Russian police arrested almost <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/dozens-arrested-at-moscow-protest-after-opposition-crackdown-238830">1,400 people as they gathered in Moscow</a> at the weekend to demand open elections, a monitor said, the biggest crackdown on a rally in the country in years.

Some 3,500 people took part in the unauthorised protest on Saturday, according to official figures, after authorities blocked prominent opposition candidates from taking part in city elections.

The meeting came a week after 22,000 took to the streets calling on authorities to reverse their decision ahead of the vote.

Police used batons on protesters as they tried to gather outside city hall on Saturday, and AFP reporters at the scene saw demonstrators with injuries.&nbsp;

The EU in a statement denounced the "disproportionate use of force against peaceful protesters," which it said undermined "the fundamental freedoms of expression, association, and assembly".&nbsp;

Amnesty International also condemned what it said was the use of excessive force by the police.&nbsp;

After the rally, last week investigators raided the homes and headquarters of a number of disqualified candidates. Top Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny was jailed for 30 days for calling the fresh protest.

Several would-be candidates were detained before or during the meeting on Saturday. Among them was Ilya Yashin, who called for another protest next weekend.&nbsp;

OVD-Info, an organisation that monitors protests, reported Sunday that 1,373 people were detained.&nbsp;

It said this was the highest number since mass demonstrations in 2012 when tens of thousands protested <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-detains-more-than-500-people-over-election-protest-monitor-238890">President Vladimir Putin's</a> return to the Kremlin after four years as prime minister.

The new protests come amid wider public anger over declining living standards that have hit Putin's approval ratings.

Elections to Moscow's 45-seat legislative body, currently controlled by the pro-Kremlin United Russia party, are due to be held in September.&nbsp;

While pro-Kremlin candidates enjoy the support of the state, independent candidates say they have been made to jump through countless hoops in order to get on the ballot for the city polls.

Following pickets last week, including outside the local election commission building, investigators said they were launching a criminal probe into obstructing the work of election officials.&nbsp;

If found guilty, organisers risk up to five years in prison.

Russian police arrested almost 1,400 people as they gathered in Moscow at the weekend to demand open elections, a monitor said, the biggest crackdown on a rally in the country in years.

Russian police arrested almost 1,400 people as they gathered in Moscow at the weekend to demand open elections, a monitor said, the biggest crackdown on a rally in the country in years. Some 3,500 people took part in the unauthorised protest on Saturday, according to official figures, after authorities blocked prominent opposition candidates from taking part in city elections. The meeting came a week after 22,000 took to the streets calling on authorities to reverse their decision ahead of the vote. Police used batons on protesters as they tried to gather outside city hall on Saturday, and AFP reporters at the scene saw demonstrators with injuries. The EU in a statement denounced the "disproportionate use of force against peaceful protesters," which it said undermined "the fundamental freedoms of expression, association, and assembly". Amnesty International also condemned what it said was the use of excessive force by the police. After the rally, last week investigators raided the homes and headquarters of a number of disqualified candidates. Top Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny was jailed for 30 days for calling the fresh protest. Several would-be candidates were detained before or during the meeting on Saturday. Among them was Ilya Yashin, who called for another protest next weekend. OVD-Info, an organisation that monitors protests, reported Sunday that 1,373 people were detained. It said this was the highest number since mass demonstrations in 2012 when tens of thousands protested President Vladimir Putin's return to the Kremlin after four years as prime minister. The new protests come amid wider public anger over declining living standards that have hit Putin's approval ratings. Elections to Moscow's 45-seat legislative body, currently controlled by the pro-Kremlin United Russia party, are due to be held in September. While pro-Kremlin candidates enjoy the support of the state, independent candidates say they have been made to jump through countless hoops in order to get on the ballot for the city polls. Following pickets last week, including outside the local election commission building, investigators said they were launching a criminal probe into obstructing the work of election officials. If found guilty, organisers risk up to five years in prison.

Russian police arrest 1,400 people in Moscow election protest

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/dozens-arrested-at-moscow-protest-after-opposition-crackdown-238830">Russian police arrested</a> more than 500 people on Saturday, including prominent activists, around a political protest in Moscow to demand that<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russian-opposition-plans-protest-demanding-fair-elections-despite-arrests-238824"> members of the opposition</a> be allowed to run in a local election later this year.

The protest, which authorities declared illegal beforehand, did not represent a major challenge to President Vladimir Putin and his allies who have the resources to break up such demonstrations and jail people.

With several thousand people present, however, it showed how many activists and especially younger people are unafraid to challenge authorities on the streets and intend to keep pressing for the Kremlin to open up Russia's tightly-choreographed political system to competition.

Chants of "Russia without Putin" and "Putin resign" echoed through central Moscow as guardsmen clad in riot gear beat back protesters with batons and roughly detained people.

At least one woman appeared to suffered serious head wounds.

Jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny had called for the protest, near the Moscow mayor's office, to persuade authorities to allow opposition-minded candidates to run in a Sept. 8 vote in Moscow, which they have been barred from.

The opposition has no seats in parliament and is starved of air time on state TV where many Russians still get their news.

Opinion polls in the past have shown support for Navalny, a lawyer and anti-corruption activist, only in the single digits. But backers note he won almost a third of the vote in a 2013 Moscow mayoral race and say his movement could build momentum in the Russian capital if allowed to compete fairly.

Though Putin's approval rating is still high at well over 60 per cent, it is lower than it used to be due to discontent over years of falling incomes. Last year, the 66-year-old former KGB intelligence officer won a landslide re-election and a new six-year term until 2024.

Burnishing his man of action image, Putin spent Saturday diving to the bottom of the Gulf of Finland in a mini-submarine to pay tribute to a Soviet submarine that sunk there during World War Two.

Authorities say the Moscow local election candidates were prohibited from running because they had failed to collect a sufficient number of genuine signatures in their support, an allegation the opposition rejects as false.

OVD-Info, an independent monitoring group, said police had detained at least 520 people before or at Saturday's protest. In the past many of those taken into custody have often been released later on the same day.

Police put participation at more than 3,500 people, of whom it said around 700 people were journalists and bloggers.

Arrests and home searches

Reuters witnesses said some of those detained appeared to be ordinary passersby in the wrong place at the wrong time.

One of those detained, Alexander Latyshev, 45, said he had came from the nearby Vladimir region to discuss business with an associate and been randomly detained. "I was just sitting on a bench (when they took me)," he told Reuters inside a police bus.

Before the protest, police detained activists to prevent them from attending the protest and blocked off some streets.

During the demonstration, they raided an office being used by Navalny's supporters to live-stream the protest.

Under Russian law, the location and timing of such protests needs to be agreed with authorities beforehand, something that was not done in this case.

Kremlin critic Navalny was jailed for 30 days on Wednesday and other members of the opposition have had their homes searched. Ilya Yashin, a Navalny ally, said on Facebook on Saturday that police had searched his Moscow flat overnight before detaining him and driving him out of the Russian capital.

Kira Yarmysh, Navalny's spokeswoman, said on Twitter she and another activist had been detained on Saturday morning. Other prominent activists, Dmitry Gudkov and Lyubov Sobol, were detained later.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, a Putin ally, had warned beforehand that authorities would act decisively against the risk of "serious provocations".

"Order in the city will be maintained," he said.

Russia's Investigative Committee, the police's investigative arm, has already opened a criminal investigation into an opposition rally in June which it said may have obstructed the work of Moscow's electoral commission.

An authorised protest in Moscow last weekend calling for the disbarred candidates to be registered was attended by more than 20,000 people, according to the White Counter monitoring group.

Russian police arrested more than 500 people on Saturday, including prominent activists, around a political protest in Moscow to demand that members of the opposition be allowed to run in a local election later this year.

Russian police arrested more than 500 people on Saturday, including prominent activists, around a political protest in Moscow to demand that members of the opposition be allowed to run in a local election later this year. The protest, which authorities declared illegal beforehand, did not represent a major challenge to President Vladimir Putin and his allies who have the resources to break up such demonstrations and jail people. With several thousand people present, however, it showed how many activists and especially younger people are unafraid to challenge authorities on the streets and intend to keep pressing for the Kremlin to open up Russia's tightly-choreographed political system to competition. Chants of "Russia without Putin" and "Putin resign" echoed through central Moscow as guardsmen clad in riot gear beat back protesters with batons and roughly detained people. At least one woman appeared to suffered serious head wounds. Jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny had called for the protest, near the Moscow mayor's office, to persuade authorities to allow opposition-minded candidates to run in a Sept. 8 vote in Moscow, which they have been barred from. The opposition has no seats in parliament and is starved of air time on state TV where many Russians still get their news. Opinion polls in the past have shown support for Navalny, a lawyer and anti-corruption activist, only in the single digits. But backers note he won almost a third of the vote in a 2013 Moscow mayoral race and say his movement could build momentum in the Russian capital if allowed to compete fairly. Though Putin's approval rating is still high at well over 60 per cent, it is lower than it used to be due to discontent over years of falling incomes. Last year, the 66-year-old former KGB intelligence officer won a landslide re-election and a new six-year term until 2024. Burnishing his man of action image, Putin spent Saturday diving to the bottom of the Gulf of Finland in a mini-submarine to pay tribute to a Soviet submarine that sunk there during World War Two. Authorities say the Moscow local election candidates were prohibited from running because they had failed to collect a sufficient number of genuine signatures in their support, an allegation the opposition rejects as false. OVD-Info, an independent monitoring group, said police had detained at least 520 people before or at Saturday's protest. In the past many of those taken into custody have often been released later on the same day. Police put participation at more than 3,500 people, of whom it said around 700 people were journalists and bloggers. Arrests and home searches Reuters witnesses said some of those detained appeared to be ordinary passersby in the wrong place at the wrong time. One of those detained, Alexander Latyshev, 45, said he had came from the nearby Vladimir region to discuss business with an associate and been randomly detained. "I was just sitting on a bench (when they took me)," he told Reuters inside a police bus. Before the protest, police detained activists to prevent them from attending the protest and blocked off some streets. During the demonstration, they raided an office being used by Navalny's supporters to live-stream the protest. Under Russian law, the location and timing of such protests needs to be agreed with authorities beforehand, something that was not done in this case. Kremlin critic Navalny was jailed for 30 days on Wednesday and other members of the opposition have had their homes searched. Ilya Yashin, a Navalny ally, said on Facebook on Saturday that police had searched his Moscow flat overnight before detaining him and driving him out of the Russian capital. Kira Yarmysh, Navalny's spokeswoman, said on Twitter she and another activist had been detained on Saturday morning. Other prominent activists, Dmitry Gudkov and Lyubov Sobol, were detained later. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, a Putin ally, had warned beforehand that authorities would act decisively against the risk of "serious provocations". "Order in the city will be maintained," he said. Russia's Investigative Committee, the police's investigative arm, has already opened a criminal investigation into an opposition rally in June which it said may have obstructed the work of Moscow's electoral commission. An authorised protest in Moscow last weekend calling for the disbarred candidates to be registered was attended by more than 20,000 people, according to the White Counter monitoring group.

Russia detains more than 500 people over election protest

Russian police arrested dozens of people as they gathered at Moscow city hall Saturday to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russian-opposition-plans-protest-demanding-fair-elections-despite-arrests-238824">demand free and fair elections</a>, an AFP journalist said, following a crackdown on the opposition.&nbsp;

Thousands of Russians had vowed to<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russian-police-detain-at-least-94-including-opposition-leader-alexei-navalny-at-moscow-journalist-protest-226536"> take to the streets </a>of the capital after authorities refused to allow opposition and independent candidates to stand for <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-over-20000-rally-in-moscow-as-election-anger-boils-over-237366">Moscow</a>'s city council in September.&nbsp;

Investigators raided the homes and headquarters of several disqualified candidates in the run-up to the protest, while top Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny was jailed for 30 days for calling for the demonstration.&nbsp;

Other leading opposition figures and would-be candidates were arrested in the hours leading up to the event.

The Saturday protest is the latest in a series of rallies over the local election, which comes amid declining living standards and a fall in President Vladimir Putin's approval ratings.

Local polls are a rare opportunity for dissenting voices to participate in political life as anti-Kremlin parties have been squeezed out of parliament over Putin's 20 years in power.

Security was tight in central Moscow on Saturday and an AFP journalist said at least 50 people had been arrested before the planned start of the demonstration at two pm local time (1100 GMT).&nbsp;

Protest monitoring organisations reported dozens more arrests.

Politician and disqualified candidate Dmitry Gudkov was arrested shortly before the march. Earlier he had said the future of the country was at stake.

"If we lose now, elections will cease to exist as a political instrument," he said.&nbsp;

"What we're talking about is whether it's legal to participate in politics today in Russia, we're talking about the country we're going to live in."

Elena Rastovka, a 68-year-old pensioner at the demonstration, told AFP: "I've been afraid all my life, but enough is enough. If we stay at home nothing will change.

"Authorities arrest people who want to challenge them. Look at what they're doing -- the authorities do not like the people."

Navalny ally Ivan Zhdanov said he had been arrested shortly ahead of the demonstration, while barred candidate Ilya Yashin announced he was detained in the early hours of Saturday morning following a raid on his home.

- 'Security threat' -

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobaynin called the unauthorised protest a "security threat", adding that "order will be ensured according to the relevant laws".&nbsp;

Last weekend 22,000 people turned up for a protest in Moscow, the largest such demonstration in years, after election authorities refused to register dozens of candidates.

While pro-Kremlin candidates enjoy the support of the state, independent candidates say they have been made to jump through countless hoops in order to get on the ballot.

Rejected candidate Lyubov Sobol this week launched a hunger strike in protest.&nbsp;

On Thursday, the 31-year-old demanded officials review her documents and came to the offices of the Moscow election commission to continue her strike.

But security agents took her out of the building on the sofa she was sitting on.

After activists and ordinary Muscovites staged pickets, including outside the local election commission building, investigators said they were launching a criminal probe into obstructing the work of election officials.&nbsp;

If found guilty, organisers risk up to five years in prison.

- ' Impossible not to protest' -

Nearly 11,000 people indicated interest in the rally on Facebook.

Police asked media to notify the authorities if they planned to cover the protest and urged Russians to skip the rally altogether.

Viktoria Popova, a 30-year-old illustrator, said she could not miss it.&nbsp;

"It is impossible not to come, it's impossible to feel powerless, unable to change anything," she told AFP.

"Who would have thought it would become important to take part in such a bizarre and boring affair as the Moscow parliament election?"

Russian police arrested dozens of people as they gathered at Moscow city hall Saturday to demand free and fair elections, an AFP journalist said, following a crackdown on the opposition.

Russian police arrested dozens of people as they gathered at Moscow city hall Saturday to demand free and fair elections, an AFP journalist said, following a crackdown on the opposition. Thousands of Russians had vowed to take to the streets of the capital after authorities refused to allow opposition and independent candidates to stand for Moscow's city council in September. Investigators raided the homes and headquarters of several disqualified candidates in the run-up to the protest, while top Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny was jailed for 30 days for calling for the demonstration. Other leading opposition figures and would-be candidates were arrested in the hours leading up to the event. The Saturday protest is the latest in a series of rallies over the local election, which comes amid declining living standards and a fall in President Vladimir Putin's approval ratings. Local polls are a rare opportunity for dissenting voices to participate in political life as anti-Kremlin parties have been squeezed out of parliament over Putin's 20 years in power. Security was tight in central Moscow on Saturday and an AFP journalist said at least 50 people had been arrested before the planned start of the demonstration at two pm local time (1100 GMT). Protest monitoring organisations reported dozens more arrests. Politician and disqualified candidate Dmitry Gudkov was arrested shortly before the march. Earlier he had said the future of the country was at stake. "If we lose now, elections will cease to exist as a political instrument," he said. "What we're talking about is whether it's legal to participate in politics today in Russia, we're talking about the country we're going to live in." Elena Rastovka, a 68-year-old pensioner at the demonstration, told AFP: "I've been afraid all my life, but enough is enough. If we stay at home nothing will change. "Authorities arrest people who want to challenge them. Look at what they're doing -- the authorities do not like the people." Navalny ally Ivan Zhdanov said he had been arrested shortly ahead of the demonstration, while barred candidate Ilya Yashin announced he was detained in the early hours of Saturday morning following a raid on his home. - 'Security threat' - Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobaynin called the unauthorised protest a "security threat", adding that "order will be ensured according to the relevant laws". Last weekend 22,000 people turned up for a protest in Moscow, the largest such demonstration in years, after election authorities refused to register dozens of candidates. While pro-Kremlin candidates enjoy the support of the state, independent candidates say they have been made to jump through countless hoops in order to get on the ballot. Rejected candidate Lyubov Sobol this week launched a hunger strike in protest. On Thursday, the 31-year-old demanded officials review her documents and came to the offices of the Moscow election commission to continue her strike. But security agents took her out of the building on the sofa she was sitting on. After activists and ordinary Muscovites staged pickets, including outside the local election commission building, investigators said they were launching a criminal probe into obstructing the work of election officials. If found guilty, organisers risk up to five years in prison. - ' Impossible not to protest' - Nearly 11,000 people indicated interest in the rally on Facebook. Police asked media to notify the authorities if they planned to cover the protest and urged Russians to skip the rally altogether. Viktoria Popova, a 30-year-old illustrator, said she could not miss it. "It is impossible not to come, it's impossible to feel powerless, unable to change anything," she told AFP. "Who would have thought it would become important to take part in such a bizarre and boring affair as the Moscow parliament election?"

Dozens arrested at Moscow protest after opposition crackdown

Thousands of Russians say they will take to the streets of Moscow on Saturday to demand fair local elections, despite a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russian-police-detain-at-least-94-including-opposition-leader-alexei-navalny-at-moscow-journalist-protest-226536">police crackdown on the opposition </a>that has seen top Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny jailed.

The planned rally is the latest in a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-over-20000-rally-in-moscow-as-election-anger-boils-over-237366">series of protests</a> over authorities' refusal to allow dozens of opposition candidates to stand for election to Moscow's city council in September.

Local polls are a rare opportunity for dissenting voices to participate in political life as anti-Kremlin parties have been squeezed out of parliament over President Vladimir Putin's 20 years in power.

Investigators raided the homes and headquarters of several disqualified candidates in the run-up to the protest, while Navalny was jailed for 30 days for calling for the demonstration.&nbsp;

Security was tight in central Moscow on Saturday and six people were arrested in front of city hall hours before the protest started, according to OVD-Info, which monitors arrests during demonstrations.

Politician and would-be candidate Dmitry Gudkov, whose home was raided on Wednesday, said the future of the country was at stake.

"If we lose now, elections will cease to exist as a political instrument," he said.&nbsp;

"What we're talking about is whether it's legal to participate in politics today in Russia, we're talking about the country we're going to live in."

Navalny ally Ivan Zhdanov said on Twitter he had been arrested shortly ahead of the demonstration on Saturday.&nbsp;

Barred candidate Ilya Yashin said in the early hours of Saturday morning he had also been arrested following a raid on his home.

'Security threat'

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobaynin called the unauthorised protest a "security threat", adding that "order will be ensured according to the relevant laws".&nbsp;

Officials told Russia's TASS news agency they would be looking for people who had avoided military service at the rally.&nbsp;

Last weekend 22,000 people turned up for a protest in Moscow, the largest such demonstration in years, after election authorities refused to register dozens of candidates.

A handful of people were detained at that protest, though hundreds were arrested last month at a demonstration in Moscow against police abuses.

While pro-Kremlin candidates enjoy the support of the state, independent candidates say they have been made to jump through countless hoops in order to get on the ballot.

Rejected candidate Lyubov Sobol this week launched a hunger strike in protest.&nbsp;

On Thursday, the 31-year-old demanded officials review her documents and came to the offices of the Moscow election commission to continue her strike.

But security agents took her out of the building on the sofa she was sitting on.

After activists and ordinary Muscovites staged pickets, including outside the local election commission building, investigators said they were launching a criminal probe into obstructing the work of election officials.&nbsp;

If found guilty, organisers risk up to five years in prison.

'Absurdities become norm'

Ahead of Saturday's rally, Russian business daily Vedomosti described the actions of local authorities as Orwellian.

"Over the past days, absurdities have become the norm," the newspaper said.

Nearly 11,000 people indicated interest in the rally on Facebook, which comes amid declining living standards and falling approval ratings for Putin.

Police asked media to notify the authorities if they planned to cover the protest and urged Russians to skip the rally altogether.

Viktoria Popova, a 30-year-old illustrator, said she could not miss it.&nbsp;

"It is impossible not to come, it's impossible to feel powerless, unable to change anything," she told AFP.

"Who would have thought it would become important to take part in such a bizarre and boring affair as the Moscow parliament election?"

Thousands of Russians say they will take to the streets of Moscow on Saturday to demand fair local elections, despite a police crackdown on the opposition that has seen top Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny jailed.

Thousands of Russians say they will take to the streets of Moscow on Saturday to demand fair local elections, despite a police crackdown on the opposition that has seen top Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny jailed. The planned rally is the latest in a series of protests over authorities' refusal to allow dozens of opposition candidates to stand for election to Moscow's city council in September. Local polls are a rare opportunity for dissenting voices to participate in political life as anti-Kremlin parties have been squeezed out of parliament over President Vladimir Putin's 20 years in power. Investigators raided the homes and headquarters of several disqualified candidates in the run-up to the protest, while Navalny was jailed for 30 days for calling for the demonstration. Security was tight in central Moscow on Saturday and six people were arrested in front of city hall hours before the protest started, according to OVD-Info, which monitors arrests during demonstrations. Politician and would-be candidate Dmitry Gudkov, whose home was raided on Wednesday, said the future of the country was at stake. "If we lose now, elections will cease to exist as a political instrument," he said. "What we're talking about is whether it's legal to participate in politics today in Russia, we're talking about the country we're going to live in." Navalny ally Ivan Zhdanov said on Twitter he had been arrested shortly ahead of the demonstration on Saturday. Barred candidate Ilya Yashin said in the early hours of Saturday morning he had also been arrested following a raid on his home. 'Security threat' Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobaynin called the unauthorised protest a "security threat", adding that "order will be ensured according to the relevant laws". Officials told Russia's TASS news agency they would be looking for people who had avoided military service at the rally. Last weekend 22,000 people turned up for a protest in Moscow, the largest such demonstration in years, after election authorities refused to register dozens of candidates. A handful of people were detained at that protest, though hundreds were arrested last month at a demonstration in Moscow against police abuses. While pro-Kremlin candidates enjoy the support of the state, independent candidates say they have been made to jump through countless hoops in order to get on the ballot. Rejected candidate Lyubov Sobol this week launched a hunger strike in protest. On Thursday, the 31-year-old demanded officials review her documents and came to the offices of the Moscow election commission to continue her strike. But security agents took her out of the building on the sofa she was sitting on. After activists and ordinary Muscovites staged pickets, including outside the local election commission building, investigators said they were launching a criminal probe into obstructing the work of election officials. If found guilty, organisers risk up to five years in prison. 'Absurdities become norm' Ahead of Saturday's rally, Russian business daily Vedomosti described the actions of local authorities as Orwellian. "Over the past days, absurdities have become the norm," the newspaper said. Nearly 11,000 people indicated interest in the rally on Facebook, which comes amid declining living standards and falling approval ratings for Putin. Police asked media to notify the authorities if they planned to cover the protest and urged Russians to skip the rally altogether. Viktoria Popova, a 30-year-old illustrator, said she could not miss it. "It is impossible not to come, it's impossible to feel powerless, unable to change anything," she told AFP. "Who would have thought it would become important to take part in such a bizarre and boring affair as the Moscow parliament election?"

Russian opposition plans protest demanding fair elections despite arrests

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/vladimir-putin-after-three-days-says-fire-hit-russian-submarine-was-nuclear-powered-233047">President Vladimir Putin</a> handed Russian citizenship to gas producer Novatek's veteran finance chief Mark Gyetvay on Monday, a move that could potentially help the US national bypass some sanctions restrictions.

US sanctions imposed on Russia in 2014 ban US nationals and companies from helping organise long-term funding for some major Russian firms, including Novatek.

The sanctions were imposed following Moscow's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea peninsula and support for pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.

When the US and the EU imposed sanctions on Russia, executives with foreign passports at companies affected including Novatek - the country's largest non-state natural gas producer - and state bank VTB handed over responsibility for organising new debt or equity issuance to colleagues without EU or US passports.

Gyetvay, who has been Novatek's chief finance officer since 2003, acknowledged back in 2014 that he could no longer help his company raise new long-term financing.

US-born Gyetvay was awarded Russian citizenship in a presidential decree published on the Kremlin's website on Monday. Putin has previously granted citizenship to some other Western nationals working in top positions at Russian companies.

Gyetvay declined to comment on the decree.

President Vladimir Putin handed Russian citizenship to gas producer Novatek's veteran finance chief Mark Gyetvay on Monday, a move that could potentially help the US national bypass some sanctions restrictions.

President Vladimir Putin handed Russian citizenship to gas producer Novatek's veteran finance chief Mark Gyetvay on Monday, a move that could potentially help the US national bypass some sanctions restrictions. US sanctions imposed on Russia in 2014 ban US nationals and companies from helping organise long-term funding for some major Russian firms, including Novatek. The sanctions were imposed following Moscow's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea peninsula and support for pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine. When the US and the EU imposed sanctions on Russia, executives with foreign passports at companies affected including Novatek - the country's largest non-state natural gas producer - and state bank VTB handed over responsibility for organising new debt or equity issuance to colleagues without EU or US passports. Gyetvay, who has been Novatek's chief finance officer since 2003, acknowledged back in 2014 that he could no longer help his company raise new long-term financing. US-born Gyetvay was awarded Russian citizenship in a presidential decree published on the Kremlin's website on Monday. Putin has previously granted citizenship to some other Western nationals working in top positions at Russian companies. Gyetvay declined to comment on the decree.

Putin gives Russian citizenship to Novatek's finance chief, a US national

More than 22,000 people packed a Moscow square Saturday to demand free and fair local polls, incensed by the authorities' refusal to put popular opposition candidates on the ballot.

Staging their largest protest in years, opposition leaders such as President Vladimir Putin's top opponent Alexei Navalny and ordinary Muscovites rallied after authorities refused to register independent candidates seeking to contest the September vote for the capital's parliament.

"This is my city!" the crowd chanted during the two-hour-long sanctioned rally.

"We will show them this is a dangerous game," Navalny bellowed from a stage.

"We should fight for our candidates," he said as the huge crowd cheered and waved Russian flags.&nbsp;

The 43-year-old threatened an even bigger rally next Saturday, near the mayor's office, unless Moscow's authorities register a new crop of popular politicians including Ilya Yashin and Lyubov Sobol within seven days.

After the rally, 16 independent candidates issued a joint statement demanding access to the ballot and accusing Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin of sparking a "political crisis" in the city of some 15 million.

Speaking at the rally, Navalny ally Sobol, who has been on a hunger strike for a week to protest the authorities' refusal to allow her to run, vowed to keep up the fight.

"I am sure that we will win," said the visibly fatigued 31-year-old lawyer, propped up by an ally on stage.

Many ordinary Russians have slammed what they called the blatant impunity of officials, saying people's patience was running thin.

"We are angry at the lawlessness," Alexander Polovinkin, a 21-year-old student, told AFP.

Police detained a handful of protesters, said the OVD-Info monitor, adding one of them had his arm broken.

'Stop lying'

Many protesters took direct aim at the 66-year-old Putin, who has brooked no dissent during his two decades in power.

"Putin lies," said one placard. "Stop lying to us," read another one.

Opposition candidate Ilya Yashin, who is a local councillor, said Putin must go. "I've lived half my life under Putin. I've had enough," the 36-year-old said.

Fellow opposition contender Dmitry Gudkov, who was also disqualified, accused the authorities of stealing not only people's votes but their very future.

"We've been living in an occupied country for the past 20 years," he said.

White Counter, an NGO that tracks participation in protest rallies, said about 22,500 people took part in Saturday's rally.&nbsp;

Navalny said it was the largest rally since 2012 when tens of thousands protested election fraud during parliamentary polls.

Police, which downplay&nbsp;turnout at opposition rallies, said 12,000 turned up.

Observers said that never before have Muscovites turned up in such great numbers to demand access for their candidates in local elections.&nbsp;

Opposition politicians fought tooth and nail to get on the ballot paper as they seek to capitalise on Putin's falling approval ratings and anger over declining living standards and unchecked corruption.

They were made to jump through countless hoops, and each had to collect roughly 5,000 signatures to be eligible.

'We are ghosts'

Electoral authorities this week still refused to register the opposition candidates, accusing them of faking some of the signatures.&nbsp;

Critics said some of the officials' reasoning bordered on the absurd.

The Kremlin dismissed the opposition's complaints, but many Russians are furious at what they perceive as electoral interference.

The opposition candidates staged smaller daily rallies throughout the week.

Many have also taken to social media in recent days to post messages or videos to prove they were not "dead souls."

At Saturday's rally, some protesters waved their passports in the air, chanting "We have come!"

Greg Yudin, a lecturer at the Higher School of Economics, said he and many other Muscovites discovered that their signatures were declared fake.

"All of us are ghosts. We are the nobodies," he said on Facebook this week.

Observer Kirill Rogov said the candidates' exclusion was "one of the largest frauds in Russia's electoral history".

"We are witnessing a major large-scale crime," he wrote on his blog.

Some 7.2 million Muscovites are eligible to elect 45 lawmakers to the local parliament, currently dominated by the United Russia ruling party.

More than 22,000 people packed a Moscow square Saturday to demand free and fair local polls, incensed by the authorities' refusal to put popular opposition candidates on the ballot.

More than 22,000 people packed a Moscow square Saturday to demand free and fair local polls, incensed by the authorities' refusal to put popular opposition candidates on the ballot. Staging their largest protest in years, opposition leaders such as President Vladimir Putin's top opponent Alexei Navalny and ordinary Muscovites rallied after authorities refused to register independent candidates seeking to contest the September vote for the capital's parliament. "This is my city!" the crowd chanted during the two-hour-long sanctioned rally. "We will show them this is a dangerous game," Navalny bellowed from a stage. "We should fight for our candidates," he said as the huge crowd cheered and waved Russian flags. The 43-year-old threatened an even bigger rally next Saturday, near the mayor's office, unless Moscow's authorities register a new crop of popular politicians including Ilya Yashin and Lyubov Sobol within seven days. After the rally, 16 independent candidates issued a joint statement demanding access to the ballot and accusing Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin of sparking a "political crisis" in the city of some 15 million. Speaking at the rally, Navalny ally Sobol, who has been on a hunger strike for a week to protest the authorities' refusal to allow her to run, vowed to keep up the fight. "I am sure that we will win," said the visibly fatigued 31-year-old lawyer, propped up by an ally on stage. Many ordinary Russians have slammed what they called the blatant impunity of officials, saying people's patience was running thin. "We are angry at the lawlessness," Alexander Polovinkin, a 21-year-old student, told AFP. Police detained a handful of protesters, said the OVD-Info monitor, adding one of them had his arm broken. 'Stop lying' Many protesters took direct aim at the 66-year-old Putin, who has brooked no dissent during his two decades in power. "Putin lies," said one placard. "Stop lying to us," read another one. Opposition candidate Ilya Yashin, who is a local councillor, said Putin must go. "I've lived half my life under Putin. I've had enough," the 36-year-old said. Fellow opposition contender Dmitry Gudkov, who was also disqualified, accused the authorities of stealing not only people's votes but their very future. "We've been living in an occupied country for the past 20 years," he said. White Counter, an NGO that tracks participation in protest rallies, said about 22,500 people took part in Saturday's rally. Navalny said it was the largest rally since 2012 when tens of thousands protested election fraud during parliamentary polls. Police, which downplay turnout at opposition rallies, said 12,000 turned up. Observers said that never before have Muscovites turned up in such great numbers to demand access for their candidates in local elections. Opposition politicians fought tooth and nail to get on the ballot paper as they seek to capitalise on Putin's falling approval ratings and anger over declining living standards and unchecked corruption. They were made to jump through countless hoops, and each had to collect roughly 5,000 signatures to be eligible. 'We are ghosts' Electoral authorities this week still refused to register the opposition candidates, accusing them of faking some of the signatures. Critics said some of the officials' reasoning bordered on the absurd. The Kremlin dismissed the opposition's complaints, but many Russians are furious at what they perceive as electoral interference. The opposition candidates staged smaller daily rallies throughout the week. Many have also taken to social media in recent days to post messages or videos to prove they were not "dead souls." At Saturday's rally, some protesters waved their passports in the air, chanting "We have come!" Greg Yudin, a lecturer at the Higher School of Economics, said he and many other Muscovites discovered that their signatures were declared fake. "All of us are ghosts. We are the nobodies," he said on Facebook this week. Observer Kirill Rogov said the candidates' exclusion was "one of the largest frauds in Russia's electoral history". "We are witnessing a major large-scale crime," he wrote on his blog. Some 7.2 million Muscovites are eligible to elect 45 lawmakers to the local parliament, currently dominated by the United Russia ruling party.

Russia: Over 20,000 rally in Moscow as election anger boils over

For almost a decade, Alexander Temerko, who forged a career at the top of the Russian arms industry and had connections at the highest levels of the Kremlin, has been an influential figure in British politics.

For almost a decade, Alexander Temerko, who forged a career at the top of the Russian arms industry and had connections at the highest levels of the Kremlin, has been an influential figure in British politics. He's one of the Conservative Party's major donors. He counts Boris Johnson, the frontrunner to be Britain's next PM, among his friends. Temerko, born in what was then Soviet Ukraine, presents himself in public as an entrepreneur who opposes Britain's departure from the European Union because it's bad for his UK energy business, and as a dissident critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin. But in more than half a dozen conversations with this reporter, conducted over the past three years as part of the research for a book, he showed a different side of his career and views. Temerko revealed himself to be a supporter of Johnson's bid to lead Britain out of the EU, describing the 2016 public vote to leave the bloc as a "revolution against bureaucracy." He praised senior Russian security officials, including the current and former heads of the Federal Security Service (FSB), successor to the KGB, and proudly recalled his past work with Russia's Defence Ministry. These new insights into Temerko's private thinking about Johnson, Brexit, and Russia come as the ruling Conservative Party is choosing its next leader, and as some British MPs are increasingly wary of possible Russian influence over British politics. The result of the Conservative Party leadership contest is expected on July 23. Temerko has gifted more than £1 million to the Conservatives since he gained British citizenship in 2011, electoral finance records show - a significant amount by UK standards. Johnson is not among the politicians recorded as having received donations from Temerko. But the industrialist has financed some of Johnson's important allies in parliament, including one of the men running his campaign for the Tory leadership, James Wharton, who also serves as a paid adviser to the UK energy firm where Temerko is a director. Temerko spoke warmly about his "friend" Johnson, telling how the two men sometimes call each other "Sasha," the Russian diminutive for Alexander, which is Johnson's real first name. He described how, at the beginning of Johnson's tenure as Foreign Secretary from 2016 to 2018, they would often "plot" late into the evening over a bottle of wine on the balcony of Johnson's office at parliament in Westminster. Johnson's press secretary Lee Cain didn't respond to repeated requests for comment for this article. The Conservative Party said only that "donations to the Conservative Party are properly and transparently declared to the Electoral Commission, published by them, and fully comply with the law." In one conversation in February this year, Temerko said he'd joined an unsuccessful attempt led by members of a group of hardline Conservative MPs, the European Research Group, to remove Theresa May as the leader in December 2018. The MPs were unhappy at May's failure to take Britain out of the EU almost three years after Britons voted to leave. Temerko didn't detail his role in the move, but a senior Conservative Party member confirmed that Temerko was "very much behind the attempt to oust" May. The party member declined to be named because of the sensitivity of the matter. May finally resigned on June 7. Jacob Rees Mogg, chairman of the European Research Group, said in response to Reuters' questions that Temerko "has no link formal or informal" with the group. Rees Mogg said he didn't know Temerko, but couldn't speak for Temerko's relationship with individual MPs. May's office referred Reuters' questions about the episode to the Conservative Party, which didn't comment. In the same conversation in February, Temerko spoke in positive terms about one of Putin's closest and most powerful allies, Nikolai Patrushev, the hawkish head of Russia's Security Council and former long-time head of the FSB security service, describing him as a "decent family man." On another occasion, he said of Patrushev, "There is much more positive than negative about him." One of Temerko's former business partners in Russia, Leonid Nevzlin, said Temerko had long-standing ties with Russian security agencies but declined to say whether he believes those ties remain active. Nevzlin and Temerko were shareholders in oil firm Yukos before Putin's government seized control of the company. Nevzlin, who was one of the main shareholders, said Yukos's management brought Temerko in "for several projects as well as for his contacts at the top of the Federal Security Service and the Defence Ministry." Nevzlin added that Temerko knew Patrushev "well." Asked to respond, Temerko said in a follow-up interview this week that his role at Yukos encompassed the oil company's connections with the entire Russian state, not just with the Defence Ministry. His relations with people in the security services, he added, were "formal" and not "personal." He denied having any ongoing links with Russian security services. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Temerko "has no connection to the Kremlin or the Russian authorities. We do not know this gentleman." Reuters couldn't reach Patrushev for comment. Asked this week about the apparent contradiction between his private and public statements on Brexit, Temerko said his views changed with time and he was "evolutionary." He said he joined the push to oust May because he thought she should be more flexible in negotiating a route out of the EU. In recent weeks, as Johnson's campaign gathered pace, Temerko has appeared to distance himself from his friend. In an interview with the Daily Telegraph in June, Temerko said he was switching support from Johnson to his rival, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, over Johnson's apparent willingness to take Britain out of the EU without securing an agreement over the terms of the withdrawal. Temerko repeated this stance in a blog post for the Huffington Post on July 3, calling for Conservatives to reject the "fairytale" being offered by the "fun blonde guy," a reference to the fair-haired Johnson. As recently as February, Temerko told this reporter: "Jeremy is very dangerous. He really does occupy the center-ground. He's very clever. He's a person of the system." There is no record of Temerko providing any financing to Hunt, and none of Temerko's longstanding allies work on the Hunt campaign. A spokesperson for Hunt declined to comment. This portrait of Temerko and his activity comes as some MPs worry about possible Russian interference in British democracy. In February this year, parliament's committee overseeing digital and media matters called on the government to investigate attempts by Russia to influence the June 2016 referendum on Britain's EU membership, amid growing evidence in the United States and elsewhere that the Kremlin has been pursuing a campaign to divide and disrupt Western democracies. Ben Bradshaw, a senior Labour parliamentarian who was the first MP to raise concern about potential Kremlin interference in the 2016 Brexit referendum, said Reuters' findings were "extremely troubling." "We know the Kremlin seeks to disrupt, destabilise and influence our democracy in a number of ways. We must have complete confidence that the close relationships between Conservative politicians and Russian business people with ties to the Putin regime are above board and free from Kremlin influencing operations. The fact that an ex-Tory MP who is running Johnson's leadership campaign is employed by Mr. Temerko is extraordinary." The senior Conservative with knowledge of Temerko's efforts to remove May said some members of the party had distanced themselves from the businessman in recent months, as concerns have grown over Temerko's Russian connections. But "others," he said about Johnson, were "still close." The party member indicated that Conservative Chairman Brandon Lewis and Sir Graham Brady, then the head of the Conservative Party's 1922 Committee, a parliamentary group, had been briefed about these concerns. The source declined to give further details about the briefings. Brady did not respond to an emailed request for comment. A spokesperson for Lewis declined to comment. The Conservative Party didn't comment. Electoral Commission records show Temerko, and UK companies linked to him, have made donations to 11 individual MPs, including Lewis, the chairman of the Tory Party, while helping fund as many as 27 local branches of the Conservative Party in areas where Tory MPs won election in the north of England, Wales, and London. There is no record of him providing funds to Johnson or his constituency, and this year much of his funding activity seems to have petered out. In the February 2019 conversation, as May faced overwhelming parliamentary opposition to her EU withdrawal agreement, Temerko forecast that if Brexit isn't implemented, "the time of the mainstream parties will end," and "the old system will be destroyed." His friend Johnson, he predicted then, could lead a new movement backing Brexit. Those comments about a new political era chimed with remarks by Russian President Vladimir Putin. In an interview with the Financial Times in June, Putin trumpeted the rise of national populist movements in Europe and the United States, saying that "the liberal idea has become obsolete." Putin has rarely commented directly on Brexit, which he says is a matter for the British people. At his annual press conference in December 2018, he decried the idea of holding a second referendum on Brexit and said the UK government had to implement Britain's departure from the EU, otherwise, faith in democratic procedures would be undermined. FROM RUSSIA TO LONDON Temerko rose to prominence in the Russia arms industry in the 1990s, in the wild days that followed the collapse of the Soviet Union. Three former Russian business partners, including Nevzlin, as well as a former Russian intelligence officer, said Temerko grew close with the Russian security services. Those ties were forged in the 1990s, these people said when Temerko served as head of a state committee for the military and later as head of a strategic Russian state arms company known as Russkoye Oruzhie, or Russian Weapons. Russkoye Oruzhie no longer exists. Temerko cultivated close relations with the Russian defence minister of the early 1990s, Pavel Grachev. Temerko has described the late Grachev as his "handler." Temerko has boasted to this reporter that he had three-star and four-star Russian generals working under him. In 1999, Temerko became a member of the board and significant shareholder at one of the new Russia's most successful companies, Yukos, led by the charismatic billionaire Mikhail Khodorkovsky. Temerko said he helped Yukos secure a lucrative contract to supply the Russian army with oil. As head of the oil firm's government relations, he'd also led a push by Yukos to build an oil pipeline to China and, according to one of the former business partners, he'd travelled with other Yukos officials on many business trips they made abroad. "He knew the Russian ambassadors and consuls of every country," this former business partner said. Temerko said he knew many but not all of them. Things went sour for Yukos when Khodorkovsky tried to build a political power base for himself. When Khodorkovsky was arrested and jailed on fraud charges in October 2003, Temerko was the only Yukos shareholder who remained in the country to negotiate with the Kremlin. The remaining shareholders fled fearing they would face arrest. Temerko told how his standing with the Kremlin was such that he was able to try to negotiate about ways to preserve Yukos and secure Khodorkovsky's release directly with Igor Sechin, the then-deputy head of the Kremlin administration and the Putin security man seen as the mastermind behind the Kremlin campaign to take over Yukos. Temerko said that in those days his status meant he was essentially untouchable. His security ties, he said, once got him access to a meeting of the Russian Security Council, the circle of 24 top Russian officials, chaired by Putin, who steer national security policy. In the event, Khodorkovsky remained in jail for 10 years, while Temerko also fled. Sechin has previously denied orchestrating the legal campaign to take over Yukos. Sechin could not be reached for comment for this article. NEW FRIENDS IN HIGH PLACES Temerko arrived in Britain in 2005, saying he was a refugee from the politically charged takeover of Yukos. The Russian government had charged him with defrauding the state oil major Rosneft. Temerko denied the charge, saying the case was part of the Russian government's campaign against Yukos and its former top managers. The High Court in London declined a Russian request for Temerko's extradition in December 2005, saying it was politically motivated. The case bolstered his standing as a Russian dissident who'd suffered at the hands of the Russian state, helping secure his footing as a donor who could be trusted. Temerko won entrée to the top of the Conservative Party during David Cameron's premiership that began in 2010. At the time, according to Russian financier and Conservative Party activist, Sergei Cristo, the Tories were seeking new sources of cash following the 2008 financial crisis. Temerko paid £90,000 for a bronze bust of Cameron at a fundraising auction in 2013, now displayed at the Carlton Club, an exclusive London private members club. Cameron couldn't be reached for comment. Temerko's donations translated into access. In 2014, he was appointed by the local branch of the party as a vice-president of the Cities of London and Westminster Conservative Association, which delivered even greater opportunity to mix with leading Tories. Temerko also became part of the Conservative Party donor club The Leader's Group, where £50,000 in annual membership fees grants access to the prime minister and other senior ministers at dinners, cocktail receptions, and other events. In the conversations of the last three years, Temerko boasted he played an important role in securing election victories for the Conservative Party at a time when it "was fighting for every vote." Together with OGN Group, a major steel manufacturer in the UK's northeast, where he served as director, he said he'd sponsored 40 members of parliament in previous elections. "My business was one of the biggest businesses that supported the Conservative Party and its deputies in northern England," he said in the February 2019 conversation, adding he'd brought in supporters from Britain's East European minority. OGN Group is now in liquidation. The Conservative Party didn't comment. In public remarks, Temerko has consistently said he opposes Brexit because it will damage his UK business interests, which now centre on a firm, Aquind Ltd, developing an undersea electric power link between Britain and France. On his website, he says he is a "vocal supporter" of British membership of the EU. While Temerko has publicly spoken out against Brexit and has made donations to parliamentarians who campaigned to remain in the EU, at least two Conservative politicians close to Temerko played key roles on the Brexit side in the run-up to the June 2016 referendum. One of them is Wharton, a former Conservative MP who is overseeing Johnson's leadership campaign, at the same time as being a paid adviser to the power firm Aquind Ltd where Temerko is a director. In June 2013, Wharton put forward the parliamentary bill that first called for a referendum on Britain's EU membership. Temerko made £25,000 in political donations to Wharton between 2013 and 2015, disclosures to parliament show, a relatively large figure for an individual British MP, helping fund his re-election in 2015 in a constituency neighbouring Temerko's OGN Group steelworks. Wharton didn't respond to a request for comment. The minister of state for exiting the EU, Martin Callanan, served on the board of Temerko's Aquind from May 2016 to June 2017, at which time he joined the government. Callanan didn't respond to a request for comment. In a conversation with this reporter in July 2016, shortly after Britons voted to leave the EU, Temerko was jubilant about the possibilities of Johnson leading Britain's exit from the bloc. By then, Johnson was the most powerful figure in the "Leave" campaign. "We know that if Boris is our elected leader then our party membership will grow. There would be massive support for our party at election," he said at the time. The vote to leave the EU, he added, was "a revolution against bureaucracy." During the same conversation, Temerko said "a group of East European businessmen" had helped sway Johnson into a siding in February 2016 with campaigners for Britain's departure from the EU after months of sitting on the fence. But Temerko declined to name any of these East European businessmen and declined to repeat this comment. Temerko's allies are at the helm of Johnson's campaign. Wharton, the adviser to Temerko's power firm Aquind Ltd, has overseen the day to day running of Johnson's campaign, particularly in its initial stages. Gavin Williamson, the former UK defence secretary whom Temerko has frequently described as "a good lad," helped lead Johnson's campaign to win the support of his parliamentary colleagues to replace Theresa May. Conservative parliamentarians whittled the field down to two candidates in a series of votes in June before handing the final choice to the party's estimated 160,000 members. Williamson declined to comment. Temerko says he is "friends" with political strategist Sir Lynton Crosby, whose firm, CTF Partners, gave Johnson a £20,000 interest-free loan and a £3,000 cash donation late last year, according to a disclosure to parliament by Johnson. A co-founder of CTF, Mark Fullbrook, is the Johnson campaign's chief executive. Crosby declined to comment. CTF says it isn't involved in the Johnson campaign and Fullbrook is on a leave of absence, working voluntarily for Johnson's leadership bid. Temerko has said his days as a power player in Moscow are over. He has told this reporter he is now persona non-grata with the Russian authorities, especially after he publicly called in 2015 for the UK to supply weapons to Ukraine to assist it in its war with pro-Kremlin separatists because only a show of force would stop the conflict. "They consider that I am among those who directed the UK government against them. I am a warmonger. I am more of an enemy now than when I was in Yukos," he said. Kremlin spokesman Peskov said he couldn't comment because he doesn't know who Temerko is. Temerko retains at least one powerful connection, however. One of Temerko's former business partners said the industrialist is in contact with Andrei Guryev, the owner of Russian fertilizer giant Phosagro. Guryev, too, has become a notable figure in Britain. He owns Witanhurst, a vast estate in Highgate in the north of London that is the UK's second-biggest house after Buckingham Palace. Guryev declined to comment. Temerko confirmed his friendship with Guryev. "Guryev is a good guy," Temerko said. "He's a very nice character. He's a sportsman. He's a kind fellow."

In British PM race, a former Russian tycoon quietly wields influence

Vladimir Putin Has Ruled Russia For Nearly 2 Decades Now. But Now, Opposition Protests Are Becoming Far Too Frequent After nearly two decades of Putin's monopoly over Russian politics, opposition leaders stage a major protest. But Putin doesn't want to give up power. Several independent polls have been denied a chance to contest in local body polls. Is Putin behind this attack on democracy? If so, why would he do it? Palki discusses the issue with Harry Horton from Moscow to get a sense of the development.

Gravitas: Major protest in Moscow: New challenge for Vladimir Putin

Representatives from the <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/robert-muller-to-testify-before-house-committees-on-us-russia-probe-in-july-congress-230456&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiMqYiKornjAhXKso8KHeq_DFMQFjACegQIDxAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw2sjx_-5jhYFhUOAKW0ZERJ">United States and Russia</a> are set to meet in Geneva on Wednesday to explore the concept of a new accord limiting nuclear arms that could eventually include China, senior US officials said on Monday.

US President Donald Trump has said that he would like to see a "next-generation" arms control deal with Russia and China to cover all types of nuclear weapons. He has broached the topic individually with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, including most recently at the G20 summit in Osaka last month.

China is not a party to nuclear arms pacts between the United States and Russia and it is unclear how willing Beijing would be to be drawn into talks, said the officials, who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity.

"A good meeting would be some greater clarity about where the Russians see things going with the Chinese," one official said.

China's Foreign Ministry reiterated that the country had no interest in joining such talks.

"At present, we cannot see the preconditions or basis for China participating in these negotiations between the United States and Russia," ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters in Beijing.

US Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan will lead the delegation, which will include Tim Morrison, a top aide at the White House National Security Council, and representatives from the Pentagon, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the National Security Agency, the US officials said.

Russia's deputy foreign minister, Sergei Ryabkov, will lead the Russian delegation, the US officials said.

"We actually feel that - touch wood - we've actually got to a point where we can try to start this again," one US official said.

"I say touch wood because we're always just one incident away from unfortunately things getting derailed," the official said.

Relations between the <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/putin-says-us-russia-relations-are-getting-worse-and-worse-226830&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiMqYiKornjAhXKso8KHeq_DFMQFjAAegQIBBAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw0tvrZETUunIs5K2GbpcHAL">United States and Russia</a> have been sour for years, deteriorating after Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and backed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the Syrian war.

Trump has sought better relations but has been hamstrung by a two-year investigation into the 2016 influence campaign by Russian operatives to attack Trump's Democratic rival in the presidential election, Hillary Clinton.

The investigation by US Special Counsel Robert Mueller found there was insufficient evidence that the Trump campaign illegally conspired with Moscow. The Kremlin has denied any meddling.

Relations also frayed over Russia's poisoning of a former spy and his daughter on British soil, the detention of Ukrainian navy boats and crew near Crimea, and Russia's detention of US citizens, among other incidents.

The Geneva meeting will be just two weeks before the United States withdraws from the Cold War-era Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty that required both countries to eliminate short-range and intermediate-range nuclear and conventional missiles.

US authorities believe Moscow is developing and has deployed a ground-launched system in breach of the INF treaty that could allow it to launch a nuclear strike on Europe at short notice. Russia has consistently denied any such violation.

No breakthrough is expected on the INF treaty, the US officials said.

US officials also are not planning to discuss renewal of the 2011 New START treaty, a US-Russia arms control pact which limits deployed strategic nuclear weapons.

One of the officials told reporters it would be "premature" to talk about New START, which is set to expire in February 2021 but can be extended for five years if both sides agree, calling the issues a "next-year problem."

Representatives from the United States and Russia are set to meet in Geneva on Wednesday to explore the concept of a new accord limiting nuclear arms that could eventually include China, senior US officials said on Monday.

Representatives from the United States and Russia are set to meet in Geneva on Wednesday to explore the concept of a new accord limiting nuclear arms that could eventually include China, senior US officials said on Monday. US President Donald Trump has said that he would like to see a "next-generation" arms control deal with Russia and China to cover all types of nuclear weapons. He has broached the topic individually with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, including most recently at the G20 summit in Osaka last month. China is not a party to nuclear arms pacts between the United States and Russia and it is unclear how willing Beijing would be to be drawn into talks, said the officials, who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity. "A good meeting would be some greater clarity about where the Russians see things going with the Chinese," one official said. China's Foreign Ministry reiterated that the country had no interest in joining such talks. "At present, we cannot see the preconditions or basis for China participating in these negotiations between the United States and Russia," ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters in Beijing. US Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan will lead the delegation, which will include Tim Morrison, a top aide at the White House National Security Council, and representatives from the Pentagon, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the National Security Agency, the US officials said. Russia's deputy foreign minister, Sergei Ryabkov, will lead the Russian delegation, the US officials said. "We actually feel that - touch wood - we've actually got to a point where we can try to start this again," one US official said. "I say touch wood because we're always just one incident away from unfortunately things getting derailed," the official said. Relations between the United States and Russia have been sour for years, deteriorating after Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and backed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the Syrian war. Trump has sought better relations but has been hamstrung by a two-year investigation into the 2016 influence campaign by Russian operatives to attack Trump's Democratic rival in the presidential election, Hillary Clinton. The investigation by US Special Counsel Robert Mueller found there was insufficient evidence that the Trump campaign illegally conspired with Moscow. The Kremlin has denied any meddling. Relations also frayed over Russia's poisoning of a former spy and his daughter on British soil, the detention of Ukrainian navy boats and crew near Crimea, and Russia's detention of US citizens, among other incidents. The Geneva meeting will be just two weeks before the United States withdraws from the Cold War-era Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty that required both countries to eliminate short-range and intermediate-range nuclear and conventional missiles. US authorities believe Moscow is developing and has deployed a ground-launched system in breach of the INF treaty that could allow it to launch a nuclear strike on Europe at short notice. Russia has consistently denied any such violation. No breakthrough is expected on the INF treaty, the US officials said. US officials also are not planning to discuss renewal of the 2011 New START treaty, a US-Russia arms control pact which limits deployed strategic nuclear weapons. One of the officials told reporters it would be "premature" to talk about New START, which is set to expire in February 2021 but can be extended for five years if both sides agree, calling the issues a "next-year problem."

US, Russia to discuss nuclear arms limits in Geneva on Wednesday: Officials

Russian opposition leaders led a rally in Moscow of about 2,000 people Sunday to protest the city election commission’s decision to keep several opposition candidates off the ballot in a local election. Watch full video to know more.

Protesters in Moscow demand inclusion of Opposition candidates on ballots

Police in Moscow detained more than 25 protestors at a rally to demonstrate against a possible ban on <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russian-police-detain-at-least-94-including-opposition-leader-alexei-navalny-at-moscow-journalist-protest-226536">opposition candidates</a> running in elections to the Russian capital's parliament.

Opposition leaders cried foul after Moscow's election commission said most of their sponsored candidates failed to secure the required number of signatures to participate in the election.

The commission has yet to officially announce the list of legitimate candidates for the Sept. 8 vote to the 45-seat parliament.

Ilya Yashin, a critic of President Vladimir Putin, and several other activists had called for a meeting with the voters on Sunday, an event, which transformed into a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-opposition-leader-navalny-jailed-1500-arrested-after-wave-of-protests-16759">march to the Moscow city</a> mayor office and then to the headquarters of the election commission.

Yashin said earlier on Sunday the election commission's allegation that many of the signatures supporting him were rigged was an "absolute fraud".

A police spokesman said more than 25 people, including some organisers of the protest, were detained in the centre of Moscow. "They have not responded to the police's command to stop their actions. They are being bussed to police stations for further inquiries," a spokesman said.

The participants shouted anti-government and anti-Putin slogans, urging the authorities to register their candidates.

There is a history of anti-Kremlin activists being denied access to run for the parliament seats or presidential office.

Alexei Navalny, a prominent opposition leader, was barred from running in the 2018 presidential election after officials ruled he was ineligible to take part due to a suspended prison sentence.

The Moscow city election commission was not available for comment on Sunday.

Police in Moscow detained more than 25 protestors at a rally to demonstrate against a possible ban on opposition candidates running in elections to the Russian capital's parliament.

Police in Moscow detained more than 25 protestors at a rally to demonstrate against a possible ban on opposition candidates running in elections to the Russian capital's parliament. Opposition leaders cried foul after Moscow's election commission said most of their sponsored candidates failed to secure the required number of signatures to participate in the election. The commission has yet to officially announce the list of legitimate candidates for the Sept. 8 vote to the 45-seat parliament. Ilya Yashin, a critic of President Vladimir Putin, and several other activists had called for a meeting with the voters on Sunday, an event, which transformed into a march to the Moscow city mayor office and then to the headquarters of the election commission. Yashin said earlier on Sunday the election commission's allegation that many of the signatures supporting him were rigged was an "absolute fraud". A police spokesman said more than 25 people, including some organisers of the protest, were detained in the centre of Moscow. "They have not responded to the police's command to stop their actions. They are being bussed to police stations for further inquiries," a spokesman said. The participants shouted anti-government and anti-Putin slogans, urging the authorities to register their candidates. There is a history of anti-Kremlin activists being denied access to run for the parliament seats or presidential office. Alexei Navalny, a prominent opposition leader, was barred from running in the 2018 presidential election after officials ruled he was ineligible to take part due to a suspended prison sentence. The Moscow city election commission was not available for comment on Sunday.

Dozens detained in Moscow as opposition demands to be included in vote

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has apparently not been invited by Russia for the Eastern Economic Forum which will happen in the port city of Vladivostok, the Russian Foreign Ministry clarified in a statement.

The statement came after Pakistani media reported last week that an invite was extended by Russian President Vladimir Putin to Pakistan Prime Minister during the Shanghai cooperation organization summit in Bishkek last month.

Russian Foreign Ministry in a statement said,"We drew attention to the publications in a number of South Asian media that the Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Imran Khan was invited to the events of the Eastern Economic Forum (WEF-5) in Vladivostok (September 4-6, this year) as the guest of honour...".

Explaining, "We expect that the President of Mongolia H Battulga, the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of Malaysia M Mohammad and the Prime Minister of Japan S Abe will arrive" in Vladivostok.

Overall 3 Prime Ministers and one President will be attending the forum.&nbsp;

The forum meeting that began in 2015 aims to garner investment in Russia's far east region.

PM Modi will be going for the forum meeting as a special guest. Russian President Vladimir Putin had extended the invite during a telephonic conversation on January 1 and reiterated the invite during a conversation in February.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has apparently not been invited by Russia for the Eastern Economic Forum which will happen in the port city of Vladivostok, the Russian Foreign Ministry clarified in a statement.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has apparently not been invited by Russia for the Eastern Economic Forum which will happen in the port city of Vladivostok, the Russian Foreign Ministry clarified in a statement. The statement came after Pakistani media reported last week that an invite was extended by Russian President Vladimir Putin to Pakistan Prime Minister during the Shanghai cooperation organization summit in Bishkek last month. Russian Foreign Ministry in a statement said,"We drew attention to the publications in a number of South Asian media that the Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Imran Khan was invited to the events of the Eastern Economic Forum (WEF-5) in Vladivostok (September 4-6, this year) as the guest of honour...". Explaining, "We expect that the President of Mongolia H Battulga, the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of Malaysia M Mohammad and the Prime Minister of Japan S Abe will arrive" in Vladivostok. Overall 3 Prime Ministers and one President will be attending the forum. The forum meeting that began in 2015 aims to garner investment in Russia's far east region. PM Modi will be going for the forum meeting as a special guest. Russian President Vladimir Putin had extended the invite during a telephonic conversation on January 1 and reiterated the invite during a conversation in February.

Pakistan PM Imran Khan not invited at Eastern Economic Forum, clarifies Russia

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan will visit Russia in September this year, a report said on Saturday.

The visit comes after an invitation was extended to Khan by Russia President Vladimir Putin during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit in Kyrgyzstan earlier this month.

"Would be delighted if you would come to the Multilateral conference in Russia", Putin had said to Khan during lunch, as the conference was concluding.

The report says, Imran Khan happily accepted the invitation and will visit Russia to attend Eastern Economic Forum as a special guest. The summit will take place in Vladivostok city from September 4 to 6.&nbsp;

The invite is being seen as a new chapter in Pakistan-Russia diplomatic relations.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already been invited for the EEF meet in Vladivostok. Russian President Vladimir Putin had extended the invite during his conversation with PM Modi on January 1 and reiterated his invited in February again.&nbsp;

During the SCO summit, the Imran Khan&nbsp;and Putin engaged in an informal conversation on many occasions. Both leaders were&nbsp;also seen standing next to each other during the photo sessions.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, in June following the SCO summit, in an interview with Russian government-owned news agency Sputnik, Imran Khan had said that he hopes to come to Russia for an official visit. He had also said that "it was important that the two countries move closer."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also expected to attend the Eastern Economic Forum. If PM Modi attends the meeting then it will be the second time both leaders, PM Modi and his Pakistani counterpart will be under the same roof since the Pulwama terror attack.

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan will visit Russia in September this year, a report said on Saturday. The visit comes after an invitation was extended to Khan by Russia President Vladimir Putin during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit in Kyrgyzstan earlier this month.

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan will visit Russia in September this year, a report said on Saturday. The visit comes after an invitation was extended to Khan by Russia President Vladimir Putin during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit in Kyrgyzstan earlier this month. "Would be delighted if you would come to the Multilateral conference in Russia", Putin had said to Khan during lunch, as the conference was concluding. The report says, Imran Khan happily accepted the invitation and will visit Russia to attend Eastern Economic Forum as a special guest. The summit will take place in Vladivostok city from September 4 to 6. The invite is being seen as a new chapter in Pakistan-Russia diplomatic relations. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already been invited for the EEF meet in Vladivostok. Russian President Vladimir Putin had extended the invite during his conversation with PM Modi on January 1 and reiterated his invited in February again. During the SCO summit, the Imran Khan and Putin engaged in an informal conversation on many occasions. Both leaders were also seen standing next to each other during the photo sessions. Meanwhile, in June following the SCO summit, in an interview with Russian government-owned news agency Sputnik, Imran Khan had said that he hopes to come to Russia for an official visit. He had also said that "it was important that the two countries move closer." Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also expected to attend the Eastern Economic Forum. If PM Modi attends the meeting then it will be the second time both leaders, PM Modi and his Pakistani counterpart will be under the same roof since the Pulwama terror attack.

Pakistan PM Imran Khan to visit Russia in September; will attend Eastern Economic Forum as special guest

Why The Submarine Fire Accident In Russia Is A Significant Development Three days after a Russian submarine caught fire, Russia says that it was nuclear-powered. Why is Russia maintaining secrecy? What was the mission of the submarine? And why it matters for India? Palki analyses the development.

Gravitas: Submarine fire accident: Why did Russia maintain secrecy?

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Rome Thursday for a lightning visit including talks with the pope and Italy's populist government, which has called for an easing of sanctions despite Moscow's ongoing crisis with the West.

Rome's historic centre is on security lockdown for the visit with 50 streets blocked to traffic and Italian media reporting that mobile phone signals could be scrambled.

Putin landed around an hour late at Fiumicino airport and his convoy drove into Rome and the Vatican City where he met the pope for closed-door talks.

Putin has arrived late for all three of their encounters, the last of which was in 2015 when the pope urged all parties to the conflict in Ukraine to make a "sincere effort" for peace.

Thursday's meeting comes a day before the pope receives leaders of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russian-president-vladimir-putin-to-meet-pope-in-shadow-of-ukraine-crisis-232987">Ukraine's Greek Catholic Church</a>.

Pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine are mostly Russian Orthdodox, while those they fight are Orthodox and Greek Catholic.

Improved ties&nbsp;

Francis first met Putin in 2013, as the Roman Catholic Church sought to improve ties with the Russian Orthodox Church.

Only in 2009 did the Vatican and Moscow re-establish full diplomatic ties which were severed during Soviet times.

Relations have improved since the coming to power in the same year of Patriarch Kirill, who headed up the Russian Orthodox Church's diplomatic arm for years.

The Russian Orthodox Church has frequently accused the Catholic Church of proselytising in Russia, an Orthodox Christian country of 144 million.

The pope in 2016 held a historic meeting with Kirill in Cuba, the first encounter between the heads of the two largest Christian churches since Christianity split into Western and Eastern branches in the 11th Century&nbsp;-- an event known as "The Great Schism."

Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov said on Wednesday that "for the time being a possible invitation for the pope to visit Russia is not on the agenda."

The pope and Putin were to discuss matters including "preserving Christian holy sites in Syria", the Kremlin said.

After meeting the pope, Putin will hold talks with Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte and President Sergio Mattarella.

Putin is being driven around in his six-metre-long (20-foot) armoured limo by a chauffeur who has been practising negotiating his way around the Eternal City's narrow streets. His talks with Italian leaders should be easier.

Far-right Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini has often expressed admiration for Putin, and his coalition government advocates reviewing EU sanctions against Russia.&nbsp;

On the eve of the visit, Putin praised Salvini and his Lega party for having a "welcoming attitude" to Russia.

"They are pushing for a rapid abolition of the anti-Russian sanctions introduced by the US and the EU," Putin said in an interview with Corriere della Sera.

The US and EU have progressively imposed sanctions on Russia since its annexation of Crimea in 2014 and Moscow's involvement in the conflict in eastern Ukraine, including the shooting down of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17.

Salvini has previously visited Moscow and been pictured in pro-Putin T-shirts.&nbsp;

When his party won most Italian votes in May's European elections, Salvini posted a photo of himself with&nbsp;a picture of Putin in the background.

"Men like him (Putin) who act in the interest of their own citizens, there should be dozens in this country", Salvini said last year.

The Kremlin says Putin wants to discuss Russia-EU relations, the situation in Syria, Ukraine and Libya and Iran's nuclear programme.

Sanctions revision 

An EU summit last month extended economic sanctions targeting whole sectors of the Russian economy, including its crucial oil and gas industry, until the end of 2019.

Italy has not vetoed the sanctions but the EU front appears less united thanks to Rome's pro-Russian overtures.

Salvini and fellow Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio will attend a dinner for Putin in the evening, after which the russian president will meet his old friend and former premier Silvio Berlusconi, known for his sex scandals and "bunga bunga" parties.

"We are bound by a friendship stretching back many years," Putin said in the Corriere interview, hailing "a politician of global stature".

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Rome Thursday for a lightning visit including talks with the pope and Italy's populist government, which has called for an easing of sanctions despite Moscow's ongoing crisis with the West.

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Rome Thursday for a lightning visit including talks with the pope and Italy's populist government, which has called for an easing of sanctions despite Moscow's ongoing crisis with the West. Rome's historic centre is on security lockdown for the visit with 50 streets blocked to traffic and Italian media reporting that mobile phone signals could be scrambled. Putin landed around an hour late at Fiumicino airport and his convoy drove into Rome and the Vatican City where he met the pope for closed-door talks. Putin has arrived late for all three of their encounters, the last of which was in 2015 when the pope urged all parties to the conflict in Ukraine to make a "sincere effort" for peace. Thursday's meeting comes a day before the pope receives leaders of Ukraine's Greek Catholic Church. Pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine are mostly Russian Orthdodox, while those they fight are Orthodox and Greek Catholic. Improved ties Francis first met Putin in 2013, as the Roman Catholic Church sought to improve ties with the Russian Orthodox Church. Only in 2009 did the Vatican and Moscow re-establish full diplomatic ties which were severed during Soviet times. Relations have improved since the coming to power in the same year of Patriarch Kirill, who headed up the Russian Orthodox Church's diplomatic arm for years. The Russian Orthodox Church has frequently accused the Catholic Church of proselytising in Russia, an Orthodox Christian country of 144 million. The pope in 2016 held a historic meeting with Kirill in Cuba, the first encounter between the heads of the two largest Christian churches since Christianity split into Western and Eastern branches in the 11th Century -- an event known as "The Great Schism." Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov said on Wednesday that "for the time being a possible invitation for the pope to visit Russia is not on the agenda." The pope and Putin were to discuss matters including "preserving Christian holy sites in Syria", the Kremlin said. After meeting the pope, Putin will hold talks with Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte and President Sergio Mattarella. Putin is being driven around in his six-metre-long (20-foot) armoured limo by a chauffeur who has been practising negotiating his way around the Eternal City's narrow streets. His talks with Italian leaders should be easier. Far-right Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini has often expressed admiration for Putin, and his coalition government advocates reviewing EU sanctions against Russia. On the eve of the visit, Putin praised Salvini and his Lega party for having a "welcoming attitude" to Russia. "They are pushing for a rapid abolition of the anti-Russian sanctions introduced by the US and the EU," Putin said in an interview with Corriere della Sera. The US and EU have progressively imposed sanctions on Russia since its annexation of Crimea in 2014 and Moscow's involvement in the conflict in eastern Ukraine, including the shooting down of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17. Salvini has previously visited Moscow and been pictured in pro-Putin T-shirts. When his party won most Italian votes in May's European elections, Salvini posted a photo of himself with a picture of Putin in the background. "Men like him (Putin) who act in the interest of their own citizens, there should be dozens in this country", Salvini said last year. The Kremlin says Putin wants to discuss Russia-EU relations, the situation in Syria, Ukraine and Libya and Iran's nuclear programme. Sanctions revision An EU summit last month extended economic sanctions targeting whole sectors of the Russian economy, including its crucial oil and gas industry, until the end of 2019. Italy has not vetoed the sanctions but the EU front appears less united thanks to Rome's pro-Russian overtures. Salvini and fellow Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio will attend a dinner for Putin in the evening, after which the russian president will meet his old friend and former premier Silvio Berlusconi, known for his sex scandals and "bunga bunga" parties. "We are bound by a friendship stretching back many years," Putin said in the Corriere interview, hailing "a politician of global stature".

Putin meets pope, 'welcoming' populist govt during Italy trip

Russian officials have faced accusations of trying to cover up the full details of the accident that killed 14 sailors as they were carrying out what the defence ministry called a survey of the sea floor near the Arctic.

Vladimir Putin admits submarine hit by deadly fire was nuclear-powered

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russian-president-vladimir-putin-to-meet-pope-in-shadow-of-ukraine-crisis-232987">Russian President Vladimir Putin</a> disclosed on Thursday for the first time that a secret military submarine hit by a fatal fire three days ago was nuclear-powered, prompting the defence minister to assure him its reactor had been safely contained.

Russian officials have faced accusations of trying to cover up the full details of the accident that killed 14 sailors as they were carrying out what the defence ministry called a survey of the sea floor near the Arctic.

Moscow's slow release of information about the incident has drawn comparisons with the opaque way the Soviet Union handled the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear power station disaster, and another deadly submarine accident, the 2000 sinking of the nuclear-powered Kursk, which claimed 118 lives.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/russia-joins-gulf-states-in-coaching-sudans-military-227032">Russia</a>, which says the details of the submarine involved in the latest accident are classified, said the fire took place on Monday, though it was only officially disclosed late on Tuesday.

Until Thursday there was also no official word on whether the vessel had a nuclear reactor, despite strong interest from neighbouring Norway.

Putin revealed that the submarine had been nuclear-powered by asking Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu during a Kremlin meeting about the reactor's condition after the fire.

"The nuclear reactor on the vessel is completely isolated," Shoigu told Putin, according to a Kremlin transcript. "All the necessary measures were taken by the crew to protect the reactor, which is in complete working order."

The fire erupted in the submarine's battery compartment, Shoigu added, and later spread.

Although the Kremlin publicised the meeting on Thursday morning, it was not immediately clear when the men had met.

"There has not been any formal communication from Russia to us about this," Per Strand, a director at the Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority, told Reuters when asked if it had been informed that the submarine was nuclear-powered.

"We understand they brought the situation under control quickly, under difficult conditions, and there was, as such, no nuclear incident that they were obligated to tell us about.

"Still, we would have been happy to have been informed of such incidents," he added.

Top-secret submarine

Russian servicemen attended a memorial service on Thursday in the port city of Kronstadt near St Petersburg in honour of the 14 dead submariners.

Held in the hulking Russian Orthodox Naval Cathedral of St Nicholas, sailors cradled lit candles and looked on as priests read out prayers and a choir chanted in the background.

Shoigu, a close Putin ally, told the president that the submarine, which authorities said had been operating in the Barents Sea area, would be fully repaired.

"Right now, we are assessing how long it will take, how much work there is, and how we can carry it out," he said.

Shoigu's ministry has released photographs of the deceased sailors, hailing them as "real patriots of the Motherland".

Separately, a photograph of a tribute to them circulated on social media which appeared to have been hung on the wall of a Russian military facility. Reuters could not immediately confirm its authenticity, but it said the men had served on board a deep-sea submersible known by the designation AS-31.

Russian media have previously reported, without official confirmation, that the vessel was designated as either AS-31 or AS-12 and is designed to carry out special operations at depths where regular submarines cannot operate.

The submarine is made up of a series of inter-connected spheres that allow it to resist water pressure at great depths. Western military experts have suggested it is capable of probing and possibly even severing undersea communications cables.

Putin ordered Shoigu to prepare posthumous state awards for the dead submariners. An official investigation into the accident, likely to be shrouded in secrecy, is already underway.

Russian President Vladimir Putin disclosed on Thursday for the first time that a secret military submarine hit by a fatal fire three days ago was nuclear-powered, prompting the defence minister to assure him its reactor had been safely contained.

Russian President Vladimir Putin disclosed on Thursday for the first time that a secret military submarine hit by a fatal fire three days ago was nuclear-powered, prompting the defence minister to assure him its reactor had been safely contained. Russian officials have faced accusations of trying to cover up the full details of the accident that killed 14 sailors as they were carrying out what the defence ministry called a survey of the sea floor near the Arctic. Moscow's slow release of information about the incident has drawn comparisons with the opaque way the Soviet Union handled the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear power station disaster, and another deadly submarine accident, the 2000 sinking of the nuclear-powered Kursk, which claimed 118 lives. Russia, which says the details of the submarine involved in the latest accident are classified, said the fire took place on Monday, though it was only officially disclosed late on Tuesday. Until Thursday there was also no official word on whether the vessel had a nuclear reactor, despite strong interest from neighbouring Norway. Putin revealed that the submarine had been nuclear-powered by asking Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu during a Kremlin meeting about the reactor's condition after the fire. "The nuclear reactor on the vessel is completely isolated," Shoigu told Putin, according to a Kremlin transcript. "All the necessary measures were taken by the crew to protect the reactor, which is in complete working order." The fire erupted in the submarine's battery compartment, Shoigu added, and later spread. Although the Kremlin publicised the meeting on Thursday morning, it was not immediately clear when the men had met. "There has not been any formal communication from Russia to us about this," Per Strand, a director at the Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority, told Reuters when asked if it had been informed that the submarine was nuclear-powered. "We understand they brought the situation under control quickly, under difficult conditions, and there was, as such, no nuclear incident that they were obligated to tell us about. "Still, we would have been happy to have been informed of such incidents," he added. Top-secret submarine Russian servicemen attended a memorial service on Thursday in the port city of Kronstadt near St Petersburg in honour of the 14 dead submariners. Held in the hulking Russian Orthodox Naval Cathedral of St Nicholas, sailors cradled lit candles and looked on as priests read out prayers and a choir chanted in the background. Shoigu, a close Putin ally, told the president that the submarine, which authorities said had been operating in the Barents Sea area, would be fully repaired. "Right now, we are assessing how long it will take, how much work there is, and how we can carry it out," he said. Shoigu's ministry has released photographs of the deceased sailors, hailing them as "real patriots of the Motherland". Separately, a photograph of a tribute to them circulated on social media which appeared to have been hung on the wall of a Russian military facility. Reuters could not immediately confirm its authenticity, but it said the men had served on board a deep-sea submersible known by the designation AS-31. Russian media have previously reported, without official confirmation, that the vessel was designated as either AS-31 or AS-12 and is designed to carry out special operations at depths where regular submarines cannot operate. The submarine is made up of a series of inter-connected spheres that allow it to resist water pressure at great depths. Western military experts have suggested it is capable of probing and possibly even severing undersea communications cables. Putin ordered Shoigu to prepare posthumous state awards for the dead submariners. An official investigation into the accident, likely to be shrouded in secrecy, is already underway.

Vladimir Putin, after three days, says fire-hit Russian submarine was nuclear-powered

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered an inquiry into an accident with a submarine, he told a meeting with his defence minister Sergei Shoigu on Tuesday (July 2).

Russia's Putin orders inquiry into accident with submarine

Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold talks with Pope Francis on Thursday, a day before Ukraine's Catholic leaders meet at the Vatican to discuss the crisis in their country, and amid speculation that the visit could be a prelude to the first trip by a pope to Russia.

Putin, who has met Francis twice before, is due to arrive at the Vatican in the early afternoon at the start of a lightning visit to Italy that will also include talks with Italian leaders.

Ukraine, which remains a difficult issue in relations between the Vatican and Russia, is expected to be a main topic of discussions in the official papal library in the Vatican's Apostolic Palace.

When they last met in 2015, the pope urged Putin to make a "sincere and great effort" to achieve peace in Ukraine and help bring an end to fighting between Ukrainian government forces and pro-Russian separatist rebels in the East.

On Friday, leaders of Ukraine's Catholic Church and Vatican officials begin two days of meetings to discuss various problems in their country, a former Soviet republic.

Ukraine's religious world was made tense last year when the country's Orthodox Church, which for centuries effectively had been under control of the Russian Orthodox Church, declared its independence and set up a national Church.

Russia opposes the Ukrainian Orthodox Church having autocephalous, or self-governing status, saying the move had more political than religious motives.

Putin has aligned himself closely with the Russian Orthodox Church and has accused the government in Kiev of flagrantly meddling in the life of Orthodoxy in Ukraine.

Thursday's meeting between the pope and Putin will be their first since Francis and Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill met in 2016, a landmark step in healing the 1,000-year-old rift between the Western and Eastern branches of Christianity.

Mikhail Gorbachev, the last leader of the Soviet Union, and Boris Yeltsin, the first president of post-Soviet Russia, had invited the late Pope John Paul to visit.

But a trip was not possible because of tensions between the Vatican and the Russian Orthodox Church, the largest and most influential in world Orthodoxy, with 165 million of the world’s 250 million Orthodox Christians.

Apart from his meeting three years ago with Kirill, which was the first in history between a Roman Catholic pope and a Russian Orthodox patriarch, Francis has made a number of visits to countries with predominantly Orthodox populations.

The latest were to Romania and to Bulgaria and North Macedonia earlier this year.

From the Vatican, Putin will meet with Italy's prime minister and president and attend a conference on Italian-Russian dialogue at the foreign ministry.

Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold talks with Pope Francis on Thursday, a day before Ukraine's Catholic leaders meet at the Vatican to discuss the crisis in their country, and amid speculation that the visit could be a prelude to the first trip by a pope to Russia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold talks with Pope Francis on Thursday, a day before Ukraine's Catholic leaders meet at the Vatican to discuss the crisis in their country, and amid speculation that the visit could be a prelude to the first trip by a pope to Russia. Putin, who has met Francis twice before, is due to arrive at the Vatican in the early afternoon at the start of a lightning visit to Italy that will also include talks with Italian leaders. Ukraine, which remains a difficult issue in relations between the Vatican and Russia, is expected to be a main topic of discussions in the official papal library in the Vatican's Apostolic Palace. When they last met in 2015, the pope urged Putin to make a "sincere and great effort" to achieve peace in Ukraine and help bring an end to fighting between Ukrainian government forces and pro-Russian separatist rebels in the East. On Friday, leaders of Ukraine's Catholic Church and Vatican officials begin two days of meetings to discuss various problems in their country, a former Soviet republic. Ukraine's religious world was made tense last year when the country's Orthodox Church, which for centuries effectively had been under control of the Russian Orthodox Church, declared its independence and set up a national Church. Russia opposes the Ukrainian Orthodox Church having autocephalous, or self-governing status, saying the move had more political than religious motives. Putin has aligned himself closely with the Russian Orthodox Church and has accused the government in Kiev of flagrantly meddling in the life of Orthodoxy in Ukraine. Thursday's meeting between the pope and Putin will be their first since Francis and Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill met in 2016, a landmark step in healing the 1,000-year-old rift between the Western and Eastern branches of Christianity. Mikhail Gorbachev, the last leader of the Soviet Union, and Boris Yeltsin, the first president of post-Soviet Russia, had invited the late Pope John Paul to visit. But a trip was not possible because of tensions between the Vatican and the Russian Orthodox Church, the largest and most influential in world Orthodoxy, with 165 million of the world’s 250 million Orthodox Christians. Apart from his meeting three years ago with Kirill, which was the first in history between a Roman Catholic pope and a Russian Orthodox patriarch, Francis has made a number of visits to countries with predominantly Orthodox populations. The latest were to Romania and to Bulgaria and North Macedonia earlier this year. From the Vatican, Putin will meet with Italy's prime minister and president and attend a conference on Italian-Russian dialogue at the foreign ministry.

Russian President Vladimir Putin to meet pope in shadow of Ukraine crisis

Norway's radiation authority said Tuesday that Moscow informed it there had been a gas explosion onboard a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/fourteen-sailors-killed-in-russia-submersible-fire-ministry-232527">Russian sub on which a fire killed 14 crew</a> -- a claim Moscow strongly denied.

Moscow has revealed little about the incident or the vessel, claiming it was deep-water research submersible, but Russian media reports have said it was a secretive nuclear-powered mini-submarine.

"There has been a gas explosion, confirmed by the Russian authorities", Per Strand, director of the Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority (NRPA), told AFP.

"We are waiting for information from the Russian side about whether there was a reactor onboard the submarine," he told AFP, adding that NRPA had not noticed an increase in radiation levels.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-seals-3-billion-deal-with-russia-to-lease-nuclear-powered-submarine-201867">Russia's defence ministry</a> quickly denied the claim.

"There were no notifications sent to the Norwegian side regarding the Russian science research deep water apparatus," the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry earlier said that 14 Russian seamen were killed on Monday by inhaling poisonous fumes after a fire broke out on a submersible studying seafloor terrain in the far north.

However, the Novaya Gazeta newspaper cited sources as saying that the accident took place on a nuclear mini-submarine AS-12, also known as Losharik, which is capable of going to extreme depths.

Little is known about the AS-12, which was launched in 2003 and is designated for research, rescue and special military operations.

Of the 14 victims, seven were the highest rank given out in the Russian navy, suggesting that it was not an ordinary assignment. It is unknown how many were on board the sub.

The fire was put out and the vessel is now at a military base in the northern city of Severomorsk which is located on the Kola Peninsula above the Arctic Circle.&nbsp;

President Vladimir Putin ordered a full investigation to find what caused the "tragedy".

Norway's radiation authority said Tuesday that Moscow informed it there had been a gas explosion onboard a Russian sub on which a fire killed 14 crew -- a claim Moscow strongly denied.

Norway's radiation authority said Tuesday that Moscow informed it there had been a gas explosion onboard a Russian sub on which a fire killed 14 crew -- a claim Moscow strongly denied. Moscow has revealed little about the incident or the vessel, claiming it was deep-water research submersible, but Russian media reports have said it was a secretive nuclear-powered mini-submarine. "There has been a gas explosion, confirmed by the Russian authorities", Per Strand, director of the Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority (NRPA), told AFP. "We are waiting for information from the Russian side about whether there was a reactor onboard the submarine," he told AFP, adding that NRPA had not noticed an increase in radiation levels. Russia's defence ministry quickly denied the claim. "There were no notifications sent to the Norwegian side regarding the Russian science research deep water apparatus," the ministry said in a statement. The ministry earlier said that 14 Russian seamen were killed on Monday by inhaling poisonous fumes after a fire broke out on a submersible studying seafloor terrain in the far north. However, the Novaya Gazeta newspaper cited sources as saying that the accident took place on a nuclear mini-submarine AS-12, also known as Losharik, which is capable of going to extreme depths. Little is known about the AS-12, which was launched in 2003 and is designated for research, rescue and special military operations. Of the 14 victims, seven were the highest rank given out in the Russian navy, suggesting that it was not an ordinary assignment. It is unknown how many were on board the sub. The fire was put out and the vessel is now at a military base in the northern city of Severomorsk which is located on the Kola Peninsula above the Arctic Circle. President Vladimir Putin ordered a full investigation to find what caused the "tragedy".

Russia submarine fire: It was 'gas explosion', claims Norway as Moscow denies

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law suspending the Cold War-era INF Treaty. Putin announced in February that he would halt participation in the treaty after Washington's abrupt decision to pull out of the agreement.

Russia Suspends INF Treaty With United States

When <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/vladimir-putin-replies-to-elton-johns-hypocrisy-comment-231519">Vladimir Putin</a> announced at the weekend that OPEC would extend oil production cuts, broadcasting a deal before the group had even met to approve it, the move angered some member nations.

They were dismayed at the leading role non-OPEC Russia, once seen as the group's rival in oil markets, was playing in shaping the group's policies.

But reality soon set in, and the acceptance that Moscow could help OPEC in its goal of propping up oil prices at a time when it is facing intensifying heat on another front: from US President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-angry-about-khashoggi-murder-but-says-no-one-blames-crown-prince-mohammed-bin-salman-231433">Donald Trump</a>.

Trump is putting unprecedented pressure on OPEC and its de-facto leader Saudi Arabia, demanding they pump more crude to drive down fuel prices - a key domestic issue for him as he seeks re-election next year.

Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh initially expressed outrage about Russian President Putin's pre-announcement of the extended output cuts.

"OPEC is going to die with these processes," he declared on Monday morning before OPEC oil ministers met to effectively rubber-stamp a done deal, bemoaning the Russia-Saudi dominance of the group's affairs.

But by Monday evening, he had thrown his support behind the deal: "The meeting was good for Iran and we achieved what we wanted."

OPEC and Russia have become unlikely bedfellows, forging an "OPEC+" alliance to reduce global crude supply to counter soaring output from the United States and a weakening world economy.

It is a marriage of convenience as both want higher oil prices to shore up their finances, while the alliance could also strengthen OPEC's position in the face of Trump's demands.

"I don't think Russia is calling the shots," said Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih when asked if Putin was now OPEC's boss. "I think Russia's influence is welcome."

Iran's veteran OPEC governor Hossein Kazempour Ardebili concurred, echoing his boss Zanganeh's conciliatory tone.

"Russia is a big player. If it announced something in agreement with the rest of OPEC, this is most welcome," he said. "We are working together."

Iraq, which has overtaken Iran as OPEC's second-largest producer after Saudi Arabia and has taken its market share in Europe and Asia, also said Moscow's rising role was positive.

Such a chorus of approval is a sharp reversal for relations between OPEC and Russia that have been characterised by antipathy and distrust for decades.

Back in 2001, Russia agreed to cut production in tandem with OPEC but never delivered on its pledges and instead raised output. That severely damaged relations and other attempts at cooperation were unsuccessful - until the recent alliance.

In his book "Out of the Desert", former Saudi Oil Minister Ali al Naimi wrote that his 2014 meeting with Russian officials lasted just minutes. Upon learning Russia would not cut output, he gathered his papers and said: "I think the meeting is over."

Changing dynamics

Putin announced on Saturday that he had met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on the sidelines of a G20 meeting in Osaka and they had agreed to extend the OPEC+ production cuts.

Gary Ross, chief executive of Black Gold Investors, said that even if it was "indelicate" for Saudi Arabia to let Putin announce the deal, it showed the changing oil market dynamics.

"Trump has one interest – low oil prices. Putin wants higher prices," said Ross, a veteran OPEC watcher. "Putin is vitally important for OPEC. And it is still in Russia's best interest to cooperate with OPEC as half its budget comes from energy revenues."

Russia needs prices of $45-50 a barrel to balance its budget and its finances are stretched by U.S. sanctions imposed following its annexation of Crimea. Saudi Arabia needs an even higher price of $80. Benchmark Brent crude is currently in the region of $65 a barrel.

But just as the collaboration could lend Saudi Arabia some support against Trump, who has demanded Riyadh increase oil supply if it wants U.S. military support in its standoff with regional rival Iran, it also gives Putin more than extra revenues.

Good relations with Riyadh, an American ally, bolsters Moscow's clout in the Middle East, helps Putin's campaign in Syria and might even help mend relations with Washington, according to two sources in Russia's delegation to Vienna, where OPEC officials have been meeting.

Highlighting those intersecting roles, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak also serves as head of several Russian government commissions on trade and cooperation including with Saudi Arabia, Iran, Turkey and Qatar.

Iran's change in tone, in particular, illustrates the conflicting political and economic pressures it faces.

Tehran's falling production, due to U.S. sanctions reimposed and extended by Trump, has reduced its role within OPEC while increasing those of Saudi Arabia and non-OPEC Russia.

Iran's exports plummeted to 0.3 million barrels per day in June from as much as 2.5 million bpd in April 2018. Oil output in OPEC's exempt nations

But Iran is itself also looking to help from Russia, one of just a few countries that have offered to aid Tehran to counter the sanctions choking its oil trade and hammering its economy.

Two Russian energy industry sources said some work was being done to boost the Iranian economy but talks were slow and difficult, without giving details of the nature of the plans.

When Vladimir Putin announced at the weekend that OPEC would extend oil production cuts, broadcasting a deal before the group had even met to approve it, the move angered some member nations.

When Vladimir Putin announced at the weekend that OPEC would extend oil production cuts, broadcasting a deal before the group had even met to approve it, the move angered some member nations. They were dismayed at the leading role non-OPEC Russia, once seen as the group's rival in oil markets, was playing in shaping the group's policies. But reality soon set in, and the acceptance that Moscow could help OPEC in its goal of propping up oil prices at a time when it is facing intensifying heat on another front: from US President Donald Trump. Trump is putting unprecedented pressure on OPEC and its de-facto leader Saudi Arabia, demanding they pump more crude to drive down fuel prices - a key domestic issue for him as he seeks re-election next year. Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh initially expressed outrage about Russian President Putin's pre-announcement of the extended output cuts. "OPEC is going to die with these processes," he declared on Monday morning before OPEC oil ministers met to effectively rubber-stamp a done deal, bemoaning the Russia-Saudi dominance of the group's affairs. But by Monday evening, he had thrown his support behind the deal: "The meeting was good for Iran and we achieved what we wanted." OPEC and Russia have become unlikely bedfellows, forging an "OPEC+" alliance to reduce global crude supply to counter soaring output from the United States and a weakening world economy. It is a marriage of convenience as both want higher oil prices to shore up their finances, while the alliance could also strengthen OPEC's position in the face of Trump's demands. "I don't think Russia is calling the shots," said Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih when asked if Putin was now OPEC's boss. "I think Russia's influence is welcome." Iran's veteran OPEC governor Hossein Kazempour Ardebili concurred, echoing his boss Zanganeh's conciliatory tone. "Russia is a big player. If it announced something in agreement with the rest of OPEC, this is most welcome," he said. "We are working together." Iraq, which has overtaken Iran as OPEC's second-largest producer after Saudi Arabia and has taken its market share in Europe and Asia, also said Moscow's rising role was positive. Such a chorus of approval is a sharp reversal for relations between OPEC and Russia that have been characterised by antipathy and distrust for decades. Back in 2001, Russia agreed to cut production in tandem with OPEC but never delivered on its pledges and instead raised output. That severely damaged relations and other attempts at cooperation were unsuccessful - until the recent alliance. In his book "Out of the Desert", former Saudi Oil Minister Ali al Naimi wrote that his 2014 meeting with Russian officials lasted just minutes. Upon learning Russia would not cut output, he gathered his papers and said: "I think the meeting is over." Changing dynamics Putin announced on Saturday that he had met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on the sidelines of a G20 meeting in Osaka and they had agreed to extend the OPEC+ production cuts. Gary Ross, chief executive of Black Gold Investors, said that even if it was "indelicate" for Saudi Arabia to let Putin announce the deal, it showed the changing oil market dynamics. "Trump has one interest – low oil prices. Putin wants higher prices," said Ross, a veteran OPEC watcher. "Putin is vitally important for OPEC. And it is still in Russia's best interest to cooperate with OPEC as half its budget comes from energy revenues." Russia needs prices of $45-50 a barrel to balance its budget and its finances are stretched by U.S. sanctions imposed following its annexation of Crimea. Saudi Arabia needs an even higher price of $80. Benchmark Brent crude is currently in the region of $65 a barrel. But just as the collaboration could lend Saudi Arabia some support against Trump, who has demanded Riyadh increase oil supply if it wants U.S. military support in its standoff with regional rival Iran, it also gives Putin more than extra revenues. Good relations with Riyadh, an American ally, bolsters Moscow's clout in the Middle East, helps Putin's campaign in Syria and might even help mend relations with Washington, according to two sources in Russia's delegation to Vienna, where OPEC officials have been meeting. Highlighting those intersecting roles, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak also serves as head of several Russian government commissions on trade and cooperation including with Saudi Arabia, Iran, Turkey and Qatar. Iran's change in tone, in particular, illustrates the conflicting political and economic pressures it faces. Tehran's falling production, due to U.S. sanctions reimposed and extended by Trump, has reduced its role within OPEC while increasing those of Saudi Arabia and non-OPEC Russia. Iran's exports plummeted to 0.3 million barrels per day in June from as much as 2.5 million bpd in April 2018. Oil output in OPEC's exempt nations But Iran is itself also looking to help from Russia, one of just a few countries that have offered to aid Tehran to counter the sanctions choking its oil trade and hammering its economy. Two Russian energy industry sources said some work was being done to boost the Iranian economy but talks were slow and difficult, without giving details of the nature of the plans.

Under pressure from Donald Trump, Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries embraces Vladimir Putin

Russia has agreed with Saudi Arabia to extend by six to nine months a deal with <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/saudis-falih-says-oil-stocks-still-building-but-opec-to-act-if-needed-219637">OPEC </a>on reducing oil output, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/vladimir-putin-replies-to-elton-johns-hypocrisy-comment-231519">Russian President Vladimir Putin</a> said, as oil prices come under renewed pressure from rising US supplies and a slowing global economy.

Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said on Sunday that the deal would most likely be extended by nine months and no deeper reductions were needed.

Putin, speaking after talks with Saudi Crown Prince <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/saudi-crown-prince-mohammed-bin-salman-doing-spectacular-job-donald-trump-231336">Mohammed bin Salman</a>, told a news conference the deal - which is due to expire on Sunday would be extended in its current form and with the same volumes.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, Russia and other producers, an alliance known as OPEC+, meet on July 1-2 to discuss the deal, which involves curbing oil output by 1.2 million barrels per day (bpd).

The United States, the world's largest oil producer ahead of Russia and Saudi Arabia, is not participating in the pact.

"We will support the extension, both Russia and Saudi Arabia. As far as the length of the extension is concerned, we have yet to decide whether it will be six or nine months. Maybe it will be nine months," said Putin, who met the crown prince on the sidelines of a G20 summit in Japan.

Falih, arriving in Vienna for the OPEC+ talks, told reporters when asked about Saudi preferences: “I think most likely a nine-month extension.”

Asked about a deeper cut, Falih said: "I don’t think the market needs that."

“Demand is softening a little bit but I think it’s still healthy,” the Saudi minister said, adding that he expected the market to balance in the next six to nine months.

A nine-month extension would mean the deal runs out in March 2020. Russia's consent means the OPEC+ group may have a smooth meeting if OPEC's third-largest producer Iran also endorses the arrangement.

New US sanctions on Iran have reduced its exports to a trickle as Washington seeks to change what it calls a "corrupt" regime in Tehran. Iran has denounced the sanctions as illegal and says the White House is run by "mentally retarded" people.

Kirill Dmitriev, chief executive of the Russian Direct Investment Fund who helped design the OPEC-Russia deal, said the pact in place since 2017 had lifted Russian budget revenues by more than 7 trillion roubles ($110 billion).

"The strategic partnership within OPEC+ has led to the stabilisation of oil markets and allows both to reduce and increase production depending on the market demand conditions, which contributes to the predictability and growth of investments in the industry," Dmitriev said.

Benchmark Brent crude has climbed more than 25% since the start of 2019. But prices could stall as a slowing global economy squeezes demand and US oil floods the market, a Reuters poll of analysts found.

Who needs an OPEC meeting

Falih said the new deal would help reduce global oil stocks, balance the market and spur investments in future energy supplies.

"The agreement confirms that the Saudi-Russian partnership paved the way to guarantee the interest of producers and consumers and the continued growth of the global economy," Falih tweeted.

That Russia and Saudi Arabia effectively announced the deal before the OPEC gatherings will likely anger smaller members of the organisation, who feel sidelined.

"Who needs an OPEC meeting?," one delegate said after learning about the headlines from the Russia-Saudi talks. Some delegates said Iran might still put up a fight on Monday.

Russia's Energy Minister Alexander Novak said he believed most OPEC members including Iran have already expressed support to extend the output-cutting deal.

He said it may be wise to extend the agreement by nine rather than six months to avoid raising output during weak seasonal demand.

"It might make sense to keep the deal in place during the winter period," he told reporters.

Russia has agreed with Saudi Arabia to extend by six to nine months a deal with OPEC on reducing oil output, Russian President Vladimir Putin said, as oil prices come under renewed pressure from rising US supplies and a slowing global economy.

Russia has agreed with Saudi Arabia to extend by six to nine months a deal with OPEC on reducing oil output, Russian President Vladimir Putin said, as oil prices come under renewed pressure from rising US supplies and a slowing global economy. Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said on Sunday that the deal would most likely be extended by nine months and no deeper reductions were needed. Putin, speaking after talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, told a news conference the deal - which is due to expire on Sunday would be extended in its current form and with the same volumes. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, Russia and other producers, an alliance known as OPEC+, meet on July 1-2 to discuss the deal, which involves curbing oil output by 1.2 million barrels per day (bpd). The United States, the world's largest oil producer ahead of Russia and Saudi Arabia, is not participating in the pact. "We will support the extension, both Russia and Saudi Arabia. As far as the length of the extension is concerned, we have yet to decide whether it will be six or nine months. Maybe it will be nine months," said Putin, who met the crown prince on the sidelines of a G20 summit in Japan. Falih, arriving in Vienna for the OPEC+ talks, told reporters when asked about Saudi preferences: “I think most likely a nine-month extension.” Asked about a deeper cut, Falih said: "I don’t think the market needs that." “Demand is softening a little bit but I think it’s still healthy,” the Saudi minister said, adding that he expected the market to balance in the next six to nine months. A nine-month extension would mean the deal runs out in March 2020. Russia's consent means the OPEC+ group may have a smooth meeting if OPEC's third-largest producer Iran also endorses the arrangement. New US sanctions on Iran have reduced its exports to a trickle as Washington seeks to change what it calls a "corrupt" regime in Tehran. Iran has denounced the sanctions as illegal and says the White House is run by "mentally retarded" people. Kirill Dmitriev, chief executive of the Russian Direct Investment Fund who helped design the OPEC-Russia deal, said the pact in place since 2017 had lifted Russian budget revenues by more than 7 trillion roubles ($110 billion). "The strategic partnership within OPEC+ has led to the stabilisation of oil markets and allows both to reduce and increase production depending on the market demand conditions, which contributes to the predictability and growth of investments in the industry," Dmitriev said. Benchmark Brent crude has climbed more than 25% since the start of 2019. But prices could stall as a slowing global economy squeezes demand and US oil floods the market, a Reuters poll of analysts found. Who needs an OPEC meeting Falih said the new deal would help reduce global oil stocks, balance the market and spur investments in future energy supplies. "The agreement confirms that the Saudi-Russian partnership paved the way to guarantee the interest of producers and consumers and the continued growth of the global economy," Falih tweeted. That Russia and Saudi Arabia effectively announced the deal before the OPEC gatherings will likely anger smaller members of the organisation, who feel sidelined. "Who needs an OPEC meeting?," one delegate said after learning about the headlines from the Russia-Saudi talks. Some delegates said Iran might still put up a fight on Monday. Russia's Energy Minister Alexander Novak said he believed most OPEC members including Iran have already expressed support to extend the output-cutting deal. He said it may be wise to extend the agreement by nine rather than six months to avoid raising output during weak seasonal demand. "It might make sense to keep the deal in place during the winter period," he told reporters.

Russia agrees with Saudi Arabia to extend OPEC and oil output deal

Following <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/elton-john-slams-russian-cuts-to-rocketman-gay-scenes-223462">the censorship on `Rocketman`</a>, singer Elton John released a statement responding to Russian president Vladimir Putin`s interview published in the Financial Times. 
 
The Russian distributors removed the intimate scenes between men from the musical biopic `Rocketman` screened in Russia on May 30. 
 
John accused Putin of `hypocrisy` when it comes to LGBTQ rights, reported Variety. 
 
"Dear President Putin, I was deeply upset when I read your recent interview in the Financial Times. I strongly disagree with your view that pursuing policies that embrace multicultural and sexual diversity are obsolete in our societies," wrote John. 
 
Putin answered questions on various topics such as the Syrian civil war, North Korean disarmament and the state of liberalism. "The liberal idea has become obsolete. It has come into conflict with the interests of the overwhelming majority of the population," said Putin in the interview. 
 
"Traditional values are more stable and more important for millions of people than this liberal idea," he claimed. 
 
Putin also responded to the anti-LGBTQ policies. "I am not trying to insult anyone because we have been condemned for our alleged homophobia. But we have no problem with LGBT persons. God forbid, let them live as they wish," he said. 
 
"But some things do appear excessive to us. They claim now that children can play five or six gender roles," he added. 
 
"Let everyone be happy, we have no problem with that. But this must not be allowed to overshadow the culture, traditions and traditional family values of millions of people making up the core population," he emphasised. 
 
John wrote in his response, "I find duplicity in your comment that you want LGBT people to `be happy` and that `we have no problem in that.` Yet Russian distributors chose to heavily censor my film `Rocketman` by removing all references to my finding true happiness through my 25-year relationship with David and the raising of my two beautiful sons. This feels like hypocrisy to me." 
 
"I am proud to live in a part of the world where our governments have evolved to recognise the universal human right to love whoever we want. And I`m truly grateful for the advancement in government policies that have legally supported and allowed my marriage to David. This has brought us both tremendous comfort and happiness," John ended the letter. 
 
Directed by Dexter Fletcher, the film`s screenplay has been penned by Lee Hall. Elton and his husband David have produced the film along with Lawrence Bender, Adam Bohling, David Reid, and Matthew Vaughn. 
 
The film was released on May 31.

Following the censorship on `Rocketman`, singer Elton John released a statement responding to Russian president Vladimir Putin`s interview published in the Financial Times.

Following the censorship on `Rocketman`, singer Elton John released a statement responding to Russian president Vladimir Putin`s interview published in the Financial Times. The Russian distributors removed the intimate scenes between men from the musical biopic `Rocketman` screened in Russia on May 30. John accused Putin of `hypocrisy` when it comes to LGBTQ rights, reported Variety. "Dear President Putin, I was deeply upset when I read your recent interview in the Financial Times. I strongly disagree with your view that pursuing policies that embrace multicultural and sexual diversity are obsolete in our societies," wrote John. Putin answered questions on various topics such as the Syrian civil war, North Korean disarmament and the state of liberalism. "The liberal idea has become obsolete. It has come into conflict with the interests of the overwhelming majority of the population," said Putin in the interview. "Traditional values are more stable and more important for millions of people than this liberal idea," he claimed. Putin also responded to the anti-LGBTQ policies. "I am not trying to insult anyone because we have been condemned for our alleged homophobia. But we have no problem with LGBT persons. God forbid, let them live as they wish," he said. "But some things do appear excessive to us. They claim now that children can play five or six gender roles," he added. "Let everyone be happy, we have no problem with that. But this must not be allowed to overshadow the culture, traditions and traditional family values of millions of people making up the core population," he emphasised. John wrote in his response, "I find duplicity in your comment that you want LGBT people to `be happy` and that `we have no problem in that.` Yet Russian distributors chose to heavily censor my film `Rocketman` by removing all references to my finding true happiness through my 25-year relationship with David and the raising of my two beautiful sons. This feels like hypocrisy to me." "I am proud to live in a part of the world where our governments have evolved to recognise the universal human right to love whoever we want. And I`m truly grateful for the advancement in government policies that have legally supported and allowed my marriage to David. This has brought us both tremendous comfort and happiness," John ended the letter. Directed by Dexter Fletcher, the film`s screenplay has been penned by Lee Hall. Elton and his husband David have produced the film along with Lawrence Bender, Adam Bohling, David Reid, and Matthew Vaughn. The film was released on May 31.

Elton John responds to Vladimir Putin's LGBTQ rights comment after 'Rocketman' censorship

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday that Elton John was "mistaken" about LGBT rights in Russia while praising the British singer as a musical genius.

Elton John said on Friday he was deeply upset by Putin's comment that liberal values were "obsolete" and had been rejected by the majority of people in Western nations.

He also <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/elton-john-responds-to-vladimir-putins-lgbtq-rights-comment-after-rocketman-censorship-231391">accused Putin of hypocrisy</a> for saying that he wanted LGBT people to be happy after reports that gay scenes in 'Rocketman', the movie based on the singer's life, had been <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/elton-john-responds-to-vladimir-putins-lgbtq-rights-comment-after-rocketman-censorship-231391">censored in Russia.</a>

"I have a lot of respect for him, he is a genius musician, we all enjoy his music, but I think he is mistaken," Putin said when asked about Elton John's comments in Osaka where he was attending a G20 summit.

Putin said Russian authorities had a "relaxed and unprejudiced" attitude towards LGBT people, but decisions about gender identity could only be made by adults and therefore minors need to be "left alone".

Russian law bans "propaganda of homosexuality among minors". 
&nbsp;

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday that Elton John was "mistaken" about LGBT rights in Russia while praising the British singer as a musical genius.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday that Elton John was "mistaken" about LGBT rights in Russia while praising the British singer as a musical genius. Elton John said on Friday he was deeply upset by Putin's comment that liberal values were "obsolete" and had been rejected by the majority of people in Western nations. He also accused Putin of hypocrisy for saying that he wanted LGBT people to be happy after reports that gay scenes in 'Rocketman', the movie based on the singer's life, had been censored in Russia. "I have a lot of respect for him, he is a genius musician, we all enjoy his music, but I think he is mistaken," Putin said when asked about Elton John's comments in Osaka where he was attending a G20 summit. Putin said Russian authorities had a "relaxed and unprejudiced" attitude towards LGBT people, but decisions about gender identity could only be made by adults and therefore minors need to be "left alone". Russian law bans "propaganda of homosexuality among minors".

Vladimir Putin replies to Elton John's 'hypocrisy' comment

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-russia-to-start-talks-on-nuke-arms-control-vladimir-putin-231450">Russia's president</a> said on Saturday that Moscow would do all it could to improve relations with the United States that have been strained by years of diplomatic conflicts over Ukraine and accusations of Russian meddling in US elections.

Vladimir Putin was speaking at the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/g20-stops-short-of-denouncing-protectionism-warns-of-global-slowdown-231451">G20 summit in Osaka</a> where he met US President Donald Trump to discuss issues ranging from trade to disarmament. He also invited Trump to visit Moscow in May next year.

Trump confirmed that Putin had invited him to a ceremony to mark 75 years since Russia's World War Two defeat of the Nazis.

"He invited me and I said I would give it very serious consideration," Trump told a news conference after the summit.

Putin described the talks in Osaka as a "good meeting, business-like, pragmatic" and said the leaders agreed that two-way economic ties required improvement.

"I think we both understand that we need to somehow resolve the current situation," Putin said, adding that the two nations needed to "somehow find the strength to turn the page and move forward."

Asked during a news conference at the summit about the probability of more US&nbsp;sanctions against Russia, Putin said it was up to Washington to decide how best to build relations with Moscow.

Putin said he and Trump had discussed the election meddling allegations and the situation in Venezuela. But he gave no details.

Russia's president said on Saturday that Moscow would do all it could to improve relations with the United States that have been strained by years of diplomatic conflicts over Ukraine and accusations of Russian meddling in US elections.

Russia's president said on Saturday that Moscow would do all it could to improve relations with the United States that have been strained by years of diplomatic conflicts over Ukraine and accusations of Russian meddling in US elections. Vladimir Putin was speaking at the G20 summit in Osaka where he met US President Donald Trump to discuss issues ranging from trade to disarmament. He also invited Trump to visit Moscow in May next year. Trump confirmed that Putin had invited him to a ceremony to mark 75 years since Russia's World War Two defeat of the Nazis. "He invited me and I said I would give it very serious consideration," Trump told a news conference after the summit. Putin described the talks in Osaka as a "good meeting, business-like, pragmatic" and said the leaders agreed that two-way economic ties required improvement. "I think we both understand that we need to somehow resolve the current situation," Putin said, adding that the two nations needed to "somehow find the strength to turn the page and move forward." Asked during a news conference at the summit about the probability of more US sanctions against Russia, Putin said it was up to Washington to decide how best to build relations with Moscow. Putin said he and Trump had discussed the election meddling allegations and the situation in Venezuela. But he gave no details.

Moscow will do all it can to improve ties with US, says Russian President Vladimir Putin

Foreign ministers from the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/g20-summit-donald-trump-confirms-wont-impose-new-tariffs-on-china-231445">United States</a> and Russia will begin talks over nuclear arms control but it may not lead to an extension of the START3 nuclear disarmament treaty, President Vladimir Putin said Saturday.

"We have charged our respective foreign ministers with starting consultations on this subject... but we can not yet say whether this will lead to an extension of START3," Putin told reporters after a G20 summit in Osaka on Saturday.

Putin did not say when talks would begin.

START3 refers to a proposed agreement between the two nuclear powers for which negotiations broke down years ago.

Intended as a successor to previous agreements, it would have required them to lower their numbers of deployed nuclear weapons.

The two countries are currently covered by the New START treaty signed in 2010, which caps the number of nuclear warheads well below Cold War limits.

But it expires in 2021 and Putin has been calling on the United States to negotiate an extension, saying Washington's failure to do so is a threat to arms control.

Together with another agreement is known as the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty, New START is considered a centrepiece of superpower arms control.

Earlier this month, Putin said Russia was prepared to drop New START if the US continues to put off negotiations, warning of a "global catastrophe" if Washington works to dismantle the international arms control regime.

Moscow suspended participation in the INF treaty in March after President Donald Trump's White House announced it would ditch the key agreement for alleged Russian violations of the terms.

Foreign ministers from the United States and Russia will begin talks over nuclear arms control but it may not lead to an extension of the START3 nuclear disarmament treaty, President Vladimir Putin said Saturday.

Foreign ministers from the United States and Russia will begin talks over nuclear arms control but it may not lead to an extension of the START3 nuclear disarmament treaty, President Vladimir Putin said Saturday. "We have charged our respective foreign ministers with starting consultations on this subject... but we can not yet say whether this will lead to an extension of START3," Putin told reporters after a G20 summit in Osaka on Saturday. Putin did not say when talks would begin. START3 refers to a proposed agreement between the two nuclear powers for which negotiations broke down years ago. Intended as a successor to previous agreements, it would have required them to lower their numbers of deployed nuclear weapons. The two countries are currently covered by the New START treaty signed in 2010, which caps the number of nuclear warheads well below Cold War limits. But it expires in 2021 and Putin has been calling on the United States to negotiate an extension, saying Washington's failure to do so is a threat to arms control. Together with another agreement is known as the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty, New START is considered a centrepiece of superpower arms control. Earlier this month, Putin said Russia was prepared to drop New START if the US continues to put off negotiations, warning of a "global catastrophe" if Washington works to dismantle the international arms control regime. Moscow suspended participation in the INF treaty in March after President Donald Trump's White House announced it would ditch the key agreement for alleged Russian violations of the terms.

US, Russia to start talks on nuke arms control: Vladimir Putin

US President Donald Trump told Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday not to meddle in the US elections, appearing to make light of a scandal that had led to a two-year investigation into his campaign's contact with the Kremlin during the 2016 elections.

Asked by a reporter whether he would raise the issue during a bilateral meeting with Putin, Trump said: "Yes, of course, I will."

Trump then turned to Putin to give the directive twice while pointing at the Russian leader. Putin maintained a smile as the remark was interpreted for him.

Trump hailed his "very, very good relationship" with Russia's President Vladimir Putin as the two leaders held talks on the sidelines of the G20 meeting.

"It's a great honour to be with President Putin," said Trump, who last held face-to-face talks with the Russian leader in Helsinki in 2018.

"We have a very, very good relationship," Trump said.

Trump and Putin were heading into a meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan. It was the first time the two leaders have had a formal face-to-face meeting since a controversial high-profile summit in Helsinki last July.

The keenly awaited meeting between the pair has been overshadowed by a probe into Trump's relations with Russia and the controversy that erupted the last time he held talks with the Kremlin leader.

US President Donald Trump told Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday not to meddle in the US elections, appearing to make light of a scandal that had led to a two-year investigation into his campaign's contact with the Kremlin during the 2016 elections.

US President Donald Trump told Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday not to meddle in the US elections, appearing to make light of a scandal that had led to a two-year investigation into his campaign's contact with the Kremlin during the 2016 elections. Asked by a reporter whether he would raise the issue during a bilateral meeting with Putin, Trump said: "Yes, of course, I will." Trump then turned to Putin to give the directive twice while pointing at the Russian leader. Putin maintained a smile as the remark was interpreted for him. Trump hailed his "very, very good relationship" with Russia's President Vladimir Putin as the two leaders held talks on the sidelines of the G20 meeting. "It's a great honour to be with President Putin," said Trump, who last held face-to-face talks with the Russian leader in Helsinki in 2018. "We have a very, very good relationship," Trump said. Trump and Putin were heading into a meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan. It was the first time the two leaders have had a formal face-to-face meeting since a controversial high-profile summit in Helsinki last July. The keenly awaited meeting between the pair has been overshadowed by a probe into Trump's relations with Russia and the controversy that erupted the last time he held talks with the Kremlin leader.

US President Trump tells Putin: Don't meddle in US elections

US President Donald Trump made clear on Friday that trade was a top priority at a summit of leaders of Group of 20 nations, as Chinese leader Xi Jinping warned against rising protectionism and India and Russia defended multilateral trade rules.

Ahead of talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Trump said he would discuss trade, days after criticising the US-Japan security treaty and demanding New Delhi withdraw retaliatory tariffs.

"I think we’re going to have some very big things to announce. Very big trade deal. We’re doing some very big things with India in terms of trade, in terms of manufacturing," Trump said at the start of talks with Modi.

Trump also said he would discuss Chinese telecoms equipment maker Huawei with the Indian leader.

"We actually sell Huawei many of its parts," Trump said. "So we’re going to be discussing that and also how India fits in. And we’ll be discussing Huawei."

A White House official said Trump wanted to promote to Abe and Modi "a resilient quality secure infrastructure" — a reference to the US push with allies to keep the Chinese company out of next-generation telecoms networks.

Washington has pressed its allies to shun Huawei in their fifth generation, or 5G, networks on security grounds, but has also suggested it could be a factor in a trade deal with Chinese President Xi Jinping, whom Trump meets on Saturday.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Junker flagged the shadow cast by the US-China trade feud.

"The trade relations between China and the United States are difficult, they are contributing to the slowdown of the global economy," he told a news conference.

Xi also warned about the protectionist steps he said some developed countries were taking.

"All this is destroying the global trade order... This also impacts common interests of our countries, overshadows the peace and stability worldwide," Xi told a gathering of leaders of the BRICS grouping of nations on the sidelines of the G20 meet.

Defending world trade rules

Modi at the same meeting called for a focus on reforming the World Trade Organisation and Putin decried what he called efforts to destroy the Geneva-based body.

"We consider counter-productive any attempts to destroy WTO or to lower its role," Putin said.

The situation of the global economy was worrying as global trade was feeling the effect of "protectionism (and) politically motivated restrictions," he added.

Trump also flagged trade at the start of his talks with Abe.

"We're going to be talking about a lot of things and we're also going to be talking about a lot of trade," Trump said.

"I appreciate the fact that you're sending many automobile companies into Michigan and Ohio and Pennsylvania and North Carolina," referring to US states critical to his effort to win re-election next year.

Trump said the two leaders would also discuss Japanese purchases of US military equipment, although a Japanese official said later the topic did not come up.

Tokyo and Washington are engaged in difficult trade talks as Trump's administration seeks to lower the US trade deficit.

Japanese Economy Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer were to meet later in Osaka.

Abe welcomed Trump's visit, calling their frequent meetings "proof of the strong US-Japan alliance".

Trump renewed his criticism of the US-Japan security alliance this week as unbalanced.

"We will go in and we will protect them and we will fight with our lives and with our treasure," he said in an interview on Wednesday with Fox television.

"We will fight at all costs, right? But if we’re attacked, Japan doesn’t have to help us at all. They can watch it on a Sony television, the attack."

Under the decades-old US-Japan security treaty, the United States has committed to defending Japan, which renounced the right to wage war after its defeat in World War Two.

Japan in return provides military bases that Washington uses to project power deep into Asia, including the biggest concentration of US Marines outside the United States on Okinawa, and the deployment of an aircraft carrier strike group at the Yokosuka naval base near Tokyo.

After the Trump-Abe talks, a Japanese official told reporters the leaders had agreed to accelerate trade talks and had agreed the alliance was stronger than ever.

Trump, praised German Chancellor Angela Merkel as a "great friend of mine" as well as trade between their two countries.

US President Donald Trump made clear on Friday that trade was a top priority at a summit of leaders of Group of 20 nations, as Chinese leader Xi Jinping warned against rising protectionism and India and Russia defended multilateral trade rules.

US President Donald Trump made clear on Friday that trade was a top priority at a summit of leaders of Group of 20 nations, as Chinese leader Xi Jinping warned against rising protectionism and India and Russia defended multilateral trade rules. Ahead of talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Trump said he would discuss trade, days after criticising the US-Japan security treaty and demanding New Delhi withdraw retaliatory tariffs. "I think we’re going to have some very big things to announce. Very big trade deal. We’re doing some very big things with India in terms of trade, in terms of manufacturing," Trump said at the start of talks with Modi. Trump also said he would discuss Chinese telecoms equipment maker Huawei with the Indian leader. "We actually sell Huawei many of its parts," Trump said. "So we’re going to be discussing that and also how India fits in. And we’ll be discussing Huawei." A White House official said Trump wanted to promote to Abe and Modi "a resilient quality secure infrastructure" — a reference to the US push with allies to keep the Chinese company out of next-generation telecoms networks. Washington has pressed its allies to shun Huawei in their fifth generation, or 5G, networks on security grounds, but has also suggested it could be a factor in a trade deal with Chinese President Xi Jinping, whom Trump meets on Saturday. European Commission President Jean-Claude Junker flagged the shadow cast by the US-China trade feud. "The trade relations between China and the United States are difficult, they are contributing to the slowdown of the global economy," he told a news conference. Xi also warned about the protectionist steps he said some developed countries were taking. "All this is destroying the global trade order... This also impacts common interests of our countries, overshadows the peace and stability worldwide," Xi told a gathering of leaders of the BRICS grouping of nations on the sidelines of the G20 meet. Defending world trade rules Modi at the same meeting called for a focus on reforming the World Trade Organisation and Putin decried what he called efforts to destroy the Geneva-based body. "We consider counter-productive any attempts to destroy WTO or to lower its role," Putin said. The situation of the global economy was worrying as global trade was feeling the effect of "protectionism (and) politically motivated restrictions," he added. Trump also flagged trade at the start of his talks with Abe. "We're going to be talking about a lot of things and we're also going to be talking about a lot of trade," Trump said. "I appreciate the fact that you're sending many automobile companies into Michigan and Ohio and Pennsylvania and North Carolina," referring to US states critical to his effort to win re-election next year. Trump said the two leaders would also discuss Japanese purchases of US military equipment, although a Japanese official said later the topic did not come up. Tokyo and Washington are engaged in difficult trade talks as Trump's administration seeks to lower the US trade deficit. Japanese Economy Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer were to meet later in Osaka. Abe welcomed Trump's visit, calling their frequent meetings "proof of the strong US-Japan alliance". Trump renewed his criticism of the US-Japan security alliance this week as unbalanced. "We will go in and we will protect them and we will fight with our lives and with our treasure," he said in an interview on Wednesday with Fox television. "We will fight at all costs, right? But if we’re attacked, Japan doesn’t have to help us at all. They can watch it on a Sony television, the attack." Under the decades-old US-Japan security treaty, the United States has committed to defending Japan, which renounced the right to wage war after its defeat in World War Two. Japan in return provides military bases that Washington uses to project power deep into Asia, including the biggest concentration of US Marines outside the United States on Okinawa, and the deployment of an aircraft carrier strike group at the Yokosuka naval base near Tokyo. After the Trump-Abe talks, a Japanese official told reporters the leaders had agreed to accelerate trade talks and had agreed the alliance was stronger than ever. Trump, praised German Chancellor Angela Merkel as a "great friend of mine" as well as trade between their two countries.

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