Putin forecasts Russia's GDP to grow higher than expected early in 2014

Putin forecasts Russia's GDP to grow higher than expected early in 2014

Russian President Vladimir Putin expects that Russia’s GDP growth would be higher than it was expected in 2014. "Last year, Russia’s GDP grew by not very much - 1.3%. This is slightly less than the year before, but still there was some growth. I think this year we will reach more significant figures than we predicted in the beginning of this year," Putin said at a meeting with Russian and Austrian business leaders in Vienna on Tuesday, reports Interfax.

"In general, rather good dynamics is being observed in the economy at the present time, he said.

US opposed to South Stream because of interest in supplying gas to Europe - Putin

US opposed to South Stream because of interest in supplying gas to Europe - Putin

The US is trying to disrupt Russia's gas pipeline project, South Stream, because it wants to supply gas to Europe itself. "We are in talks with our partners over contracts, not with third countries. That our US friends are unhappy about South Stream, well, they were unhappy in 1962 too, when the gas-for-pipe project with Germany began. Now they are unhappy again, nothing has changed, except the fact that they want to supply to the European market themselves," Putin stated.

"I can reassure you, it will not be cheaper than Russia's: piped gas is always cheaper than liquefied," the Russian president said.

On this issue, the US acts as Russia's rival, Putin said.

"This is a normal situation. They do everything to disrupt this contract. There is nothing unusual here. This is a normal competition. A competition which uses political methods among others," he said.

Lavrov to meet with Germany, France, Ukraine's FMs in Berlin

Lavrov to meet with Germany, France, Ukraine's FMs in Berlin

Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Lavrov is expected to take part in a meeting Wednesday with the Foreign ministers of Germany, France, and Ukraine. The talks are to take place in Berlin and are aimed to boost efforts towards settling the Ukrainian crisis.

Russia's Foreign Ministry official said on Tuesday night that Lavrov, during a telephone conversation with his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier, had welcomed the idea of meeting in such a format:

Russia never annexed Crimea, no plans to intervene in Ukraine, it's a Western delusion - Putin

Russia never annexed Crimea, no plans to intervene in Ukraine, it's a Western delusion - Putin

On June 6 Russian President Vladimir Putin will attend a ceremony commemorating the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy. Ahead of his visit to France the Russian leader gave an extensive interview to Radio Europe 1's news program author and frontman, Jean-Pierre Elkabbach and, anchor of the evening news on TF1 TV channel, Gilles Bouleau covering burning issues from Ukraine and Crimea to US foreign policy. The interview was recorded on June 3 in Sochi.

On what happened in Ukraine:

Russia to Take Action if EU Association Agreement Hits Russian Economy

Russia to Take Action if EU Association Agreement Hits Russian Economy

Georgia, Moldavia and Ukraine have the right to sign a European Union Association Agreement; however, Russia will act correspondingly, if its economic interests are to get hit by the agreement, Dmitry Peskov, spokesman of Russian President Vladimir Putin, said.