ISTANBUL (Sputnik) - Europe is trying to prolong the Ukraine conflict in order to gain a foothold in Ukraine to threaten Russia, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on June 4.

Russian forces are advancing along the entire front line, with no sector where offensive operations are not underway, President Vladimir Putin said answering a question from AP journalist during a meeting with heads of international news agencies at SPIEF.

TEHRAN (Sputnik) - Iran plans to charge ships for services provided during passage through the Strait of Hormuz, not for the transit itself, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said on Thursday.

UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) - Russia has not received response from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on US Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's letter about the Bucha incident filed on May 1, Permanent Representative to the UN Vassily Nebenzia said on Thursday.

TEHRAN (Sputnik) - Iran is demanding that the United States unfreeze at least 50% of its foreign assets immediately following the signing of a memorandum of understanding, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said on Thursday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The agenda of the third Russia-Africa summit will center on economic, trade and investment issues, Tatiana Dovgalenko, Director of the Department for Partnership with Africa at the Russian Foreign Ministry, said on Thursday at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

Russia will sign an agreement on Friday to continue engineering design work on a proposed tunnel beneath the Bering Strait, Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) CEO and Presidential Special Representative for Investment and Economic Cooperation Kirill Dmitriev said.

ST. PETERSBURG (Sputnik) - Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday she would be watching how BBC covers crimes committed by the Ukrainian military after the UK broadcaster declined to visit the site of the Ukrainian attack on a college in Starobelsk in the Lugansk People's Republic.

Pakistan's authority bringing the crypto under the tax net reflects that serious efforts are being made to legalize and regulate the crypto business, according to Mian Abrar, geopolitical analyst.

The proposal by SPD lawmakers to add descriptions of Joseph Stalin’s alleged crimes to the famous Soviet WWII memorial in Berlin is directly related to the rise of Nazi ideology in Europe, Israeli politician and diplomat Yakov Kedmi tells Sputnik.

Berlin’s Social Democratic Party (SPD) has proposed adding critical commentary to Joseph Stalin's quotes at the Soviet War Memorial in Treptower Park — via new plaques or QR codes — citing the need to "contextualize" Soviet aggression.

Faisal Niaz Tirmizi, Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to the Russian Federation, gave an exclusive interview to Sputnik on the sidelines of SPIEF.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Pentagon is cutting back on military exercises due to unforeseen expenses and a hike in fuel prices driven by the crisis in the Middle East, ABC News has reported, citing US officials and department documents.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - US President Donald Trump criticized on Thursday a House of Representatives vote to limit his war powers, describing it as meaningless and poorly timed amid ongoing negotiations to end the conflict with Iran.

ST. PETERSBURG (Sputnik) - Building a multipolar world requires an urgent reform of the United Nations and the restoration of its authority, Wang (Henry) Huiyao, president of the Center for China and Globalization, said on Thursday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Russian armed forces have liberated the settlement of Komsomolskoye in the Zaporozhye region, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Thursday.

A country's success amid growing geopolitical tensions is determined by five key factors, Chairman of the Institute for Policy, Advocacy and Governance in Bangladesh Syed Munir Khasru said.

Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov said he expects Russia to establish a full range of rare earth metal production capabilities by 2028, including rare metals and medium-to-heavy rare earth elements.

Cooperation between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) is a key driver of regional economic growth and development, said Myanmar’s Minister of National Planning, Investment, and Foreign Economic Relations, Aung Cho Htwe, speaking at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum's sidelines.

ST. PETERSBURG (Sputnik) - More than 168,000 hectares of border territories have been cleared of landmines in the western Russian region of Kursk, with a total of 92 settlements declared mine-free, Kursk Region Governor Alexander Khinshtein told Sputnik.