Russia

May 14 (Reuters) - Moscow will take adequate precautionary measures if NATO deploys nuclear forces and infrastructure closer to Russia's border, Russian news agencies quoted Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko as saying on Saturday.

"It will be necessary to respond ... by taking adequate precautionary measures that would ensure the viability of deterrence," Interfax agency quoted Grushko as saying.

Moscow has no hostile intentions towards Finland and Sweden and does not see "real" reasons for those two countries to be joining the NATO alliance, Grushko added.

May 14 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin told his Finnish counterpart Sauli Niinisto on Saturday that ditching neutrality and joining NATO would be a mistake that could damage relations between their two countries, the Kremlin said.

The two countries said their presidents spoke by phone two days after Finland declared its intention to join the Western alliance. Moscow has described that as a security threat that will require it to respond, but has not specified how.

MOSCOW, May 13. /TASS/: Russia’s COVID-19 case tally rose by 4,896 over the past day to 18,250,290, the anti-coronavirus crisis center reported on Friday.

In relative terms, the growth rate reached 0.03%.

As many as 2,506 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 in Russia over the past day, down 25.3% from a day earlier. The number of hospitalized patients decreased in 58 regions, while in 20 regions the figure increased. The situation remained unchanged in seven regions. A day earlier, 3,353 people were rushed to hospitals.

MOSCOW, May 13. /TASS/: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday in a telephone conversation with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz once again discussed the situation in Ukraine, including the course of talks between Moscow and Kiev delegations, the Kremlin press service said.

MOSCOW, May 13. /TASS/: There are no plans to stop Russian gas supplies to Finland from Friday, May 13, reports from Finnish media are "another newspaper hoax", Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday.

"Gazprom supplies gas to various consumers in Europe, including countries - members of NATO. Gazprom has repeatedly shown its reliability as a company that supplies energy resources to the European continent. Therefore, these reports are most likely just another newspaper hoax," Peskov said.

MOSCOW, May 13. /TASS/: Russian President Vladimir Putin has extended his condolences over the death of President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Kremlin press service said on Friday.

According to the Kremlin press service, the telegrams on condolences were sent to Crown Prince of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, Deputy Supreme Commander of the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed bin Al Nahyan, and to Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

May 13 (Reuters) - A former commander of pro-Russian forces in eastern Ukraine accused Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu on Friday of "criminal negligence" over Moscow's stuttering military campaign in Ukraine.

"I directly accuse Sergei Shoigu of, at minimum, criminal negligence," Igor Girkin said in a video interview posted on his Telegram channel. "I have no grounds to accuse him of treason, but I would suspect it."

MOSCOW, May 12. /TASS/: The culpability for the global consequences of sanctions against Russia, including possible hunger in a number of countries, rests with Western countries who for the sake of their domination are ready to sacrifice the rest of the world, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting on economic issues on Thursday.

MOSCOW, May 11. /TASS/: Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Wednesday explained why some news outlets including foreign agent the Meduza were excluded from the Kremlin press pool.

He said the Meduza stopped being a Russian news medium, and it doesn’t have Foreign Ministry accreditation as a foreign publication.

"The Meduza essentially stopped having any ties with Russia, meaning it’s not a Russian news medium. They don’t have accreditation," Peskov told reporters.

MOSCOW, May 11. /TASS/: Polish Ambassador to Russia Krzysztof Krajewski was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday, where he was notified that Moscow expected official apologies from the Polish authorities in connection with an attack on Russian Ambassador to Poland Sergey Andreyev on May 9.

"Krajewski was notified that the Russian side expects official apologies from the Polish leadership in connection with the incident and demands to ensure the safety of the Russian ambassador and all employees of the Russian foreign missions in Poland," the ministry reported.