Europe

MOSCOW, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- Russia's Aerospace Forces will get their first medium-range surface-to-air missile system S-350 Vityaz next year, the Defense Ministry said.

The troops will also be equipped with around a dozen Pantsir-S air defense missile-gun systems and S-400 Triumf long-range air defense weapons, the ministry said.

Russia has been modernizing its military equipment In recent years.

Russian troops stationed in the regions of Khabarovsk, Leningrad, Kaliningrad and Crimea were supplied with Pantsir-S and S-400 weapons earlier this year.

MOSCOW, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- The Russian Foreign Ministry said Saturday it regretted the position of French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on some aspects of Russia-Ukraine relations.

Macron and Merkel issued a joint statement Friday, saying they were deeply concerned with the "human rights situation in Crimea, which was illegally annexed by Russia, Russia's use of military force in the Kerch Strait, and excessive inspections in the Azov Sea."

29 Dec 2018; DW: Germany and France have demanded "the immediate and unconditional release" of 24 Ukrainian sailors detained by Russia. But Russia has rejected the calls, describing them as unacceptable.

29 Dec 2018; DW: Romanian President Klaus Iohannis admitted last month his country was not ready to assume the six-month EU presidency. EU officials allege Romania is not taking steps to fight corruption and uphold judicial independence.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said Saturday he doubts whether the Romanian government fully understands what it means to take the reins of the Council of the European Union for six months.

WASHINGTON, December 28. /TASS/. Russian diplomats in the United States have to work in the conditions of extreme spy mania, Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov told reporters on Friday.

"They have to work in the conditions of extreme spy mania, which led to the largest expulsion of diplomats from the US and closure of another consulate general. The workload for remaining staff of Russian foreign missions has increased," Antonov said.

MOSCOW, December 29. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin and leader of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev have discussed cooperation within the integration associations on the Eurasian space in a telephone conversation, the Kremlin press service reported.

"[The two leaders] discussed the key bilateral issues and cooperation within the integration associations on the Eurasian space," the press service said. "Some pressing international issues were raised as well."

The heads of state also exchanged warm New Year greetings, the Kremlin informed.

MOSCOW, December 29. /TASS/. Russia introduced a ban on import of wheat, sunflower oil, sweets, vegetables, fruits, beer, tractors, paper, turbines, furniture, and other goods from Ukraine.

The list of more than fifty products is in the Cabinet Decree posted on the official website of the government.

MOSCOW, December 29. /TASS/. Russian scientists may send mice into the first flight around the Moon to study the influence of space factors on the human body, Director of the Institute of Medical and Biological Problems within the Russian Academy of Sciences, Doctor of Medical Sciences Oleg Orlov said on Saturday.

28 Dec 2018; DW: Charity organization Proactiva Open Arms said Spain was the only country to allow its vessel a port to dock. Pregnant women, children and babies were among the group of migrants rescued off the coast of Libya.

The Spanish rescue boat Open Arms arrived on Friday morning in a port near the city of Algeciras, in southern Spain. Aboard the vessel were 310 migrants who were rescued by the organization off the coast of Libya.

26 Dec 2018; AFP: Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on Wednesday announced the end of a martial law in the country's border regions, which was introduced last month after Russia's seizure of three of Kiev's navy vessels in the Sea of Azov.

"Today, right now, at 2:00 pm (1200 GMT) the martial law ends," Poroshenko said during a live streamed National Security and Defence Council meeting in Kiev.

The president said he had reached the decision "based on analysis of all the components of the security situation in the country".