Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov, accused of taking about $11 million in bribes, was sent to court, which should decide whether to extend his arrest period.

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Russia and Vietnam deepen ties in energy, nuclear and defense

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Vietnamese counterpart To Lam have agreed to strengthen their bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership during the former's visit to Hanoi on June 19-20.

Defense and security

▪️Russia and Vietnam agreed to increase defense cooperation within the limits of international law, and not to "enter into alliances and treaties with third countries which could harm each other’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity," according to To Lam.

▪️Russo-Vietnamese security cooperation is not directed against third countries and contributes to ensuring peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.

▪️ Moscow and Hanoi have a long record in defense cooperation tracing back to the USSR's aid to repel the US invasion of Vietnam (1965-1975).

Nuclear energy

☢️On June 20, both sides signed a memo on the schedule for building the Center for Nuclear Science and Technology in Vietnam until 2027.

☢️Moscow and Hanoi can resume negotiations on the construction of a nuclear power plant in Vietnam, as per Rosatom head Alexei Likhachev.

☢️Moscow and Hanoi earlier had planned to build a nuclear power station in Vietnam until the project was suspended in 2016.

Oil and gas

🔹Russian gas firm Novatek signed a memo of understanding with Petrovietnam and is going to kick off liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects in Vietnam. Novatek is already engaged in Ca Na LNG Power project, in Ninh Thuan province.

🔹On June 19, Russian oil and gas firm Zarubezhneft and Petrovietnam agreed to invest in production of new types of green fuels.

🔹Zarubezhneft has cooperated with Petrovietnam since 1981, running joint ventures Vietsovpetro and Rusvietpetro for geological exploration and oil and gas. Zarubezhneft has received a license to develop block 11-2 of the Vietnamese continental shelf.

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📹Vladimir Putin visited Grand Opera House in Hanoi, Vietnam

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🇷🇺🇻🇳Russian Aurus luxury automobile causes stir in Vietnam

During his visit to Vietnam, the Russian president was escorted by a motorcade of Russian Auris luxury cars, which attracted the interest of locals.

After the presidents of Russia and Vietnam began negotiations, locals began taking pictures with the Aurus, resulting in long queues.

Aurus is Russia's leading luxury car brand and a bold symbol of resilience and triumph over Western sanctions. It serves as a prime example of Russia's success in the face of adversity.

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🇷🇺🇰🇵Russia-N Korea partnership deal ‘one of most significant things to happen in region in 20 years’

A comprehensive strategic partnership agreement signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Wednesday “certainly shifts the geostrategic posture of the countries in the region,” Michael Madden, nonresident fellow at the US-based Stimson Center, tells Sputnik.

The document “also serves well to remove any ambiguity or guesswork as to how an escalation could play out on the [Korean] peninsula. If the DPRK feels its security is under threat, we don't have to imagine how countries will take sides,” Madden says.

The agreement “gives Russia a seat at the table for any potential negotiations with North Korea about security concerns or WMDs [weapons of mass destruction]. If fully realized, this agreement is probably one of the most significant things to happen in the region in 20 years,” the analyst stresses.

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❗️ Israel's military killed a Hezbollah commander in southern Lebanon - Israeli Army's press service

Fadel Ibrahim, who was commanding Hezbollah operations in the Jouaiyya city, Tyre district, was killed in an airstrike in the area of Deir Kifa in southern Lebanon.

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Putin’s visit is ‘momentous occasion’ for Vietnam

The Vietnamese people's “delight and enthusiasm” over Russian President Vladimir Putin’s June 19-20 visit “underscored the strong political, diplomatic, economic, cultural and historical ties between the two nations,” Professor Anna Malindog-Uy, vice president of the Manila-based think tank Asian Century Philippines Strategic Studies Institute, tells Sputnik.

The visit “can be considered highly successful and significant,” something that “marked a momentous occasion for Vietnam, reflecting its strategic importance and the mutual respect shared between the two countries,” Malindog-Uy notes.

“The visit signals a more strengthened bilateral relations between the two countries. It also indicated potential for enhanced cooperation in various sectors such energy, gas, and finance, among others,” according to the professor.

In this vein, Hanoi’s decision to brush aside Western criticism regarding its cooperation with Moscow can be attributed to several strategic and historical factors, the expert says, referring to the fact that Vietnam “has a long-standing relationship with Russia,” dating back to the Soviet era when the USSR supported the Southeast Asian nation during the Vietnam War.

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Do as I say, not as I do: Why Canada gets a pass from the West for foreign agents law while Georgia is punished

The United States and the European Union refraining from criticizing the foreign agents registry law recently adopted in Canada, while simultaneously blasting a similar legislation adopted by Georgia, is essentially a “problem of double standards,” Dr. Marco Marsili, who holds research positions in major civil and military institutions in Portugal, the UK and Italy, told Sputnik.

“It depends on the point of view of the proponents, the lawmakers, and of those who are their allies and assess the bill as just and fair, according to their geopolitical perspective,” Dr. Marsili explains. “Basically, is a Manichaean approach, according to which the world is divided in the good ones [nations] and the bad ones - figure out which are which according to a Western vision.”

Georgia merely seeks to protect itself from foreign influence exerted through the funding from abroad of local NGOs and “any other public outreach activity like media outlets,” basically following the example of the West, he notes.

The Western powers, however, insist that “Georgian politics must be influenced through Western financial support to local agents” but at the same time “reject any Russian funding.”

“That is really bizarre - it's not just double-standards, but also non-sensiczl,” Dr. Marsili remarks.

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Romanian president abandons NATO leadership race, securing spot for Dutch leader

Klaus Iohannis, the president of Romania, has decided to step back from the competition for the position of the upcoming NATO secretary general, the Guardian reports.

It raises the chances of Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who has been seen as the top contender for the role, the outlet says.

On Tuesday, Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban stated that Budapest is ready to support Rutte for the post.

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US decided to prioritize the supply of NASAMS and Patriot systems to Ukraine, ignoring allies' interests — White House

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❗️ Putin — there is no novelty in the agreement between Russia and North Korea

"We changed almost nothing since the previous agreement," the Russian leader said.

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🎥🎥 Vladimir Putin holds a press conference following his state visit to Vietnam

Watch the livestream here or on Sputnik's website

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❗️Putin — there is no need to use soldiers from North Korea in the Ukrainian conflict

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⚡️ Russia is thinking about possible changes in its nuclear doctrine — Putin

🔹 Russia may amend its nuclear doctrine amid discussions on the possibility of lowering the threshold for the use of nuclear weapons, the president stressed.

🔹 Russia's strategic forces are in full combat readiness, he added.

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❗️Putin — Where any negotiations on Ukraine could exactly take place does not matter, Russia's proposals are on the table

🔹 The West's reaction to the peace initiatives was expected, but sensible politicians will think about them if they want to end the conflict;

🔹 The negotiations could take place tomorrow, but Russia will base them on the current situation, the president stressed;

🔹 The Kiev regime is interested in continued fire because it doesn't want to hold elections;

🔹 The West will pin all unpopular decisions on Zelensky and replace him in the first half of next year;

🔹 The most important task for Russia is to repel attacks with long-range weapons on its territory;

🔹 Kiev will try to present the new counterattack as a strategic success.

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❗️Putin — the enemy will be destroyed

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❗️Russia does not need opportunity to launch a preemptive nuclear strike yet, the Russian president says

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❗️Russia reserves the right to supply weapons to other regions, possibly to North Korea - Putin

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❗️ South Korea has nothing to worry about, Russia will assist N Korea only in case of aggression — Putin

South Korea's supply of lethal weapons to the conflict zone in Ukraine would be a mistake, the Russian leader stressed.

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