DMITRY MEDVEDEV

Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Head of the Russian Security Council, has said that if Ukraine attacks Russian facilities in Crimea, Russia will allegedly "only retaliate". Source: Medvedev, in a media interview, quoted by Kremlin-aligned news outlet RBC Quote from Medvedev: "There will be no negotiations in this case, only retaliatory strikes.

NATO is calling on Russia to respect the only treaty it has with the United States to keep a lid on nuclear weapons expansion.

Criticism of the war in Ukraine is quickly stifled, and residents are quick to say they support drone production by Aeroscan, just not in their backyard.

French President Emmanuel Macron, meanwhile, said Sunday that he does not rule out sending Leclerc battle tanks to Ukraine and had asked his defense minister to “work on” the idea. In a joint declaration, France and Germany committed to their “unwavering support” for Ukraine. Scholz did not respond when asked about the Leopard 2 tanks Sunday, but stressed that his country already has made sizable military contributions to Ukraine. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said that if Germany did not consent to transferring Leopard tanks to Ukraine, his country was prepared to build a “smaller coalition” of countries that would send theirs anyway. "If it requires our sending some Abrams tanks in order to unlock getting the Leopard tanks from Germany, from Poland, from other allies, I would support that,” Coons said.

KYIV, Ukraine — (AP) — The speaker of Russia's parliament warned Sunday that countries supplying Ukraine with more powerful weapons risked their own destruction, a message that followed new pledges of armored vehicles, air defense systems and other equipment but not the battle tanks Kyiv requested. “Supplies of offensive weapons to the Kyiv regime would lead to a global catastrophe,” State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin said. Since invading Ukraine, Russia also has increased both the scope and the number of its joint military drills with China. Zelenskyy, who on Saturday mourned the victims of the helicopter crash, vowed Sunday that Ukraine would prevail in the war. ___Follow AP's coverage of the war in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraineCopyright 2023 The Associated Press.

The Russian parliament speaker has warned that countries supplying Ukraine with more powerful weapons risked their own destruction

Germany’s top diplomat says her country won't object if Poland decides to send Leopard 2 battle tanks to Ukraine.

The speaker of Russia's parliament warned Sunday that countries supplying Ukraine with more powerful weapons risked their own destruction, a message that followed new pledges of armored vehicles, air defense systems and other equipment but not the battle tanks Kyiv requested. “Supplies of offensive weapons to the Kyiv regime would lead to a global catastrophe,” State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin said. “If Washington and NATO supply weapons that would be used for striking peaceful cities and making attempts to seize our territory as they threaten to do, it would trigger a retaliation with more powerful weapons.”

Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of Russia, claimed that "Russia will struggle, and there should be no illusions". Source: Medvedev on Telegram Quote: "The Ramstein meeting and allocation of heavy armament to Kyiv leave no doubt that our enemies will be trying to exhaust us for an indefinite amount of time, or better yet, to destroy us.

The Kremlin and its allies have long tried to paint Vladimir Putin's assault on his neighbors as an existential war, and they want the world to believe they mean it.

Ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council Dmitry Medvedev warned NATO allies Thursday that a defeat for Russia in Ukraine could mean nuclear war.

Dmitry Medvedev, now a senior security official, made the remark about Fumio Kishida after the U.S. and Japan warned Russia against using nuclear weapons in Ukraine.

Dmitry Medvedev lashed out with the escalatory proposal after the US Embassy posted a video appealing to Russians to oppose Putin's war.

Kremlin officials and captains of industry were once serious people.

A chief advisor to Russian President Vladimir Putin grabbed social media attention in a Twitter post predicting the US will see a civil war in 2023 that will result in an Elon Musk presidency.

Dmitry Medvedev, the Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, has stated that Russia must receive the highest possible "security guarantees" in order to normalise a situation that could lead to World War Three.

The Kremlin is warning that increasing the supply of U.S. arms to Ukraine would aggravate the devastating 10-month war ignited by Russia’s invasion.

Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Head of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, has threatened that if Patriot anti-ballistic missile systems are shipped to Ukraine, they will become "a legal target" for the Russian invaders.

A senior Russian diplomat says Moscow has postponed a round of nuclear arms control talks with the United States set for this week because of stark differences in approach and tensions over Ukraine.

Prominent supporters of Russian President Vladimir Putin are using increasingly "genocidal rhetoric" when discussing and demonizing Ukraine, analysts note.

Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, has said that Kyiv is an alleged "Russian city" and hinted that Russia is going to seize it. Source: Medvedev on Telegram Quote: "Here, various cockroaches that have bred in the Kyiv insectarium constantly threaten to 'return Crimea'.

The discourse was never all that civil on Twitter.

Military leaders are said to have talked about how and when they might use the weapons in Ukraine.

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has called for the return of the death penalty in the Russian Federation against the backdrop of attacks on Russian military infrastructure, according to his post on Telegram on Nov. 2.

Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, has announced that Ukraine's liberation of its territories is a "direct reason" for Russia to use nuclear weapons. Source: Medvedev on his Telegram channel Quote from Medvedev: "The well-known thesis of Western countries is 'Russia cannot be allowed to win the war.

The Iranian-made drones that Russia sent slamming into central Kyiv this week are complicating Israel's balancing act between Russia and the West.

Russia's use of scarce missiles to slam Ukrainian civilians baffles Western analysts, thrills hardliners

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet with G7 nations at an emergency meeting on Tuesday. Russian President Vladimir Putin escalated missile strikes on Ukraine.

Putin called an explosion on a Crimean bridge "terrorism." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky used the word to describe a deadly attack in Zaporizhzhia.

Sergei Surovikin, an Army general who also oversees Russia's air force, previously led Russian forces in Syria.

Ex-French President Francois Hollande rues the missteps that emboldened the Russian leader.

The heads of nine central and eastern European NATO members issued a joint statement backing a path to membership for Ukraine in the U.S.-led security alliance.

KATERYNA TYSHCHENKO - FRIDAY, 30 SEPTEMBER 2022, 21:09 Dmitry Medvedev, the Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council, believes that Ukraine's accession to NATO will accelerate the outbreak of World War III.

Russian President Vladimir Putin warns that he won’t hesitate to use nuclear weapons to ward off Ukraine’s attempt to reclaim control of Moscow-occupied areas that the Kremlin is about to annex.

They’re all Putin has now.

STANISLAV POHORILOV - TUESDAY, 27 SEPTEMBER 2022, 11:54 Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council believes that Russia can launch a nuclear strike on Ukraine with impunity, since NATO countries will not take retaliatory steps, worrying about their own security.

ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine — (AP) — Russia escalated its military and political campaign Thursday to capture Ukrainian territory, rounding up Russian army reservists to fight, preparing votes on annexing occupied areas and launching new deadly attacks. Dmitry told Russian media company Ostorozhno Novosti he did not expect to be called up and shipped out so quickly, especially since he still is a student. Putin's partial call-up was short on details, so much so that the Russian military announced Thursday it had set up a call center to answer questions. Concerns about a potentially wider draft sent some Russians scrambling to buy plane tickets t o flee the country. Russian missile strikes in the southern city of Zaporizhzhia left one person dead and five wounded, Ukrainian officials said.

Four occupied regions in eastern and southern Ukraine are set to start voting Friday in Kremlin-engineered referendums on whether to become part of Russia, setting the stage for Moscow to annex the areas in a sharp escalation of the nearly seven-month war.

Amid tearful farewells for thousands of Russian men called up for potential deployment to Ukraine, pro-war hawks raged over the release of Azov Regiment fighters.

Russia is escalating its military and political campaign to take over Ukrainian territory.

The votes, in territory Russia already controls, are expected to go Moscow's way but are unlikely to be recognized by governments backing Ukraine.

KYIV, Ukraine — (AP) — Russian-controlled regions of eastern and southern Ukraine announced plans Tuesday to start voting this week to become integral parts of Russia. The concerted and quickening Kremlin-backed efforts to swallow up four regions could set the stage for Moscow to escalate the war following Ukrainian successes on the battlefield. In partly Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia, pro-Russia activist Vladimir Rogov said: “The faster we become part of Russia, the sooner peace will come.”Pressure inside Russia for votes and from Moscow-backed leaders in Ukrainian regions that Moscow controls increased after a Ukrainian counteroffensive — bolstered by Western-supplied weaponry — that has recaptured large areas. In another signal that Russia is digging in for a protracted and possibly ramped-up conflict, the Kremlin-controlled lower of house of parliament voted Tuesday to toughen laws against desertion, surrender and looting by Russian troops. The swiftness of the Ukrainian counteroffensive also saw Russian forces abandon armored vehicles and other weapons as they beat hasty retreats.

KYIV, Ukraine — (AP) — Russian-controlled regions of eastern and southern Ukraine announced plans Tuesday to start voting this week to become integral parts of Russia. The concerted and quickening Kremlin-backed efforts to swallow up four regions could set the stage for Moscow to escalate the war following Ukrainian successes on the battlefield. They “have earned the right to be part of the great country that they always considered their motherland,” he said. In partly Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia, pro-Russia activist Vladimir Rogov said: “The faster we become part of Russia, the sooner peace will come.”Pressure inside Russia for votes and from Moscow-backed leaders in Ukrainian regions that Moscow controls increased after a Ukrainian counteroffensive — bolstered by Western-supplied weaponry — that has recaptured large areas. The swiftness of the Ukrainian counteroffensive also saw Russian forces abandon armored vehicles and other weapons as they beat hasty retreats.

As Ukraine's counter-offensive gathers pace, Russian-backed officials declare plans for an urgent vote.

The votes could set the stage for Moscow to escalate the conflict as Ukrainian forces battle with growing success to take back territory. Such a move could set the stage for Moscow to escalate the conflict if Ukrainian forces try to take the regions back. The swiftness of the Ukrainian counteroffensive also saw Russian forces abandon armored vehicles and other weapons as they beat hasty retreats. Ukrainian forces are recycling captured weaponry back into battle. Ukrainian officials also have alleged Russian forces tortured people in occupied areas, including shocking them with radio telephones dating back to the Soviet era.

Such a move could set the stage for Moscow to escalate the conflict if Ukrainian forces try to take the regions back. The succession of appeals and Medvedev's backing for them suggested stiffening determination in the Kremlin to fend off further territorial gains by Ukraine. The swiftness of the Ukrainian counteroffensive also saw Russian forces abandon armored vehicles and other weapons as they beat hasty retreats. Ukrainian forces are recycling captured weaponry back into battle. Ukrainian officials also have alleged Russian forces tortured people in occupied areas, including shocking them with radio telephones dating back to the Soviet era.

The separatist leaders of four Russian-controlled areas of Ukraine say they are planning to hold referendums this week for the territories to become part of Russia as Moscow loses ground in the war it launched.

STANISLAV POHORILOV - TUESDAY, 13 SEPTEMBER 2022, 19:09 Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, has called the recommendations of the Kyiv Security Compact for the strategic partnership of Ukraine and the guarantor states "a prologue to WWIII".

ALONA MAZURENKO - MONDAY, 12 SEPTEMBER 2022, 17:05 Oleksii Danilov, Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council, has reacted to provocative statements made by Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, who has been talking about Ukraine "surrendering", despite the Russian army's setbacks on the battlefield.

UKRAINSKA PRAVDA - MONDAY, 12 SEPTEMBER 2022, 11:40 Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, said that Russia still demands "total surrender of Ukraine on its own terms", commenting on President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's statement about the impossibility of negotiations with the Russian Federation until the war is over.

A top Russian official has accused the U.S. and its allies of trying to provoke the country’s breakup and warned that it could lead to doomsday

Europe isn’t paying enough attention to the Kremlin’s wartime messaging. There’s a real effort to stoke social unrest.

YEVHEN KIZILOV - THURSDAY, 11 AUGUST 2022, 21:37 Dmitry Medvedev, the former President of Russia and current Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation visited the occupied part of Luhansk Oblast where he held a security meeting on behalf of Vladimir Putin.

Ukraine's president devotes nightly address to Crimea after explosions rock a Russian airbase there.

Black smoke is seen rising from the territory, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014.

In a post from late July, Medvedev described Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenksky as under the influence of "psychotropic substances." “If someone does not agree, he will be deprived of rations, crushed or sent to the slaughterhouse,” Medvedev wrote. During his time as Russia's leader, Medvedev never materialized into the reformer some in the West had expected. Four days later, in a post viewed some 938,000 times, Medvedev called Poland's leaders "political imbeciles" for siding with the West against Ukraine. "But who said," Medvedev mused, "that there will be a Ukraine at all in two years on a map of the world?"

Once known as a moderating influence within the Kremlin, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and current top Kremlin security adviser has recently emerged as a strikingly bellicose presence, using lengthy, hard-edged posts on the social media network Telegram to justify the invasion of Ukraine, revise 20th century history and threaten the West with nuclear war.

President Joe Biden is back in Washington after his first trip since taking office to the Middle East, where he says he challenged Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. NBC’s Kelly O’Donnell reports for TODAY on the big takeaways from the trip and previews this week’s Jan. 6 hearing.

Italy is entering five days of political and financial uncertainty after the 5-Star Movement sparked a government crisis by withholding support on a government-sponsored bill.

Mikhail Svetlov/Getty ImagesRussian officials have begun to issue a series of threats to the United States in an attempt to fend off a war crimes tribunal, with top officials suggesting that Russia could be interested in going after Alaska next, which the United States purchased from Russian in 1867.Russia’s lower house speaker, Vyacheslav Volodin, warned the United States ought to hesitate when seizing or freezing Russian assets abroad, and instead ought to remember that Alaska previously belon

“That's why the rotten dogs of war are barking in such a disgusting way." In recent months, however, he has remarks that have sounded much tougher than those issued by the most hawkish Kremlin officials. a longtime Putin aide who serves as the speaker of the lower house of parliament, warned Wednesday that Washington should remember that Alaska was part of Russia when it freezes Russian assets. Russia colonized Alaska and established several settlements there until the U.S. purchased it from Russia in 1867 for $7.2 million. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

“The entire U.S. history since the times of subjugation of the native Indian population represents a series of bloody wars,” Medvedev charged in a long diatribe on his Telegram channel, pointing out the U.S. nuclear bombing of Japan during World War II and the war in Vietnam. “That's why the rotten dogs of war are barking in such a disgusting way." The warning follows a series of tough statements from Putin and his officials that pointed at the Russian nuclear arsenals to warn the West against interfering with Moscow's action in Ukraine. In recent months, however, he has made statements that have sounded much tougher than those issued by the most hawkish Kremlin officials. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

A top Russian official has warned the U.S. that it could face the “wrath of God” if it pursues efforts to help establish an international tribunal to investigate Russia’s action in Ukraine.

The governor of a key eastern Ukrainian city is acknowledging that Russian forces are advancing in heavy fighting.

Ukraine’s military intelligence agency says Russia has so far turned over the bodies of 210 Ukrainian fighters killed in the battle for Mariupol.

Russia will take control of French car manufacturer Renault’s operations in the country and resurrect a Soviet-era auto brand.

Ukrainian and British officials say Russia suffered heavy losses when Ukrainian forces destroyed the pontoon bridge enemy troops were using to try to cross a river.

Final congressional approval of a $40 billion Ukraine aid bill seems certain within days.

The question of whether to join NATO is coming to a head this week in Finland and Sweden, where Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has shattered the long-held belief that remaining outside the military alliance was the best way to avoid trouble with their giant neighbor.

The detention of fugitive Ukrainian oligarch Viktor Medvedchuk, the former leader of a pro-Russian opposition party and a close associate of Russian leader Vladimir Putin, has been met with enthusiasm in Kyiv and irritation in Moscow.

The United States and allies are again escalating sanctions against Russia after evidence that Russian troops murdered Ukrainian civilians in a town near Kyiv.

President Joe Biden and U.S. allies in a matter of days have weaponized the global economy against Russia for invading Ukraine.

Russian nuclear submarines have sailed off for drills in the Barents Sea and mobile missile launchers are roaming snow forests in Siberia after President Vladimir Putin ordered his nation’s nuclear forces put on high alert.

Vladimir Putin is raising fears that he has become more reckless, more committed to restoring the USSR, perhaps more likely to set off a world-altering war.

President Vladimir Putin has ordered Russian nuclear forces on high alert amid tensions with the West over his invasion of Ukraine.

As Russian troops were closing in on the Ukrainian capital, more and more Russians at home were speaking out against the invasion even as the government's official rhetoric grew increasingly harsher.

U.S. and European officials are holding one key financial sanction against Russia in reserve.

Russia has been threatening to expand military ties with allies Venezuela and Cuba amid rising tensions with the U.S. over Ukraine.

The White House says President Joe Biden warned Ukraine's president on Thursday that there is a “distinct possibility” Russia could take military action against Ukraine in February.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is warning that President Vladimir Putin could quickly order an invasion of Ukraine if he has a pretext for doing so.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has confirmed rumblings he will run for vice president in what critics say is an attempted end-run around the constitution.

Russian President Vladimir Putin says his foreign minister and his defense minister will head the candidates' list for the dominant United Russia party in September's parliamentary election.

President Joe Biden is being forced to go virtual for many of his leader-to-leader talks during the coronavirus pandemic, and the resulting Zoom meetings just aren't a natural fit for the back-slapping politician.

Russia and the United States exchanged documents Tuesday Jan. 26, 2021, to extend the New START nuclear treaty, their last remaining arms control pact, the Kremlin said. The Kremlin readout of a phone call between U.S. President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin said they voiced satisfaction with the move. “An unconstrained nuclear competition would endanger us all.”AdThe treaty, signed in 2010 by President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, limits the number of U.S. and Russian strategic nuclear weapons. “It’s a first step of reinvigorating ... the nuclear arms control regime.”The outgoing Trump administration made a late bid to extend the treaty, but Russia rejected its conditions. The Biden administration will also work on control measures for China's smaller but growing arsenal of nuclear warheads, Blinken said.

Russia and the United States exchanged documents Tuesday Jan. 26, 2021, to extend the New START nuclear treaty, their last remaining arms control pact, the Kremlin said. The Kremlin readout of a phone call between U.S. President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin said they voiced satisfaction with the move. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, File)Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday signed a bill extending the last remaining nuclear arms control treaty between Russia and the United States a week before the pact was due to expire. Both houses of the Russian parliament voted unanimously Wednesday to extend the New START treaty for five years. After both Moscow and Washington withdrew from the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty in 2019, New START is the only remaining nuclear arms control deal between the two countries.

The statue of the Alabai, the Central Asian shepherd dog is seen in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Saturday, Nov. 14, 2020. Turkmenistan's autocratic leader has established a national holiday to honor the local dog breed, media reports said Tuesday. All rights reservedASHGABAT – Turkmenistan's autocratic leader has established a national holiday to honor the local dog breed, media reports said Tuesday. The Central Asian nation of 6 million prides itself in horses and dogs, honoring its centuries-old herding traditions. Last year, Berdymukhamedov inaugurated a 15-meter (nearly 50-feet) gilded statue honoring the dog in the Turkmen capital.

Russia and the United States exchanged documents Tuesday Jan 26, 2021, to extend the New START nuclear treaty, their last remaining arms control pact, the Kremlin said. The Kremlin readout of a phone call between U.S. President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin said they voiced satisfaction with the move. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP, File)MOSCOW – Russia and the United States traded documents Tuesday to extend their last remaining nuclear arms control treaty days before it is due to expire, the Kremlin said. “In the nearest days, the parties will complete the necessary procedures that will ensure further functioning of this important international legal nuclear arms control tool," the Kremlin said. After both Moscow and Washington withdrew from the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty in 2019, New START is the only remaining nuclear arms control deal between the two countries.

(Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP, File)MOSCOW – The Kremlin on Friday welcomed U.S. President Joe Biden’s proposal to extend the last remaining nuclear arms control treaty between the two countries, which is set to expire in less than two weeks. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said that Russia stands for extending the pact and is waiting to see the details of the U.S. proposal. The White House said Thursday that Biden has proposed to Russia a five-year extension of the New START treaty. After both Moscow and Washington withdrew from the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty in 2019, New START is the only remaining nuclear arms control deal between the two countries. Arms control advocates have strongly called for New START’s preservation, warning that its lapse would remove any checks on U.S. and Russian nuclear forces.

In this handout photo released by Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov speaks during his annual news conference in Moscow, Russia, Monday, Jan. 18, 2021. Months of talks between Russia and President Donald Trump's administration on the possible extension of the New START treaty have failed to narrow their differences. Biden has spoken in favor of the preservation of the New START treaty, which was negotiated during his tenure as U.S. vice president, and Russia has said it’s open for its quick and unconditional extension. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a news conference Monday that Moscow is ready to move quickly to keep the pact alive. New START was signed in 2010 by U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

In this photo taken from video distributed by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service, Intercontinental ballistic missiles are launched by the Vladimir Monomakh nuclear submarine of the Russian navy from the Sera of Okhotsk, Russia, Saturday, Dec. 12, 2020. The submarine successfully test-fired four intercontinental ballistic missiles in a show of readiness of the nation's nuclear deterrent. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)MOSCOW – A Russian nuclear submarine on Saturday successfully test-fired four intercontinental ballistic missiles in a show of readiness of Moscow's nuclear forces amid tension with the U.S. After both Moscow and Washington withdrew from the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty last year, New START is the only remaining nuclear arms control deal between the two countries still standing. Arms control advocates have warned that its expiration would remove any checks on U.S. and Russian nuclear forces, in a blow to global stability.

MOSCOW – The United States and Russia inched closer Tuesday to a deal to extend their last remaining arms control pact, after U.S. threats to allow the deal to expire early next year. “We appreciate the Russian Federation’s willingness to make progress on the issue of nuclear arms control,” department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said. The pact limits each country to no more than 1,550 deployed nuclear warheads and 700 deployed missiles and bombers, and envisages sweeping on-site inspections to verify compliance. After both Moscow and Washington withdrew from the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty last year, New START was the only remaining nuclear arms control deal between the two countries. Last week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov argued that Russia couldn't agree to the U.S. proposal to limit tactical nuclear weapons alongside nuclear warheads that arm strategic missiles and bombers until Washington agreed to withdraw its nuclear warheads from Europe.

The cap would cover warheads not limited by the New START treaty. Trump's lead arms control negotiator, Marshall Billingslea, blamed the Russians for missing what he called an historic opportunity. "I can’t see any rationale for it.”The arms control effort is hampered in part by deteriorating trust between Washington and Moscow. "The United States is serious about arms control that will keep the entire world safe. Russia previously offered the pact’s extension for five years without any conditions, while the U.S. administration pushed for a new arms control agreement that would also include China.

In this photo released by Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov attends a joint news conference with his Italian counterpart Luigi Di Maio in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2020. (Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service via AP)MOSCOW – Russia's top diplomat voiced doubt Wednesday that Moscow and Washington could negotiate an extension of their last arms control pact still standing, even as the United States offered a more optimistic view. “I personally don't see the prospect,” Lavrov snapped when asked if the extension is possible before the pact expires in February. The New START treaty was signed in 2010 by U.S. President Barack Obama and then Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. Lavrov specified Wednesday that Russia can’t accept the U.S. proposal to limit battlefield nuclear weapons alongside nuclear warheads that arm strategic missiles and bombers until the U.S. agrees to withdraw its tactical nuclear weapons from Europe.

The Defenders of the Fatherland Day, celebrated in Russia on Feb. 23, honors the nation's military and is a nationwide holiday. (Alexei Druzhinin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)MOSCOW Russia's security chief described the arrest of 33 Russian security contractors in Belarus as a presidential campaign stunt and warned Wednesday that it would have grave consequences for the ties between two neighbors and allies. Russia has demanded the release of the contractors for a private firm, saying they only were in Belarus because they missed a connecting flight to another country. Lukashenko denounced Moscow's position as part of Russia's alleged efforts to deprive Belarus of its independence. He warned Moscow against trying to fuel tensions in his country, saying that the instability could spread to Russia.

If they categorically refuse, we will not try to persuade them.The New START treaty was signed in 2010 by U.S. President Barack Obama and then Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. After both Moscow and Washington withdrew from the 1987 Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty last year, the New START is the only remaining nuclear arms control deal between the two countries. Russia has offered its extension without any conditions, while the Trump administration has pushed for a new arms control agreement that would also include China. Lavrov dismissed the U.S. suggestions that Russia help convince Beijing to join nuclear arms cuts, saying that Moscow respects the Chinese position and considers it undiplomatic" to push it on the issue. He reaffirmed that Russia would welcome other nuclear powers, including Britain, France and China to join nuclear arms cuts, but emphasized that it should be their own decision.

Former president of the IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations) Lamine Diack, center, arrives at the Paris courthouse, Monday, June 8, 2020. Lamine Diack jetted the world and rubbed shoulders with VIPs. The most conspicuous absentee was his son, Papa Massata Diack, who lives in Senegal and didn't travel to Paris for the trial. He conducted himself like a thug," Lamine Diack said in court. Prosecutors asked the court for a 4-year prison term and a fine of 500,000 euros ($562,000 ) for Lamine Diack.

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks on the phone during a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin via teleconference at the Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, June 2, 2020. (Alexei Nikolsky, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)MOSCOW President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday endorsed Russia's nuclear deterrent policy which allows him to use atomic weapons in response to a conventional strike targeting the nation's critical government and military infrastructure. By including a non-nuclear attack as a possible trigger for Russian nuclear retaliation, the document appears to send a warning signal to the U.S. In line with Russian military doctrine, the new document reaffirms that the country could use nuclear weapons in response to a nuclear attack or an aggression involving conventional weapons that threatens the very existence of the state.But the policy document now also offers a detailed description of situations that could trigger the use of nuclear weapons. They include the use of nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction against Russia or its allies and an enemy attack with conventional weapons that threatens the country's existence.