Russian parliament confirmed former president Putin as new prime minister

WASHINGTON, Nov. 25 (UPI) -- The rollercoaster saga of the proposed U.S. ballistic missile defense bases in Central Europe took another downward dip on Friday: The powerful speaker of the Czech Parliament said he was now sure the crucial radar base to be located in his country would never be built.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 24 (UPI) -- The Russian armed forces are prepared to deploy their short-range Iskander missiles in the Kaliningrad province to target the proposed U.S. ballistic missile defense base to be built in Poland, right now, or whenever needed, Russia's top general warned Wednesday.

MOSCOW, Nov. 21 (UPI) -- Russian gas giant Gazprom said it would at least double the gas export price to Ukraine if its state-owned Naftogaz does not settle its debts, officials said.

MOSCOW, Nov. 21 (UPI) -- The 22nd European Union-Russia summit in Nice was largely symbolic, because its outcome was expected and predetermined long before the meeting.

MOSCOW, Nov. 21 (UPI) -- Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, recalling financial crises of the past two decades, vowed his nation will weather the current storm, officials say.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 20 (UPI) -- Russian leaders have approved an additional $1 billion loan to Venezuela to cover the costs of purchasing Russia's advanced, short-range TOR-M1 anti-aircraft and anti-missile system, along with Igla-S portable SAM systems, Il-78 aerial tankers and Il-76 military cargo aircraft.

MOSCOW, Nov. 18 (UPI) -- The first stages of construction of the Nord Stream gas pipeline through the Baltic Sea will begin in April 2010, officials said Tuesday.

BRUSSELS, Nov. 17 (UPI) -- Russia sees new threats from NATO and the United States, and they see new threats from Russia. And even where they see common dangers -- as in the case of potential and actual missile threats from Asia and the Middle East -- they cannot find common ground on how to deal with them. How do we reverse this steady escalation of tension and confrontation? Part one of three.

Caspian hydrocarbons focus of energy summit; EU firm on Nord Stream; IPI worthwhile, Islamabad says

MOSCOW, Nov. 17 (UPI) -- Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi does not know Russian President Dmitry Medvedev very well, but in April 2008 Vladimir Putin, then Russian president, visited Libya to remove the main obstacle to the development of bilateral relations. He wrote off Libya's $4.5 billion debt to the former Soviet Union in return for its pledge to sign new contracts with Russia.