Russia

MOSCOW, December 14. /TASS/: Russian Ambassador to UK Andrey Kelin speculated that London may deploy military bases in Ukraine under a bilateral agreement.

"In theory, such situation is possible," he said on TV Tuesday, answering a question. "This is a privileged partnership, which the Americans, for example, have with a number of eastern countries, in the Asia Pacific region in particular. However, it would mean a circumvention of the basic act and the obligation of military restraint cemented in it."

MOSCOW, December 14. /TASS/: Russia’s COVID-19 cases surged by 28,343 in the last 24 hours to 10,074,797, the anti-coronavirus crisis center said on Tuesday, noting that it was the first time in more than a month when the daily caseload hit fewer than 29,000.

In relative terms, the COVID-19 incidence climbed by 0.28% over the past day.

MOSCOW, December 14. /TASS/: Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping will address NATO’s belligerent rhetoric and tense situation in Europe during the talks, which are going to take place on Wednesday via video linkup, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated on Tuesday.

MOSCOW, December 14. /TASS/: Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed the need in a talk with Finnish leader Sauli Niinisto to hold negotiations with the United States and NATO on security guarantees for Moscow, noting that this move fully complied with the indivisible security principle, the Kremlin press office said after both leaders’ talks on Tuesday.

MOSCOW, Dec 14 (NNN-TASS) – Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov and Iranian Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir Abdollahian, held a phone conversation yesterday, to discuss the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

The top diplomats reaffirmed their common position to restore the nuclear deal in its original balanced text, approved by the United Nations Security Council, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

MOSCOW, Dec 14 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping will discuss tensions in Europe and "aggressive" U.S. and NATO rhetoric during a video call on Wednesday, the Kremlin said.

The conversation will take place at a moment of high tension in both countries' relations with the West, with Beijing under pressure over human rights and Moscow over its build-up of troops near the border with Ukraine.

MOSCOW, Dec 13 (Reuters) - Russia said on Monday it may be forced to deploy intermediate-range nuclear missiles in Europe in response to what it sees as NATO's plans to do the same.

The warning from Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov raised the risk of a new arms build-up on the continent, with East-West tensions at their worst since the Cold War ended three decades ago.

MOSCOW, Dec. 14 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin via video link on Wednesday, another virtual conference this year following the one in June.

Since the beginning of this year, China and Russia have taken the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the signing of the China-Russia Treaty of Good-neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation as a new starting point to promote strategic coordination and comprehensive practical cooperation between the two countries.

MOSCOW, December 13. /TASS/: Russian President Vladimir Putin told UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson about Kiev’s policy geared toward derailing the Minsk agreements, aggravating the situation in Donbass and discriminating against the Russian-speaking population, the Kremlin press service said on Monday after their telephone conversation.

MOSCOW, December 13. /TASS/: India may be the first foreign buyer of Russia’s most advanced S-500 ‘Prometei’ anti-aircraft missile system, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov told the RBC TV Channel on Monday.

"Beyond a doubt, once we deliver this system to our troops, India will be the first on the list, if it expresses its desire to buy these advanced armaments," the deputy PM said, replying to a question about whether India would be the first country to purchase the Russian-made S-500.