Watch as Putin oversees war games with Belarus September 14, 2021 Russian President Vladimir Putin oversaw vast joint military exercises with Belarus on Monday ahead of his country’s parliamentary elections later this week, as NATO member Poland voiced concern over the drills. Watch the full report.
Russia launches criminal probe into two allies of Kremlin critic Navalny August 10, 2021 Russian authorities have launched a criminal investigation into two top allies of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, for raising money for his political network – which has been labelled extremist. Allies Leonid Volkov and Ivan Zhdanov, who have already been exiled from the country, are at the centre of the investigation which was opened after a [...]
Putin’s annual press conference: No World War 3 if UK navy ship had sunk June 30, 2021 Russian President Vladimir Putin’s massive annual question-and-answer session with members of the public took place earlier today. Responding to one question, Putin downplayed the idea that the confrontation between Russian forces and a British navy warship last week could have sparked World War Three, even if the situation had turned out differently. Watch the full [...]
Biden–Putin summit: Leaders agree to resume talks after ‘constructive’ discussions June 16, 2021 US president Joe Biden and Russian president Vladimir Putin today discussed in detail steps they will take on arms control at a “positive” summit in Geneva. Putin at a press conference described the talks, lasting less than four hours, as “extremely constructive” without any hostility. Biden echoed similar remarks at a separate press conference, saying they [...]
Kremlin critic Navalny returns to prison after hunger strike hospital recovery June 7, 2021 Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, who was sentenced to 2.5 years in February, has been returned to prison after recovering from a hunger strike at a hospital in a different prison. The opposition politician had declared a hunger strike in late March in a bid for better medical care in prison after experiencing acute leg and [...]
Russia to set up 20 new military units in west to counter Nato’s ‘growing threat’ May 31, 2021 The Russian military will form 20 new units in the country’s west this year to counter what it claims is a growing threat from Nato. Defence minister Sergei Shoigu made the announcement at a meeting with top military officials. He pointed to a growing number of flights by US strategic bombers near Russia’s borders, deployments [...]
US informs Russia it will not rejoin Open Skies arms control pact May 27, 2021 The Biden administration has informed Russia that it will not rejoin a key arms control pact, even as the two sides prepare for a summit next month between their leaders. US officials said Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman told the Russians that the administration had decided not to re-enter the Open Skies Treaty, which [...]
Navalny allies arrested as Russia braces for nationwide protests April 21, 2021 Two of Alexei Navalny’s closest allies were arrested on Wednesday at the start of a planned day of mass protests in support of the jailed Kremlin critic. Lyubov Sobol, one of the faces of Navalny’s popular YouTube channel, and Kira Yarmysh, his spokeswoman, were both detained in Moscow, according to their lawyers. Navalny, Russia’s leading [...]
Russian rouble tumbles as threat of US sanctions resurfaces April 15, 2021 The Russian rouble fell two per cent against the dollar on Thursday, giving up gains made earlier this week as the threat of US sanctions on Moscow reared its head again. The US may announce sanctions on Russia as soon as today for alleged interference in its elections and malicious cyber activity targeting several individuals [...]
Joe Biden invites Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping to climate talks March 26, 2021 President Joe Biden is including rivals Vladimir Putin of Russia and Xi Jinping of China among the people he has invited to the first big climate talks of his administration. The US hopes the event will help shape, speed up and deepen global efforts to cut climate-wrecking fossil fuel pollution, administration officials said this evening. [...]