Russia

MOSCOW, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- The next round of Russia-Ukraine peace talks will take place on the Belarusian-Polish border in the coming days, according to Vladimir Medinsky, head of the Russian delegation at the talks held in Belarus, Russia's RIA Novosti news agency reported Monday.

"Most importantly, we agreed to continue the negotiation process, the next meeting will be held in the coming days on the Polish-Belarusian border," Medinsky said after the consultations.

MOSCOW (AP) — The Russian military says its nuclear deterrent forces have been put on high alert in line with President Vladimir Putin’s order.

Moscow, Feb 28 (AP) Russia's Central Bank has sharply raised its key rate from 9.5% to 20% in a desperate attempt to shore up the plummeting ruble and prevent the run of banks amid crippling Western sanctions over the Russian war in Ukraine.

MOSCOW, February 26. /TASS/. Russia is capable of taking measures to mitigate the damage from sanctions, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Saturday.

"Immediate measures are certainly being taken in order to mitigate the damage from sanctions and ensure the unhindered operation of all economic sectors and systems," he noted.

Peskov stressed that Russia "has every possibility and potential to do that." "It was created in advance for such situations," the Kremlin spokesman added.

MOSCOW, February 25. /TASS/. Moscow is ready to hold talks at any moment once the Ukrainian Armed Forces lay down their arms, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a press conference following talks with Deputy Foreign Minister of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) Sergey Peresada and Foreign Minister of the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR) Vladislav Deinego on Friday.

MOSCOW, February 26. /TASS/. Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev speculated that Russia may nationalize property of people registered in the US, the EU and other unfriendly jurisdictions amid new anti-Russian sanctions.

He noted that Russia is being threatened with arrests of assets of Russian citizens and companies abroad - "just like that, without any sanctions," "in a carpet fashion," "out of spite." According to the politician, "this must be responded to in a quite symmetric manner."

MOSCOW, February 27. /TASS/. The Ukrainian side has picked Gomel, a city in Belarus, as a venue for talks with Russia, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Sunday.

"The city of Gomel was suggested by the Ukrainian side itself as a venue for talks. As we said, the Russian delegation is ready for these talks," Peskov said.

Russia will not suspend the military operation in Ukraine during the talks with the Ukrainian side, Peskov said.

25 Feb 2022; MEMO: Russia's embassy in Lebanon was surprised by the Lebanese Foreign Ministry statement that condemned the Russian military operations in Ukraine, it said in a statement on its Facebook page, Reuters reports.

"The statement … surprised us by violating the policy of Self-distancing and by taking one side against another in these events, noting that Russia spared no effort in contributing to the advancement and stability of the Lebanese Republic," the statement said.

MOSCOW, Feb 25 (Reuters) - Russia said on Friday it was partially limiting access to Meta Platforms Inc's (FB.O) Facebook, accusing it of "censoring" Russian media, the latest in a series of steps against U.S. social media giants and announced a day after Russia invaded Ukraine.

Moscow has been trying to exert tighter control over the internet and big tech for years, something critics say threatens individual and corporate freedom, and is part of a wider crackdown against outspoken opponents of the Kremlin.

MOSCOW, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- The Russian Defense Ministry said Friday that the Russian Armed Forces have disabled 118 military infrastructure facilities in Ukraine.

Eleven military airfields, 13 command posts and communication centers of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, 14 S-300 and Osa anti-aircraft missile systems, and 36 radar stations were among the facilities put out of order, the ministry's Zvezda broadcaster reported, citing Defense Ministry Spokesman Igor Konashenkov.