Russian President Vladimir Putin has appointed a new permanent representative to the United Nations.

Putin signed a decree on July 27 officially appointing Vasily Nebenzya Moscow's envoy to the UN.

Nebenzya stepped down as a deputy foreign minister to take the new job.

The post had been temporarily filled by Pyotr Ilyichyov, who was given the job after the sudden death of Vitaly Churkin in New York in February.

Churkin had served as Russia's envoy to the United Nations since 2006, having succeeded current Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

</s>Russian President Vladimir Putin has appointed veteran diplomat Vasily Nebeznya as the country's new ambassador to the United Nations.

Nebeznya's appointment, to replace Vitaly Churkin, who died in February, had been expected for months. The decree formally naming him as ambassador was published on the Kremlin website on Thursday.

Nebeznya had been a deputy foreign minister since 2013. He previously was an adviser to Russia's UN delegation and deputy Russian representative at the UN office in Geneva.

State news agency RIA-Novosti quoted him as saying that in his new post, "I have hopes that the fog will dissipate and settle, and then many of the things for which they are trying to nail Russia to the pillar of shame will appear completely otherwise."</s>Russian President Vladimir Putin appointed Vasily Nebenzya as Russia's permanent representative to the UN on Thursday, according to a decree published on the Kremlin's website.

Russian legislator Leonid Slutsky, the head of the State Duma's international affairs committee, said Nebenzya was "the right choice" for the role.

"No doubt that Vasily Alekseyevich (Nebenzya) will manage to competently continue the constructive and professional policy of Vitaly Churkin, aimed at convincing partners in the UN Security Council of the integrity and honesty of our approaches," said Slutsky, as quoted by state news agency TASS.

"Nebenzya certainly works as professionally as his predecessor" and "will adhere to the high standards set forth by him," Slutsky said. Nebenzya has held various positions in the Russian Foreign Ministry and overseas. He holds diplomatic rank of ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary. Born in Russia's Volgograd region, Nebenzya graduated from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations and has worked for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs since 1983. Nebenzya was appointed a deputy foreign minister in 2013, and prior to that headed the Foreign Ministry's Department for Humanitarian Cooperation and Human Rights. From 2006 to 2012 Nebenzya held the office of deputy ambassador to Russia's permanent representative to the United Nations office and other international organizations in Geneva.</s>The Kremlin on Thursday announced the appointment of Vasily Nebenzya as Russia's ambassador to the United Nations, replacing the previous long-serving envoy Vitaly Churkin who died in February.

President Vladimir Putin signed a decree appointing Nebenzya, the Kremlin wrote on its website.

Nebenzya will start in the new post as relations between Russia and the West have hit post-Cold War lows over Moscow's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine and its role in escalating the eastern Ukrainian separatist conflict.

Churkin, who died suddenly after collapsing at work aged 64, was a well-known figure who had been Russia's U.N. ambassador since 2006. In recent years he energetically defended Russia's policies on Ukraine and Syria.

Russia has used its right to veto at the U.N. Security Council to block resolutions on Syria on eight occasions.

Churkin's successor, 55-year-old Nebenzya, is a career diplomat who previously served as a deputy foreign minister. He will also represent Russia at the U.N. Security Council.

Nebenzya began his career as an attache at the Soviet embassy in Thailand. He previously worked at the U.N. from 1996 to 2000 as a senior adviser to Russia's mission in New York. He speaks English and Spanish, according to the foreign ministry website.</s>Russian President Vladimir Putin has appointed Vasily Nebenzya as Russia's envoy to the UN. The appointment comes after the sudden death of former ambassador and prominent diplomat Vitaly Churkin in February.Nebenzya, 55, is a career diplomat with almost 35 years of service in the Russian Foreign Ministry. He served in New York as a senior adviser to the Russian envoy to the UN between 1996 and 2000.He also spent five years as Russia's deputy permanent representative in the World Trade Organization. In the early 2010s, he served as the Russian deputy envoy to the UN in Geneva before being promoted to deputy foreign minister in 2013.Nebenzya was nominated to become Russia's next envoy to the UN in mid-April and confirmed by the Russian parliament this month. President Putin signed his appointment to the position on Thursday.The diplomat won the praise of the former director-general of the United Nations Office at Geneva, Sergey Ordzhonikidze, who described his appointment to the post of the Russian UN envoy as a "good choice.""He is a very competent and experienced man," Ordzhonikidze said, adding that the diplomat has a "good understanding of the problems the UN is facing."The official also said he "has no doubts" that the new envoy is capable of "taking a blow.""He is good at repartee," Ordzhonikidze said, as cited by the RIA Novosti news agency."Vasily Nebenzya has a good sense of humor, he is a great conversationalist, well-informed and interested in many issues. I believe he is a very talented and capable man," Ordzhonikidze added.The previous Russian envoy to the UN, Churkin, died in office in February after holding the position for over a decade. He reportedly suffered a heart attack. Churkin was a prominent diplomat who was praised by many of his Russian and Western colleagues.</s>Starting in 2006, Vitaly Churkin was Russia’s Ambassador to the UN, a man whose intelligence, wit and grace under pressure became admired by his colleagues and even his adversaries.

When Churkin died suddenly and mysteriously on the 20th of February, 2017, Russia and indeed the entire United Nations realised that his were almost impossible to fully fill.

Now however, Churkin’s seat at the UN will be taken over full time by Vasily Nebenzya.

Vasily Alekseevich Nebenzya was born in 1962 and began his long diplomatic career as the Soviet Union’s Ambassador to Thailand in 1988. In 1990 he returned to Moscow to work in the Foreign Ministry of the Soviet Union and later of the Russian Federation.

After many previous diplomatic roles including Russia’s Ambassador to the United Nation’s offices in Geneva, Nebenzya took up the prestigious position as one of Russia’s Deputy Foreign Ministers under Sergey Lavrov.

Starting soon, Nebenzya will be based permanently in New York where he will represent Russia at the UN, including from Russia’s position as one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council.

I personally wish the best of fortune to Vasily Alekseevich, in what is one of the most important and demanding jobs in the world.</s>Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that Moscow will ultimately have to respond to sanctions imposed by the United States that he condemned as insolent towards Russia.

"We are behaving in a very restrained and patient way, but at some moment we will need to respond," Putin said at a news conference after talks with his Finnish counterpart Sauli Niinisto.

He complained that "it's impossible to endlessly tolerate this kind of insolence towards our country," referring to tougher US sanctions that were backed by the House of Representatives on Tuesday.

Nevertheless he did not specify what Russia's response could be, saying simply: "When the response will be and what it will be -- that we will see," implying this depended on what action the US finally takes.

The Russian strongman slammed the intensifying probe into Russian meddling in the US presidential election, saying it bore witness to "a rise in anti-Russian hysteria" in Washington.

He bemoaned the worsening of relations with the United States, saying "Of course, we regret it very much."

Putin also argued that "Russian-US relations are being sacrificed to resolve questions of domestic politics," specifying that "in this case, it is the battle between President (Donald) Trump and his political opponents."

The two countries acting in agreement "could solve very acute problems much more effectively," Putin said, specifying the "fight with terrorism."</s>Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that Moscow will ultimately have to respond to sanctions imposed by the United States that he condemned as insolent towards Russia.

"We are behaving in a very restrained and patient way, but at some moment we will need to respond," Putin said at a news conference after talks with his Finnish counterpart Sauli Niinisto.

He complained that "it's impossible to endlessly tolerate this kind of insolence towards our country," referring to tougher US sanctions that were backed by the House of Representatives on Tuesday.

"This practice is unacceptable -- it destroys internatioanl relations and international law," Putin said of sanctions.

Nevertheless he did not give any detail on what Russia's response could be, saying simply: "we will see," adding that he had not seen the final version of the US sanctions bill.

The US legislation is aimed at punishing the Kremlin for allegedly meddling in the 2016 US presidential election, and Russia's annexation of Crimea.

It is expected to be passed by the Senate, after which US President Donald Trump will face the tricky choice of whether to veto the legislation.

The Russian strongman criticised the probe into Russian meddling in the US presidential election, saying that he "does not see this as an investigation."

Instead he said, the probe bears witness to a "rise in anti-Russian hysteria" in Washington.

At the same time he said he regretted Russia's worsening relations with the United States.

"In answer to your question on whether I regret the worsening of relations with the US, I can give a direct answer: of course, we do regret it very much," he told a journalist.

"It's a great pity that Russian-US relations are being sacrificed to resolve questions of domestic politics," Putin said, specifying that "in this case, it is the battle between President Trump and his political opponents."

The two countries acting in agreement "could solve very acute problems much more effectively that concern the people both of Russia and the US," Putin said, specifying the "settlement of acute international crises (and) the fight with terrorism."

He said he hoped "today's state of affairs will end at some point and we will move on to a new quality of relations, we will strengthen them and build them up in the interests of the peoples of the US and Russia."</s>SAVONLINNA, Finland (AFP) - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday (July 27) complained that the probe into Russia's alleged meddling in the United States presidential election bore witness to increasing anti-Russian hysteria.

"We are just seeing a rise in anti-Russian hysteria," Putin said at a news conference after talks with his Finnish counterpart Sauli Niinisto, adding: "It's a great pity that Russian-US relations are being sacrificed to resolve questions of domestic politics."</s>Savonlinna: President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday Russia would be forced to retaliate at some point if Washington pressed ahead with new sanctions against Moscow, but said his response would depend on the final text of the proposed law.

Russia was speaking after the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday overwhelmingly voted to impose new sanctions on Moscow and to force President Donald Trump to obtain lawmakers` permission before easing any sanctions on Russia.

Putin, on a visit to Finland, said the proposed U.S. sanctions were "extremely cynical" and an attempt by Washington to safeguard its own geopolitical interests at the expense of its allies in Europe.

Investigations into Russia`s alleged meddling in the U.S. presidential elections were merely a symptom of growing anti-Russian hysteria in the United States, Putin said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin appoints Vasily Nebenzya to be the new Permanent Representative of Russia to the United Nations following the sudden death of Vitaly Churkin in February.