Russia

MOSCOW, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- The Russian Foreign Ministry said Saturday it regretted the position of French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on some aspects of Russia-Ukraine relations.

Macron and Merkel issued a joint statement Friday, saying they were deeply concerned with the "human rights situation in Crimea, which was illegally annexed by Russia, Russia's use of military force in the Kerch Strait, and excessive inspections in the Azov Sea."

WASHINGTON, December 28. /TASS/. Russian diplomats in the United States have to work in the conditions of extreme spy mania, Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov told reporters on Friday.

"They have to work in the conditions of extreme spy mania, which led to the largest expulsion of diplomats from the US and closure of another consulate general. The workload for remaining staff of Russian foreign missions has increased," Antonov said.

MOSCOW, December 29. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin and leader of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev have discussed cooperation within the integration associations on the Eurasian space in a telephone conversation, the Kremlin press service reported.

"[The two leaders] discussed the key bilateral issues and cooperation within the integration associations on the Eurasian space," the press service said. "Some pressing international issues were raised as well."

The heads of state also exchanged warm New Year greetings, the Kremlin informed.

MOSCOW, December 29. /TASS/. Russia introduced a ban on import of wheat, sunflower oil, sweets, vegetables, fruits, beer, tractors, paper, turbines, furniture, and other goods from Ukraine.

The list of more than fifty products is in the Cabinet Decree posted on the official website of the government.

MOSCOW, December 29. /TASS/. Russian scientists may send mice into the first flight around the Moon to study the influence of space factors on the human body, Director of the Institute of Medical and Biological Problems within the Russian Academy of Sciences, Doctor of Medical Sciences Oleg Orlov said on Saturday.

MOSCOW, December 26. /TASS/. The United States is building up the number of carriers of cruise missiles - destroyers, cruisers and submarines - near Russia’s borders, the editor-in-chief of the military magazine Arsenal Otechestva (Arsenal of the Fatherland), Viktor Murakhovsky, said in the wake of a recent statement by the Russian Navy’s Commander-in-Chief Vladimir Korolyov.

MOSCOW, December 26. /TASS/. The United States has made a right decision to reduce the number of troops in Afghanistan but there is a need to wait and see what steps Washington finally takes, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing on Wednesday.

MOSCOW, December 26. /TASS/. Israel’s air strikes on the outskirts of Damascus grossly violate Syria’s sovereignty along with resolutions passed by the United Nations Security Council, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.

"The fact of the strikes and the way they were delivered is a question of our most serious concern. There is every indication that Syria’s sovereignty was grossly violated along with UN Security Council’s resolutions, including Resolution 1701," the ministry stressed.

MOSCOW, December 26. /TASS/. Russia and Turkey will hold high-level talks on Syria in Moscow in the near future, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.

"The meeting with a representative Turkish delegation is in the works. The high-level contacts on Syria might be held in Moscow in the near future," the ministry said.

Moscow, Dec 26 (AFP) Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday hailed final tests of a hypersonic missile, which he earlier said would render existing missile defence systems obsolete.

"On my instructions, the Ministry of Defence prepared and conducted a final test of this system. This has just been completed with absolute success," Putin said during a televised meeting with members of the government.