Russia

MOSCOW, Dec 23 (NNN-TASS) – Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, said yesterday that, Moscow hopes that its proposals on security guarantees will be taken seriously by NATO and the United States.

“We will do everything to make sure we are understood, considering the actions we are currently taking, to ensure our defence capability, I hope that we will be taken seriously,” Lavrov said, during an interview.

MOSCOW, Dec 23 (Reuters) - Russia's deployment of tens of thousands of troops to the north, east and south of Ukraine is fuelling fears in Kyiv and Western capitals that Moscow is planning a new attack. Russia denies any such plans.

Western military analysts have suggested that Russia cannot keep such troops deployed where they are indefinitely due to financial and logistical issues and would need to pull them back by the summer of next year.

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin urged the West on Thursday to “immediately” meet Russia’s demand for security guarantees precluding NATO’s expansion to Ukraine, saying the U.S. is “on the threshold of our home.”

Speaking during a marathon annual news conference, the Russian leader welcomed talks with the U.S. that are set to start in Geneva next month as a “positive” move, but warned that Moscow expects the discussion to produce quick results.

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin urged the West on Thursday to move quickly to meet Russia’s demand for security guarantees precluding NATO’s expansion to Ukraine and the deployment of the military alliance’s weapons there.

Speaking during a marathon annual news conference, the Russian leader welcomed talks with the U.S. that are set to start in Geneva next month, but warned the discussion focused on Moscow’s demand needs to produce quick results.

MOSCOW, December 22. /TASS/: Russia may face a shortage of uranium raw materials by 2030-2035, due to depletion of developed deposits, the Natural Resources Ministry said in a report on the state and use of mineral resources in Russia in 2020.

"It possible that a shortage of uranium raw materials suitable for development in the current economic conditions may emerge in Russia by 2030-2035, which is due to the depletion of reserves of developed uranium deposits," the document says.

MOSCOW, December 22. / TASS /: Russia, Iran, and Turkey have reaffirmed their intention to hold a summit in the Astana format as soon as conditions permit, according to a joint statement following the results of the 17th International Meeting on Syria in this format.

"[The sides] recalled the Joint Statement of 1 July 2020 to hold the next Tripartite Summit in the Islamic Republic of Iran as soon as conditions permit," the statement reads.

MOSCOW, December 22. /TASS/: The Kremlin disagrees with US allegations that Russia’s policy of import substitution violates World Trade Organization (WTO) rules, Press Secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

"We do not agree with this point of view. Russia does not violate anything in this area," he said.

Dec 21 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that Russia had no room to retreat in a standoff with the United States over Ukraine and would be forced into a tough response unless the West dropped its "aggressive line".

Putin addressed his remarks to military officials as Russia pressed for an urgent U.S. and NATO reply to proposals it made last week for a binding set of security guarantees from the West.

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian and U.S. negotiators will sit down for talks early next year to discuss Moscow’s demand for Western guarantees precluding NATO’s expansion to Ukraine, Russia’s top diplomat said Wednesday.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Russia in January will also start separate talks with NATO to discuss the issue, adding that separate negotiations under the auspices of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe will also be held.

MOSCOW (AP) — A Japanese space tourist said Wednesday that he felt his 12-day mission to the International Space Station was too short and he would love to stay a week more.

Fashion tycoon Yusaku Maezawa, his producer Yozo Hirano and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin blasted off to the station in a Russian Soyuz spacecraft on Dec. 8 and returned to Earth on Monday.