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By supplying arms to Kiev West becomes companion in its crimes, says Putin

"They supply arms worth tens of billions of dollars to Ukraine. This is the participation in a way. Why? Because it is not simply military-technical cooperation, since they do not receive money for it," Putin noted

MOSCOW, February 26. /TASS/. /TASS/. Supplies of weapons to Ukraine by the NATO bloc may be considered the participation in the conflict since the alliance receives no payments for it, which means the West becomes a companion in Kiev’s crimes, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview for the "Moscow. Kremlin. Putin" program on Rossiya-1 TV channel aired on Sunday.

"They supply arms worth tens of billions of dollars to Ukraine. This is the participation in a way. Why? Because it is not simply military-technical cooperation, since they do not receive money for it," Putin noted when answering questions by journalist Pavel Zarubin, adding that "those arms are delivered unilaterally, which means in a way, at least indirect, but still the participation in the Kiev regime’s crimes".

"Our position relies on that. And I think it is quite clear and reasoned," he stressed.

Military operation in Ukraine

Grossi ignores ‘elephant in the room’ in Zaporozhye nuke plant situation — Russian envoy

Dmitry Polyansky noted that the IAEA chief is being very cautious about the issue of attacks on the nuclear facility

Iran may target Israeli nuclear center in Dimona in case of Israel’s attack — TV

Ahmad Haghtalab said on April 18 that Tehran has identified the location of Israel's "nuclear centers" and will be ready to destroy them in case the Jewish state responds to the recent Iranian attack on Israeli military facilities

Russian economy positively influences neighboring countries — Deputy PM

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Lavrov labels way West ramping up sanctions against Russia as mindless

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Russian economy proves resilience amid large-scale sanctions — IMF

The IMF states that the restrictions led to the need to rebuild the economy

Russia not to go for settlement on Ukraine based on 'Zelensky formula' — Lavrov

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Ukrainians abroad storming embassies to avoid mobilization, Russian diplomat says

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Proposals on Russian assets confiscation undermine financial system — Finance Minister

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Polish premier refuses to hand over his country’s Patriot systems to Ukraine

Donald Tusk said that German Chancellor’s call to send more air defense systems to Kiev had no relation to Poland, provided the country's geographical position near the frontline

Russia won’t allow NATO to move closer in Ukraine — Lavrov

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Shoigu orders additional tank protection sets for Ukraine operation

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Kiev lacks both troops and equipment near Chasov Yar in DPR, says retired general

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"We have not received any external attack, and the discussion leans more towards infiltration than attack," a senior Iranian official reported

Russia bans 235 Australian local government officials from entering country — MFA

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Global economy’s condition improving — Russian Deputy PM

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American Abrams tanks vulnerable even to Soviet-era weapons, says expert

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Crimea, Donbass to forever remain within Russia, Slovak PM tells national parliament

Robert Fico believes Moscow will win in its confrontation with Kiev

West close to sending military to Ukraine, this would 'drag Europe to bottom' — Orban

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EU ministers to discuss use of Russian assets for Ukraine on April 22 — EU official

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Switzerland does not suit Russia for negotiations on Ukraine — Lavrov

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Kremlin declines to comment on alleged assassination attempt on Zelensky in Poland

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G7 leaders to decide on Russian assets use — Italian Deputy PM

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Security guarantees on Ukraine did not apply to Crimea, Donbass — Lavrov

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S-500 system to be supplied to Armed Forces after 2015

Victor Gumenny said the advanced systems may solve the tasks of air-space defence and may fight hypersonic weapons

Death toll in Gaza Strip since tensions escalated exceeds 34,000 — Health Ministry

It is reported that just over the past 24 hours alone, 42 people have been killed and 63 wounded

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US 'not forgetting' to help itself with aid to Ukraine — Kremlin

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US volunteer Russel Bentley missing in Donetsk killed — RT editor-in-chief

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This is for the age group of 6 to 11 years old

FACTBOX: Collective Security Treaty Organization

The Collective Security Treaty came into force on April 20, 1994 to herald the emergence what would eventually become the Collective Security Treaty Organization. The six member-countries are Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan

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Three Ukrainian soldiers swim across Dnieper to surrender to Russian troops — governor

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Fox News said the Jewish state delivered a limited strike on Iran

Russia can join top three countries by lithium reserves — governor

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Putin signs law on holding World Friendship Games

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Ukraine’s new ethnic minorities law insufficient to protect Magyars — Hungarian president

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Armenia’s relations with Russia not at their highest — top diplomat

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French, US, British nukes all interwoven — Russian diplomat

Maria Zakharova described France’s decision to place its aircraft carrier, the Charles de Gaulle, directly under NATO control as a symbolic move marking the end of "the era of an independent Paris in the international arena"

US gives nod to Israeli operation in Rafah in exchange for canceling major attack on Iran

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Russia’s defense chief inspects production of tanks, flamethrowers at Siberian enterprise

Sergey Shoigu handed down an instruction for the defense enterprise to ramp up the production of T-80BVM tanks, the Defense Ministry said

Two people killed in borderline Belgorod Region in Ukrainian drone attack — governor

According to Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov, a private residence in the village of Poroz caught fire when the unmanned aerial vehicles dropped two explosive devices

Unidentified man attempts suicide outside courthouse where Trump trial is underway

The man set himself on fire

Chinese analyst sees US veto on Palestine as reflection of arrogance, double standards

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Russia has significant amount of West’s funds in case of confiscation of its assets

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Major Western investor accuses Zelensky's office of extorting millions of euros

Arnulf Damerau said that he provided details of the meeting, along with evidence and a list of names of those involved, to US and European intelligence agencies

Russia ready for Ukraine talks, but not with Zelensky — Lavrov

The first negotiations between Russia and Ukraine after the start of the special military operation took place in early March 2022 in Belarus, but they did not bring tangible results

Russian government increases customs duties on beer from unfriendly countries

This measure is not a prohibitive one and will make it possible to make competitive conditions equal for Russian producers, the ministry said

North Korean leader arrives at public event in Aurus luxury car gifted by Putin

On April 10, the vehicle was also spotted when the North Korean leader visited Kim Jong Il Military and Political Academy

Armenia has to define CSTO’s zone of responsibility on its territory, says Lavrov

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Blast rocks military base south of Baghdad — Reuters

According to the news agency, one PMF fighter was killed and six were wounded

Izvestia correspondent Semyon Eremin killed in special operation zone

The tragedy occurred near the village of Priyutnoye located on the border of the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Zaporozhye Region

Language policy of Moldovan government is Russophobic — head of Gagauzia region

Evgenia Gutsul was referring to the demand the People's Assembly of Gagauzia made for Moldovan legislators to uphold the status of Russian as the language of interethnic communication in the region

West can’t comprehend Russia’s resilience — Lavrov

"They would have been scared had anyone come down on them with similar ferocity," the Russian foreign minister added

Russia delivers 34 strikes on Ukrainian military infrastructure over week — top brass

The Ukrainian army lost more than 3,550 troops, four tanks and five armored combat vehicles in battles with Russian forces in the Donetsk area over the past week, the ministry reported

US-led coalition’s aircraft violate Syrian airspace 13 times in past day

Two shelling attacks on the positions of Syrian government army by the Jabhat al-Nusra groups were reported in the Idlib de-escalation zone

US House passes procedural vote on Ukraine aid bill

It cannot be ruled out that the House of Representatives may pass this package as early as Saturday

Russian instructors help train over 10,000 Central African troops — CAR president

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World’s anti-doping agency WADA still waits for Russia’s 2023 financial contribution

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Press review: Biden backs aid to Israel, Ukraine and Russia assets giving West legal fits

Top stories from the Russian press on Friday, April 19th

Nearly half of those present in UN Security Council hall walk out before Israel’s address

israeli Permanent Representative Gilad Erdan was to address the council after Palestinian envoy Riyad Mansour

French president says creating Israeli-type air defense network for Ukraine impossible

Emmanuel Macron added that Europe’s resources are limited, and the European Union will continue helping Kiev keeping in mind its own reserves

Lavrov speaks of West’s agony, Russia’s approach to any future talks with Kiev

The Russian foreign minister also described Armenia and Russia as more than formal allies

Ukrainian trace obvious in Crocus City Hall attack — Russian prosecutor general

The law enforcement employees exert efforts to identify the instigators of this crime, Igor Krasnov said

No plans for pauses in fighting if talks on Ukraine begin, Lavrov says

The Russian foreign minister emphasized that the situation on the ground had changed significantly

West wants to make Transnistria hotbed of tension — Lavrov

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Ukrainian POW exposes poor battlefield performance of NATO-supplied Javelins, NLAWs

He also revealed that some weapon batches contained anti-armor systems whose service life had expired