Page 79 - Russia

Russia and North Korea have vowed to aid each other if attacked: Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed a new partnership deal that includes a vow of mutual aid if either country is attacked, as both face escalating standoffs with the west. It was not clear what kind of assistance the deal, described as a comprehensive strategic partnership, would call for. Putin's first visit to North Korea in 24 years comes amid growing concerns over an arms arrangement in which the country provides Moscow with badly needed munitions for its war in Ukraine in exchange for economic assistance and technology transfers that could enhance the threat posed by Kim's nuclear weapons and missile program. Putin added that Russia would not rule out developing military-technical cooperation with North Korea the deal, according Russian state news agencies. Kim said that the agreement was of a peaceful and defensive nature, according to Ria Novosti. I have no doubt it will become a driving force accelerating the creation of a new ...

Russia, N Korea sign partnership, vows closer ties amid rivalry with West

North Korea is under heavy UN Security Council sanctions over its weapons program, while Russia also faces sanctions by the United States and its Western partners over its aggression in Ukraine

Russian court sentences US soldier to nearly 4 years on theft charges

A court in Russia's far eastern city of Vladivostok on Wednesday sentenced an American soldier arrested earlier this year to three years and nine months in prison on charges of stealing and threats of murder, Russian news reports said. Staff Sgt. Gordon Black, 34, flew to Vladivostok, a Pacific port city, to see his girlfriend and was arrested after she accused him of stealing from her, according to U.S. officials and Russian authorities. Russian state news agencies Tass and RIA Novosti reported from the courtroom in the Pervomaisky District Court in Vladivostok that the judge also ordered Black to pay 10,000 rubles ($115) in damages. Prosecutors had asked for Black to be sentenced to four years and eight months in prison. Black's sentencing further complicates U.S. relations with Russia, which have grown increasingly tense as the fighting in Ukraine continues. Russia is holding a number of Americans in its jails, including corporate security executive Paul Whelan and Wall Street .

Russia nuclear-powered submarines launch missiles during Barents Sea drills

The Severodvinsk and the Orel nuclear-powered submarines fired Kalibr and Granit cruise missiles a distance of about 170 km (106 miles) at a target

Russia discusses deployment of long-range weapons with closest partners

Russia's President Vladimir Putin arrived in North Korea on Wednesday, with the United States and its allies saying they fear Moscow could provide aid for Pyongyang's missile and nuclear programmes

Putin vows to build trade, security with North Korea that West can't touch

Russian President Vladimir Putin thanked North Korea for supporting his actions in Ukraine and said their countries will cooperate closely to overcome US-led sanctions as he headed to Pyongyang on Tuesday for a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Putin's comments appeared in an op-ed piece in North Korean state media hours before he was expected to arrive in the North for a two-day visit as the countries deepen their alignment in the face of separate, intensifying confrontations with Washington. Putin, who will be making his first visit to North Korea in 24 years, said he highly appreciates its firm support of his invasion of Ukraine. He said the countries would continue to "resolutely oppose" what he described as Western ambitions to "to hinder the establishment of a multipolarized world order based on mutual respect for justice". Putin also said Russia and North Korea will develop unspecified trade and payment systems "that are not controlled by the West" and jointly oppo

Putin vows trade, security deals with North Korea beyond reach of West

Putin's foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov said Russia and North Korea may sign a partnership agreement during the visit that would include security issues

Over 20 NATO allies likely to hit defence spending target amid Ukraine war

A record more than 20 NATO member nations are expected to hit the Western military alliance's defence spending target this year, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Monday, as the war in Ukraine drives worldwide concerns. The estimated figure, announced by Stoltenberg during a talk at the Wilson Centre in Washington, marks a nearly fourfold increase from 2021 in the ranks of the 32 NATO member nations meeting the alliance's defense spending guideline. Only six nations were meeting the goal that year, ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. NATO member countries agreed last year to spend at least 2 per cent of their gross domestic product on defence. The surge in spending reflects the worries of Western allies about the war in Ukraine. Some countries also are concerned about the possible reelection of former President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly characterised many NATO allies as freeloading on US military spending and said on the ...

India, US to address barriers to trade & cooperation, deepen strategic ties

The commitment was made at a meeting between the national security advisers of the two countries, Ajit Doval and Jake Sullivan

Global spending on nuclear weapons hits record $91 billion in 2023: Report

Global military spending on nuclear arsenals surged by 33% over the past five years, reaching $91 billion in 2023

Russian Prez Putin to visit North Korea, Vietnam; US embassy reacts sternly

No country should give Putin a platform to promote his war of aggression and otherwise allow him to normalise his atrocities, said US embassy in Hanoi

Russia to hold trial of 'CIA asset' US WSJ reporter Gershkovich in secret

Gershkovich was detained by the Federal Security Service on March 29, 2023, in a steak house in Yekaterinburg on charges of espionage that carry up to 20 years in prison

Ukraine, bondholder group unable to reach deal in formal $20 bn debt talks

Ukraine had been in formal talks with bondholders for nearly two weeks, seeking to restructure the debt in order to retain access to international markets

US rebukes Vietnam as Putin set to visit country after repeated invitations

Putin is expected to visit Vietnam on Wednesday and Thursday, after repeated invitations from Vietnamese leaders

Soon, Indians may travel to Russia visa-free: Here's what you need to know

Currently, Russia allows visa-free entry for citizens from China and Iran under its tourist exchange programme

Nuclear powers set to continue boosting operational warheads, says report

The number of such warheads rose to 3,904 as Russia continues to threaten its adversaries at the same time as China may have put weapons of mass destruction on high operational alert

78 nations at Swiss conference agree Ukraine's territorial integrity must

Nearly 80 countries called Sunday for the territorial integrity of Ukraine to be the basis for any peace agreement to end Russia's two-year war, though some key developing nations at a Swiss conference did not join in. The way forward for diplomacy remains unclear. The joint communique capped a two-day conference marked by the absence of Russia, which was not invited. Many attendees expressed hope that Russia might join in on a road map to peace in the future. The all-out war since President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has killed or injured hundreds of thousands of people, unsettled markets for goods like grain and fertiliser, driven millions from their homes and carved a wedge between the West which has sanctioned Moscow and Russia, China and some other countries. About 100 delegations, mostly Western countries, attended the conference that was billed as a first step toward peace. They included presidents and prime ministers from France, Germany, Britai

Meet 40-yr-old Dutchman who gets Nike and Lego into wartime Russia's stores

The man who got Nike shoes to Russia amid war is Wijnand Herinckx, a 40-year-old Dutch citizen who lives in Moscow

Ukraine bid falters a bit as several nations don't sign on to summit text

Eighty countries jointly called Sunday for the territorial integrity of Ukraine to be the basis for any peace agreement to end Russia's war, though some key developing nations at a Swiss conference did not join in. The joint communique capped a two-day conference at the Burgenstock resort in Switzerland marked by the absence of Russia, which was not invited, but that many attendees hoped could join in on a roadmap to peace.

Russian forces storm detention facility to rescue staff taken hostage

Russian security forces stormed a detention centre in southern Russia, ending a hostage standoff, Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported Sunday. The hostages at the facility in Rostov-on-Don were uninjured, said RIA Novosti, citing Russia's Federal Penitentiary Service. It said that the hostage takers had been liquidated, with other local news outlets reporting that at least some of the prisoners had been killed.