said.

MOSCOW, February 9. /TASS/: Washington's statements make it clear that the United States wants the Minsk Agreements to be revised even though it may undermine the peace process in Ukraine, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing on Wednesday.

She pointed to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's remark that the implementation of the Minsk Agreements required "the appropriate sequencing."

MOSCOW, Feb 9 (Reuters) - Russia launches the active phase of vast military exercises in Belarus on Thursday, a display of strength that shows how Moscow's tightening grip on Minsk has given it enhanced capabilities in its standoff with the West over Ukraine.

The joint Allied Resolve drills that NATO has described as Russia's biggest deployment to ex-Soviet Belarus since the Cold War run until Feb. 20 and are part of a Russian troop buildup near Ukraine that has stirred fears of a looming invasion.

MOSCOW, February 8. /TASS/: The Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline can ensure Germany's leadership in the European economy for decades to come, and it is important for German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to maintain it, Valdai discussion club program director Timofey Bordachev told TASS.

The expert drew attention to the joint press conference of Scholz and US President Joe Biden on Monday following their talks in Washington.

MOSCOW/ISTANBUL, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Six Russian warships are heading to the Black Sea from the Mediterranean for naval drills, the Interfax news agency cited Russia's Defence Ministry as saying on Tuesday, in what it said was a pre-planned movement of military resources.

Russia announced last month its navy would stage a sweeping set of exercises involving all its fleets in January and February, from the Pacific to the Atlantic, in the latest show of strength in a surge of military activity during a standoff with the West over Ukraine. 

MOSCOW (AP) — Belarus’ authoritarian president said Tuesday he has no intention of sending troops to Syria to serve alongside Russian forces in the country but held the door open for a potential deployment of military medics there.

President Alexander Lukashenko’s comment followed the publication of a draft agreement between Russia and Belarus that envisages the deployment of up to 200 Belarusian military personnel to Syria.