Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, on Friday (March 17) awarded the two pilots who were involved in intercepting a United States MQ-9 Reaper drone over the Black Sea amid Moscow’s ongoing “special military operation” in Ukraine. This comes after the US has previously accused Russia of an “unsafe” and “unprofessional” intercept of its MQ-9 Reaper surveillance drone which eventually crashed in the Black Sea on Tuesday.&nbsp;

The Russian military has said that they scrambled the air defence unit jets after detecting the US drone but has denied causing the crash and said that the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) had lost control, a claim the US disputed. While repeating its version of the events, the Russian ministry announced the awards on Friday.&nbsp;

“As a result of sharp manoeuvring around 9:30 am (Moscow time), the MQ-9 unmanned aerial vehicle went into uncontrolled flight with a loss of altitude and collided with the water surface,” said the Russian military in a statement, as per Reuters.&nbsp;

The defence minister Shoigu presented the awards to the two Su-27 pilots for “preventing” the US drone from “violating” international airspace restrictions placed by Moscow amid what it describes as its “special military operation” in Ukraine, reported The Moscow Times.&nbsp;

The statement added, “The drone flew with its transponders off, violating the boundaries of the area of the temporary airspace usage regime established for the special military operation (and) communicated to all users of international airspace.”&nbsp;

The US military, which also released a 42-second video on Thursday of the incident said that the drone was on a routine mission when it was intercepted over the Black Sea in international airspace. It also alleged that the fighter jets dumped fuel on the drone during the encounter that lasted 30-40 minutes before one of MQ-9 Reaper drone’s&nbsp;propellers got damaged and it crashed into the sea.&nbsp; 
 
(With inputs from agencies) 
 
&nbsp;

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Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, on Friday (March 17) awarded the two pilots who were involved in intercepting a United States MQ-9 Reaper drone over the Black Sea amid Moscow’s ongoing “special military operation” in Ukraine.

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, on Friday (March 17) awarded the two pilots who were involved in intercepting a United States MQ-9 Reaper drone over the Black Sea amid Moscow’s ongoing “special military operation” in Ukraine. This comes after the US has previously accused Russia of an “unsafe” and “unprofessional” intercept of its MQ-9 Reaper surveillance drone which eventually crashed in the Black Sea on Tuesday. The Russian military has said that they scrambled the air defence unit jets after detecting the US drone but has denied causing the crash and said that the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) had lost control, a claim the US disputed. While repeating its version of the events, the Russian ministry announced the awards on Friday. “As a result of sharp manoeuvring around 9:30 am (Moscow time), the MQ-9 unmanned aerial vehicle went into uncontrolled flight with a loss of altitude and collided with the water surface,” said the Russian military in a statement, as per Reuters. The defence minister Shoigu presented the awards to the two Su-27 pilots for “preventing” the US drone from “violating” international airspace restrictions placed by Moscow amid what it describes as its “special military operation” in Ukraine, reported The Moscow Times. The statement added, “The drone flew with its transponders off, violating the boundaries of the area of the temporary airspace usage regime established for the special military operation (and) communicated to all users of international airspace.” The US military, which also released a 42-second video on Thursday of the incident said that the drone was on a routine mission when it was intercepted over the Black Sea in international airspace. It also alleged that the fighter jets dumped fuel on the drone during the encounter that lasted 30-40 minutes before one of MQ-9 Reaper drone’s propellers got damaged and it crashed into the sea. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Russian defence minister honours pilots involved in downing of US drone over Black Sea

Since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, American companies have been prohibited from dealing with MMZ Avangard, a state-owned&nbsp;firm&nbsp;that makes&nbsp;missiles&nbsp;for one of Russia's most sophisticated weapons, the S-400 air-defence system.

In a measure of Western concern about the S-400, the United States ejected Turkey, a NATO member, from a joint fighter jet programme in 2019 after Ankara took delivery of the Russian system.

But even as the United States was taking actions to blunt MMZ Avangard's business, a publicly traded American&nbsp;technology company, Extreme Networks, was providing MMZ Avangard with computer&nbsp;networking&nbsp;equipment for its office IT systems, according to emails and other business records seen by Reuters, as well as interviews with people familiar with the matter.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/unga-passes-resolution-condemning-russian-illegal-annexation-of-ukrainian-land-india-abstains-from-voting-524945">Also read |&nbsp;UNGA passes resolution condemning Russian 'illegal annexation' of Ukrainian land; India abstains from voting</a>

In a statement to Reuters, Extreme said that based on information provided by the news agency it believed equipment "may have" been sold to MMZ Avangard using a surrogate buyer. Extreme said the equipment was sold without its knowledge. It added, without providing evidence, that an intermediary in Russia was "complicit" in supplying its products via a front company to "bad actors." Extreme said it is reporting its findings of these potential sales to&nbsp;U.S. authorities.

Ukraine has accused Russia of deploying&nbsp;missiles&nbsp;made by MMZ Avangard against ground targets since Russia launched what it terms its "special operation" on Feb. 24. Ukrainian authorities said MMZ Avangard&nbsp;missiles&nbsp;killed at least 30 civilians in a gruesome attack on a convoy on the edge of the southern city of Zaporizhzhia last month. Neither Kremlin officials nor MMZ Avangard responded to questions for this article. MMZ Avangard's parent, Almaz-Antey, also didn't comment.

Between 2017 and 2021, MMZ Avangard obtained over half a million dollars' worth of Extreme equipment for its IT systems, according to the business records reviewed by Reuters and the people familiar with the matter. The products included high-speed switches, an essential building block of corporate IT networks, and software.

The records also show that the deals went through a seemingly innocuous corporation near Moscow, and despite two Extreme officials raising concerns, the sales went forward.

That a Russian military company, identified as a threat by Washington, continued to acquire&nbsp;U.S. computer hardware is a case study in how Western countries may have overestimated their ability to choke the Russian economy with export bans and trade sanctions. It also highlights how dependent Russia's military machine is on&nbsp;U.S. high-tech&nbsp;equipment.

In April, six weeks after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, an Extreme employee filed an internal complaint, seen by Reuters, alleging that the company was selling to various military manufacturers in Russia. "Extreme equipment is used on Russian warships," the complaint said, "in communications systems."

Extreme said in its statement that the allegations were brought by a disgruntled employee. An investigation by the&nbsp;firm&nbsp;had found nothing to corroborate any of the claims until Reuters brought "new facts" to the company's attention this month. The company said it ceased operations in Russia in March, adding that it subsequently launched a process to dismiss the disgruntled employee for poor performance. It said it has no records of sales involving Russian warships.

Extreme, which trades on the NASDAQ exchange and is headquartered in Morrisville, North Carolina, has earned a solid reputation in the United States and is an official partner of the National Football League. The NFL declined to comment for this article.

A Reuters investigation in August found that while the United States and allies banned high-tech&nbsp;exports to Russia to try to cripple its defense industry, and many&nbsp;tech&nbsp;companies announced that they had halted exports to Russia, the flow of Western brand-name computer parts to Russian clients hasn't stopped.

This account of how Extreme&nbsp;supplied&nbsp;MMZ Avangard and at least two other Russian military companies is based on interviews with three people familiar with the shipments as well as a review by Reuters of documents spanning five years to 2021. The documents include sales records and email exchanges between Extreme employees, customers and distributors. The shipments are reported here for the first time.

The&nbsp;U. Department of Commerce, which administers export restrictions, declined to comment for this story.

It&nbsp;was&nbsp;necessary&nbsp;to use cover

Russian companies, including those in the military sector, have virtually no choice but to buy foreign equipment to build the computer networks necessary for modern-day business. Russia has very limited domestic production of&nbsp;networking&nbsp;equipment.

Founded in 1996, Extreme is a junior player in the computer&nbsp;networking&nbsp;industry. Last year, it posted revenue of $1.1 billion, compared with $50 billion for Cisco Systems.

Still, the smaller company is a "meaningful competitor," according to Alex Henderson, a network and security analyst at Needham and Company in New York. The&nbsp;US&nbsp;military as well as NASA use Extreme hardware and support, according to contracting records, and the company has built up a substantial marketing profile.

In Russia, as well, Extreme lists prestigious customers, such as the Ministry of Health, the federal pension fund and Lomonosov Moscow State University.

But according to documents seen by Reuters, other buyers of Extreme equipment included not just MMZ Avangard but a major Russian military shipbuilding company and a high-tech&nbsp;defense electronics manufacturer.

Watch |&nbsp;Russia-Ukraine War: More than 50 Western countries promise more weapons for Ukraine

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One of the documents shows that in the four years ending 2020, Russian customers purchased $41.5 million worth of equipment. Reuters couldn't determine Extreme's total sales to sanctioned or military&nbsp;firms because it wasn't clear if transactions other than those involving MMZ Avangard had been recorded under cover names.

In its statement to Reuters, Extreme said it doesn't report country specific revenue.

In Russia, Extreme maintained contacts with its customers in order to help design complex networks that expand over time, according to two of the people familiar with the matter. Each customer or potential buyer had its own account manager at the company and was listed on internal sales records. Actual sales, though, were done through authorized intermediaries.

Extreme, in its statement to Reuters, said it rarely provided direct installation services. It said it had no such contracts with DEMZ or MMZ Avangard.

In its statement, Extreme said it has a "firm&nbsp;policy" not to work with sanctioned entities, but added it isn't always notified of the end customer, especially when its products are sold through so-called "stocking" distributors that hold an inventory.

Extreme named one of those distributors as RRC and said it believed RRC was "complicit" in the scheme to supply MMZ Avangard. RRC and its Cyprus parent, BD Enterprise&nbsp;Networking&nbsp;didn't respond to messages from Reuters seeking comment.

For Russian military companies, Extreme equipment had a strong selling point, the three people familiar with the shipments said: Unlike larger rivals, Extreme doesn't require service subscriptions and frequent software updates. "It is absolutely autonomous," one of the people said of the equipment. "It works without a license and you don't even need to be connected to the internet." This means, another person said, that "you don't need to fear that your system will go dark because someone in the&nbsp;U.S. decided to disconnect you."

Extreme said that the "autonomous model" is not unique to the company, but acknowledged it has become relatively rare.

It was no secret in Russia that MMZ Avangard used Extreme equipment. In late 2019, the missile manufacturer issued a tender through Russia's online public procurement platform, saying it needed spare parts for the Extreme computer networks it possessed. Extreme didn't dispute this but said it wouldn't necessarily be aware of such a tender.

A few months before, in the summer of 2019, an intermediary had contacted Extreme's representative office in Russia, asking for advice on a network upgrade for the missile company, the documents show. "We are working on a solution for the customer, MMZ Avangard," an employee of the intermediary wrote in a June 28, 2019, email to an Extreme system engineer. "I was told that I could seek your help."

As soon as its equipment arrived in Moscow, Extreme dispatched a staff engineer to MMZ Avangard's offices to help ensure a smooth installation, one of the people familiar with the shipments said.

In its statement to Reuters, Extreme said it had no records of an Extreme employee installing equipment at MMZ Avangard.

When it came to processing MMZ Avangard's purchasing orders, the missile&nbsp;maker's name didn't appear on Extreme's books. Instead, Extreme's Moscow employees recorded the orders as having been placed by a company called OOO DEMZ, according to emails and sales records, as well as three people familiar with the matter.

"It was necessary to use a cover because the Russian company is blacklisted in the&nbsp;U.S.," one of the people familiar with the shipments said. It has been illegal for&nbsp;U.S. companies to do business with MMZ Avangard since July 2014, when the&nbsp;U.S. Treasury Department listed its parent company, Almaz-Antey, as a "blocked" entity. The Treasury declined to comment for this story.

MMZ Avangard began buying products from Extreme in December 2017 and was disguised under the DEMZ cover in Extreme business records from that date, according to emails and other documents seen by Reuters. The most recent transaction using the DEMZ cover that Reuters identified was in September 2021. In total, the records show that Extreme shipped goods worth about $645,000 in this way during that period.

Extreme, in its statement, said it now believes that its equipment may have been acquired through a "front company." Extreme confirmed that the DEMZ account listed product purchases for approximately $645,000.

DEMZ is a small company based in Dmitrov, a city 50 miles north of Moscow. Russian corporate records list Vladimir Markov as its general director. Reached by phone, Markov said that DEMZ, which made tools for railcar maintenance, ceased all operations in 2016. The executive said he had never heard of Extreme or of DEMZ buying Extreme equipment for itself or on behalf of others.

The apparent ruse was a shallow one. Purported executives for DEMZ, listed in the Extreme customer records seen by Reuters, were actually employees of the missile&nbsp;maker&nbsp;who had provided their MMZ Avangard email addresses. They even included the Avangard email addresses when they applied for access to an Extreme customer service portal. One of these people declined to comment. The other couldn't be reached. Some of the documents also listed mmza.ru - MMZ Avangard's domain name - as DEMZ's purported web address.

On the last day of 2019, as a "DEMZ" order was winding through Extreme's approval system, an Extreme sales manager working in North Carolina emailed RRC, the Russian distributor, with a question about the domain name: "Can you tell me what the relationship is between DEMZ and mmza.ru?" An employee of the distributor responded that mmza.ru was "the customer's" domain. The employee didn't elaborate. A subsequent message indicates that the sale went through.

Extreme, in its statement, did not address questions about MMZ Avangard staff registering for access to online support, and an Extreme sales manager raising questions about the web domain.

Nearly a year later, dealing with another set of "DEMZ" orders, an employee from Extreme's in-house compliance desk in Ireland spotted the mmza.ru domain in the sales paperwork and researched it. "This link," the compliance team employee said in a Nov. 11, 2020, email, "goes directly to https://mmzavangard.ru/ which is a defense contractor seemingly [sic] to specialize in ground to air missile systems, we need to further review before we can make a decision."

Extreme, in its statement, also did not address questions about this email.

Good news

The Extreme compliance employee instructed the Russia office to have "DEMZ," the purported customer, fill out a form to certify there was no military end-user, that the equipment would not be resold for any military purpose, and that it would not be transferred to any sanctioned company.

Less than a week after the message from the Extreme compliance employee, a two-page letter seen by Reuters attested that the end-user was not sanctioned, and would not use Extreme's equipment in a way banned by&nbsp;U.S. law. Bearing an illegible signature and a blue "DEMZ" stamp, the document was sent to Extreme's compliance desk, according to one of the people familiar with the matter.

DEMZ's business, according to the purported self-declaration, had nothing to do with sophisticated&nbsp;missiles. Rather it was "components for the Metalworking of country houses." DEMZ never made such components and was out of business at the time of the letter, according to former director general Markov.

"Just heard back from our supply team for the DEMZ orders," emailed the North Carolina manager on Nov. 25 "with some good news."

The sales could go through.

"Thank you," Extreme's Vienna-based regional director for Northern and Eastern Europe wrote.

U.S. export control specialists told Reuters self-declarations can be useful in determining whether a client is legitimate. However, upon coming across a red flag, "you stop or put on hold the transaction," said James Fuller, a former special agent with the&nbsp;U.S. Department of Commerce. "You don't offer an avenue to provide more false information, or suggest some kind of workaround."

Extreme in its statement to Reuters confirmed that its internal compliance officer had requested and received the self-declaration. The company added that it has "other screening processes to check for red flags."

Shipbuilding

In Russia, Extreme&nbsp;supplied&nbsp;IT equipment to other military companies, according to the business documents seen by Reuters and the people familiar with the matter.

One of them was United Shipbuilding Corp. The company has headquarters in St. Petersburg and operates a host of Russian shipyards, making everything from frigates to submarines to mine sweepers. Like MMZ Avangard, United Shipbuilding has been listed as a "blocked" entity by the&nbsp;U.S. Treasury since July 2014.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/biden-administration-unveils-new-national-security-strategy-china-russia-identified-as-major-threats-524974">Also read |&nbsp;US National Security strategy: China, Russia seen as threats, India as partner</a>

Another one was Concern Morinformsystem-Agat, a manufacturer of radar and other military electronics systems. According to the documents, including a July 2020 public tender, and one of the people familiar with the matter, Agat was relying on equipment from Extreme for some of its systems, which were then fitted on United Shipbuilding warships.

Extreme told Reuters it had no records of selling products to United Shipbuilding or Agat. The Russian companies did not respond to requests for comment.

United Shipbuilding is clearly described as an Extreme customer in email correspondence. In April 2020, an intermediary contacted Extreme's office in Moscow to submit the plan the intermediary had sketched out to modernize United Shipbuilding's data center.

A Russia-based engineer from Extreme responded the next day, pointing to a few items that could be removed from the proposed design.

"Apart from that, it's all correct," the Extreme engineer wrote in the email.

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Since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, American companies have been prohibited from dealing with MMZ Avangard, a state-owned firm that makes missiles for one of Russia's most sophisticated weapons, the S-400 air-defence system.

Since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, American companies have been prohibited from dealing with MMZ Avangard, a state-owned firm that makes missiles for one of Russia's most sophisticated weapons, the S-400 air-defence system. In a measure of Western concern about the S-400, the United States ejected Turkey, a NATO member, from a joint fighter jet programme in 2019 after Ankara took delivery of the Russian system. But even as the United States was taking actions to blunt MMZ Avangard's business, a publicly traded American technology company, Extreme Networks, was providing MMZ Avangard with computer networking equipment for its office IT systems, according to emails and other business records seen by Reuters, as well as interviews with people familiar with the matter. Also read | UNGA passes resolution condemning Russian 'illegal annexation' of Ukrainian land; India abstains from voting In a statement to Reuters, Extreme said that based on information provided by the news agency it believed equipment "may have" been sold to MMZ Avangard using a surrogate buyer. Extreme said the equipment was sold without its knowledge. It added, without providing evidence, that an intermediary in Russia was "complicit" in supplying its products via a front company to "bad actors." Extreme said it is reporting its findings of these potential sales to U.S. authorities. Ukraine has accused Russia of deploying missiles made by MMZ Avangard against ground targets since Russia launched what it terms its "special operation" on Feb. 24. Ukrainian authorities said MMZ Avangard missiles killed at least 30 civilians in a gruesome attack on a convoy on the edge of the southern city of Zaporizhzhia last month. Neither Kremlin officials nor MMZ Avangard responded to questions for this article. MMZ Avangard's parent, Almaz-Antey, also didn't comment. Between 2017 and 2021, MMZ Avangard obtained over half a million dollars' worth of Extreme equipment for its IT systems, according to the business records reviewed by Reuters and the people familiar with the matter. The products included high-speed switches, an essential building block of corporate IT networks, and software. The records also show that the deals went through a seemingly innocuous corporation near Moscow, and despite two Extreme officials raising concerns, the sales went forward. That a Russian military company, identified as a threat by Washington, continued to acquire U.S. computer hardware is a case study in how Western countries may have overestimated their ability to choke the Russian economy with export bans and trade sanctions. It also highlights how dependent Russia's military machine is on U.S. high-tech equipment. In April, six weeks after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, an Extreme employee filed an internal complaint, seen by Reuters, alleging that the company was selling to various military manufacturers in Russia. "Extreme equipment is used on Russian warships," the complaint said, "in communications systems." Extreme said in its statement that the allegations were brought by a disgruntled employee. An investigation by the firm had found nothing to corroborate any of the claims until Reuters brought "new facts" to the company's attention this month. The company said it ceased operations in Russia in March, adding that it subsequently launched a process to dismiss the disgruntled employee for poor performance. It said it has no records of sales involving Russian warships. Extreme, which trades on the NASDAQ exchange and is headquartered in Morrisville, North Carolina, has earned a solid reputation in the United States and is an official partner of the National Football League. The NFL declined to comment for this article. A Reuters investigation in August found that while the United States and allies banned high-tech exports to Russia to try to cripple its defense industry, and many tech companies announced that they had halted exports to Russia, the flow of Western brand-name computer parts to Russian clients hasn't stopped. This account of how Extreme supplied MMZ Avangard and at least two other Russian military companies is based on interviews with three people familiar with the shipments as well as a review by Reuters of documents spanning five years to 2021. The documents include sales records and email exchanges between Extreme employees, customers and distributors. The shipments are reported here for the first time. The U. Department of Commerce, which administers export restrictions, declined to comment for this story. It was necessary to use cover Russian companies, including those in the military sector, have virtually no choice but to buy foreign equipment to build the computer networks necessary for modern-day business. Russia has very limited domestic production of networking equipment. Founded in 1996, Extreme is a junior player in the computer networking industry. Last year, it posted revenue of $1.1 billion, compared with $50 billion for Cisco Systems. Still, the smaller company is a "meaningful competitor," according to Alex Henderson, a network and security analyst at Needham and Company in New York. The US military as well as NASA use Extreme hardware and support, according to contracting records, and the company has built up a substantial marketing profile. In Russia, as well, Extreme lists prestigious customers, such as the Ministry of Health, the federal pension fund and Lomonosov Moscow State University. But according to documents seen by Reuters, other buyers of Extreme equipment included not just MMZ Avangard but a major Russian military shipbuilding company and a high-tech defense electronics manufacturer. Watch | Russia-Ukraine War: More than 50 Western countries promise more weapons for Ukraine One of the documents shows that in the four years ending 2020, Russian customers purchased $41.5 million worth of equipment. Reuters couldn't determine Extreme's total sales to sanctioned or military firms because it wasn't clear if transactions other than those involving MMZ Avangard had been recorded under cover names. In its statement to Reuters, Extreme said it doesn't report country specific revenue. In Russia, Extreme maintained contacts with its customers in order to help design complex networks that expand over time, according to two of the people familiar with the matter. Each customer or potential buyer had its own account manager at the company and was listed on internal sales records. Actual sales, though, were done through authorized intermediaries. Extreme, in its statement to Reuters, said it rarely provided direct installation services. It said it had no such contracts with DEMZ or MMZ Avangard. In its statement, Extreme said it has a "firm policy" not to work with sanctioned entities, but added it isn't always notified of the end customer, especially when its products are sold through so-called "stocking" distributors that hold an inventory. Extreme named one of those distributors as RRC and said it believed RRC was "complicit" in the scheme to supply MMZ Avangard. RRC and its Cyprus parent, BD Enterprise Networking didn't respond to messages from Reuters seeking comment. For Russian military companies, Extreme equipment had a strong selling point, the three people familiar with the shipments said: Unlike larger rivals, Extreme doesn't require service subscriptions and frequent software updates. "It is absolutely autonomous," one of the people said of the equipment. "It works without a license and you don't even need to be connected to the internet." This means, another person said, that "you don't need to fear that your system will go dark because someone in the U.S. decided to disconnect you." Extreme said that the "autonomous model" is not unique to the company, but acknowledged it has become relatively rare. It was no secret in Russia that MMZ Avangard used Extreme equipment. In late 2019, the missile manufacturer issued a tender through Russia's online public procurement platform, saying it needed spare parts for the Extreme computer networks it possessed. Extreme didn't dispute this but said it wouldn't necessarily be aware of such a tender. A few months before, in the summer of 2019, an intermediary had contacted Extreme's representative office in Russia, asking for advice on a network upgrade for the missile company, the documents show. "We are working on a solution for the customer, MMZ Avangard," an employee of the intermediary wrote in a June 28, 2019, email to an Extreme system engineer. "I was told that I could seek your help." As soon as its equipment arrived in Moscow, Extreme dispatched a staff engineer to MMZ Avangard's offices to help ensure a smooth installation, one of the people familiar with the shipments said. In its statement to Reuters, Extreme said it had no records of an Extreme employee installing equipment at MMZ Avangard. When it came to processing MMZ Avangard's purchasing orders, the missile maker's name didn't appear on Extreme's books. Instead, Extreme's Moscow employees recorded the orders as having been placed by a company called OOO DEMZ, according to emails and sales records, as well as three people familiar with the matter. "It was necessary to use a cover because the Russian company is blacklisted in the U.S.," one of the people familiar with the shipments said. It has been illegal for U.S. companies to do business with MMZ Avangard since July 2014, when the U.S. Treasury Department listed its parent company, Almaz-Antey, as a "blocked" entity. The Treasury declined to comment for this story. MMZ Avangard began buying products from Extreme in December 2017 and was disguised under the DEMZ cover in Extreme business records from that date, according to emails and other documents seen by Reuters. The most recent transaction using the DEMZ cover that Reuters identified was in September 2021. In total, the records show that Extreme shipped goods worth about $645,000 in this way during that period. Extreme, in its statement, said it now believes that its equipment may have been acquired through a "front company." Extreme confirmed that the DEMZ account listed product purchases for approximately $645,000. DEMZ is a small company based in Dmitrov, a city 50 miles north of Moscow. Russian corporate records list Vladimir Markov as its general director. Reached by phone, Markov said that DEMZ, which made tools for railcar maintenance, ceased all operations in 2016. The executive said he had never heard of Extreme or of DEMZ buying Extreme equipment for itself or on behalf of others. The apparent ruse was a shallow one. Purported executives for DEMZ, listed in the Extreme customer records seen by Reuters, were actually employees of the missile maker who had provided their MMZ Avangard email addresses. They even included the Avangard email addresses when they applied for access to an Extreme customer service portal. One of these people declined to comment. The other couldn't be reached. Some of the documents also listed mmza.ru - MMZ Avangard's domain name - as DEMZ's purported web address. On the last day of 2019, as a "DEMZ" order was winding through Extreme's approval system, an Extreme sales manager working in North Carolina emailed RRC, the Russian distributor, with a question about the domain name: "Can you tell me what the relationship is between DEMZ and mmza.ru?" An employee of the distributor responded that mmza.ru was "the customer's" domain. The employee didn't elaborate. A subsequent message indicates that the sale went through. Extreme, in its statement, did not address questions about MMZ Avangard staff registering for access to online support, and an Extreme sales manager raising questions about the web domain. Nearly a year later, dealing with another set of "DEMZ" orders, an employee from Extreme's in-house compliance desk in Ireland spotted the mmza.ru domain in the sales paperwork and researched it. "This link," the compliance team employee said in a Nov. 11, 2020, email, "goes directly to https://mmzavangard.ru/ which is a defense contractor seemingly [sic] to specialize in ground to air missile systems, we need to further review before we can make a decision." Extreme, in its statement, also did not address questions about this email. Good news The Extreme compliance employee instructed the Russia office to have "DEMZ," the purported customer, fill out a form to certify there was no military end-user, that the equipment would not be resold for any military purpose, and that it would not be transferred to any sanctioned company. Less than a week after the message from the Extreme compliance employee, a two-page letter seen by Reuters attested that the end-user was not sanctioned, and would not use Extreme's equipment in a way banned by U.S. law. Bearing an illegible signature and a blue "DEMZ" stamp, the document was sent to Extreme's compliance desk, according to one of the people familiar with the matter. DEMZ's business, according to the purported self-declaration, had nothing to do with sophisticated missiles. Rather it was "components for the Metalworking of country houses." DEMZ never made such components and was out of business at the time of the letter, according to former director general Markov. "Just heard back from our supply team for the DEMZ orders," emailed the North Carolina manager on Nov. 25 "with some good news." The sales could go through. "Thank you," Extreme's Vienna-based regional director for Northern and Eastern Europe wrote. U.S. export control specialists told Reuters self-declarations can be useful in determining whether a client is legitimate. However, upon coming across a red flag, "you stop or put on hold the transaction," said James Fuller, a former special agent with the U.S. Department of Commerce. "You don't offer an avenue to provide more false information, or suggest some kind of workaround." Extreme in its statement to Reuters confirmed that its internal compliance officer had requested and received the self-declaration. The company added that it has "other screening processes to check for red flags." Shipbuilding In Russia, Extreme supplied IT equipment to other military companies, according to the business documents seen by Reuters and the people familiar with the matter. One of them was United Shipbuilding Corp. The company has headquarters in St. Petersburg and operates a host of Russian shipyards, making everything from frigates to submarines to mine sweepers. Like MMZ Avangard, United Shipbuilding has been listed as a "blocked" entity by the U.S. Treasury since July 2014. Also read | US National Security strategy: China, Russia seen as threats, India as partner Another one was Concern Morinformsystem-Agat, a manufacturer of radar and other military electronics systems. According to the documents, including a July 2020 public tender, and one of the people familiar with the matter, Agat was relying on equipment from Extreme for some of its systems, which were then fitted on United Shipbuilding warships. Extreme told Reuters it had no records of selling products to United Shipbuilding or Agat. The Russian companies did not respond to requests for comment. United Shipbuilding is clearly described as an Extreme customer in email correspondence. In April 2020, an intermediary contacted Extreme's office in Moscow to submit the plan the intermediary had sketched out to modernize United Shipbuilding's data center. A Russia-based engineer from Extreme responded the next day, pointing to a few items that could be removed from the proposed design. "Apart from that, it's all correct," the Extreme engineer wrote in the email. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

How a US firm supplied networking technology to maker of feared Russian missiles

The US side is likely to raise the situation around Russia's jailed opposition activist Alexey Navalny at the upcoming top-level summit in Geneva.

Kremlin aide claims agenda finalised with WH for Biden-Putin meeting in Geneva

A State Department report sent to Congress concluded that Nord Stream 2 AG and its CEO, Matthias Warnig, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, engaged in sanctionable activity.

US waives sanctions on Nord Stream 2 pipeline

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that the country's relations with the United States and its allies have “hit the bottom” and no date has been set for sending the Russian ambassador back to Washington.

US warns Russia against intimidating Ukraine

Multiple reports claimed of Russian interference in the United States presidential election in 2016 and analysts say that Moscow is still trying its best to give Donald Trump another term despite the setback.&nbsp;

Russia was expecting better ties with the US when Trump was elected in 2016 as the relations during the term of Barack Obama were deteriorating.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="Has Trump team announced its surrender to the pandemic?">Has Trump team announced its surrender to the pandemic?</a>

US intelligence said Moscow in order to boost Trump campaign started attacking Democrats.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/kremlin-accuses-joe-biden-of-spreading-hatred-against-russia-with-threat-talk-338048">Kremlin accuses Joe Biden of spreading hatred against Russia with threat talk</a>

On Wednesday, US director of national intelligence accused Russia and Iran of getting US voter details and doing acts to influence public opinion in Nov. 3 election-- accusations the Kremlin rejected as "completely groundless."

Trump also raised eyebrows in 2018 when he said "I don't see any reason why it would be" Russia to meddle with US election.&nbsp;

However, since then, Washington took actions that were in odds with Moscow, including increasing military deployment in Syria and pulling out of centrepiece arms treaty.&nbsp;

In an interview in early October, Russian president complained that since the start of Trump's four-year rule, Russia has been sanctioned 46 times.

However, analysts believe that the screws will be tightened even more under Biden.&nbsp;

"After the usual rhetoric of the Democrats, which everybody heard in the past four years, it would be logical if they demanded tougher sanctions," said Alexander Baunov of the Carnegie Centre in Moscow, as reported by news agency AFP.&nbsp;

The Democrat-run Congress is also making things difficult for Moscow by imposing sanctions.

Analyst Alexander Shumilin of the Russian Academy of Sciences adds that Trump will be Moscow's preference as has shown "he is not ready to strengthen sanctions and even tried to soften them". 
&nbsp;

Multiple reports claimed of Russian interference in the United States presidential election in 2016 and analysts say that Moscow is still trying its best to give Donald Trump another term despite the setback.

Multiple reports claimed of Russian interference in the United States presidential election in 2016 and analysts say that Moscow is still trying its best to give Donald Trump another term despite the setback. Russia was expecting better ties with the US when Trump was elected in 2016 as the relations during the term of Barack Obama were deteriorating. Also read | Has Trump team announced its surrender to the pandemic? US intelligence said Moscow in order to boost Trump campaign started attacking Democrats. Also read | Kremlin accuses Joe Biden of spreading hatred against Russia with threat talk On Wednesday, US director of national intelligence accused Russia and Iran of getting US voter details and doing acts to influence public opinion in Nov. 3 election-- accusations the Kremlin rejected as "completely groundless." Trump also raised eyebrows in 2018 when he said "I don't see any reason why it would be" Russia to meddle with US election. However, since then, Washington took actions that were in odds with Moscow, including increasing military deployment in Syria and pulling out of centrepiece arms treaty. In an interview in early October, Russian president complained that since the start of Trump's four-year rule, Russia has been sanctioned 46 times. However, analysts believe that the screws will be tightened even more under Biden. "After the usual rhetoric of the Democrats, which everybody heard in the past four years, it would be logical if they demanded tougher sanctions," said Alexander Baunov of the Carnegie Centre in Moscow, as reported by news agency AFP. The Democrat-run Congress is also making things difficult for Moscow by imposing sanctions. Analyst Alexander Shumilin of the Russian Academy of Sciences adds that Trump will be Moscow's preference as has shown "he is not ready to strengthen sanctions and even tried to soften them".

Despite no favours, Russia still backs Trump as next US president, say analysts

President Donald Trump had a preelection plan to show he had gotten something out of his mysteriously friendly relationship with President Vladimir Putin of Russia.

In the weeks before the election, the two men would announce that they had reached an agreement in principle to extend New START, the last remaining major arms control agreement between the two countries. It expires Feb. 5, two weeks after the next presidential inauguration.

Trump has long refused to sign off on a clean five-year extension of the agreement, a step that both leaders could take without Senate approval. He has described the Obama-era treaty as deeply flawed — the same thing he said about the North American Free Trade Agreement and the Iran nuclear accord — because it did not cover all of Russia’s nuclear arms or any of China’s.

But if Putin is really rooting for Trump to be reelected, he is not acting like it.

On Tuesday, Marshall Billingslea, Trump’s lead negotiator, announced that the two leaders had an “agreement in principle, at the highest levels of our two governments, to extend the treaty.” Billingslea described an added “gentleman’s agreement” to cap each country’s stockpile of weapons not currently deployed on missiles, submarines or bombers. Details needed to be worked out, he cautioned, including the tricky work of verifying compliance.

It sounded like a promising solution, for a few hours.

Then the Russian deputy foreign minister, Sergei A. Ryabkov, shot back that this was a figment of someone’s election-season imagination.

“Washington is describing what is desired, not what is real,” he said in a statement.

For example, he said, Moscow would not freeze the number of tactical weapons it possesses.

With less than three weeks to Election Day, it seems that no agreement is in the offing, and Trump administration officials are saying that, after the election, the price will go up. Former Vice President Joe Biden, the Democratic nominee who was involved in the negotiation of the original agreement in 2010, has indicated that, if elected, he will agree to a straightforward, immediate extension of the accord for five years, the maximum allowed under the current terms, and then work to expand its scope.

As a result, Putin, looking at the polls, may be calculating that there is no reason to agree to any additional limits. But it also suggests that despite the CIA’s conclusion that the Russian leader has a preference for Trump, Putin may also be hedging his bets — or betting that Trump will be a private citizen by the time the treaty runs out.

On Wednesday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tried to put the best face on the Russian rejection.

“I am hopeful that the Russians will find a way to agree to an outcome that, frankly, I think is in their best interest,” he said at a news conference at the State Department.

But Russia’s foreign minister, Sergey V. Lavrov, joined the Kremlin’s dismissal of prospects for an agreement before the election, saying that the Trump administration’s one-sided announcement of a nuclear limitation deal was an “unclean” diplomatic maneuver.

“I personally don’t see such a possibility,” he said in an interview with state radio, when asked about a deal on the strategic arms treaty. “My colleagues, who work in an interagency format and meet with the American delegation, also don’t see such a possibility.”

The Russian pushback echoed across the government. The Kremlin’s spokesman, Dmitry S. Peskov, said the “position of the Russian side is well-known and consistent. And for now, we can’t speak of any concrete agreements.” Then the Russian Information Agency, a state news outlet, ran an article saying the Russian foreign ministry “called the American announcement of a New START agreement with Russia nonsense and a setup.”

It was not the first time that Putin, who worked so hard on Trump’s behalf in 2016, has shown possible signs of backing away from the president.

Earlier this month, he hinted in an interview with state television at an effort to reach out to Democrats. While his goals were unclear, and with U.S. officials cautioning that Russian disinformation may be at work, Putin spoke warmly of the Democratic Party and suggested that he could work with Biden on arms control.

Analysts in Russia saw in the rejection of a preelection nuclear deal the Kremlin preparing the ground in case Trump loses.

“As the chances of a Trump reelection are increasingly remote,” Pavel Felgenhauer, a military commentator for the independent Novaya Gazeta newspaper, said in a telephone interview, “why should we bend over backward?”

Putin’s position all year has been that the New START agreement, which limits both countries to 1,550 deployed nuclear weapons, should be extended for five years. But there are no limits on stockpiled weapons, which are essentially in storage. And that is why fears of a resumed arms race have arisen, as the United States and Russia move to improve their arsenals with new, more sophisticated weapons.

Putin has taken pride in developing new weapons, some of which have apparently run into trouble in testing, leading to a major accident in the summer of 2019. The current strategic arms treaty does not limit such work — or put limits on tactical weapons.

Trump has pulled out of a series of arms control treaties, including the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, widely known as the INF. And now Russia has no incentive to negotiate on tactical warheads, which it has preserved and expanded in recent decades while the United States abolished most of its arsenal, save for small numbers stored around Europe.

“Russia has an advantage in tactical weapons,” Felgenhauer said. “It doesn’t make any sense for Russia to negotiate.”

There is little question that Russia had been cheating on the INF treaty’s limits and placing medium-range missiles, which appear to be armed with the tactical weapons, on its borders with Europe. The Obama administration considered abandoning the INF, before deciding against it. Trump went ahead, arguing that the treaty’s restrictions were keeping Washington from countering on similar weaponry that China was deploying in the Pacific.

China was not a party to either New START or the INF, and Trump has argued that the treaties need to be updated to account for Beijing’s arms buildup. But the Chinese counter that they have around 300 nuclear weapons deployed — a fifth of the number that Russia and the United States are limited to under the treaty — and that they would have no interest in any restrictions. Some Chinese officials, somewhat facetiously, have suggested that Trump’s initiative could lead them to quintuple their arsenal and then enter into arms control talks.

On Beijing entering into nuclear arms talks, Pompeo expressed hopes Wednesday “that the Chinese Communist Party will come to see that this is how mature nations deal with these issues,” but he acknowledged that Chinese leaders have “refused to join the conversation.”

Biden’s advisers say nothing is wrong with the idea of bringing China into arms control agreements. But they have said that abandoning New START in a failing effort to accomplish that goal would only destroy the last remaining significant limits on deployed nuclear weapons.

If Biden wins, it is possible Russia could get what it wants, a straightforward extension before the February expiration, in a quick deal immediately after a Biden inauguration.

“If we don’t take Trump’s proposal now, it doesn’t mean we lose New START,” Felgenhauer said. 
&nbsp;

President Donald Trump had a preelection plan to show he had gotten something out of his mysteriously friendly relationship with President Vladimir Putin of Russia.

President Donald Trump had a preelection plan to show he had gotten something out of his mysteriously friendly relationship with President Vladimir Putin of Russia. In the weeks before the election, the two men would announce that they had reached an agreement in principle to extend New START, the last remaining major arms control agreement between the two countries. It expires Feb. 5, two weeks after the next presidential inauguration. Trump has long refused to sign off on a clean five-year extension of the agreement, a step that both leaders could take without Senate approval. He has described the Obama-era treaty as deeply flawed — the same thing he said about the North American Free Trade Agreement and the Iran nuclear accord — because it did not cover all of Russia’s nuclear arms or any of China’s. But if Putin is really rooting for Trump to be reelected, he is not acting like it. On Tuesday, Marshall Billingslea, Trump’s lead negotiator, announced that the two leaders had an “agreement in principle, at the highest levels of our two governments, to extend the treaty.” Billingslea described an added “gentleman’s agreement” to cap each country’s stockpile of weapons not currently deployed on missiles, submarines or bombers. Details needed to be worked out, he cautioned, including the tricky work of verifying compliance. It sounded like a promising solution, for a few hours. Then the Russian deputy foreign minister, Sergei A. Ryabkov, shot back that this was a figment of someone’s election-season imagination. “Washington is describing what is desired, not what is real,” he said in a statement. For example, he said, Moscow would not freeze the number of tactical weapons it possesses. With less than three weeks to Election Day, it seems that no agreement is in the offing, and Trump administration officials are saying that, after the election, the price will go up. Former Vice President Joe Biden, the Democratic nominee who was involved in the negotiation of the original agreement in 2010, has indicated that, if elected, he will agree to a straightforward, immediate extension of the accord for five years, the maximum allowed under the current terms, and then work to expand its scope. As a result, Putin, looking at the polls, may be calculating that there is no reason to agree to any additional limits. But it also suggests that despite the CIA’s conclusion that the Russian leader has a preference for Trump, Putin may also be hedging his bets — or betting that Trump will be a private citizen by the time the treaty runs out. On Wednesday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tried to put the best face on the Russian rejection. “I am hopeful that the Russians will find a way to agree to an outcome that, frankly, I think is in their best interest,” he said at a news conference at the State Department. But Russia’s foreign minister, Sergey V. Lavrov, joined the Kremlin’s dismissal of prospects for an agreement before the election, saying that the Trump administration’s one-sided announcement of a nuclear limitation deal was an “unclean” diplomatic maneuver. “I personally don’t see such a possibility,” he said in an interview with state radio, when asked about a deal on the strategic arms treaty. “My colleagues, who work in an interagency format and meet with the American delegation, also don’t see such a possibility.” The Russian pushback echoed across the government. The Kremlin’s spokesman, Dmitry S. Peskov, said the “position of the Russian side is well-known and consistent. And for now, we can’t speak of any concrete agreements.” Then the Russian Information Agency, a state news outlet, ran an article saying the Russian foreign ministry “called the American announcement of a New START agreement with Russia nonsense and a setup.” It was not the first time that Putin, who worked so hard on Trump’s behalf in 2016, has shown possible signs of backing away from the president. Earlier this month, he hinted in an interview with state television at an effort to reach out to Democrats. While his goals were unclear, and with U.S. officials cautioning that Russian disinformation may be at work, Putin spoke warmly of the Democratic Party and suggested that he could work with Biden on arms control. Analysts in Russia saw in the rejection of a preelection nuclear deal the Kremlin preparing the ground in case Trump loses. “As the chances of a Trump reelection are increasingly remote,” Pavel Felgenhauer, a military commentator for the independent Novaya Gazeta newspaper, said in a telephone interview, “why should we bend over backward?” Putin’s position all year has been that the New START agreement, which limits both countries to 1,550 deployed nuclear weapons, should be extended for five years. But there are no limits on stockpiled weapons, which are essentially in storage. And that is why fears of a resumed arms race have arisen, as the United States and Russia move to improve their arsenals with new, more sophisticated weapons. Putin has taken pride in developing new weapons, some of which have apparently run into trouble in testing, leading to a major accident in the summer of 2019. The current strategic arms treaty does not limit such work — or put limits on tactical weapons. Trump has pulled out of a series of arms control treaties, including the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, widely known as the INF. And now Russia has no incentive to negotiate on tactical warheads, which it has preserved and expanded in recent decades while the United States abolished most of its arsenal, save for small numbers stored around Europe. “Russia has an advantage in tactical weapons,” Felgenhauer said. “It doesn’t make any sense for Russia to negotiate.” There is little question that Russia had been cheating on the INF treaty’s limits and placing medium-range missiles, which appear to be armed with the tactical weapons, on its borders with Europe. The Obama administration considered abandoning the INF, before deciding against it. Trump went ahead, arguing that the treaty’s restrictions were keeping Washington from countering on similar weaponry that China was deploying in the Pacific. China was not a party to either New START or the INF, and Trump has argued that the treaties need to be updated to account for Beijing’s arms buildup. But the Chinese counter that they have around 300 nuclear weapons deployed — a fifth of the number that Russia and the United States are limited to under the treaty — and that they would have no interest in any restrictions. Some Chinese officials, somewhat facetiously, have suggested that Trump’s initiative could lead them to quintuple their arsenal and then enter into arms control talks. On Beijing entering into nuclear arms talks, Pompeo expressed hopes Wednesday “that the Chinese Communist Party will come to see that this is how mature nations deal with these issues,” but he acknowledged that Chinese leaders have “refused to join the conversation.” Biden’s advisers say nothing is wrong with the idea of bringing China into arms control agreements. But they have said that abandoning New START in a failing effort to accomplish that goal would only destroy the last remaining significant limits on deployed nuclear weapons. If Biden wins, it is possible Russia could get what it wants, a straightforward extension before the February expiration, in a quick deal immediately after a Biden inauguration. “If we don’t take Trump’s proposal now, it doesn’t mean we lose New START,” Felgenhauer said.

Trump thought he had a nuclear deal with Putin. Not so fast, Russia said.

US President Donald Trump has sought to include China in talks to replace New START, the flagship nuclear arms treaty between the United States and Russia, which expires in February.

US and Russian negotiators concluded a round of nuclear arms control talks in Vienna on Monday. The said pact is the last remaining, wide-ranging treaty restricting all nuclear weapons, not just strategic ones.

China should also be involved in the process, US Special Presidential Envoy for Arms Control Marshall Billingslea said on Tuesday.

China, a nuclear power with an arsenal a fraction the size of those of the Cold War-era superpowers, has repeatedly declined.

Washington wants a trilateral deal including China because it says Beijing is secretly racing to increase its arsenal's size and reach, but Moscow favours a multilateral agreement possibly including France and Britain.

"What I would say is we have not made a decision one way or another," Billingslea told a news conference when asked if New START would be extended.

He was speaking a day after a first round of talks with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov.

The two sides agreed to set up multiple technical working groups and a second round of talks will be held possibly in late July or early August, depending on the working groups' progress, Billingslea said. He did not specify what the working groups would deal with.

Russia, however, said China joining was unrealistic.

New START imposes limits on the number of US and Russian long-range nuclear warheads and launchers. The deal was made in 2010, but the limits didn't take effect until 2018.

It became the last nuclear arms pact between the two nations after the US Last year scrapped the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces treaty with Russia.

The INF treaty was also criticised because it did not cover China or missile technology that did not exist a generation ago.

(with inputs from agencies)

US President Donald Trump has sought to include China in talks to replace New START, the flagship nuclear arms treaty between the United States and Russia, which expires in February.

US President Donald Trump has sought to include China in talks to replace New START, the flagship nuclear arms treaty between the United States and Russia, which expires in February. US and Russian negotiators concluded a round of nuclear arms control talks in Vienna on Monday. The said pact is the last remaining, wide-ranging treaty restricting all nuclear weapons, not just strategic ones. China should also be involved in the process, US Special Presidential Envoy for Arms Control Marshall Billingslea said on Tuesday. China, a nuclear power with an arsenal a fraction the size of those of the Cold War-era superpowers, has repeatedly declined. Washington wants a trilateral deal including China because it says Beijing is secretly racing to increase its arsenal's size and reach, but Moscow favours a multilateral agreement possibly including France and Britain. "What I would say is we have not made a decision one way or another," Billingslea told a news conference when asked if New START would be extended. He was speaking a day after a first round of talks with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov. The two sides agreed to set up multiple technical working groups and a second round of talks will be held possibly in late July or early August, depending on the working groups' progress, Billingslea said. He did not specify what the working groups would deal with. Russia, however, said China joining was unrealistic. New START imposes limits on the number of US and Russian long-range nuclear warheads and launchers. The deal was made in 2010, but the limits didn't take effect until 2018. It became the last nuclear arms pact between the two nations after the US Last year scrapped the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces treaty with Russia. The INF treaty was also criticised because it did not cover China or missile technology that did not exist a generation ago. (with inputs from agencies)

US negotiates nuclear arms treaty with Russia, wants China's inclusion in talks

President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin discussed plunging oil prices and the coronavirus pandemic Monday, the Kremlin said, as Trump said Moscow is pressing for an end to US sanctions.

The two "expressed serious concern regarding the scope of the spread of the coronavirus" and "discussed closer cooperation," a brief Kremlin statement said.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/putin-delays-reforms-vote-holds-back-on-tough-virus-measures-288549">Putin delays reforms vote, holds back on tough virus measures</a>

Trump announced he'd be using the call to raise objections over a Russian-Saudi price war driving down world oil prices and "really hurting" the US energy industry.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/800000-us-physicians-ask-trump-not-to-lift-social-distancing-restrictions-289462">800,000 US physicians ask Trump not to lift 'social distancing' restrictions</a>

"We don’t want to have a dead industry," Trump told Fox News in an interview shortly before talking to Putin. "This is a fight between Saudi Arabia and Russia ... and they both went crazy."

"I never thought I’d be saying that maybe we have to have an oil (prices) increase, because we do," Trump said.

The Kremlin statement after the call merely said they had "exchanged opinions" on the oil market.

&nbsp;Sanctions&nbsp;

Trump also told Fox he expected Putin would use the call to push for a lifting of US sanctions on Russia.

"He'll probably ask for that," Trump told Fox News. "He's been asking that for two years."

The Kremlin statement did not mention sanctions but said unspecified "certain issues" of bilateral relations were aired.

Trump did not say what his response would be, noting that he had put sanctions on Russia but adding: "They don't like that. Frankly we should be able to get along."

The bulk of US sanctions against Russia were imposed over Moscow's annexation of Crimea in Ukraine and what US investigators say was a concerted attempt to interfere in the 2016 presidential election won by Trump.

Last Thursday, Putin told G20 leaders during a conference call that he wanted a moratorium on sanctions as a "matter of life and death" during the global coronavirus outbreak.

In the comments, Putin did not specify which countries he was talking about but Russia is being hit hard by the economic fallout from coronavirus and the parallel oil price drop.

Another point of US-Russian contention is Venezuela, where Washington, supported by dozens of other countries, has been trying unsuccessfully to promote the toppling of leftist strongman Nicolas Maduro. Russia is one of the few countries propping up his government.

"We may discuss that too," Trump said.

Russian state oil company Rosneft said Saturday it is pulling out of Venezuela and argued that US sanctions on a Rosneft subsidiary -- imposed as part of Washington's attempt to cripple the Maduro government's revenue sources -- should now be lifted.

However, Russia remains a key partner to Caracas.

'Every country does it'&nbsp;

Trump has often resisted punishing Moscow, which denies meddling in US politics, but his hand on imposing sanctions was forced by his own Republican party in Congress, which sees the Putin government as hostile.

The warm relationship between Trump and Putin -- seen by many Western capitals as an increasingly authoritarian leader responsible for assassinations of opponents at home and abroad -- has been a constant source of controversy in the United States.

In his Fox interview, Trump dismissed reports that Russia and China are seeking to exploit the coronavirus disruption by planting disinformation aimed at putting the United States in a bad light.

"They do it and we do it," he said, calling The Washington Post newspaper, which recently reported on the issue, "fake."

"Every country does it," he said.

Trump then questioned why Russia was considered an enemy by many in the West. As he has often in the past, he again also cast doubt on what was for decades the rock solid transatlantic alliance between the United States and Germany.

"I'm not saying they're babies, I'm not saying they're perfect," he said of the Russians.

"But you know they also fought World War II, they lost 50 million people. They were our partner and now we don't talk to Russia, we talk to Germany."

"Germany was the enemy and Germany is like this wonderful thing. Well, Germany takes advantage of us on trade for years. They pay far too little in NATO."

 
&nbsp;

President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin discussed plunging oil prices and the coronavirus pandemic Monday, the Kremlin said, as Trump said Moscow is pressing for an end to US sanctions.

President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin discussed plunging oil prices and the coronavirus pandemic Monday, the Kremlin said, as Trump said Moscow is pressing for an end to US sanctions. The two "expressed serious concern regarding the scope of the spread of the coronavirus" and "discussed closer cooperation," a brief Kremlin statement said. Also read | Putin delays reforms vote, holds back on tough virus measures Trump announced he'd be using the call to raise objections over a Russian-Saudi price war driving down world oil prices and "really hurting" the US energy industry. Also read | 800,000 US physicians ask Trump not to lift 'social distancing' restrictions "We don’t want to have a dead industry," Trump told Fox News in an interview shortly before talking to Putin. "This is a fight between Saudi Arabia and Russia ... and they both went crazy." "I never thought I’d be saying that maybe we have to have an oil (prices) increase, because we do," Trump said. The Kremlin statement after the call merely said they had "exchanged opinions" on the oil market. Sanctions Trump also told Fox he expected Putin would use the call to push for a lifting of US sanctions on Russia. "He'll probably ask for that," Trump told Fox News. "He's been asking that for two years." The Kremlin statement did not mention sanctions but said unspecified "certain issues" of bilateral relations were aired. Trump did not say what his response would be, noting that he had put sanctions on Russia but adding: "They don't like that. Frankly we should be able to get along." The bulk of US sanctions against Russia were imposed over Moscow's annexation of Crimea in Ukraine and what US investigators say was a concerted attempt to interfere in the 2016 presidential election won by Trump. Last Thursday, Putin told G20 leaders during a conference call that he wanted a moratorium on sanctions as a "matter of life and death" during the global coronavirus outbreak. In the comments, Putin did not specify which countries he was talking about but Russia is being hit hard by the economic fallout from coronavirus and the parallel oil price drop. Another point of US-Russian contention is Venezuela, where Washington, supported by dozens of other countries, has been trying unsuccessfully to promote the toppling of leftist strongman Nicolas Maduro. Russia is one of the few countries propping up his government. "We may discuss that too," Trump said. Russian state oil company Rosneft said Saturday it is pulling out of Venezuela and argued that US sanctions on a Rosneft subsidiary -- imposed as part of Washington's attempt to cripple the Maduro government's revenue sources -- should now be lifted. However, Russia remains a key partner to Caracas. 'Every country does it' Trump has often resisted punishing Moscow, which denies meddling in US politics, but his hand on imposing sanctions was forced by his own Republican party in Congress, which sees the Putin government as hostile. The warm relationship between Trump and Putin -- seen by many Western capitals as an increasingly authoritarian leader responsible for assassinations of opponents at home and abroad -- has been a constant source of controversy in the United States. In his Fox interview, Trump dismissed reports that Russia and China are seeking to exploit the coronavirus disruption by planting disinformation aimed at putting the United States in a bad light. "They do it and we do it," he said, calling The Washington Post newspaper, which recently reported on the issue, "fake." "Every country does it," he said. Trump then questioned why Russia was considered an enemy by many in the West. As he has often in the past, he again also cast doubt on what was for decades the rock solid transatlantic alliance between the United States and Germany. "I'm not saying they're babies, I'm not saying they're perfect," he said of the Russians. "But you know they also fought World War II, they lost 50 million people. They were our partner and now we don't talk to Russia, we talk to Germany." "Germany was the enemy and Germany is like this wonderful thing. Well, Germany takes advantage of us on trade for years. They pay far too little in NATO."

Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin discuss oil price plunge, coronavirus

Russia's President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/impeachment-against-trump-absolutely-on-made-up-grounds-putin-269164">Vladimir Putin </a>thanked US counterpart Donald Trump on Sunday for intelligence that helped in thwarting attacks planned in St' Petersburg, the Kremlin said. &nbsp;

The Russian president thanked Trump "for the transfer, through special services, of information allowing the prevention of terrorist acts in Russia," said a statement released by the president's office. Kremlin said that Putin expressed his gratitude through a phone call to the US president.&nbsp;

Kremlin's statement also added that Putin and Trump would continue the bilateral cooperation to tackle terrorism.

With the help of information shared by the US, the Federal Security Service (FSB) detained two Russians on December 27 on suspicion of plotting attacks during new New Year festivities in St. Petersburg, Russian news agencies said.&nbsp;

The reports said that the two detained were preparing a "terrorist act".

Moscow and Washington are at odds on most of the issues including Syria, allegations of Russia meddling 2016 US election, but Trump and Putin managed to maintain their personal ties.&nbsp;

(with inputs from AFP and Reuters)

&nbsp;

Russia's President Vladimir Putin thanked US counterpart Donald Trump on Sunday for intelligence that helped in thwarting attacks planned in St' Petersburg, the Kremlin said.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin thanked US counterpart Donald Trump on Sunday for intelligence that helped in thwarting attacks planned in St' Petersburg, the Kremlin said. The Russian president thanked Trump "for the transfer, through special services, of information allowing the prevention of terrorist acts in Russia," said a statement released by the president's office. Kremlin said that Putin expressed his gratitude through a phone call to the US president. Kremlin's statement also added that Putin and Trump would continue the bilateral cooperation to tackle terrorism. With the help of information shared by the US, the Federal Security Service (FSB) detained two Russians on December 27 on suspicion of plotting attacks during new New Year festivities in St. Petersburg, Russian news agencies said. The reports said that the two detained were preparing a "terrorist act". Moscow and Washington are at odds on most of the issues including Syria, allegations of Russia meddling 2016 US election, but Trump and Putin managed to maintain their personal ties. (with inputs from AFP and Reuters)

Vladimir Putin thanks Donald Trump for intelligence that foiled attack

The US President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/united-states-democrats-introduce-two-articles-of-impeachment-against-president-trump-267510">Donald Trump </a>warned Russia against any attempts to meddle next year's presidential election, the White House said on Tuesday, but Russia's foreign minister denied any such issue arriving at the meet in Washington.&nbsp;

"President Trump warned against any Russian attempts to interfere in United States elections," White House spokesman Judd Deere said in a statement after the US president's meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.&nbsp;

Immediately after the meeting, Lavrov told reporters that he is not aware of the communication by the White House, and said: "We haven't even actually discussed elections."

US intelligence discovered that Russia, among other means, manipulated social media to sway the 2016 election in Trump's favour.&nbsp;

Trump has denounced such claims in the past and is stressing on an alternative theory of Ukraine meddling in the 2016 election, an accusation outrightly rejected by US Intelligence.&nbsp;

Lavrov also said that Russia wanted to publish US-Russian communications that he said cleared Russia of allegations it meddles 2016 election, but the US had blocked the release.&nbsp;

In the bilateral meeting, the Russian foreign minister also stressed on Moscow's offer of extending US-Russia START treaty, however, Trump and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, emphasized on a strategic dialogue involving China.

The meeting came on the day when the Democrats declared two impeachment charges against the US president, accusing him of abuse of power by pressuring Ukraine to investigate his democratic rival and obstructing the subsequent Congress investigation. &nbsp;

Pompeo said that the Trump administration will always work for maintaining the integrity of the US elections.&nbsp;

"Should Russia or any foreign actor take steps to undermine our democratic processes, we will take action in response," Pompeo added.&nbsp;

(with inputs from Reuters and AFP)

The US President Donald Trump warned Russia against any attempts to meddle next year's presidential election, the White House said on Tuesday, but Russia's foreign minister denied any such issue arriving at the meet in Washington.

The US President Donald Trump warned Russia against any attempts to meddle next year's presidential election, the White House said on Tuesday, but Russia's foreign minister denied any such issue arriving at the meet in Washington. "President Trump warned against any Russian attempts to interfere in United States elections," White House spokesman Judd Deere said in a statement after the US president's meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Immediately after the meeting, Lavrov told reporters that he is not aware of the communication by the White House, and said: "We haven't even actually discussed elections." US intelligence discovered that Russia, among other means, manipulated social media to sway the 2016 election in Trump's favour. Trump has denounced such claims in the past and is stressing on an alternative theory of Ukraine meddling in the 2016 election, an accusation outrightly rejected by US Intelligence. Lavrov also said that Russia wanted to publish US-Russian communications that he said cleared Russia of allegations it meddles 2016 election, but the US had blocked the release. In the bilateral meeting, the Russian foreign minister also stressed on Moscow's offer of extending US-Russia START treaty, however, Trump and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, emphasized on a strategic dialogue involving China. The meeting came on the day when the Democrats declared two impeachment charges against the US president, accusing him of abuse of power by pressuring Ukraine to investigate his democratic rival and obstructing the subsequent Congress investigation. Pompeo said that the Trump administration will always work for maintaining the integrity of the US elections. "Should Russia or any foreign actor take steps to undermine our democratic processes, we will take action in response," Pompeo added. (with inputs from Reuters and AFP)

Donald Trump warns Russia not to meddle in US election 2020

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