Press review: Western plan drives Zelensky’s warning as US, Iran exchange strikes anew

Press review: Western plan drives Zelensky’s warning as US, Iran exchange strikes anew Top stories from the Russian press on Thursday, September 3rd© Dmitry Rogulin/TASSMOSCOW, September 3. /TASS/. Russia believes a Western concerted action may be behind Vladimir Zelensky’s threat to civil aviation as the conflict between the United States and Iran resumes after a month-long lull. Meanwhile, Romania declines to discuss measures aimed at reducing drone incident risks in the Black Sea. These stories topped Thursday's newspaper headlines across Russia. Izvestia: Western plan may be behind Zelensky’s warning about Russian skies Kiev has issued a warning to international airlines to steer clear of Russian airspace. That may involve a coordinated action by European countries in an attempt to set their own terms of negotiations, the Russian Foreign Ministry told Izvestia. The Transport Ministry said it would avert any major disruptions in the functioning of civil aviation, while experts deem a complete closure of Russian skies unlikely. Despite the escalation of rhetoric, Moscow remains ready for a settlement as it still awaits negotiators from the United States. As Russian troops make gains on the battlefield, Ukraine issued yet another threat that Russian President Vladimir Putin slammed as a "bid for state terrorism." Vladimir Zelensky’s warning came hours after relations between Russia and Germany deteriorated: Germany formally blamed Russia for the drone incident at Leipzig/Halle Airport that took place in early August. Moscow dismissed the accusations as unsubstantiated. Read alsoIN BRIEF: What to know of Zelensky’s threats to Russian civil aviation, Moscow’s response "I think this is a concerted action. Zelensky was likely instructed to act within this framework in order to put as much pressure on Russia as possible. Actually, what Zelensky is doing is making threats to the civilian population. And that is already a war crime," the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Ambassador-at-Large Rodion Miroshnik told Izvestia. Zelensky’s latest statement largely amounts to an attempt to achieve a media impact, while in fact the situation on the front is developing to the advantage of the Russian Armed Forces, according to Yevgeny Semibratov, deputy director of the Institute for Strategic Studies and Forecasts at Peoples' Friendship University of Russia. At the same time, Kiev's threats should not be completely ignored as Ukraine is consistently enhancing its drone capabilities. Vladimir Popov, a merited military pilot, said Russia’s Air Force and air defenses have considerably diminished the Ukrainian army’s ability to use aircraft in the immediate vicinity of the combat zone. Therefore, the Ukrainians are trying to make up for the lack of aviation capabilities with the massive use of UAVs. According to calculations based on reports from the Russian Defense Ministry, in the summer of 2026, between 750 and 800 drones were reported daily, with the intensity rate increasing to 960 drones by August. During the peak periods of July and August, Russian forces destroyed between 4,500 and 8,000 drones per week. Nevertheless, Russia remains willing to negotiate, Grigory Karasin, the head of the Russian Federation Council Committee on International Affairs, told Izvestia. However, with his recent statements, Zelensky has undermined his credibility as a responsible politician and he poses a threat to international stability, the senator added. Vedomosti: US, Iran exchange strikes again after a month-long lull For the first time since late July, the United States and Iran carried out large-scale strikes against each other’s positions in the Middle East. Early on Wednesday morning, units from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched missiles and drones against US military facilities in Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait and the Kurdish autonomous region in northern Iraq in response to the US bombing of coastal Iranian cities. At the same time, the IRGC said two tankers struck mines in the Hormuz Strait as they attempted to use what Tehran called an unauthorized route there. The United States and Iran have reached the stage of managed escalation in the Middle East conflict, Pavel Koshkin, a senior researcher at the US and Canadian Studies Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, told Vedomosti. According to him, the two sides will continue to exchange military, rhetorical and economic attacks for a certain period. "As the American and Iranian leaderships view it, willingness to make concessions represents a sign of weakness. At the same time, the sides would hate a repetition of the spiral of violence that occurred in late February. Both the Americans and the Iranians are quite satisfied with how things currently stand and they will have enough resources to continue this confrontation for a very long time," the expert in American studies maintained. Trump’s mid-term goal is to keep a plateau of managed confrontation for another two years until the next presidential election, Koshkin believes: "Therefore Trump now finds it important to demonstrate a tough and resolute approach to Tehran. Both sides are escalating tensions in the information space which does not automatically mean a military confrontation." The sides will continue to escalate the situation as differences between the United States and Iran, including over the status of the Strait of Hormuz, have not disappeared, Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies Yury Lyamin argued. On the one hand, Washington is trying to bring more Middle East oil onto the global market, and on the other hand, Tehran is trying to use the problem with the waterways as a key political bargaining chip, he said. "The Americans are still trying to demine certain sectors of the route, which is provoking Iranian retaliation. This standoff was there during the ceasefire, so any incidents may cause further escalation, a scenario that is taking place now," the analyst added. At present, the US economic pressure stemming from the naval blockade poses the main threat to Iran’s security, Lyamin continued. "In this regard, Tehran is prepared to escalate to step up pressure on global markets and the United States. Overnight American attacks on Iranian tankers gave the Iranian leadership a pretext for retaliatory strikes against tankers of the Gulf Arab states," the expert added. Izvestia: Romania hampers measures toward Black Sea security Romania is reluctant to discuss measures that would reduce the risk of incidents in the Black Sea and along the border with Ukraine, the Russian embassy in Bucharest told Izvestia. The growing frequency of drone attacks and attacks on civilian vessels have heightened tensions in the region. Despite the recent change of government, neighboring Bulgaria, too, still follows NATO’s strict bloc discipline and is boosting its military presence in the Black Sea. Against this background, Turkey has sought to act as a key mediator in talks on safe navigation. On September 1, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, held a one-on-one meeting at the SCO summit in Bishkek. Earlier, Turkey’s top diplomat, Hakan Fidan, said Ankara is maintaining contact with both Moscow and Kiev as it expects to formulate new safe navigation rules. However, NATO’s other Black Sea allies have dismissed dialogue. Romania, for one, is not planning to address this issue with Russia, the Russian embassy in Bucharest told Izvestia. For Romania, the Black Sea is a space of strategic rivalry with Russia rather than a zone where it should establish a sustainable mechanism of interaction, according to Artyom Perchun, a researcher at the Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs at the Center for Comprehensive European and International Studies of the National Research University Higher School of Economics. Any compromises would contradict NATO’s current strategy designed not to build trust with Moscow but focused on a military buildup since 2022. The policy course pursued by Romania’s neighbor, Bulgaria, is also contributing to regional tensions. "Even in the absence of explicitly Russophobic rhetoric, Sofia continues to follow Western guidelines in our direction, including in the context of `strengthening NATO’s defense capabilities,’ which inevitably leads to militarization of the Black Sea region," the Russian embassy in Bulgaria told Izvestia. Meanwhile, Romania has in fact been the main route of weapons supplies to Ukraine, Andrey Kortunov, an expert with the Valdai Discussion Club, noted. If in 2022-2024 Poland’s Rzeszow served as a key and almost uncontested hub for NATO, by 2026 the alliance deliberately turned Romania into its second largest military logistics hub on the eastern flank, he said. Nezavisimaya Gazeta: Moscow, Yerevan move closer to parting ways Late on Tuesday evening, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan held talks on the future of Yerevan in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). On the whole, the Russian and Armenian leaders focused on whether Armenia’s course toward European integration would conflict with its EAEU membership during the public part of their conversation. Putin sees this as a problem as he suggested the Armenian PM hold a referendum so as not to escalate the situation. Apparently, he suspects that the majority of Armenians will vote against, given the latest developments, and that would be the end of the matter. In turn, Pashinyan is not even trying to hide that his nation is not yet ready to make what he views as the correct decision, so there will be no plebiscite. On September 2, the EU Council approved trade measures to support Armenia. The trade relief measures will apply for two years and cover 80% of Armenian exports amid Russian restrictions on Armenian supplies, Brussels emphasized. The latest measures will hardly have any positive effect in 2026 as the fruit and vegetables season is coming to a close, but they may produce a result next year, Sergey Melkonyan, a research fellow at the Applied Policy Research Institute of Armenia, told Nezavisimaya Gazeta. The decision by Brussels will not heighten the conflict between Armenia and the EAEU as Armenian exports to the EU do not undermine the Eurasian organization’s interests, he argued. "As regards the talks, Pashinyan and Putin agreed to reassess the Armenian-Russian relationship," Melkonyan noted as he highlighted this as the main piece of positive news which was also mentioned by the Armenian head of government. At the same time, the expert continued, Yerevan has adopted a course for downgrading the level of cooperation with Russia which would affect the defense, energy, transport infrastructure and trade spheres. "As regards Moscow, it will need to decide whether it would like to retain its influence in the South Caucasus or is ready for a divorce. Much will perhaps depend on the next round of talks. Perhaps in order to reduce risks, Pashinyan may want to meet with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev who should visit Yerevan in October. After that, we could reach some conclusions regarding what will happen at the EAEU summit in December," Melkonyan concluded. Kommersant: Russian diesel export ban fuels US exports The global diesel shortage, caused by the Russian export ban and disruptions to supplies from the Middle East, has enabled US producers to increase exports to a record level and driven prices higher. Russian companies may be forced to offer discounts to reclaim their share after exports resume. Amid geopolitical tensions and as Russian exports were suspended in August, US diesel exports rose to a record high of 54.2 million barrels, a 16.3% increase from July, a report by S&P Global showed. And spot prices for ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) on Mexico’s East Coast surged to $4.7 per gallon, the highest since S&P Global began to issue reports in May 2006. According to the latest report, the key factor that prompted the sharp rise in prices was Russia’s move to extend the diesel export ban to September 30. The situation now favors diesel producers and exporters, Igor Yushkov, an expert at the Financial University under the Russian Government, noted: in addition to the complete suspension of petroleum product supplies from the Persian Gulf countries, shipments of crude to major refiners such as India have also declined. Consequently, they too are cutting diesel fuel exports, the analyst said. The other reason for the global shortage is linked to the halted Russian exports. According to Yushkov, American suppliers are taking the place of Russian, Middle Eastern, and Indian producers in this situation. Dmitry Skryabin, a portfolio manager at Alfa-Capital brokerage, recalled that Russia has historically been the world's second-largest diesel exporter after the United States, and therefore it could swiftly restore its position in the global market. The key issue, the analyst continued, is not so much maintaining physical market share as the pricing parameters of export contracts, as a reshuffle in supply chains and a return to the market could alter the final cost of supplies. TASS is not responsible for the material quoted in these press reviews Press review: NATO excludes Russia from drone probes as Japan pursues remilitarizationTop stories from theRussian press on Wednesday, September 2ndRead moreRussia to close Goethe-Institut offices in Russia in response to Russian House closureSergey Lavrov went on to say that Germany made the decision to close the Russian House in Berlin and the Consulate General in Bonn under the false pretext that the drone that crashed in Leipzig was allegedly RussianRead moreKiev’s use of expensive IRIS-T missiles against UAVs impractical — expert"One such missile costs about €400,000," Alexander Stepanov said Read moreLavrov plans to discuss Bucha topic with UN secretary-generalSergey Lavrov added that Russia always raises the question of Bucha at its news conferences on the sidelines of the UN General AssemblyRead morePutin says Far East, Arctic demonstrating positive development trendsThe head of state noted that the regions' development rates exceeded the national average across a number of key indicatorsRead moreUS military operation against Iran could extend into 2027 — WSJNineteen US Navy ships, fighter squadrons, air defense units, and paratroopers are operating in the Middle East, the newspaper notedRead moreICAO to update recommendations on protecting civil aviation in zones of armed conflictThe updated documents will focus on how authorities and airlines and air navigation services providers can better assess threats from malicious activitiesRead moreUnder guise of evacuating Kherson, Kiev sends untrained men to front — military expertAndrey Marochko сlarified that men from the Kherson region are being sent to difficult sections of the frontRead moreTop Russian diplomat dismisses Europe’s fears of Russian attackRussian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov emphasized that he West "needs an enemy all the time"Read moreUS reconnaissance aircraft flies over Barents Sea for several hoursThe aircraft are a Boeing RC-135W Rivet Joint reconnaissance aircraft and a Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker, both operated by the US militaryRead moreNorway seizes Russian vessel Professor Molchanov in SvalbardThe vessel is prohibited from leaving its current location pending a relevant decision by the Governor of SvalbardRead moreUS-Saudi deal allows uranium enrichment of up to 20% — WSJAccording to the newspaper, the agreement does not automatically authorize uranium enrichment in Saudi ArabiaRead moreBattlegroup North destroys over 240 Ukrainian dugouts, deployment sites near KharkovAccording to the serviceman with the call sign Grif, Battlegroup North strikes the Ukrainian armed forces’ dugouts and temporary deployment sites, using attack UAVs, including FPV dronesRead moreWarehouse with dual-use goods, energy infrastructure hit: strikes by Russian Armed ForcesThe Russian Armed Forces hit the Stellar Jet logistics center near the Vishnevoye settlement in the Kiev region using Geran-4 Seeker dronesRead moreIN BRIEF: What to know of Zelensky’s threats to Russian civil aviation, Moscow’s responseRussian Transport Minister Andrey Nikitin highlighted that the ministry is constantly strengthening flight and airport security requirements and stands ready to respond to any threatRead moreNo plans to initiate downgrade in diplomatic ties with Germany — Kremlin spokesmanGermany has also not announced any such plans, Dmitry Peskov saidRead moreBRICS overtakes G7 in economic output, successfully finances development — expertDirector of the Global South Program at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft Sarang Shidore noted that BRICS had succeeded in creating the first truly transcontinental club outside the wealthy WestRead moreEAEU free trade deals with Indonesia, UAE to take effect very soonRussian Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk also noted that several rounds of talks have been held with India on concluding an agreementRead moreBy talking about civil aviation hazards, Zelensky counts on revolt in Russia — LavrovThe Russian foreign minister said that efforts to undermine Russia are directed through "the Kiev regime’s atrocities"Read morePutin gives start to several major national enterprises at Eastern Economic ForumIn particular, Russia's first full-cycle copper mining and processing plant has been established in the Trans-Baikal regionRead moreUS destroyed 28 ships in Strait of Hormuz on night of September 1, Trump saysAccording to the US leader, the United States control the Strait of HormuzRead moreEurope has few options left to exert pressure on Russia — WSJAccording to the newspaper, decisive and meaningful diplomatic measures have largely been exhaustedRead moreBerlin using drone incident to divert attention from domestic problems — lawmakerBy closing the Russian Consulate General in Bonn and the Russian House in Berlin, the German government is continuing to drive the spiral of escalation against Russia, co-chair of the Left Party group in the Bundestag Soren PellmannRead moreNew sanctions against Russia to further hurt EU itself — GrushkoRussian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko stressed that these sanctions will add nothing and essentially change nothing in the current state of affairsRead moreMaduro’s defense requests court to lift charges, citing sovereign immunityIn line with the international law, heads of state and high-ranking officials are granted personal immunity from criminal prosecutionRead morePlacido Domingo to perform with Russian conductor Yuri Bashmet in MoscowThe concert’s program will feature musical pieces of different genres, which Domingo has performed over the course of his 60-year careerRead moreWest openly encourages Kiev’s terrorist acts — LavrovSergey Lavrov stressed that attempts are being made to orchestrate various provocative acts through the West’s diplomatic presence in RussiaRead moreICAO notes growing risk of weapons use against civil aircraftLong-range weapons systems, unmanned aircraft systems, global navigation satellite system radio frequency interference, and advanced air defense systems are among the military technologies jeopardizing civilian aviationRead morePutin to address Eastern Economic Forum’s plenary sessionRead moreUkrainian attack damages substation supplying Energodar — mayorThere are no casualties, Mayor Maxim Pukhov saidRead moreG20 countries agree that AI may help reduce non-tariff barriers in tradeAccording to a consensus statement, AI technologies may help to streamline global tradeRead moreDeath toll from US Tuesday strikes rises to 18, injured to 108 — authoritiesExplosions were heard on the country’s southern coast, including on Qeshm Island and in several citiesRead moreWest does not want agreements, has replaced diplomacy with sanctions — LavrovThe Russian foreign minister said that the West wants to dictateRead morePutin says Far East should be territory for cooperation"The region is a powerful center of growth and sets the pace for the development of the global economy," the Russian leader saidRead moreNorwegian law enforcement made no contact with seized ship’s expedition membersThe vessel is prohibited from leaving its current location pending a relevant decision by the Governor of SvalbardRead moreNATO desperately looking for reasons to continue its artificial existence — LavrovThe Russian foreign minister noted that NATO was supposed to dissolve itself after the collapse of the Soviet UnionRead morePutin calls Indonesia Russia's key partner in Southeast AsiaThe Russian president recalled that the countries had signed a free trade agreement between the Eurasian Economic Union and IndonesiaRead moreRussia trains group of servicemen to guard Madagascar’s leadershipTransitional Malagasy Prime Minister Mamitiana Rajaonarison said that equal partnership, Russia’s transfer of expertise and assistance in modernizing the Malagasy military infrastructure indicates successful bilateral cooperationRead moreRussia will never beg Europe to lift sanctions — top diplomatRussian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov emphasized that Russia has never constructed walls or isolated itself from EuropeRead moreWhat is known about shootout involving security service officers in KievDuring the initial investigation, the SBU stated that the detainees belonged to one of the Ukrainian Defense Forces unitsRead moreEnsuring safety of refineries and maintenance schedules: statements by NovakThe Russian Deputy PM revealed that oil companies were allocating funds to protect oil refineries and interacting with the Defense MinistryRead moreWhat we know about FIS ruling on Russian athletes’ reinstatement at int’l tournamentsAthletes from Russia will compete as neutrals at international competitionsRead moreOver 70 drones heading for Moscow shot down since midnight — TASS calculationsEmergency response personnel are working at the sites where debris fell, Sergey Sobyanin saidRead moreRussia, North Korea to launch direct road link very soon — Transport MinistryAccording to the Russian Transport Minister Andrey Nikitin, the launch of a direct road link between the two countries will streamline logistics, help increase bilateral trade and reduce transportation costs for businessesRead moreTrump looking forward to discuss many 'good, productive' issues with Xi JinpingOfficial Washington has publicly signaled on several occasions that it hopes for a return visit by the Chinese President this fallRead moreRussia has will, resources to respond to EU over frozen assets — GrushkoRussian Deputy Foreign Minister said such actions would also undermine the EU's reputationRead moreBy attacking Energodar, Zelensky tries gain leverage in negotiations with Russia — expertAndrey Marochko called Energodar a "pain point" for Ukrainian militantsRead moreGerman authorities want to help Kiev obtain coordinates of targets in Russia — Der SpiegelThe magazine recalled that, following the drone incident at Leipzig/Halle Airport, Berlin decided to step up military support for KievRead moreSJ-100 to be certified next spring, deliveries to begin next year — ministerAccording to the Russian Industry and Trade Minister Anton Alikhanov, a total of 28 SJ-100 planes are currently at various stages of productionRead moreSituation with fuel in Russia and global oil demand: statements by NovakRussia continues to import gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel, the official notedRead moreEU rapidly losing its advantages, many countries may review accession plans soon — LavrovIn terms of economy, the European Union is losing its competitive advantages because of many reasons, including its short-sightedness, if not outright stupidity, Russian Foreign Minister saidRead moreCountries need to make stronger commitments to defending civil aircraft — ICAOThe International Civil Aviation Authority also added that the "risk of weapons targeting civilian planes grows worldwide"Read moreBelgium realizes EU plans to rob it as well as Russia — GrushkoAlexander Grushko described plans to use Russian assets as robberyRead moreKiev troops shell DPR 28 times in past day, four killedFive civil infrastructure sites, multiple cars and trucks, a bus and special vehicles were damaged as a result of these attacksRead moreUS in talks with Ukraine on use of its drone technology — RubioThe secretary of state stressed that the US is constantly looking for ways to strengthen its own defensesRead moreCrew of Russian ship seized in Svalbard safe — ministerAlexey Chekunkov assured that the legal team of the ship’s owner will issue a formal legal response soonRead moreInterceptor drone reaching speed up to 1,000 km/h is revolutionary development — expertThe drone acquires its target using machine vision and a thermal imagerRead moreUS investigates circumstances of strike on wedding in Iran — NBCAn expert of arms intelligence firm Armament Research Services said that, in his opinion, the attack probably involved US air-delivered precision guided weaponsRead moreICAO urges member countries to share intel on civil aviation threatsThe International Civil Aviation Organization also stressed that member states must strengthen risk assessment mechanisms and improve coordination between military and civilian authoritiesRead moreGazprom CEO describes Europe’s gas reserves by saying 'winter will come'Gas inventories in European underground storage facilities (UGS) are at their lowest level since records began in 2011Read morePutin notes Trump’s positive attitude towards constructive workThe Russian president stated that Moscow supports the restoration of full-scale relations with WashingtonRead moreHomes damaged, fire at Moscow Region factory, 416 UAVs: aftermath of attacksA drone struck an apartment building on Pervogo Maya Street in Pavlovsky Posad, near Moscow, Governor Andrey Vorobyov said Read morePutin warns against attempts to 'devour' Russia, slams Kiev’s actions as state terrorismRussia will find a way to respond if the Kiev regime’s threats against civilian aviation materialize, the head of state emphasizedRead morePutin addressing plenary session of Eastern Economic ForumIndonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Mongolian Prime Minister Nyam-Osoryn Uchral, Myanmar’s First Vice President Nyo Saw, and Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang will also address the sessionRead moreRussian expedition to keep working in Svalbard after ship’s seizureThe vessel is prohibited from leaving its current locationRead moreAnti-Russian actions by Germany to draw tough response — MFAGermany’s decision to close the Russian Consulate General in Bonn and the Russian House in Berlin marks another step toward the final destruction of Russia-Germany relations, the Russian Foreign Ministry saidRead moreRussian pilots strike Ukrainian UAV control post in Sumy Region with X-39 missileThe target was destroyed by the strikeRead moreKiev loses some 1,330 troops along engagement line in past day — Russia’s top brassThe Russian troops has established control of the Kazachya Lopan settlement in the Kharkov Region and Svyatogorsk in the DPRRead moreBelgium to keep blocking Russian asset expropriation — foreign ministerMaxime Prevot stressed that the majority of EU countries opposed the ideaRead morePutin’s key statements at meeting with outgoing State Duma deputiesThe Russian leader noted that, despite external constraints, the country is holding steady in the global tech race, and that the Russian financial system is currently stableRead moreBerlin provides zero evidence of Russian involvement in Leipzig incident — ambassadorThe Russian Embassy in Berlin earlier described the incident as a hastily fabricated provocationRead morePutin believes there is chance for settlement in UkraineThe Russian leader said Moscow is grateful to everyone who is trying to contribute to resolving this issueRead moreGang planned to kidnap footballer Mbappe in France — Le ParisienThe planned crimes targeted 26 people, the newspaper’s source saidRead moreMiddle East’s biggest shipping hub at risk amid Hormuz blockade — FTThe port and free-trade zone alone is responsible for more than a fifth of the emirate’s GDPRead moreFACTBOX: What to know about Russian Foreign Ministry summoning German charge d’affairesBernd Finke left the ministry building after an hourRead morePeacemaking with Russia is Ukraine's only chance to survive, says Russian senator"By attempting to force Russia to make peace on Ukraine's terms, Kiev is moving ever closer to a situation where peace terms will be determined by anyone but a weakened and decimated Ukraine," Alexander Voloshin saidRead moreKremlin spokesman responds to Bessent's statement on Russian-Iranian relations"It is unlikely that the United States can or should monopolize its relations with any one country," Dmitry Peskov saidRead moreWestern investors’ support for Fyodorov to turn Ukraine into testing ground — expertVitaly Kiselev emphasized that Mikhail Fyodorov’s statements in foreign media about his desire to help the West create a "drone army" should be taken very seriouslyRead morePutin begins meeting with Indonesian counterpartPreviously, the two leaders met in Moscow in AprilRead morePutin calls threats to attack civilian aircraft state terrorismThe Russian leader stressed that it complicates the prospects for holding bilateral peace talksRead moreAgreeing to freeze conflict in Ukraine would mean revival of Nazism — Lavrov"It would be betraying our ancestors, who defeated Nazism in 1945," the Russian foreign minister said Read moreUkrainian attacks on DPR kill four people, injure five over past 24 hoursFive civilian infrastructure facilities, a bus, specialized equipment, four trucks, and five passenger cars were damagedRead moreWork on contract to build NPP in Vietnam in full swing — RosatomAccording to Rosatom CEO Alexey Likhachev, the Generation III+ VVER-1200 reactor has been selected for the projectRead moreWorld going through period of economic, geopolitical transition — RubioAccording to the US State Secretary, in foreign policy, one often has to choose not between "a perfect answer and a bad answer," but between "two less-than-ideal approaches"Read moreThird attempt to impeach Trump virtually inevitable — newspaperAccording to the newspaper, the consensus is that Republicans "are all but certain to lose their very narrow House majority"Read moreMerz seeking to gain support in Germany through anti-Russian measures — KremlinAccording to Dmitry Peskov, it turns out extremely clumsyRead moreUS destroys new Iranian weapons near Strait of Hormuz — TrumpThe US leader noted that Iran had been trying to rebuild its radar and missile systemsRead moreAttempts to destabilize society take place in Russia ahead of parliamentary vote — LavrovAccording to the Russian foreign minister, the West makes no secret of itRead morePress review: NATO excludes Russia from drone probes as Japan pursues remilitarizationTop stories from theRussian press on Wednesday, September 2ndRead moreUp to Russia, Ukraine to reach agreement, while others can only assist — PutinThe Russian president noted that that the People's Republic of China, for example, constantly pays attention to this and does everything possible to ensure that the problem is resolvedRead moreLeipzig drone drama aims to distract Europeans from EU decline — Russian missionThe mission stressed that when Russia’s charge d’affaires was summoned to the European External Action Service over the Leipzig incident, EU authorities sponsoring Ukraine "were directly told of the terrorist nature of the Kiev regime"Read moreEnvoy says Russia won't soon forget Germany's unfriendly moves against itSergey Nechayev recalled that no other country in Western Europe had received as many benefits from closer ties and cooperation with RussiaRead moreFrench Foreign Ministry spreads false accusations against Russia — embassyRussian charge d'affaires Alexander Zezyulin expressed disappointment that the French Foreign Ministry has resorted to summoning the head of the Russian diplomatic mission in France on issues that have no bearing whatsoever on either Russia or FranceRead moreWitkoff, Kushner fully focused on peace agreements — RubioThe US State Secretary revealed that the administration had assembled separate teams for every foreign policy areaRead moreRussian economy is in state of 'overcooling' — GrefHerman Gref added that Sberbank also intends to provide all possible assistance to marketplaces and sellers affected by drone attacksRead moreImportant not to stifle economic growth — PutinThe Russian president noted that the Central Bank and the government are deliberately taking measures to curb inflationRead moreIN BRIEF: What is known about summoning of German Charge d'Affaires to MFAAccording to the Russian Foreign Ministry, Bernd Finke was told that Russia resolutely rejects Germany's completely trumped-up accusations regarding the incident in LeipzigRead moreUK Parliament member dismisses claims of Russian threatLabor MP Diane Abbott pointed out that it is a NATO fiction to justify their complete capitulation to Donald Trump's demands for more military spendingRead moreRussia will not buy double-dealing calls for Ukraine ceasefire by EU, NATO — envoyRussian Ambassador to Belgium Denis Gonchar reiterated Moscow’s continuous commitment to achieving a long-term and sustainable solution to the Ukraine crisisRead moreTrump says merely suggested renaming Strait of Hormuz after himselfEarlier, the White House posted an excerpt of a map showing the Strait of Hormuz labeled "Trump Strait"Read moreAnalysts downgrade forecast for Russia’s GDP growth in 2026 from 0.6% to 0.5%Expectations for the average key rate in 2026 remained at 14.5%Read more