China’s economic forays into resource rich Central Asia, a region which shares deep historical, political and economic ties with Moscow, has created certain discomfiture in the Russian establishment. In a recent trade meet in Uzbekistan a Russian trade official emphasised that Russia and China were “equal partners with an equal share in trade turnover” in … Read more
Russia’s fortress economy has proved remarkably resilient to an onslaught of Western sanctions. Two years after the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine, it continues to fund a costly war and to prop up President Vladimir Putin. But there’s at least one spot where the pain is very real. The Novatek PJSC-led Arctic LNG 2 facility, on … Read more
Vladimir Putin has ordered his government to look into creating a games console to rival the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X/S, as the Russian leader seeks to satisfy the country’s vast community of gamers, according to reports. Putin has ordered the government to “consider the issue of organising the production of stationary and … Read more
Video and photos of suspects in a mass shooting show them apparently being brutalised by Russian security forces – without any rebuke from authorities. A top Kremlin official urges that hit squads be sent to assassinate Ukrainian officials. Senior lawmakers call for restoring capital punishment, abolished decades ago. The aftermath of the Moscow concert hall … Read more
Even before the deadly toll of the attack on a Moscow concert hall Friday became clear, officials in Russia linked it to the war against Ukraine and a broader conflict with the West. Ninety minutes after first reports of the attack, Dmitry Medvedev, the former president and the deputy chair of the Kremlin’s security council, … Read more
Canada’s foreign minister has slammed Vladimir Putin’s re-election in Russia as a “flawed electoral process.” “While he may celebrate today,” Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said in a statement Monday, “history will judge Putin poorly for his authoritarianism, war and the illegal attempted annexation of the territory of a neighbouring country.” After years of eroding … Read more
Moscow: Russia’s election commission on Monday hailed what it said were “record” results for President Vladimir Putin, guaranteeing the former spy a fifth term in office after a vote that featured no credible opposition. The Kremlin has presented the weekend election — marred by ballot spoilers and Ukrainian bombardments of border regions — as proof … Read more
Russians crowded outside polling stations at midday Sunday on the last day of a three-day presidential election, apparently heeding an opposition call to protest against President Vladimir Putin. Putin is poised to extend his nearly quarter century of rule for six more years after a relentless crackdown on dissent. The election was taking place amid … Read more
There’s an old Soviet joke. An aide of the General Secretary and ruler Leonid Brezhnev rushes into his office during an election. Brezhnev’s communists secured 99.8 per cent of the vote but the aide is still worried. “We’ve been robbed!” he yells. “Someone broke into the Kremlin vault and stole next year’s election results!” More … Read more
“This is a deliberate distortion of the context,” Kremlin said. Moscow: The Kremlin said on Thursday that comments on nuclear weapons that Russian President Vladimir Putin made in an interview with state media did not constitute a threat to use them, and accused the U.S. of deliberately taking the remarks out of context. Putin said … Read more
