Putin is a staunch supporter of political and diplomatic efforts to find a solution to the Ukrainian crisis — Kremlin

Other statements by the Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov from today's briefing:

▪️ On the outcome of the French elections

⚡️ It is obvious that French voters are in search of something, their drift is taking place, and this is of interest to Russia;

⚡️ It would be better for Russia if the French elections were won by forces that would be in favor of efforts to restore bilateral relations, but so far Moscow does not see such forces;

▪️ On the upcoming Putin-Modi talks

⚡️ Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet Monday evening, they will have informal one-on-one talks;

⚡️ Putin and Modi will hold narrow and wide-ranging talks on Tuesday, no press statements are expected.

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French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal has arrived at the Elysee Palace and is expected to hand a letter of resignation to President Emmanuel Macron

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📹 Russian Armed Forces pilot shares details on Ukrainian attempt to hijack Russian nuclear-capable aircraft

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❗️ French President Emmanuel Macron has asked Prime Minister Gabriel Attal to remain in office, BFM TV has reported.

Macron made this proposal to Attal reportedly in order to maintain stability in the country, the broadcaster reported.

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❗️In response to attempts to cause damage to Russian energy and economic facilities, a group strike was carried out on military-industrial facilities in Ukraine and aviation bases of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the goals of the strike were achieved, the Ministry of Defense reported.

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US President Joe Biden is given instructions with large print and photos on how to get to the podium at events, Axios writes. One of these documents came into the possession of the portal (pictured).

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❗️Statements by representatives of the Kiev regime about an allegedly intentional missile strike by Russia on civilian targets are absolutely untrue, Russia's Ministry of Defense has said.

Numerous published photos and video footage from Kiev clearly confirm the fact of destruction due to the fall of a Ukrainian air defense missile, the ministry noted.

Ukrainian statements about alleged Russian strikes on civilian targets are related to the NATO summit and the receipt of further funding, the ministry added.

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❗️Ukrainian losses amounted to 570 soldiers in the area of responsibility of the Yug Battlegroup over the last day.

🇷🇺🪖 More statements from the Russian Defense Ministry’s daily briefing on the progress of the special military operation in Ukraine:

▪️Ukrainian losses amounted to 140 soldiers in the area of responsibility of the Vostok Battlegroup;

▪️The Zapad Battlegroup defeated two Ukrainian brigades, enemy losses over the day amounted to more than 495 soldiers;

▪️Ukrainian losses amounted to 260 soldiers in the area of responsibility of the Sever Battlegroup;

▪️Ukrainian losses amounted to 385 soldiers in the area of responsibility of the Tsentr Battlegroup in one day;

▪️Russian air defenses shot down four Hammer guided bombs, five HIMARS missiles and 30 drones in one day.

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❗️The Russian military destroyed three HIMARS MLRS launchers and up to ten foreign specialists who serviced them, the Ministry of Defense reported. The Ukrainian Armed Forces also lost another Abrams tank.

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Indian PM Modi arrives in Russia on official visit

Modi's plane has landed at Moscow Vnukovo airport, Sputnik correspondent reports

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Modi is met by Russia's First Deputy Prime Minister Manturov

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Macron emerges as biggest loser in French elections

France is already "in the midst of a political crisis," Jacques Sapir, director of studies at the School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences (EHESS) in Paris, tells Sputnik, commenting on the results of the French elections.

He notes that Emmanuel Macron is undoubtedly the biggest loser of this election, facing a complex political landscape without a clear majority.

Sapir explains, "Without a clear majority, and no forces able to secure an absolute majority, the political situation is poised to be a complex one."

He draws parallels to the early 1950s under the Fourth Republic, where both the right- and left-wingers were excluded from any governmental majority. This historical context reflects today's situation where forming a stable government seems challenging.

He further adds that if an alliance from the socialists to the neo-Gaullists of “Les Républicains” could be constituted, it would secure an absolute majority. However, he doubted the feasibility of such an alliance, questioning whether a socialist like Boris Vallaud could sit in the same government as a staunch conservative like Laurent Wauquier. Sapir warns that such weak governmental formations will not be able to address the economic and social crises in France effectively.

“With the economic and social crises now going on in France, it is quite clear that we couldn’t afford weak governments,” he says.

The real question, according to Sapir, is whether this political crisis could be patched up by unlikely but possible political alliances or if it will evolve into a regime crisis with potential riots and social unrest. He emphasized that the frustration on both the right and left could exacerbate the crisis, which might not be resolved before the Olympic Games.

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❗️More than 400 cases of Ukraine using non-lethal toxic chemicals have been recorded during the special military operation, said head of Russia's Radiation, Chemical and Biological Defense Troops Igor Kirillov.

Kiev likewise uses chemical agents to combat riots on a regular basis, with assault groups being equipped with them.

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❗️The United States and Germany, together with Ukraine and the technical secretariat of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, are preparing to launch a special mission to investigate the facts of the use of chemical weapons in Ukraine, said the head of Russia's Radiation, Chemical and Biological Defense Troops Igor Kirillov.

The goal is to bring charges against Russia based on fabricated evidence. The Americans have already allocated about $400,000 for this purpose, the Ministry of Defense noted.

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