Today, the permanent leader of the Russian Communist Party, Gennady Zyuganov, celebrates 77 years.
Zyuganov began his career almost immediately after serving in the army and graduating from the Oryol Pedagogical University. Throughout his adult life, Gennady Andreevich has been in the ranks of the Communist Party.
He became a State Duma deputy in 1993, and to this day works with his associates at Okhotny Ryad. Gennady Zyuganov is the author of 80 books, has a doctorate in philosophy and the military rank of colonel in reserve.
The Ukrainian president admits a complete severance of all ties with Donbass. This follows from an interview with Volodymyr Zelensky one of the national TV channels.
According to him, if the negotiations on a peaceful settlement of the conflict fail, they will have to fence off the uncontrolled areas with a wall. And this issue will be resolved through a referendum.
So Zelensky commented on the recent proposals of radical politicians to abandon the 'problem' region. The Ukrainian leader called the agreements reached in Minsk 'initially a barely living document.' At the same time, the Minsk agenda, according to him, does not need to be closed, but another one needs to be opened.
At the same time, in fact, the east of Ukraine has long been living apart, being in an economic blockade from Kiev. The Ukrainian authorities do not pay pensions to the residents of Donbass, the hryvnia has been withdrawn from circulation, and water supplies are regularly cut off. And the civilian population is being shelled.
The Verkhovna Rada has already reacted to Zelensky's statement. The speaker of the Ukrainian parliament said that it was impossible to bring the issue of refusing Donbass to a referendum. This is not allowed by the country's legislation.
Igor Konashenkov, spokesman of the Russian Defense Ministry said the British government and the Pentagon were making frantic attempts to deny the obvious, calling the Russian version of events 'disinformation.' Even after the FSB released footage of the pursuit of the ship in which Russian sailors urged the British to change course, and then they open fire towards a clearly visible British ship.
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said this: 'There was no shooting at the British ship, this is just Russian disinformation. This is another example of the fact that Russia is trying to unwind events from something that did not exist.'
Members of the British government also pretend that nothing like this happened. Although the correspondent of the British state channel BBC, as you know, directly confirmed the fact of warning shooting from the Russian side. And the fact that the British sailors received the command to put on combat fire-resistant masks and gloves.
As it turned out, the idea to commit a provocation came from the British Secretary of Defense Ben Wallace. After all, soon a meeting of EU leaders was to take place, where it was decided whether to hold a summit with the participation of Russia. And one more goal is the moral support of Ukraine.
According to The Telegraph, Foreign Minister Dominic Raab spoke out against. The Foreign Minister expressed fears that Moscow could allegedly use this incident to its advantage and warned about it.
The dispute was eventually resolved by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who called Russia's territorial waters international.
That is, the fact of the provocation was recognized at the highest level. But the British authorities and the Pentagon cannot admit that the attempt to send an allied signal to Ukraine ended in nothing.
Well, except for the fragrant stain left by British sailors in the Crimean waters when they were given to understand that everything was serious.
The Russian Ministry of Defense called on the command of the British Navy and the Pentagon not to follow the lead of the 'admirals of the mosquito fleet of Ukraine', as Konashenkov put it, but to be guided by reason in the future.
Today, 700 thousand Russian graduates say goodbye to school.
In the usual format, the celebrations will be held in those regions where the epidemic situation allows. In Moscow, it is tense, so the citywide prom in Gorky Park had to be canceled. The traditional ball at the State Kremlin Palace will not take place either.
Vladimir Putin addressed all yesterday's eleventh graders with his traditional parting words: 'I would like you to know that all your future victories and achievements – I am sure there will be plenty – will contribute to the success of our country as a whole, its progress for years ahead and the continuation of the glorious and noble traditions, which all of us are proud of.'
One of the most spectacular events for graduates - Scarlet Sails in St. Petersburg, unlike last year, this evening will be held with the participation of spectators. But only the graduates themselves will be allowed to enter the Palace Square and the embankments. Teachers who have had COVID or who have done a PCR test will also be able to attend the holiday. The authorities warned the townspeople not to buy tickets to any observation decks, as all of them will be closed.
In connection with the destroyer HMS Defender incident on Thursday, the Russian Foreign Ministry summoned British Ambassador to Russia Deborah Bronnert. On Smolenskaya Square, she was told that such incidents were unacceptable and would be stopped.
However, official London continues to pretend that nothing happened: there was no violation of the border, as well as warning shots. And even the footage filmed aboard the same Defender by British journalists could not change this point of view.
According to the official version of the British Department of Defense, none of this happened. Russian Air Force planes did not fly over the Royal Navy destroyer Defender, no alert was announced on the bridge with dressing up in fire suits, the Coast Guard ships did not require a change of course, and Air Force journalist Jonathan Bale, along with the crew, apparently became victims of a collective hallucination: 'Russian ship The Coast Guard is approaching very close to the destroyer and is now trying to force it to change course...'
The Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy, Nikolai Evmenov, has no doubts about the intentions of the British ship: 'Well, I think that it was such a simple, rude, deliberate provocation. Blatant violation of all international laws...'
At this moment in London, Prime Minister Johnson suddenly blabbed out - in the sense that, answering a question about the story with the destroyer, he reminded about the non-recognition of Crimea as part of Russia.
Aside from the famous British politeness, it is obvious that Russia was being tested for its strength. Well, they got a direct Russian response, both military and diplomatic.
'The issue of the ownership of Crimea was closed once and for all in 2014, when the inhabitants of the peninsula, residents of Sevastopol, made a free choice in favor of returning to their homeland, to the Russian Federation.
Those who try to test us for strength are taking risks, they are taking great risks. I invite the Royal Navy to consider renaming this ship from Defender to Aggressor. I think it will be more correct. And we will rebuff the aggressors,' said Deputy Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov.
In an interview with news agencies, he spoke even more specifically, warning Western partners that if it was not clear to someone, Russia could bomb not only at the course, but also at the target.
The Kremlin has developed this idea. 'In the event of a repetition of unacceptable provocative actions, if these actions go too far, no options can be ruled out in terms of the legal protection of the Russian border,' said Dmitry Peskov, press secretary of the Russian President.
There are different options in service - for example, the coastal missile systems Bastion or Ball, well, and a lot of other things that do not imply warning firing.
Vladimir Putin held a working meeting with the head of the Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov via videoconference.
They discussed socio-economic issues, dwelled separately on the situation with the coronavirus: there is a small daily increase, but in general everything is under control, this also applies to the stock of test systems, drugs and beds.
Kadyrov also reported on how the President's instructions are being carried out in the republic.
The Chechen Republic under the leadership of Ramzan Kadyrov has become one of the safest Russian regions.
They discussed socio-economic issues, dwelled separately on the situation with the coronavirus: there is a small daily increase, but in general everything is under control, this also applies to the stock of test systems, drugs and beds. Kadyrov also reported on how the President's instructions are being carried out in the republic.
'The region is completely ready for the elections. Therefore, as your devoted infantryman, I await further instructions and am ready to carry out any of your orders,' Chechen' heads notes.
'You work effectively, you know the situation from the inside. Therefore, I believe that you need to go to the polls and continue your work. For my part, I can only wish you success,' the President concluded.
Russia's Black Sea Fleet and the FSB's border guard service on Wednesday stopped a violation of Russia's state border by the British destroyer HMS Defender off Cape Fiolent.
A patrol ship fired warning shots and a Sukhoi-24M jet dropped bombs, also in a warning gesture, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
It is important to pay attention to the time here: after the warning shots, the British ship went on the same course for another 11 minutes, until the Su-24 dropped four bombs in front of it, and only then the destroyer left Russian territorial waters.
It would seem that before approaching the borders of Russia, the crew of the British destroyer had to recall the story of the attempt of the Ukrainian flotilla to break through to the Kerch Strait and, most importantly, the result of this attempt.
But, no, they didn't remember. In fairness, the destroyer of Her Majesty's Naval Forces is, of course, not Ukrainian rusty boats, but also the answer, as they say, by rank.
It is unlikely that such a provocation was possible without the consent of senior NATO comrades, that is, with Washington.
And let no one be fooled by the generally friendly tone of the recent meeting between the presidents of Russia and the United States. It’s one thing to talk, and another thing to stop trying to test Russia’s strength.
The British 'we didn’t notice' reaction may well indicate that the signal has been taken into account.
By the way, the MarineTraffic service shows the path of the destroyer along with the approach to Cape Fiolent, a change in course, and then an unexpectedly rapid transition to Bahrain in just a couple of hours.
It is unlikely, of course, even with a fright one can achieve such speed, rather, someone is cheating with the defendant, but the change from a demonstration of force to a demonstrative flight also means something.
Vladimir Putin's video address to the participants and guests of the 9th Moscow Conference on International Security.
The forum is dedicated to topical issues of the modern military-political agenda. Strengthening security on the planet and sustainable development of civilization depend on their solution and a productive search for effective joint responses to common challenges.
Geopolitical processes are becoming more and more turbulent, despite some positive signals. The erosion of international law also continues. Attempts to use force to push through own interests and strengthen security at the expense of the security of others continue unabated.
International terrorism, regional armed conflicts, the risks of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the activities of cross-border criminal groups, drug trafficking and cybercriminals are of serious concern.
The scale and global nature of the above problems require the joining of efforts of all states. Of course, this collective work should be based on international law and the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.
The UN has been and remains the basis of the system of international relations.
Russia never imposes its will on other countries and is ready to participate in solving global and regional problems and expand creative cooperation with all countries on equal terms, using political and diplomatic methods.
Russia develops its defense potential on the basis of the principle of reasonable sufficiency, and does not strive for a decisive, unilateral military advantage or a preponderance of forces in our favor, especially in such a sensitive area as strategic stability. 'But we will never allow anyone to pull the balance over to themselves,' Putin stressed.
On the Day of Memory and Sorrow, flowers were laid at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier by Sergei Shoigu together with senior officers and veterans of the Armed Forces.
Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia laid a wreath at the Eternal Flame near the Kremlin Wall. A prayer sounded for the eternal rest of the fallen.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin also visited the memorial.
The ceremony brought together the cadets of the Youth Army, members of patriotic organizations.
Servicemen of the Guard of Honor company marched in a solemn march across the cobblestones.
Words of sorrow sounded today at Poklonnaya Hill in Moscow. Flowers to the Eternal Flame were laid by the Speaker of the Federation Council Valentina Matvienko and other senators.
And the speaker of the lower chamber Vyacheslav Volodin arrived today at the Novodevichy cemetery, where he honored the memory of the heroes of the defense of Moscow. The memory of their courage, he noted, should be passed on from generation to generation.
On June 22, Day of Memory and Sorrow, the 80th anniversary of the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, Vladimir Putin paid tribute to the memory of the victims by laying flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier near the Kremlin Wall.
The ceremony to commemorate the defenders of the Fatherland was attended by the Great Patriotic War veterans, officers of the Russian Armed Forces, military school cadets, and participants in the Bolshaya Peremena contest for schoolchildren.
The President also laid flowers at the hero cities’ memorial plaques and the monument to the Cities of Military Glory.
An article by the President of Russia has been published in the German weekly newspaper Die Zeit and is timed to coincide with the 80th anniversary of the beginning of the Great Patriotic war.
Being Open, Despite the Past
On June 22, 1941, exactly 80 years ago, the Nazis, having conquered practically the whole of Europe, attacked the USSR. For the Soviet people the Great Patriotic War – the bloodiest one in the history of our country – began. Tens of millions of people lost their lives, the economic potential of the country and its cultural property were severely damaged.
We are proud of the courage and steadfastness of the heroes of the Red Army and home front workers who not only defended the independence and dignity of our homeland, but also saved Europe and the world from enslavement. Despite attempts to rewrite the pages of the past that are being made today, the truth is that Soviet soldiers came to Germany not to take revenge on the Germans, but with a noble and great mission of liberation. We hold sacred the memory of the heroes who fought against Nazism. We remember with gratitude our allies in the anti-Hitler coalition, participants in the Resistance movement, and German anti-fascists who brought our common victory closer.
Having lived through the horrors of the world war, the peoples of Europe were nevertheless able to overcome alienation and restore mutual trust and respect. They set a course for integration in order to draw a final line under the European tragedies of the first half of the last century. And I would like to emphasize that the historical reconciliation of our people with the Germans living both in the east and the west of modern united Germany played a huge role in the formation of such Europe.
I would also like to remind that it was German entrepreneurs who became ”pioneers“ of cooperation with our country in the post-war years. In 1970, the USSR and the Federal Republic of Germany concluded a ”deal of the century“ on long-term natural gas supplies to Europe that laid the foundation for constructive interdependence and initiated many future grand projects, including the construction of the Nord Stream gas pipeline.
We hoped that the end of the Cold War would be a common victory for Europe. It seemed that just a little more effort was needed to make Charles de Gaulle's dream of a single continent – not even geographically ”from the Atlantic to the Urals“, but culturally and civilizationally ”from Lisbon to Vladivostok“ – become a reality.
It is exactly with this logic in mind – the logic of building a Greater Europe united by common values and interests – that Russia has sought to develop its relations with the Europeans. Both Russia and the EU have done a lot on this path.
But a different approach has prevailed. It was based on the expansion of the North Atlantic Alliance which was itself a relic of the Cold War. After all, it was specifically created for the confrontation of that era.
It was the bloc's movement eastwards – which, by the way, began when the Soviet leadership was actually persuaded to accept the united Germany's accession to NATO – that turned into the main reason for the rapid increase in mutual mistrust in Europe. Verbal promises made in that time such as ”this is not directed against you“ or ”the bloc's borders will not get closer to you“ were quickly forgotten. But a precedent was set.
And since 1999, five more “waves” of NATO expansion have followed. Fourteen new countries, including the former Soviet Union republics, joined the organization, effectively dashing hopes for a continent without dividing lines. Interestingly, this was warned about in the mid-1980s by Egon Bahr, one of the SPD leaders, who proposed a radical restructuring of the entire European security system after German unification, involving both the USSR and the United States. But no one in the USSR, the USA or Europe was willing to listen to him at the time.
Moreover, many countries were put before the artificial choice of being either with the collective West or with Russia. In fact, it was an ultimatum. The Ukrainian tragedy of 2014 is an example of the consequences that this aggressive policy has led to. Europe actively supported the unconstitutional armed coup in Ukraine. This was where it all started. Why was it necessary to do this? Then incumbent president Yanukovych had already accepted all the demands of the opposition. Why did the USA organize the coup and the European countries weak-heartedly support it, provoking a split within Ukraine and the withdrawal of Crimea?
The whole system of European security has now degraded significantly. Tensions are rising and the risks of a new arms race are becoming real. We are missing out on the tremendous opportunities that cooperation offers – all the more important now that we are all facing common challenges, such as the pandemic and its dire social and economic consequences.
Why does this happen? And most importantly, what conclusions should we draw together? What lessons of history should we recall? I think, first and foremost, that the entire post-war history of Greater Europe confirms that prosperity and securityof our common continent is only possible through the joint efforts of all countries, including Russia. Because Russia is one of the largest countries in Europe. And we are aware of our inseparable cultural and historical connection to Europe.
We are open to honest and constructive interaction. This is confirmed by our idea of creating a common space of cooperation and security from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean which would comprise various integration formats, including the European Union and the Eurasian Economic Union.
I reiterate that Russia is in favour of restoring a comprehensive partnership with Europe. We have many topics of mutual interest. These include security and strategic stability, healthcare and education, digitalization, energy, culture, science and technology, resolution of climate and environmental issues.
The world is a dynamic place, facing new challenges and threats. We simply cannot afford to carry the burden of past misunderstandings, hard feelings, conflicts, and mistakes. It is a burden that will prevent us from concentrating on the challenges at hand. We are convinced that we all should recognize these mistakes and correct them. Our common and indisputable goal is to ensure security on the continent without dividing lines, a common space for equitable cooperation and inclusive development for the prosperity of Europe and the world as a whole.
Vladimir Putin on Monday invited the deputies of the seventh convocation of the State Duma to the Kremlin in order to thank them in the solemn atmosphere of the St. George Hall for the legislative work done in five years and wish them good luck in the upcoming parliamentary elections.
The leadership of the Duma, according to the President, as well as all parliamentary committees and commissions acted in a coordinated and effective manner. They have developed constructive relationships with the Government, the Presidential Administration, colleagues in the Federation Council, and the regions. They have always been aimed at achieving a common result, at finding optimal solutions for each issue submitted to the parliament.
Much has been done to improve the quality of legislation and to increase the number of directly applicable laws that do not require by-laws. The practice of public discussions has been expanded due to new formats. For example, what you call them, "grandiose" parliamentary hearings, devoted to the most resonant and complex issues and problems, took place.
United Russia, CPRF, LDPR and A Just Russia have made their important and significant contribution to the common cause.
Putin noted that the work of parliamentarians did not stop during the coronavirus pandemic, which made it possible to develop and implement several packages of urgent measures aimed at overcoming the consequences of the pandemic. To do this, it was necessary to promptly adopt dozens of laws.
Some of the emergency crisis management packages that have been adopted have unlimited time frames, such as halving insurance premiums from 30 percent to 15 percent for small and medium-sized businesses.
Their work on amending the Constitution deserves special attention. MPs were among the co-chairs of the working group that prepared amendments to the Constitution, actively participated in its meetings, helped people become co-authors of the Constitution, collecting and optimizing hundreds of ideas and proposals received.
The President also thanked the deputies for their support of the initiatives set out in the Address to the Federal Assembly this year.
The leaders of all parties represented in the Duma and the deputies representing the different political forces always speak from a common and consolidated position when it comes to matters of external security and foreign policy, as well as protecting our country and our citizens’ interests.
'I am confident that Russian voters will support the parties and the candidates during the September elections, for whom serving the Motherland, the Fatherland, represents the highest value,' Putin stressed.
Vladimir Putin gave a number of instructions in connection with the floods in Crimea, the Kremlin press service reported on Monday.
Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova was instructed to take measures to ensure a normal sanitary and epidemiological situation.
Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu was instructed to attract the necessary forces and funds to assist in cleaning up and eliminating the consequences of floods in Yalta and in other regions of Crimea, where it is required.
An instruction was also given to the head of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, Yevgeny Zinichev, to build up the group of emergency services on the peninsula and take the necessary measures for emergency liquidation of the consequences of bad weather.
On Thursday night, Crimea was battered by torrential rains and gusts of the northwest wind. A regional state of emergency was declared. The floods hit the resort city of Kerch and eastern regions of the peninsula. In the south of Crimea, the city of Yalta faced over 135 mm of precipitation. At the moment, post-disaster recovery efforts are under way in many areas, including works to clear debris and resume electricity, water and gas supplies.
Russian Ambassador to the United State Anatoly Antonov has returned to the United States on Sunday after nearly three-month consultations in Moscow.
The plane landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport at 11:50 local time, according to the airport's timetable.
The diplomat arrived onboard a regular Aeroflot flight.
Russian-US relations soured following US President Joe Biden’s notorious ABC News interview when he said that Moscow would have to "pay a price" for its alleged meddling in America’s elections and agreed when asked if Russian President Vladimir Putin was a ‘killer’. After that, Ambassador Antonov was invited to Moscow for consultations and stayed in the Russian capital since March 21. US Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan left Moscow for consultations in Washington on April 22.
A Russian-US summit took place in the Swiss capital city of Geneva on JUne 16. Presidents Vladimir Putin and Joe BIden discussed the current state of and prospects for further development of bilateral relations, issues of strategic stability, international matters, including cooperation in combating the Covid-19 pandemic and ironing out regional conflicts. The leaders also announced that the ambassadors would return to Moscow and Washington in the near future.
Antonov cautiously assesses the prospects for Russian-US relations: 'let's wait how our American colleagues will actually act.'
Vladimir Putin on Saturday congratulated medical workers and veterans of the Russian healthcare system on the Medical Worker Day.
For all citizens, this is, first of all, an opportunity to convey heartfelt greetings to those who have dedicated their lives to a great and noble mission - to heal people, to protect the most valuable thing - the life and health of people.
This vocation requires special moral virtues: mercy and generosity, and sometimes true courage, as well as a willingness to risk one's own life for the sake of others.
Many of the doctors are on duty that day literally at combat posts. They are constantly and around the clock fighting the coronavirus epidemic. They rescue critically ill patients in intensive care units and hospital red zones, as well as provide ambulance services.
All parts of the Russian public health network continue to work together. Each of the doctors acts professionally and reliably.
The President appealed to the employees of hospitals and clinics, who continue to provide people with routine care, receive patients, and carry out complex, sometimes unique operations. In the past few months, they have also worked on behalf of their colleagues who are fighting the coronavirus, and despite this burden, they are fulfilling their responsibilities with dignity.
Putin is grateful for the work and service that general practitioners, medical specialists, paramedics, ambulance and ambulance brigades, employees of the medical services of the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Emergency Situations and other departments, students, professors, and teachers of the department have. medical colleges and universities, as well as personnel of leading research and practical centers and public health organizations - all this is provided by the population of Russia.
Our common goal is to focus all our efforts and all resources on protecting citizens from the coronavirus and its consequences. First, the level of vaccination needs to be increased. We have everything you need for this. Russia has four of its own coronavirus vaccines, and new vaccines and drugs are under development.
'Of course, despite the complexity of the current situation, we must expand medical examination programs and provide timely medical care to patients with cardiovascular, oncological, endocrine and other diseases,' the Russian leader said.
The Russian authorities will continue to improve the quality of the public health system, including primary health care. They are aware of his failures, and to overcome them, they launched regional programs for the modernization of polyclinics, city and district hospitals, and rural medical posts.
'We will need to structure their work around innovative technologies, renovate buildings and equip them with modern medical and diagnostic equipment, including CT scanners,' Putin said.
Of course, wages are of paramount importance, commensurate with the volume of work and the responsibility of medical workers. During the pandemic, the Russian government is focusing on supporting doctors, nurses and ambulance teams that directly deal with coronavirus patients. In total, almost 1.2 million medical workers received special payments. More than 350 billion rubles have already been allocated for these purposes.
The election to the State Duma should be held fairly and openly to enjoy the trust of the people, Vladimir Putin said at the congress of the United Russia ruling party on Saturday.
'Our common task is to do our utmost to ensure that the election is held openly and honestly in accordance with law, so that its results can reflect the true will of the nation, while enjoying the unconditional trust of the country’s citizens,' he said.
Putin emphasized that the election campaign is always a challenge for the political system, which is tested for resilience and efficiency.
'United Russia has a special role in this. The leading party should be an example of creating an atmosphere of the open and competitive political contest,' the president said.
'You will have to be particularly responsible, and rightly so. you are an influential political force, an influential party, the party of the majority and therefore, are responsible for everything. That is why you should be prepared not only for conversations about convenient and advantageous issues, but also for unsparing assessments,' Putin said adding that people are right in most of those claims.
'You need to talk to them, listen to them, draw conclusions, but should not be scared of criticism or evade hot topics. moreover, United Russia has what to report to the voters,' he added.
He noted that the party has done a lot and should defend its position confidently and reasonably.
'Talk to people openly and honestly, and it will work,' Putin concluded.
Vladimir Putin on Friday holds a Security Council meeting to discuss the results of the recent Geneva summit.
The meeting was held behind closed doors, but earlier Sergey Lavrov commented on this issue during a press conference with the Belarus counterpart.
Russia will not permit a 'one-way street' approach in its relations with the US, Sergey Lavrov said during a press conference with Belarus FM Vladimir Makei, commenting on Washington’s assessment of the meeting between Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden in Geneva.
'I’ve read the assessments of US officials, including the participants of the talks, on the outcomes of the Geneva talks. They are trying to position themselves in such a way that they said: 'We need to return the personnel that will facilitate the work of the embassy, we need to get Russia to respond to the accusations related to the activity of hackers, who are attacking the American infrastructure, and we need to get Russia to release the Americans serving prison sentences." This is not the approach that the presidents talked about. I want those, who comment on the results of the summit in such a way, to hear this: this will not be a one-way street,' the minister said.
Lavrov pointed out that Putin had supported Biden’s offer to resolve the existing issues on a mutually acceptable basis. 'If the logic of the Americans is like this: we returned the ambassadors, and now you should do everything we want, and then we will see - about diplomats, cyber attacks, convicts - this is not acceptable. So, if the logic that the presidents expressed in Geneva prevails among the bureaucrats, I think we will get results,' the Russian top diplomat concluded.
The Russia-US summit, initiated by Washington, took place in the Swiss city of Geneva on Wednesday. Putin and Biden discussed the state and the prospects of the further development of bilateral relations, the issues of strategic security, as well as international matters, including cooperation in the fight against COVID-19 and regulation of regional conflicts. After the meeting in Geneva, Putin and Biden issued a joint statement on strategic stability.
Vladimir Putin on Thursday spoke about the results of the Russian-US summit in Geneva with the graduates of the so-called school of governors. The Russian leader told the future executives about the prospects for relations with the United States and about his American counterpart:
'the image of President Biden as portrayed by our and even the US media has nothing to do with reality. We talked face to face for two hours, maybe a little more. He is completely knowledgeable on all issues; he peeked at his notes from time to time – we all do that. And the image that the media present may even be misleading and prompt one to relax concentration, but there is no reason to do this whatsoever. Mr Biden is a professional, and you need to be very careful when working with him so as not to miss something. He himself does not miss a thing, I assure you, and this was absolutely clear to me.'
The President personally (I hope you too) made me very happy by mentioning the 'funny' Jen Psaki:
'The fact that he sometimes gets confused… His press secretary is a young, educated and beautiful woman, and she gets things confused all the time herself. This is not because of her education or poor memory. It is just, you know, when people think that some things are of secondary importance, they do not really focus on them. The Americans believe that nothing is more important than them – this is their style.
The atmosphere was quite friendly, and I think, we understood each other and where we stand on key issues. We do not see eye-to-eye on many of them, and we have pinpointed these differences, but at the same time we have identified the areas or the points that we can discuss and work towards achieving more converging positions in the future.
During a press conference in Geneva, Vladimir Putin said that President Biden, during their meeting, raised the issue of the activities of Radio Liberty and Radio Free Europe in Russia, which had been announced as foreign agents in Russia.
Putin expressed bewilderment because earlier Russia Today and Sputnik had been declared foreign agents in the United States, and therefore this was a response to unfriendly actions against the Russian media.
'In addition, Russia Today complies with all the requirements of the US regulatory body and US legislation. They go through the appropriate registration there and so on, although they face a fairly large number of problems related to staff recruitment, financial issues and so on,' the Russian leader noted.
Vladimir Putin said that actions in relation to Alexei Navalny, as well as in relation to the entire so-called non-systemic opposition, are carried out strictly within the framework of Russian legislation, answering the relevant question from CNN after the Russia-US summit.
Navalny knew that he was violating current Russian law. He needed to contact the authorities as a person who had twice received suspended prison sentences. Fully aware of what he was doing and ignoring this requirement of the law, he went abroad for medical treatment, and the authorities did not ask him to register while he was being treated. Once he was discharged from the hospital and posted his videos on the Internet, the claims were reinstated. He did not appear; violated the law - and was put on the wanted list. Navalny knew this when he returned to Russia.
The President expressed his attitude to the Russian non-systemic opposition supported from abroad.
In 2017, the US Congress declared Russia an enemy and an adversary. US legislation was amended to include provisions that the United States must maintain the rules and order of democratic governance in Russia and support the political organizations that constrain it, as this is the goal of the United States, which was announced publicly. These are the organizations and people that contribute to the implementation of the United States' policy towards Russia.
Vladimir Putin said that Russia has only one obligation regarding Ukraine, which is to facilitate the implementation of the Minsk Agreements, answering a relevant question from CNN after the Russia-US summit.
In November 2020, the Ukrainian delegation presented its vision of how it plans to implement the Minsk agreements. They say that it is first necessary to make proposals for the political integration of Donbass into the Ukrainian legal system and the Constitution. For this, it is necessary to amend the Constitution - this is spelled out in the agreements. Daooee, the border between the Russian Federation and Ukraine along the Donbass line will begin to be occupied by the border troops of Ukraine the day after election day (Article 9).
This means that Ukrainian troops will enter Donbass. Then, they offered to close the border between Russia and Ukraine in this area. Finally, they proposed holding elections three months after these two steps.
All these proposals of the Ukrainian authorities have nothing to do with the Minsk agreements. They completely contradict them.
Vladimir Putin said he and Joe Biden had agreed to begin consultations on cybersecurity, answering a CNN question after the Russia-US summit.
The President announced the top countries from which cyberspace is the source of the most cyber attacks. American sources said most of the world's cyber attacks originate from US cyberspace. Canada is in second place. followed by two Latin American countries and then Great Britain. Russia is not on the list of countries from which cyberspace is the source of the most cyber attacks.
Russia in 2020 received 10 requests from the United States about cyberattacks on US targets, from Russian cyberspace. Two more requests were received this year. They received comprehensive answers to all of them, both in 2020 and this year.
In turn, Russia sent 45 inquiries to the relevant US agency last year and 35 inquiries in the first half of this year. And so far, have not received a single answer.
The question of who, on what scale and in what area should undertake obligations should be decided in the course of negotiations. Russia and the United States agreed to start such consultations.
Cybersecurity is extremely important in the world in general, for the United States in particular, and to the same extent for Russia.
Vladimir Putin has announced the agreement reached between him and US President Joe Biden to hold consultations between the Russian Foreign Ministry and the US State Department about strategic stability and arms control.
"Of course, the issue is what to do next. We agreed that the consultation on the inter-agency level will begin under the auspices of the US State Department and the Russian Foreign Ministry. The colleagues at the working level will determine the makeup of delegations, the place of work and how often these meetings will be held," he told reporters when asked the relevant question by TASS following the Russia-US summit.
Vladimir Putin has said that at the talks with his US counterpart Joe Biden they agreed that the two countries’ ambassadors will return to their workplaces in Moscow and in Washington.
"As for the return of ambassadors to their places of work - of the US ambassador to Moscow, and, respectively, of the Russian to Washington, we agreed that this issue is resolved," the Russian leader told reporters after the Russian-US summit in Geneva.
In Geneva, Vladimir Putin began negotiations with the President of the United States of America, Joseph Biden.
Russian-American consultations began with a narrow-format meeting with the participation of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken.
Putin has expressed the hope that the talks with his US counterpart Joe Biden will be productive."Mr. President, I want to thank you for your initiative of today’s meeting," the Russian head of state said on Wednesday in his opening remarks at the Geneva talks addressing Biden.
"I know that you had a long trip, a lot of work. Nevertheless, many issues that require top-level discussion have accumulated in Russian-American relations," Putin noted. "I hope that our meeting will be productive".
The talks between the Russian and US presidents are taking place in the Villa La Grange library. Top Russian and US diplomats Sergey Lavrov and Antony Blinken as well as interpreters are in the library along with the two leaders.
The Russian leader will have his first bilateral talks with US President Joe Biden, who arrived on Tuesday and has already met with Swiss President Guy Parmelin and Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis of Switzerland.
Earlier, the spokesperson for the Canton of Geneva, Emmanuel Cuenod, told that Russia had not requested Switzerland for a protocol ceremony for Putin at the airport.
The talks between the presidents of Russia and the United States, Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden, will be held at the Villa La Grange in Geneva on June 16.
The Swiss president will deliver a welcome speech, after which Putin and Biden will begin negotiations - first in a narrow format, then with the participation of the delegations. Under the plan, the meeting in a narrow format will last for about an hour, while the meeting in an extended format will be divided into two parts and will last approximately until 18:00 local time (19:00 Moscow time). Then the two presidents will give separate press conferences.
Russian-American relations have reached their lowest point in years, so the parties sooner or later had to agree on a new summit.
This was stated by Vladimir Putin to the NBC correspondent Keir Simmons on the eve of a meeting with his American counterpart Joe Biden.
In an interview, the text of which was published on the Kremlin's website on Monday, the Russian leader suggested looking for compromises acceptable to all, expressed his hope for cooperation with Washington in cyberspace and space, and also admitted the possibility of discussing the exchange of prisoners.
Putin also answered questions about attitudes towards the opposition and the murder charges, the international agenda and what is important to him successor in the presidency. TKS has collected the key and brightest statements of the Russian leader.
Vladimir Putin expects the upcoming summit with his US counterpart Joe Biden in Geneva on June 16 to restore personal contacts and establish dialogue on issues of mutual interest, in an interview with the program, Moscow. Kremlin. Putin.
Among the issues of mutual interest, Russian President named strategic stability, the topic of regional conflicts, nature conservation measures and environmental protection as a whole, on the global scale, and economic cooperation.
Many American companies want to operate in Russia but they are being pulled by the ears from our market and they are ceding their place to rivals.
The fact that the US has abated its negative rhetoric towards Russia in the run-up to the summit should not be misled.
In the run-up to summit meetings, both sides always try to reduce some negative rhetoric to create the corresponding favorable atmosphere for work.
Vladimir Putin in interview with the program, Moscow. Kremlin. Putin, notes that Russia is ready to extradite cyber criminals to the United States on a reciprocal basis.
Moscow has repeatedly called on Washington to sign a cybersecurity agreement that would make it possible to jointly fight in this area.
Such understandings are formalized in corresponding interstate relations where the sides assume certain commitments. In an overwhelming majority of cases, they are equitable. Both sides assume equal commitments.
These agreements also apply to the extradition of criminals. And if they are achieved, then Russia, of course, will do it, but only if the other side, in this case the United States, agrees to the same and also extradits the corresponding criminals to the Russian Federation.
Cybersecurity is one of the most pressing issues today because any disconnections of whole systems entail very grave consequences and this turns out to be possible.
Vladimir Putin responded to Indian journalist regarding Russia-India relations, during the meeting with foreign journalists as part of the recent SPIEF'21.
Russia-India relations, according to Putin, are developing very successfully, in a trusting and traditional manner. These are relations of a truly strategic nature, since they cover a whole range of areas of interaction. These include issues of economics, energy and high technologies. It is also a military-industrial complex, and this is not only about buying and selling Russian weapons.
Russia has a very deep and trusting relationship with India, which is manifested in the fact that India is the only partner of Russia with which joint design and production efforts are being carried out, including the Indian territory, the latest and most modern weapons systems, including missile equipment.
The Russian President has no doubts that Russian-Indian relations will continue to develop consistently for the benefit of the peoples of India and Russia.
Vladimir Putin responded to a Japanese journalist on the controversial issue of the South Kuril Islands at a meeting with foreign journalists as part of the recent SPIEF'21.
Putin briefly recalled the background of this issue. Japan's position has changed very often since 1956, when they started talking about the two islands. Then, at the initiative of Japan, talks about this part of the Kuril Islands stopped. Later, Russia resumed them at the request of the Japanese side, when it came to two islands. After that, Japan's position changed again, and this time it was about four islands. Meanwhile, neither Russia nor the Soviet Union ever agreed to this.
During the preliminary discussions, the Russian side was interested in issues relate
d to security. Namely, how to resolve these issues, taking into account the fact that the United States plans to deploy modern attack missile systems on Japanese territory. Russia has always been concerned about whether these missile systems would be deployed at a distance that would threaten the Russian Federation. Unfortunately, Russia has not received an unambiguous, firm and clear answer.
This was followed by recent amendments to the Russian Constitution, which makes it impossible to alienate any territories of the country.
Putin believes that in any case, Russia should build good-neighborly relations with Japan. In particular, continue negotiations on a peace treaty between the two countries ... however, given that the Japanese side has always linked the issue of a peace treaty with the return of the Kuril Islands, therefore, the prospects for its signing, as well as the return of the South Kuril Islands to Japan, are absolutely unrealistic.
The inflated conceit of the United States, according to Vladimir Putin, can play a cruel joke.
The fatal mistake of empires is their excessive self-confidence in their economic and military might, which creates the illusion that blunders and mistakes are permissible in their foreign policy.
But problems are piling up, and there comes a time when it is no longer possible to cope with them all. And the United States is firmly and steadily following in the footsteps of the Soviet Union.
On Russia Day, Vladimir Putin visited the exhibition History through the Eyes of Artists at the New Tretyakov Gallery on Krymsky Val. It is timed to coincide with the 800th anniversary of Alexander Nevsky.
The excursion for the President and Patriarch Kirill was led by Metropolitan Tikhon of Pskov. They were also accompanied by the director of the museum, Zelfira Tregulova.
The exposition was prepared for a year and a half. In the halls there are more than a hundred paintings from forty Russian museums. Some have never exhibited in Moscow before. And there are generally unique exhibits.
For example, a helmet that has lain in the ground for eight centuries. Scientists do not exclude that it could have belonged to Alexander Nevsky himself. The exhibition will open to the general public on Sunday.
After the awards ceremony, Vladimir Putin talked to the laureates in an informal setting. During such informal communication, extremely important topics are often discussed. So it was this time.
With the creators of the world's first registered vaccine against coronavirus, the president spoke about why the vaccination campaign is not going as fast as it could, and also about the development of a drug for children.
Alexey Ginzburg promised to register a coronavirus vaccine for children on September 15-20. However, according to the creators of Sputnik-B, Denis Logunov and Sergei Borisevich nasal spraying of this vaccine provides effective protection for children from 8 years of age.
On Russia Day, Wednesday, Vladimir Putin presented gold medals "Hero of Labor of the Russian Federation" and State Prizes in Science and Technology, Literature and Art, for outstanding achievements in human rights and charitable work for 2020.
The solemn ceremony took place in St. George’s Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace.
The title of Hero of Labour of the Russian Federation has been conferred on Icebreaker Captain Gennady Antokhin. His 30-year work record includes risks and triumphs, dozens of extremely difficult expeditions and rescue operations. Mr Antokhin generously shares his professionalism with young captains and teaches them how to safely escort ship convoys in the harsh environment of the Arctic.
Tractor driver Alexander Bondarenko from the Don River area has devoted almost half a century to his profession. A member of a workers’ dynasty, he is sincerely concerned about his work and achieves outstanding results. It is precisely these dedicated, strong and truly hard-working people that drive the growth of the Russian agriculture sector and who provide record-breaking harvests of which the entire country feels proud.
Lyudmila Suslyakova is an amazing woman whose unique toughness, fortitude and diligence are so characteristic of Kuzbass residents. She operates a crane at a blast furnace department and has been managing hot iron flows for the past 40 years.
Murad Kazhlayev has long dreamed of devoting his life to children. An outstanding orchestra conductor, composer and a wonderful melodist, he enriched world culture with musical traditions of Daghestan, his homeland, created unique symphonies and ballets, jazz compositions and soundtracks for theatre performances and feature films.
Heroes of Labour also include Engineer Viktor Polyakov. An employee of ODK Saturn Plant in Yaroslavl, he worked his way through the ranks and was eventually promoted from machine fitter to managing director.
The solutions found by Russian scientists opened a path to the long-awaited vaccines from other dangerous viral diseases. This breakthrough was achieved by Alexander Gintsburg, Denis Logunov and Sergei Borisevich, who have been conferred the National Award in science and technology.
The winners also include founders of a new approach to treating head and neck tumours: Igor Reshetov, Evgeny Choinzonov and Sadulla Abakarov. They use their world-class original developments, high-precision and gentle treatment, and the most advanced methods of tissue and organ restoration.
Valery Zapassky and Yevgeny Aleksandrov have invented a new concept of studying the object’s magnetic characteristics at the atomic level. This method can unveil the mystery of how elemental particles form objects, which is important for developing technologies for construction, energy, medicine and exploration of space and the World Ocean.
Grigory Alfeyev (Metropolitan Hilarion) carries on the traditions of Russian education while combining his church service with positive creative activity. His literary, musical and cinematographic works become an event in Russia’s cultural life, and his education programmes on Russian television gather million-wide audiences all over the world.
The National Award is conferred on Khibla Gerzmava, with her enchanting voice and unique acting talent, for her contribution to the development of Russian and world operatic art. She can skilfully perform both the most complex parts of the opera repertoire and jazz compositions, and is one of the most popular Russian singers.
Alexander Rukavishnikov, one of the most famous masters of monumental sculpture in the world, is another winner of the National Award. His brilliant talent can solve even the most difficult creative tasks, and his works are not only skilfully composed, but also filled with a deep understanding of the essence of the images he creates as well as an impeccable sense of space.
Yelena Topoleva-Soldunova chose to support the development of civil society over a quarter of century ago. She stood at the origins of many social and volunteer initiatives, and took part in the development of the legal framework for the work of NGOs.
Winner of the National Prize for Outstanding Achievements in Charity Work, Faina Zakharova, has also dedicated her life to working for the benefit of society. Her enormous energy of kindness and compassion, as well as bravery and intelligence are completely devoted to the Life Line Charity Foundation: an organisation that has helped more than 10,000 children.
Millions of Russia's fans, as well as throughout Europe, are looking forward to Euro 2020. It will be possible to enjoy the spectacle during the championship in special fan zones, of course, observing all the necessary security measures during the coronavirus time.
Masks are required, the temperature will be measured at the entrance. Fan zones in nine Russian cities. In Moscow - in Luzhniki, in St. Petersburg - on Palace Square and at three other addresses.
St. Petersburg has become one of the main cities of Euro 2020. The Russian national team will play here two matches in their group - against the teams of Belgium and Finland.
The Federal Guard Service (FSO) introduced a new "employee" on Friday. Now the snowy owl Buran is on guard of the Moscow Kremlin. Together with his companions - a falcon, a hawk and an owl - he will protect the Kremlin from the crows.
Crows scratch with their claws the gold leaf of the Kremlin domes, ravage flower beds and survive from the territory of songbirds. Winged predators came to the rescue. The sky above the Kremlin is guarded by an owl, hawks and a newcomer to the detachment - the Kremlin cadet Buran. The snowy owl has been serving for less than a year.
Vladimir Putin on Friday held a meeting on current issues of the single voting day with the permanent members of the Security Council, via videoconference.
The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko, State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin, Deputy Chairman of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev, Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Anton Vaino, Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev, Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, Director of the Foreign Intelligence Service Sergei Naryshkin, and Special Presidential Representative for Environmental Protection, Ecology and Transport Sergei Ivanov.
On a single voting day, September 19, 2021, election campaigns of various levels will be held in the Russian Federation, including elections of deputies of the State Duma, heads of 12 constituent entities of the Federation and elections of deputies of legislative bodies of state power in 39 constituent entities RF.
