Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin thanked Slovenia on Friday for offering to host his first meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, saying he is ready to meet his American counterpart, Donald Trump, however added that the prospect of such a meeting hinges on Washington. "It depends not only on us, but we are naturally ready for it," he said. The Russian leader hailed Slovenia, where Trump's wife Melania was born and grew up, as an "excellent" venue for possible talks with Trump.

Submitted by Martin Armstrong via ArmstrongEconomics.com,

Russian President Vladimir Putin has authorized the banning of porn in Russia due to its “deeply negative influence on the human psyche.” One popular porn website Brazzers has already been banned by Russian media watchdog Roskomnadzor on Tuesday, meaning that users in the country can no longer access their servers. Themoscowtimes.com reports: The move follows a decision by Bolsheglushitsky District Court in Russia’s Samara region in October 2016.

Russia’s envoy to NATO has condemned recent moves and plans aimed at boosting the blocs military presence near Russian borders, saying they have no justification and have only served to increase tensions. During an interview with Interfax,  Aleksandr Grushko said: “In essence, by its preparations along our borders NATO tries to impose on us a confrontational agenda that has nothing to do with real needs in the security sphere.” He also said that Russia was closely following NATO’s preparations and updating their ability to respond to any potential threats.

Submitted by Robert Berke via OilPrice.com,

“With Tillerson's confirmation, Exxon just annexed the United States,” --anonymous blogger.

To many observers, the appointment of Tillerson to the helm the State Dept signaled the Administration’s priority of supporting the oil industry, which in recent years has been under severe pressure from OPEC’s campaign of over-production that forced prices down to a post-recession low.