Putin congratulated Russians on the anniversary of the reunification of Crimea and Sevastopol with the Russian Federation.

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Vladimir Putin: Crimea is not only a strategically important territory, it is primarily about the people, they are our pride.

Crimeans and Sevastopol residents have never separated themselves from Russia; this is precisely what allowed them to return to their native family, the president said.

The path of the residents of Novorossiya to their homeland was difficult, but we did it, and this is a significant event in the country's life? Russia will move forward hand in hand with new regions, he added.

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Paris' rhetoric risks plunging the world into the abyss of nuclear war - Russia's UN mission.

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Russia's UN mission called Western accusations that Russia is ready to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine an absurd insinuation.

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Russia is firmly committed to the principle that there can be no winners in a nuclear war and hopes that the West abandons its dangerous course, says the Russian mission to the UN.

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🇷🇺 Vladimir Putin was warmly greeted by the public in Red Square who chanted “Russia”

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What did Putin mean when he floated the possibility of creating a 'buffer zone' in Ukraine?

"It is necessary to distinguish what types of [buffer] zone are meant," Sergei Poletaev, a Russian political analyst, tells Sputnik. "The first type is established as a result of a ceasefire agreement. The second one is established as a result of forceful actions by one of the parties."

Given that neither the Kiev regime nor its NATO backers are willing to talk, the second option is likely to be chosen by Russia, the analyst says. When asked about the potential depth of a buffer zone, Poletaev suggests that it could be approximately 40-50 km to prevent massive artillery shelling of Belgorod and other Russian cities.

"The most common Western artillery systems used by Ukrainians are M777 howitzers. They have a range of 20 to 40 kilometers, depending on the type of shells they use. The sophisticated guided Excalibur projectile's firing range is [slightly over] 40 kilometers. That's the depth," he says.

Presently, as Ukraine's drone attacks and incursions into Russian territory continue, the Russian military should "move the frontline" away from the nation's borders, Poletaev believes.

Vladimir Putin initially discussed the creation of a buffer zone in Ukraine in June 2023. He touched upon the issue again in the aftermath of his election victory on March 17.

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How new NATO base in Romania motivates Russia to win Ukraine conflict

"This [base] certainly poses a serious challenge to Russia's security and the activities of the Russian Armed Forces in the Black Sea region," Leonid Reshetnikov, a retired lieutenant general of Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), tells Sputnik.

Romania has begun the construction of what may become NATO's largest European base located near the Black Sea port city of Constanta in close proximity to Russia's southern regions.

Once the base is built, NATO will be able to control both the air and land domains all along the Black Sea region, he warns, adding that Crimea, the Sea of Azov and its coast could fall within the alliance's striking range.

Under these circumstances, Russia has no other option but to win the Ukraine conflict and accomplish the major goals of demilitarization and de-Nazifying the Eastern European state, the intelligence veteran emphasizes.

"It will be a powerful response if we ensure the security of Russia’s new territories, take Kiev out of the game, and reach the goals that Putin proclaimed two years ago - demilitarization, de-Nazification of what Ukraine will be like after we complete the liberation of the territories which have already become part of Russia," Reshetnikov stressed, adding that otherwise NATO's expanded presence could pose an existential threat to Russia.

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Kremlin to Sputnik on possible Russia-US talks on new START treaty: Putin already mentioned his readiness to discuss all security issues in a comprehensive way.

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China pushing Europe to include Russia in Ukraine peace process

Beijing has made it clear that it will boycott any upcoming peace negotiations concerning Ukraine if Russia is not invited to the table. The stern warning comes as China is engaged in talks with Europe about the possibility of extending an invitation to Russia for the talks, which may be held in Switzerland, as reported by Politico, citing unnamed officials familiar with the discussions.

The sources also referred to Chinese special envoy Li Hui's remarks made during his European tour earlier this month that Beijing would "support the timely convening of a peace conference with equal participation of all parties."

The media outlet has drawn attention to China's push for equal negotiations while reporting on Chinese Chairman Xi Jinping's forthcoming meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron that is scheduled for early May in Paris. The South China Morning Post reported earlier this month that China and Switzerland are advocating Russia's participation in Swiss-held talks dedicated to the settlement of the conflict.

Citing sources close to the discussions, the online publication noted that Beijing and Bern share a "pragmatic" view on the way to achieve peace. The two insist that if Russia is excluded from the peace negotiations the format would turn into the diplomatic equivalent of a "Potemkin village", i.e. to provide an impressive façade to a shabby situation.

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🇹🇷 Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warmly congratulated Putin on his convincing victory in the election and wished him new success in government activities for the benefit of the people of Russia.

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▪️Officially: Vladimir Putin wins presidential election

▪️Fact check: Addressing Western claims about Russian presidential election

▪️Crimea's growth story since reunion with Russia

▪️A decade of harmony: Reflecting on Crimea's reunification with Russia

▪️What did Putin mean when he floated the possibility of creating a 'buffer zone' in Ukraine?

▪️How new NATO base in Romania motivates Russia to win Ukraine conflict

▪️Why is the US military building a ‘civilian’ port near Taiwan?

▪️Veteran US senator blasts US defense contractors for capitalizing on Ukraine conflict

▪️Why has Niger halted its military cooperation with the US?

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❗️ Russian President Vladimir Putin is the leader of Russia, White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre acknowledged when asked about Putin's legitimacy following his landslide win in the election over the weekend.

“Mister Putin is the leader of Russia,” Karine Jean-Pierre said during a press briefing.

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Russian air defenses shot down 8 air targets over the Belgorod region, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said.

No injuries or damage were reported per preliminary information, according to the governor.

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Russian air defenses destroyed a Ukrainian airplane-type drone over Crimea at about 09:30 p.m. Moscow time, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

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🇸🇦 Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman cordially congratulated Putin on his convincing victory in Russia's presidential election, the Kremlin press service reported.

The Saudi Crown Prince and Russian President expressed readiness to continue developing friendly relations and cooperation, the Kremlin said.

The leaders praised the effectiveness of coordination in the OPEC+ format, the press service added.

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Ukrainian forces attacked Russia's Belgorod region from 7am on March 17 to 7am March 18 approximately 60 times, killing 4 people and wounding 23, according to Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov.

The Kiev regime launched at least 30 shells at 6 settlements in the region, used drones to drop 9 explosive devices, and carried out 20 drone attacks.

Ukraine war crimes against the Russian Belgorod region on March 17-18:
▪️ More than 260 apartments damaged in 64 buildings
▪️ 117 private residences hit
▪️ 19 facilities struck
▪️ 107 vehicles damaged

Reports indicate that since March 11 the Belgorod region has been attacked by Ukraine about 1,170 times, 15% of which were carried out with the help of drones. For comparison, there were 1,504 attacks during the entire month of February.

The Graivoron district has been shelled by the Kiev regime so much that Belgorod's governor often does not specify the number of shells fired by Ukraine on peaceful civilians.

Ukraine war crimes against the Russian Belgorod region since March 12, according to the governor:
▪️ 11 civilians killed and 84 injured in one week
▪️ More than 700 apartments in 174 buildings damaged
▪️ 532 private residences hit
▪️ 113 facilities struck
▪️ About 670 cars damaged

The terrorist regime in Kiev commits crimes against Russian citizens daily, shelling peaceful cities, destroying civilian infrastructure, and inflicting casualties among civilians.

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🇨🇬 President of the Republic of the Congo Denis Sassou Nguesso congratulated Russian President Vladimir Putin on his re-election as head of state and wished him success during his new term in office.

Sassou Nguesso said the results of the Russian presidential election "once again emphasize the particularly close bond and exemplary closeness" between Putin and the Russian people.

"It is with great pleasure that I learned of your brilliant re-election to the highest state office of the Russian Federation following the results of the presidential election in March 2024.... I am particularly pleased to send you, on behalf of the people and Government of the Congo, as well as on my own behalf, sincere and heartfelt congratulations. I wish you good health and every success during this new term of office," the Congolese leader wrote in a message to Putin, which he published on social networks.

In addition, the Congolese president praised the friendship and cooperation between Congo and Russia and reaffirmed his "full readiness" to work with Putin to strengthen ties in the interests of the peoples of the two countries.

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🇱🇾 Libyan Presidential Council Chairman Mohamed al-Menfi congratulated Vladimir Putin on his re-election as President of the Russian Federation, noting special friendly nature of Russia-Libya relations.

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