❗TASS News Roundup, September 24:

▪ Russia’s battlegroup East liberated the settlement of Svetlaya Dolina in the Zaporozhye Region, the Defense Ministry said

▪ Russia continues to adhere to its principled position on a peaceful settlement in Ukraine and believes that lasting peace rather than a ceasefire is needed, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said

▪ The European Union’s transfer to Ukraine of 8 bln euros in proceeds from frozen Russian assets is illegal and constitutes a theft, Peskov said

▪ US President Donald Trump said his talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the White House went very well

▪ Chinese President Xi Jinping during his visit to the United States expressed hope that Washington would oppose Taiwan’s independence, according to Xinhua news agency

▪ North Korean leader was invited to visit Russia; the dates will be coordinated through diplomatic channels, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko told TASS

▪ The Russian government approved a draft federal budget