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Turkish foreign minister starts meeting with Russia’s negotiating team in Istanbul

In Istanbul, May 16, there will be a US delegation led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a Ukrainian delegation headed by the defense minister, a Russian delegation headed by Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan

ISTANBUL, May 15. /TASS/. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan started a meeting with a Russian delegation headed by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky in Istanbul, Turkish Foreign Ministry Spokesman Oncu Keceli told reporters.

"The meeting has started," he said.

"Tomorrow in Istanbul there will be a US delegation led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a Ukrainian delegation headed by the defense minister, a Russian delegation headed by Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan," Keceli went on to say.

He didn’t give details about any potential engagements between the delegations.

Anti-Russian sanctions

Merz says new package of Russia sanctions finalized, to be adopted on May 20

The sanctions, he said, would take effect immediately

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IN BRIEF: Lavrov calls Istanbul talks 'intriguing,' urges pan-Eurasian unity

"Everyone, of course, is talking about Ukraine right now due to the intrigue that is unfolding in Istanbul," the Russian foreign minister said

Zelensky approves list of Ukraine’s delegation members for talks with Russia in Istanbul

Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov will lead the delegation

Europe plays critical role in Ukraine settlement efforts — Rubio

US Secretary of State made the remarks at talks with UK, Italian, French and German top diplomats in Antalya, Turkey on the sidelines of a NATO Informal Foreign Ministers Meeting

Putin extended Russia’s 2021-2025 defense plan by 2 years

The defense plan for 2021-2025 was introduced on November 12, 2020

Kiev's delegation in Turkey lacks experience negotiating political deals — Russian envoy

Rodion Miroshnik that some of the Ukrainian delegates in Istanbul have a rather "questionable background"

Merz says presence of FRG military in Ukraine not being considered now

German Chancellor emphasized his preference for Germany to collaborate with European partners on providing security guarantees for Ukraine, rather than taking on a leading European role

Russia, Ukraine won’t hold talks on May 15 due to logistical issues, source tells TASS

According to a TASS reporter, the Russian delegation is heading to the Dolmabahce Palace, a presidential residence

Commanders in special op zone briefed Putin on frontline developments, says Kremlin

"The battlegroup commanders attended the meeting in order to report on the situation on various axes on the line of combat engagement," Dmitry Peskov said

Russian negotiators in Turkey qualified, vested with full authority — head of delegation

According to Vladimir Medinsky, the Russian delegation is determined to carry out a constructive dialogue aimed at finding a common ground and searching for possible solutions

Russian oil export revenues down in April amid low prices to $13.2 bln — IEA

Russia’s oil exports in physical terms increased by 150,000 barrels per day to 7.6 mln barrels per day

Islamic banking should be made a permanent instrument in Russia — lawmaker

Extending the law on partnership financing, aka Islamic banking, for only three years may scare off potential investors, said the head of the State Duma Committee on Financial Markets Anatoly Aksakov

Press review: Russia-Ukraine territorial talks set for Istanbul as EU targets oil tankers

Top stories from the Russian press on Thursday, May 15th

Number of Palestinian refugees and displaced persons exceeds 7 million — Abbas

Palestinian President said it on the occasion of Nakba, the date marking the Arab defeat in the 1948 Arab-Israeli war

Russian troops breaching Ukrainian defenses near Krasnoarmeysk in Donetsk region — expert

According to Andrey Marochko, the Russian troops are moving at quite a fast pace towards Dobropolye

Russia welcomes Indonesia’s full BRICS membership — foreign ministry

The ministry said that Indonesia’s candidacy was submitted and tentatively approved during the 2023 Johannesburg summit, when the group began its initial process of expansion

Putin outlined Russian delegation’s negotiating position at yesterday’s meeting — Kremlin

The Russian delegation has been waiting in Istanbul since this morning for Ukrainian representatives, who have not yet arrived, Dmitry Peskov pointed out

NATO should not confuse its defense with Ukraine's defense — Szijjarto

Hungarian Foreign Minister expressed the view that NATO should refrain from providing military assistance to Ukraine, instead concentrating on preventing the escalation of the conflict

US has no plans of giving up role of mediator on Ukraine — Rubio

He added that his country was not going to be "chasing this around the world anymore"

Russia - Islamic World: KazanForum gathers guests from hundreds of countries

The Kazan Expo International Exhibition Center is hosting an exhibition showcasing the achievements of various countries in different fields

Russia delivers around 64 mln tons of grain to 40 Muslim countries in 2024

The primary markets for Russian grain last year were Egypt, Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Kazakhstan, Algeria, and Libya

Trump likely to return to US following his Middle Eastern tour

Talking to journalists in the United Arab Emirates, the US leader indicated that he is likely to return to Washington

EU to start drafting 18th package of anti-Russia sanctions — Finnish foreign minister

Elina Valtonen noted that a seventeenth package of sanctions was a right decision

Poland to ban Dodik from entering its territory — foreign ministry

Earlier, Dodik was banned from entering Australia and Germany

First batch of 2,000 Gepard kamikaze drones arrives for Russian troops

The Gepard features a ‘blind’ takeoff capability to counter enemy electronic reconnaissance and make the crew safe at the launch site

Russian Presidential Aide Medinsky’s authority on a par with Witkoff’s — envoy

Vladimir Medinsky will represent Russia’s interests at the Istanbul venue and carry out the directives issued by the president, Rodion Miroshnik said

Russia sees prospects for gas and peaceful nuclear energy projects with Malaysia — Putin

Russia "supplies significant volumes of oil products and coal to the Malaysian market," the Russian president noted

Chances of restoring P5+1 extremely low — MFA

Sergey Ryabkov noted that Russia is following with attention what is happening in the direct dialogue between Iran and the United States

IEA slightly raises forecast for oil demand growth in 2025 and 2026

The International Energy Agency emphasized that in the Q1 of 2025, oil demand rose by 990,000 barrels per day

Turkish foreign minister starts meeting with Russia’s negotiating team in Istanbul

In Istanbul, May 16, there will be a US delegation led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a Ukrainian delegation headed by the defense minister, a Russian delegation headed by Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan

Two foreign tourists attempting to take pictures detained at Baikonur cosmodrome

The two men from the Czech Republic were trying to sneak to the Buran rocket

Russia ready to supply more coal to Malaysia — Energy Minister

According to the results of 2023, coal exports from Russia to Malaysia amounted to 3.2 million tons

Volunteers from Russia’s North Caucasus killed in Gaza

Five members of the Insan charity foundation were killed during the bombing of the Jabaliya refugee camp

Pentagon does not rule out direct US-Russia conflict if Ukraine crisis escalates

Even though China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran "seek to avoid armed conflict with the United States," their conviction in "Western decline fosters a growing willingness to challenge the United States, General Gregory Guillot, commander of the United States Northern Command, said

Yemeni Houthis report missile strike on Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv

There were no reports of casualties or damage inflicted by falling missile fragments

Ukraine gets smaller every time Kiev disrupts talks — diplomat

Maria Zakharova recalled Sergey Lavrov's words that Ukraine would have kept a part of Donbass if the agreements reached at the April 2022 talks in Istanbul had been implemented

Trump says progress on Ukrainian settlement depends on his meeting with Putin

According to Donald Trump, the meeting should happen as soon as possible because "too many people are dying"

Top US diplomat says Ukrainian conflict cannot be solved militarily

Marco Rubio noted that the situation around the settlement of the Ukrainian conflict remained complicated

Trilateral meeting between Turkey, Russia, Ukraine slated for Friday in Istanbul

The source added that "it is still unclear whether a four-party format meeting, involving the US, Russia, Ukraine and Turkey, will be held"

Russian forces destroy 50 Ukrainian troops, 20 military vehicles in Kharkov region

Live-recording equipment at the western borders of the LPR enabled Russian forces to uncover amassments of Ukrainian military hardware and troops in the settlement of Druzhelyubovka

CSTO to participate in Moscow meeting of high-level security officials

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Russia’s Deputy PM calls for investments in new regions

The tax base in Donbass and Novorossiya has grown significantly in recent times, Marat Khusnullin said

Trump says ready to come to Istanbul on May 16 for talks on Ukraine

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Istanbul 2.0 signals a losing game for Zelensky, even if he skips talks — politician

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RPL-20, RPL-7 belt-fed hand-held machine guns demonstrated for first time in Russia

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Europe set to continue, escalate hostilities in Ukraine — Foreign Ministry

Maria Zakharova pointed to the European Union’s plans to send further batches of weapons to Ukraine and to allocate new aid packages to Kiev

Price of gold futures down below $3,150 per troy ounce first since April 10

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Torskoye community liberated by Russian troops in DPR was Kiev’s fortified area — expert

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Turkish Foreign Ministry Spokesman Oncu Keceli said the city will host teams from the US, led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio; Ukraine, led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov; Russia, led by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky; and Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan

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World waits for Zelensky’s negotiating team to join Istanbul talks — Zakharova

It’s been nearly 24 hours that the Russian delegation has been in Istanbul, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman wrote

West intends to pit India against China — Lavrov

"This is a policy that Russian President Vladimir Putin recently highlighted again - ‘divide and conquer,’" the foreign minister emphasized

Russia’s prerogative is to achieve lasting peace in Ukraine — Lavrov

According to the Russian top diplomat, this requires eliminating the root causes of the conflict

Work on documentary about Russia's northernmost settlement completed

The project was supported by the Presidential Foundation for Cultural Initiatives

Zelensky believes Trump put more pressure on Ukraine than on Russia

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Russia’s permanent mission slams Baerbock’s nomination as head of UN General Assembly

Dmitry Polyansky said that it was the former German foreign minister who recommended that representatives of Russia and Belarus not be invited to commemorative events of the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe

Representatives of all of Kiev's intelligence agencies arrive in Turkey — Zelensky

"Ukraine has a delegation at the highest level," Vladimir Zelensky said

Islamic banking underused as tool for international cooperation — Finance Ministry

Partnership financing should be utilized more for this purpose, Alexey Yakovlev said

Gas demand in EU increased by 6% yoy in January-April — GECF

Gas consumption totaled 135 billion cubic meters

Staff successfully ensures safety of Zaporozhye nuke plant despite unstable energy supply

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US seeks to revive NATO-Russia council to aid security dialogue around Ukraine — Bloomberg

Dialogue between Russia and NATO was officially suspended in 2021

Germany currently has no plans to deliver Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine — chancellor

In his words, the delivery may take a lot of time and preparations, because special training is required for operating these missiles

Ukrainian troops prepare for battles for Sumy, try to hold Yunakovka — security forces

They are building up several defense lines

Russian investigators report 24 civilian deaths in Kursk Region’s village

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Russian troops prevent attempts by Ukrainian army to break through deep into Kursk region

The ministry added that the Russian military destroyed four armored personnel carriers

Zelensky-Erdogan talks last little under three hours

The talks included both a one-on-one meeting and expanded talks with delegations

Russia’s stance at Ukraine negotiations shifted due to changes on ground — Zakharova

The diplomat noted that the Ukrainian territory diminishes every time the Kiev regime disrupts the negotiating process

Berlin's silence over video showing Merz, Macron is telling — MFA

Maria Zakharova noted that the Elysee Palace had immediately labeled the news as fake, but had not asked the Kiev regime to stop spreading false information

Kremlin denies possibility of Putin's presence at talks in Turkey

The Russian delegation is headed by Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky

Russian diplomat accuses Ukraine of trying to prevent peace talks from happening

Ukraine has derailed all the agreements that have been reached over the past 11 years, Rodion Miroshnik said

Russian troops liberate two communities in Donetsk region over past day — top brass

Battlegroup West units liberated the settlement of Torskoye and Battlegroup Center units liberated the settlement of Novoaleksandrovka through active operations

Russian stock indices decline as trading on Moscow Exchange closes

The MOEX index fell by 2.88% to 2,840.05 points

Russia’s delegation in Istanbul made up of professionals willing to work — Zakharova

The Russian delegation at the negotiations in Istanbul is led by Presidential Aide Vladimir Medinsky

Russia-Ukraine talks in Istanbul to start on May 16 — source

Last night, Russian President Vladimir Putin approved the lineup of the Russian delegation and experts for talks with Kiev

Putin set goals for Ukraine talks after conferring with special op commanders — official

The Russian president held a special meeting to prepare the Russian delegation for talks in Istanbul on Wednesday

Idea of 30-day ceasefire based on cheating, Crimea’s head says

"Practice shows that Kiev is completely unable to respect any agreements," Sergey Aksyonov noted

West frightened by arrival of Russian delegation in Istanbul — Russian Foreign Ministry

"It’s high time for the West to cease this hysteria, regain composure, and bring their puppets in Kiev to the negotiating table," Maria Zakharova concluded

Merz says new package of Russia sanctions finalized, to be adopted on May 20

The sanctions, he said, would take effect immediately

EU puts itself in economic hell with false Russia threat narrative — MFA

"The EU invents this so-called Russian threat because spreading this narrative distracts the attention of their citizens from the disastrous situation in their own economies," Maria Zakharova noted

Talks with Ukraine aimed toward lasting peace, head of Russian delegation says

"The delegation is seeking to find constructive solutions and find common ground," Vladimir Medinsky said

More than 150 companies present their products at the Kazan Halal Market fair

It is expected that over 40,000 people will visit the fair

Russia aims to discuss broader settlement, not just ceasefire, at Ukraine talks — diplomat

Russia has repeatedly expressed the opinion that a ceasefire regime can be achievable only when a unified settlement strategy has been built, Rodion Miroshnik said

US to decide on meeting between Trump, Putin after talks on Ukraine — Rubio

The only way to achieve a breakthrough in a peaceful settlement in Ukraine will be direct negotiations between US and Russian leaders, he said

Moscow's rivals scheme to replace power in Russia — foreign intel chief

Sergey Naryshkin added that Russia’s geopolitical rivals are hatching plans, with financial support from the West, to split Russia into multiple parts

Indian premier notes Russian-made S-400 air defense system’s role during escalation

Narendra Modi also praised domestically made Akash missile systems

Lavrov calls Zelensky "nothing man" for demanding Putin come to Istanbul

The Russian foreign minister recalled that Zelensky made some statements demanding that Putin attend in person

Hostilities now under way, Russia suggests resuming talks - Putin

He expressed gratitude to Russia’s foreign partners for their peace-oriented efforts

Russian negotiators will be waiting for Ukrainian team in Turkey from 10 a.m. on Friday

	
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