Putin warns US against attacking Iran Russian leader Vladimir Putin met his Iranian counterpart Tuesday and implicitly warned the U.S. not to use a former Soviet republic to stage an attack on Iran. He also said nations should not pursue oil pipeline projects that are not backed by regional powers. Russia, China and allies play war game BEIJING — Russia , China and four former Soviet Central Asian republics have sent some 6,500 troops to participate in a multinational war game, in which they've deployed paratroops, 80 aircraft and hundreds of armored combat vehicles to suppress an Islamic uprising, similar to one that occurred in Uzbekistan in 2005. Ukraine admits withholding gas from Europe Ukraine has been withholding some Russian natural gas exports meant for customers in Europe, where several countries have reported falls in gas supplies amid a severe cold weather snap, an official with Ukraine's state-owned energy firm told AFP.
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