MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The United States cannot know Russia's casualties in the special operation, they are pulling the figures out of a hat, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday.
Earlier in the day, several media outlets reported, citing US National Security Council Strategic Communications Coordinator John Kirby, that Russia has allegedly more than 100,000 soldiers killed or seriously wounded during the course of the special military operation.
"Pulling out figures out of a hat, Washington does not have the opportunity to give any correct figures, they do not have such data, this is how it should be treated. It is necessary to focus only on those figures that are published in a timely manner by the Russian Defense Ministry," Peskov said.
Peskov added that Germany is not able to ensure that Ukraine does not use the weapons supplied by the West to attack Russia, Kiev is already shelling the territory of Russia.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Monday that Berlin would refrain from unilateral steps when providing military support to Ukraine, while making sure that the weapons sent to Kiev are not used for strikes against Russia's territory.
"Firstly, Germany does not have any opportunity to monitor this, this can be said unequivocally. Secondly, the weapons supplied by Germany to the Kiev regime are already firing at Russian territory, because Donbas includes Russian regions. Weapons are firing at the territory of Russia, and every day the direct and indirect involvement of Germany in this conflict is increasing. Of course, the German chancellor must proceed from this," Kremlin spokesman stressed.
Commenting on the Istanbul Grain Deal, Peskov emphasized that the terms regarding the Russian agricultural sector have still not been fulfilled and the dialogue will continue.
Earlier in the day, British news agency reported, citing a senior Ukrainian source, that negotiations on the Black Sea Grain Initiative, also known as the grain deal, with the participation of all parties to the deal are scheduled for May 3.
"Russia's position is well known, you know that the deal was extended for two months at the time... The terms of the deal are not fulfilled in the part that concerns the Russian agricultural sector. The dialogue will continue," Kremlin spokesman stated.
Peskov added that Moscow is not aware of the Vatican's secret mission to find a resolution to the conflict in Ukraine.
During a press conference on Sunday after his visit to Hungary, Pope Francis said that the Vatican was involved in a secret mission to resolve the conflict in Ukraine. The Holy See will be able to tell about it only later, when it becomes public.
"No. We do not know anything," Peskov stated.
Referring to the talks about the possible default in the United States, Kremlin spokesman said that Russia is monitoring the situation. He added that so far American officials have always found a solution.
Earlier in the day, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the US government will likely begin defaulting on its debt by June 1 if the congressional limit on the country’s debt servicing is not raised by then.
"We see that the world economy, the US economy is experiencing certain problems — high inflation, the continuation of inflation expectations is quite high. Of course, we are monitoring all this very carefully," Peskov stated.
The spokesman added that this is not the first time this has happened in the United States.
"So far, they have found solutions. We will monitor [the situation] carefully this time," he added.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova earlier said that the treaty provides for various forms of bilateral cooperation.
The comprehensive strategic partnership agreement between Russia and Iran has entered into force, Iranian Ambassador to Russia Kazem Jalali told Sputnik.
"It is already binding," Jalali said when asked about the date of entry into force of the agreement, as well as whether Iran had notified Russia of the completion of internal procedures.
He recalled that the treaty was ratified by both chambers of the Russian parliament, and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed it. At the same time, the document was ratified by the Iranian parliament, approved by the Guardian Council, and the president issued it as a law.
"Therefore, in both countries it currently has the form of a law and, naturally, has entered into force," Jalali said.
On January 17, Putin and his Iranian counterpart, Masoud Pezeshkian, met in Moscow to sign the Comprehensive Strategic ...
Defying the United States threats, ministers from more than 30 nations have packed Bogotá’s San Carlos Palace to charge the Israeli regime with genocide over its October 2023-present brutal military assault against the Gaza Strip.
The dramatic display of international solidarity saw dozens of high-ranking officials from across the globe convene inside the stately palace on Tuesday, determined to hold the regime accountable for, what they unequivocally called, a “war of genocide.”
The two-day emergency summit, organized under the auspices of The Hague Group -- a coalition co-chaired by Colombia and South Africa -- had representatives, ranging from such countries as Algeria and Brazil to Pakistan and Spain, in attendance.
The participants described the drive as a coordinated effort to stop the Israeli atrocities.
Behind closed doors, ministers and envoys, meanwhile, engaged in intensive sessions aimed at drafting collective measures to pressure the regime -- steps expected to be unveiled by ...
