▪️ Russian air defenses destroyed Ukrainian aircraft-type drones over the Moscow and Leningrad regions. 

▪️ Pakistan launched strikes on Iran's Saravan region, Sistan and Balochistan province in response to the Iranian strike. Three women and four children were killed as a result of the missile and drone attack, according to Iranian media. 

▪️ Retired Lieutenant Colonel Earl Rasmussen spoke to Sputnik about Russia targeting French mercenary fighters in Kharkov on Tuesday, warning that people thinking about freelancing for the Ukrainian military should expect to be treated the same as homegrown fighters.  

▪️ The German parliament rejected a resolution calling for the immediate supply of Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine. 

▪️ Yemen’s Houthi rebels attacked another US ship in the Gulf of Aden. The US carried out retaliatory strikes on Houthi positions.

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❗️ Pakistan’s prime minister has interrupted his trip to Davos and is urgently returning to Islamabad amid the worsening situation with Iran, The News International reports

🥴 Zelensky says it was he who refused have a meeting with China, not vice versa

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that he did not intend to meet with Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang at the World Economic Forum in Davos, as this would not have corresponded to his level.

This is how Zelensky commented on Politico’s article claiming that the Chinese delegation had refused to meet him, Ukrainian media reported.

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WATCH LIVE: Lavrov Concludes Key Directions of Russian Diplomacy in 2023

👉 Follow the live here or on Sputnik's website

❗️ Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has started the annual press conference

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❗️ Relations between Russia and China are experiencing their best period in history, Sergey Lavrov noted.

Russia's goal in 2024 is to eliminate any form of reliance on the West, both in terms of its economy and supply chains, he added.

❗️ The SCO, like the EAEU, is an umbrella system that creates opportunities for equitable multipolar cooperation, Lavrov noted

📹 Russia's goal in 2024 is to eliminate any form of reliance on the West, both in terms of its economy and supply chains, Sergey Lavrov said

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❗️ BRICS symbolizes the prosperity of a multipolar world and took a significant step forward with the decision to expand at the summit in South Africa. As this year's chairman, Russia will ensure that newcomers are given equal attention, Lavrov vowed.

Furthermore, over 30 countries have expressed a strong interest in establishing close cooperation with BRICS nations, indicating a promising future for the association.

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❗️ Security issues in Eurasia must be resolved without the involvement of countries from outside the region, Lavrov said at the annual press conference.

He also mentioned that approximately 30 nations are eager to strengthen ties with BRICS, highlighting the association's bright future.

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❗️ Replying to a question from a Sputnik correspondent, Lavrov stated that Zelensky is increasingly ‘fighting off the hands’ of his Western advisors.

Lavrov also commented on the ongoing discussions surrounding elections in Ukraine, likening it to a recurring drama that reflects Zelensky's push to cling to power for as long as possible.

Furthermore, Lavrov emphasized that Western nations have come to understand their mistake in pursuing a blitzkrieg approach against Russia, since it ultimately proved to be a mere illusion.

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❗️ Lavrov on the situation regarding elections in Ukraine: the West is looking for external signals that will enable it to support the Kiev regime and make it more accommodating

❗️ There is no hope that Russia will be somehow defeated - Lavrov

❗️ Kiev was forbidden from signing a settlement agreement with Russia "upon the orders of Johnson and other Anglo-Saxons." - Sergey Lavrov

❗️ Lavrov: the policy of neocolonialism is maintained by the US and its allies. The general idea is to use other countries to your advantage and live off them.

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❗️ “Of course, the US, together with the British and some other allies, simply trampled on all conceivable norms of international law. No one authorized them to bomb Yemen. Just as no one authorized NATO to bomb Libya in 2011,” Lavrov said.

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❗️ The exculpatory statements emanating from Washington seem quite pitiful, Sergey Lavrov said.

Speaking in Davos, Blinken stated that all countries in the Middle East desire a US presence in the region. It is difficult for me to ascertain the extent of their desire. However, Iraq has been anticipating the departure of American troops for many years. The recent remarks from Baghdad regarding the Americans' reluctance to leave, despite being persuaded to do so for a considerable period, show that this is sad, the minister said.

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❗️ Sergey Lavrov on the situation in Gaza:

▪️ In order to resolve the situation between Israel and Palestine, only direct dialogue is needed;

▪️ Semi-closed contacts involving the United States, Israel, and Arab states on Palestine will not be successful;

▪️ The main endeavor should be the creation of a Palestinian state in full accordance with the UN Charter and resolutions;

▪️ Russia will provide proposals on a collective settlement of Middle East conflicts at the UNSC’s meeting next week;

▪️ Recurrences of violence in Gaza will continue without the creation of a Palestinian state

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