EU to debate Russia sanctions after Navalny protest arrests
The European Union will consider fresh sanctions on Russian individuals on Monday after more than 3,000 people were arrested across Russia on Saturday to demand the release of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny. Lithuania’s foreign minister, arriving in Brussels for a meeting of the bloc’s 27 top diplomats, said “a change is in the air in […]
Read MoreRussia’s expanded foreign agent’s bill passes first reading
Russian lawmakers on Tuesday passed in its first reading controversial draft legislation including an expansion of who can be labeled a “foreign agent” amid an unrelenting clampdown on dissent, The Moscow Times reports. Under the proposed new changes, any individual could be deemed a foreign agent if they receive any material or monetary support from […]
Read MoreLife in Putin’s Russia is harder and harder
Russian President Vladimir Putin approved the set of laws on Tuesday, 160 days after Russian voters overwhelmingly approved constitutional reforms that pave the way for him to extend his 20-year rule until 2036. Another high-profile law Putin signed Tuesday gives prison terms of up to 10 years for giving away parts of Russian territory and […]
Read MoreLevel of confidence in Putin in Russia fell to historical minimum
Russia’s level of confidence in President Putin fell. The survey participants were asked to name 5-6 politicians whom they most trust – with no answer options. Only a quarter of respondents this time named Vladimir Putin. As correspondents noted, the president of Russia did not fulfill his promises to improve the standard of living of […]
Read MoreCaucasus-2020: Preparation for a new aggression?
Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered a snap “combat readiness check” involving 150,000 personnel and hundreds of aircraft and naval vessels to ensure security in Russia’s southwest, where he sees a “serious threat” from terrorism. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on July 17 that the “check” had already begun and will test the readiness […]
Read MoreKremlin always denies its guilt
In Vladimir Putin’s Kremlin, lying — willfully, methodically, shamelessly — is the default response to any accusations of wrongdoing. Russia did not meddle in American elections. Accusations of systematic Olympic doping are malicious foreign inventions. The Novichok nerve agent killers in Salisbury, were there only to admire the cathedral’s spire. Russia has nothing to do […]
Read MorePutin wants a new age of empires
Russian ruler Vladimir Putin is currently in the twentieth year of his reign – and he is not going anywhere. On the contrary, the Kremlin strongman has just staged a fig leaf referendum that will enable him to remain in power until 2036. Tellingly, in the weeks preceding the vote, Putin offered the Russian public […]
Read MoreUK imposes sanctions against Russians
Britain has imposed sanctions on more than two dozen Russian individuals in connection with the death of lawyer Sergei Magnitsky as relations between the two nations remain frayed over what London calls Moscow’s destabilizing acts. Addressing parliament, foreign minister Dominic Raab said: “The first designations will cover those individuals involved in the torture and murder […]
Read MoreMacron Plans To Raise Ukraine, Other Security Matters In Video Talk With Putin
Today, on June 26, French President Emmanuel Macron will hold a videoconference with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The coronavirus pandemic and security issues, including the situation in Ukraine, are on the agenda. The situations in Syria, Iran, and Libya will also be raised as well as “cooperation in the fields of health and the environment,” […]
Read MoreRussia staging massive ‘Victory Day’ parade amid pandemic
Russia is holding a postponed Victory Day military parade in Moscow on June 24 as President Vladimir Putin seeks to solidify support ahead of a referendum that could pave the way for his extended rule. For Putin, the event is particularly significant this year as it falls ahead of a July 1 national vote on […]
Read More