Russia says all options on table for response to US sanctions

Russia says unidentified helicopters provide arms to Daesh, Taliban

Speaking a weekly press briefing in Moscow on Thursday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated that Russia had discovered “unidentified helicopters” carrying weapons as to Daesh terrorists and the Taliban in Afghanistan.“We again draw your attention to the ‘unidentified’ helicopter flights over northern Afghanistan, supplying weapons and ammunition to local Daesh terrorists and the Taliban who collaborate with that terrorist group,” she said.Turkish, Russian top diplomats to meet in MoscowRussia's Lavrov to meet Saudi counterpart on Aug 29'Russia will not stop rocket engine exports to US'

Turkish, Russian top diplomats to meet in Moscow

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will hold a meeting with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu on Friday in Moscow.Turkey's top diplomat will head to Moscow for a working visit, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Thursday in a news conference."[...] Special attention will be paid to the problems of the Syrian settlement Issues with regards to the coordination of joint steps in the fight against terrorism in Syria," she said. "The intensification of the search for a political solution to the Syrian conflict will be discussed."Lavrov and Cavusoglu will also discuss the launch of projects in the fields of energy and trade, Zakharova said.Earlier Sergey Lavrov said Moscow would continue negotiations and would hope to reach an agreement with Turkey on settlements in the Syrian province of Idlib.Russia's Lavrov to meet Saudi counterpart on Aug 29Kremlin, before meeting with Trump adviser, bemoans US apathy

Russia's Lavrov to meet Saudi counterpart on Aug 29

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will meet his Saudi counterpart Adel al-Jubeir in Moscow on Aug. 29, TASS news agency quoted a ministry spokeswoman as saying on Thursday.Lavrov will meet his Turkish counterpart Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu in the Russian capital on Friday, the ministry said.Kremlin asks if US wants better ties, before meeting with Trump adviser

EU unlikely to heed British call for more Russia sanctions

The European Union is unlikely to heed London's call for it to match the latest U.S. sanctions against Moscow over an attack on a former Russian spy in Britain earlier this year, diplomats in Brussels said.Britain's foreign minister, Jeremy Hunt, said in Washington this week the EU should step up pressure on Russia after the ex-spy was attacked with a nerve agent in the English city of Salisbury. The West blames Moscow for the attack; the Kremlin denies involvement.But EU diplomats doubted more sanctions would be imposed. They cited the usual divisions between EU members advocating a tough line on Moscow and those arguing for more engagement."There is no way. Italy and Austria, even France, want to do business with Russia too much," one EU diplomat said.Any new sanctions would require unanimity among all 28 member states.The EU now has economic sanctions in place until the end of January against Russia over its role in the conflict in Ukraine, which has killed some 10,000 people and still simmers. It also has curbs on doing business with Crimea, which Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014.In late July, the EU added six new entries to its blacklist of entities subject to an asset freeze in the EU over the Ukraine conflict. Diplomats said eight entries had been proposed, but two were dropped after opposition from Germany and Italy, who feared damage to their business dealings with Russia."This discussion has shown there are clear limits of how far we can go on sanctions," said another EU diplomat. "This does not rule out adding a name or an entity to the blacklist here or there. But there is no scope for more broad sectoral measures."Beyond Salisbury and Ukraine, relations between Russia and the West have also been damaged by the war in Syria - where they back opposite sides. The role of NATO, security issues and Russia's record on human rights have all hurt relations as well.On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin slammed the latest U.S. sanctions, which have weighed on the rouble and forced Russia's economy minister to expect lower economic growth.NO FORMAL PROPOSALAfter Hunt's speech in Washington, EU officials said Britain had yet to make a formal proposal to the bloc. They thought Hunt might raise the issue when all 28 foreign ministers meet for talks in Austria at the end of the month.Hunt spoke after Washington imposed sanctions against Moscow covering national-security-related goods and promised more hard-hitting measures unless Russia gives "reliable assurances" it will no longer use chemical weapons.Many EU states expelled Russian diplomats over Salisbury. But opposition from the doves, who also include Greece and Hungary, has blocked any further measures.Austria, which casts itself as neutral and, unlike most EU states, is not a NATO member, is in a delicate position. It now holds the EU's rotating presidency, which should act as an unbiased deal-broker.Questions over whether Vienna is seeking to improve ties with Moscow have been rife since Putin attended the wedding of Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl earlier this month .

'Russia will not stop rocket engine exports to US'

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Thursday Moscow did not plan to halt supplies of rocket engines to the United States in response to a new round of U.S. sanctions against Russia, the RIA news agency reported.A Russian lawmaker said earlier this month that Moscow could restrict exports of RD-180 rocket engines to the United States if Washington imposed new sanctions.Ryabkov also said that Moscow would not halt exports of titanium to the United States for its aviation industry as part of any response to sanctions, RIA reported.'Russia must strengthen its military infrastructure due to NATO': PutinAustria says shares EU stance on Russia despite Putin visitAfter Trump attack on Russia ties, Merkel eyes Azeri gasRussia regrets US refusal to attend Moscow talks on AfghanistanUS sanctions Russian shipping firms, individuals