Kim Jong Un highly appreciated the Aurus, which was presented to him by Putin, North Korean publications write.

According to them, the DPRK leader thanked the Russian president for this "magnificent gift".

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❗️The West is preparing to sacrifice Zelensky when Russia consolidates its successes on the battlefield, the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) said.

The United States considers former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valery Zaluzhny the most suitable candidate to replace him in the United States, the department notes.

Meanwhile, Washington and its satellites are satisfied with the current situation, in which Zelensky's legitimacy depends entirely on Western support, the SVR stressed.

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The Aurus in the motorcade of the Russian president caused a stir in Vietnam:

Everyone takes turns taking pictures near the famous car. They wait patiently and take a picture to remember.

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🇷🇺🤝🇻🇳During Putin's visit, Russia and Vietnam signed a number of documents on cooperation in various fields.

Among them are documents on cooperation in education, a memorandum on the schedule for the establishment of a nuclear technology center in Vietnam.

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Russia and Vietnam will strengthen cooperation in the field of defense and security, the President of the Republic said after talks with Putin.

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Focus on Russian-Vietnamese strategic partnership: Key takeaways from Putin-Lam Talks

Negotiations between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Vietnamese counterpart To Lam concluded in Hanoi on Thursday, with the two leaders making the following statements:

🔸 Strengthening the comprehensive strategic partnership with Vietnam remains one of Russia's priorities, Putin stressed.

🔸 Last year, [bilateral] trade grew by 8%. The intergovernmental commission on both sides is working closely on this. The growth of trade is, of course, facilitated by the implementation of the 2015 free trade agreement between the Eurasian Economic Union and Vietnam," the Russian president added.

🔸 In 2024, Moscow and Hanoi will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the signing of a bilateral friendship treaty, he recalled.

🔸 "All this time we have maintained regular and meaningful political contacts, including through parliaments, ministries, agencies, parties, regional authorities and public organizations," Putin said.

🔸 "We coordinate our actions in the international arena. Russia attaches great importance to developing dialogue with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, of which Vietnam is one of the leading members," Putin said.

🔸 "We will be glad to see you [To Lam] at the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War [1941-1945] in Moscow," he said.

🔸 Vietnam "always remembers with gratitude the Russian people's selfless support for its struggle for independence," To Lam said.

🔸 The country "pursues an independent and self-sufficient peaceful foreign policy, but at the same time attaches great importance to development of traditional friendship - a comprehensive strategic partnership with Russia," he stressed.

🔸 Hanoi sees Russia as one of Vietnam's foreign policy priorities, the Vietnamese president concluded.

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The international organization Reporters Without Borders announced increased pressure from the authorities on independent media in Ukraine.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh

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❗️Permanent representatives of EU countries have agreed on 14th package of sanctions against Russia, the Belgian presidency said.

The new sanctions would affect restrictions on the transshipment of Russian liquefied natural gas to the EU and the transportation of Russian oil, media reported.

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❗️Russia is ready to establish long-term direct supplies of hydrocarbons to Vietnam, including liquefied natural gas, Putin said.

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During the meeting with the Vietnamese Prime Minister, Putin called Vietnam one of Russia's most reliable partners.

He also recalled the help the USSR gave Vietnam in the fight against the French and American invaders.

"It is important that Vietnam remembers and cherishes this memory," the Russian leader added.

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Businesses on the streets of Hanoi have also prepared for the Russian president's visit.

"Welcome Mr. Putin to Vietnam"

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The President of Russia meets with the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Nguyen Phu Trong, in the building of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam.

"We are firmly committed to deepening our comprehensive strategic partnership with Vietnam, which remains one of the priorities of Russia's foreign policy," Vladimir Putin said at the meeting.

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South Korea will reconsider the possibility of providing lethal weapons to Ukraine after the conclusion of an agreement between Russia and North Korea, Yonhap reports.

According to the agency, Seoul is concerned about the rapprochement between Moscow and Pyongyang, and believes that the signed agreement forms a military alliance. Previously, South Korea had not supplied weapons to Ukraine.

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