Page 47 - Vladimir Putin

Modi destroying democracy, no difference between him and Putin: Pawar

Nationalist Congress Party (SP) supremo Sharad Pawar on Sunday said there was no difference between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin while accusing the former of slowly destroying democracy in the country. Pawar was speaking to reporters at Akluj in Solapur district, where he visited the residence of former deputy chief minister Vijaysinh Mohite Patil to discuss candidates for Madha and Solapur Lok Sabha seats. "Modi doesn't wish for anyone from the Opposition to get elected. Such a stance by the prime minister shows that there is no difference between him and Russia's Vladimir Putin, he said. The arrest of a serving chief minister (Arvind Kejriwal) when the model code of conduct is in place shows that Modi is slowly destroying parliamentary democracy and the country is heading towards autocracy, Pawar said. In a democracy, like a ruling party, the opposition side is equally important, he said. When asked about the BJP's manifesto for the Lok Sabha

US, UK to implement restrictions on trade of Russian-origin metals

The U.S. and U.K. will begin restricting the trade of new Russian-origin metals including aluminum, copper and nickel on global metal exchanges and in derivatives trading. The announcement is meant to follow up on the Group of Seven nations' commitment in February to reduce Russia's revenues from metals as its invasion into Ukraine has dragged on for more than two years. Russia is a key exporter of metals like aluminum, steel and titanium but British and American officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to preview the announcement, said the economic impact from the ban would be negligible for consumers and producers. The intent is to limit Russia's revenues from metals, they say, as metals have earned the nation $40 billion in the past two years, according to British officials. Our new prohibitions on key metals, in coordination with our partners in the United Kingdom, will continue to target the revenue Russia can earn to continue its brutal war against Ukraine, said

Thousands of Russian soldiers flee war in Ukraine but have nowhere to go

If the choice was death or a bullet to the leg, Yevgeny would take the bullet. A decorated hero of Russia's war in Ukraine, Yevgeny told his friend and fellow soldier to please aim carefully and avoid bone. The tourniquets were ready. The pain that followed was the price Yevgeny paid for a new chance at life. Like thousands of other Russian soldiers, he deserted. I joke that I gave birth to myself, he said, declining to give his full name for fear of retribution. When a woman gives birth to a child, she experiences very intense pain and gives new life. I gave myself life after going through very intense pain. Yevgeny made it out of the trenches. But the new life he found is not what he had hoped for. The Associated Press spoke with five officers and one soldier who deserted the Russian military. All have criminal cases against them in Russia, where they face 10 years or more in prison. Each is waiting for a welcome from the West that has never arrived. Instead, all but one live

Russia, Germany, UK urge restraint as Iranian threat puts W Asia on edge

The German airline Lufthansa, one of only two Western carriers flying to Tehran, extended a suspension of its flights to the Iranian capital and Russia warned against travel to West Asia

Putin mocks scheduled Ukraine peace talks, highlights Russia's interests

Russia's President Vladimir Putin on Thursday mocked a scheduled round of Ukraine peace talks in Switzerland, warning that Moscow will not accept any enforced plans that ignore its interests. Switzerland's government said Wednesday it will host a high-level international conference in June to help chart a path toward peace in Ukraine after more than two years of fighting, and expressed hope that Russia might join in the peace process someday. Putin charged that Russia hadn't been invited to join June's talks, while pointing at Swiss recognition that a peace process can't happen without Russia. They aren't inviting us there, Putin said. Moreover, they think there is nothing for us to do there, but at the same time they say that's it's impossible to decide anything without us. It would have been funny if it weren't so sad." Russia has dismissed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's peace formula requiring Moscow to pull back its troops, pay compensation to Ukraine and face an ...

Ukraine's parl passes controversial law to boost much-needed conscripts

Ukraine's parliament passed a law on Thursday that will govern how the country recruits new conscripts, following months of delay and after thousands of amendments were submitted to water down the initial draft. Lawmakers dragged their feet for months over the law, which is expected to be unpopular. The law was spurred by a request from the military command under former army Commander Valerii Zaluzhny, who said Ukraine was in need of up to 500,000 new recruits to boost army ranks.

Russia court adds 2 more years to prison term of Navalny's associate

A court in Russia on Tuesday added two more years to a 7 1/2 year prison term of a former associate of late opposition leader Alexei Navalny, the latest step in the Kremlin's yearslong crackdown on dissent. Lilia Chanysheva, who used to head Navalny's office in the Russian region of Bashkortostan, was convicted on extremism charges, and Bashkortostan's Supreme Court extended her sentence to a total of 9 1/2 years, her lawyer Ramil Gizatullin said on the messaging app Telegram. The hearing took place behind closed doors. The Kremlin's crackdown against opposition activists, independent journalists and government critics has intensified after Russia sent troops into Ukraine more than two years ago. Hundreds have faced criminal charges over protests and remarks condemning the war in Ukraine, and thousands have been fined or briefly jailed. Chanysheva was convicted of calling for extremism, forming an extremist group and founding an organization that violates rights last summer. The ..

Anger boils over for lack of help amid record floods in Russia's Urals

With their properties either destroyed or severely damaged, some are unhappy with the compensation offered by authorities

Emmanuel Macron says 'no doubt' Russia will try to target Paris Olympics

French President Emmanuel Macron believes Russia could try to sabotage the Paris Olympics, including in terms of manipulation of information, which is a part of "Russia's arsenal of warfare" today

Russia renews attacks on Ukraine with new tactics, improved intelligence

When the Russian barrage hit the Ukrainian power plant, a worker named Taras was manning the control panel a crucial task that required him to stay as the air-raid siren blared and his colleagues ran for safety. After the deafening explosions came a cloud of smoke, then darkness. Fires blazed, and shrapnel pierced the roof of the huge complex, causing debris to rain down on workers. Following protocols, Taras shut down the coal-fired plant, his heart racing. In the March 22 attack, Russia unleashed more than 60 exploding drones and 90 missiles across Ukraine the worst assault on the country's energy infrastructure since the full-scale invasion began in early 2022. The fusillade reflected Russia's renewed focus on striking Ukrainian energy facilities. The volume and accuracy of recent attacks have alarmed the country's defenders, who say Kremlin forces now have better intelligence and fresh tactics in their campaign to annihilate Ukraine's electrical grid and bring its economy to a

Vladimir Putin vows to find masterminds of Moscow concert hall attack

Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed on Tuesday to track down the masterminds of the Moscow concert hall attack that left 144 people dead in the worst assault on Russian soil in two decades, and urged the country's law enforcement agencies to tighten security at mass gatherings. Putin has repeatedly sought to link the March 22 attack to Ukraine and the West despite the Islamic State group's claim of responsibility and Kyiv's vehement denial. Speaking at a meeting with top officials of the Interior Ministry that oversees the nation's police force, Putin said it is important to determine "not only the perpetrators of this outrage, but all links in the chain and its beneficiaries. He added, in an apparent threat of retaliation: Those who use this weapon against Russia should realize it's a double-edged weapon. Putin said that the masterminds of the concert hall raid sought to sow discord and panic, strife and hatred in our multiethnic country in order to break up Russia from within,

BJP wants to replicate Russia, China like rule, says Farooq Abdullah

The BJP wants to replicate Russia- and China-like rule in the country, National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah claimed on Tuesday and said the INDIA bloc has come forward to safeguard the Constitution, even at the cost of "our lives". He also targeted the Centre over the issue of the Katchatheevu island, handed over to Sri Lanka in the 1970s, and asked why the BJP-led Centre is silent on the "continuous incursion" by China in Ladakh and its claims over land in Arunachal Pradesh. "The INDIA bloc has been formed to safeguard the Constitution because there is apprehension that the Constitution will be finished (by the BJP) The same thing will happen here (in India) as (Russian President Vladimir) Putin and China President (Xi Jinping) are sitting there. They (the BJP) are making attempts as they want to rule the country for life (without any opposition)," Abdullah told reporters. "INDIA will not allow this to happen and protect the Constitution given by (BR) Amdedkar, even at the co

As cases of asset seizures rise, Vladimir Putin's tycoons seek safeguards

With most Russian billionaires having been sanctioned over the past two years, the next concern is which decades-old privatisation decisions might be reversed

We encourage peaceful resolution of Russia-Ukraine conflict, says India

India on Thursday said it continues to encourage a peaceful resolution of the Russia-Ukraine conflict through "dialogue and diplomacy". MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said this in response to a query during a press briefing on India's stand on the inaugural Peace Summit in Switzerland. "We continue to encourage peaceful resolution of Russian-Ukraine conflict through dialogue and diplomacy, and remain open to engage, all ways and means, that would help achieve this objective," he said. His comments came on a day Ukraine's Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba arrived here on his maiden visit to India. Kuleba said the bilateral cooperation between Ukraine and India is "important" and it will be strengthened. In response to a question on number of Indians "duped" by agents and sent to Russia to join the military, the MEA spokesperson said, "We are constantly in touch with Russian authorities, we are pressing, we have taken it up strongly for them to have our nationals released a

US and UK probe $20 billion of crypto transfers to Russian exchange

The Biden administration has been attempting to squeeze crypto exchanges like Garantex since the early days of the war

WSJ reporter Gershkovich marks year in Russian prison as jail time extended

For Evan Gershkovich, the dozen appearances in Moscow's courts over the past year have fallen into a pattern. Guards take the American journalist from the notorious Lefortovo Prison in a van for the short drive to the courthouse. He's led in handcuffs to a defendants' cage in front of a judge for yet another hearing about his pre-trial detention on espionage charges. The proceedings are always closed. His appeals are always rejected, and his time behind bars is always extended. Then it's back to Lefortovo. Gershkovich was arrested a year ago Friday while on a reporting trip for The Wall Street Journal to the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg. The Federal Security Service, or FSB, alleges he was acting on US orders to collect state secrets but provided no evidence to support the accusation, which he, the Journal and the US government deny. Washington designated him as wrongfully detained. The periodic court hearings give Gershkovich's family, friends and US officials a glimpse o

House Speaker Mike Johnson committed to advancing assistance to Ukraine

For over a month, House Speaker Mike Johnson has sat on a funding package that would send desperately needed ammunition and weaponry to Ukraine, mulling how best to gain a grasp of what is expected to be a difficult lift in the House. The Republican speaker has indicated he will attempt to push for approval of tens of billions in wartime funding for Ukraine, as well as Israel, once the House returns in April. Yet it will be perhaps his most difficult task since he took the speaker's gavel late last year. We'll turn our attention to it and we won't delay on that, the Louisiana representative said of the Ukraine package at a news conference last week. Still, Johnson has waited to act at a time when Russia is renewing its missile attacks on Kyiv. In Ukraine's eastern regions, soldiers are running low on ammunition as they attempt to hold off a surge of Russian soldiers to the frontlines. European leaders and analysts are warning that the conflict could grow into a much larger clash tha

Death toll in Moscow concert attack rises to 140 after another victim dies

The death toll from last week's Moscow concert hall attack rose to 140 on Wednesday after another victim died in a hospital, Russian officials said. That person was one of five still hospitalized in extremely grave condition, and the doctors did everything they could to save them, Russia's Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said. A total of 80 people injured in the attack remain hospitalized, the official added, and 205 others have sought outpatient medical assistance. The Friday night massacre in Crocus City Hall, a sprawling shopping and entertainment venue on the northwestern outskirts of Moscow, was the deadliest terrorist attack on the Russian soil in nearly 20 years. At least four gunmen toting automatic rifles shot at thousands of concertgoers and set the venue on fire. An affiliate of the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the violence, while US intelligence said it had information confirming the group was responsible. French President Emmanuel Macron said France

Gazprom buys former Shell stake in Sakhalin Energy for $1 billion

Sakhalin Project is fully owned by Gazprom, company filings showed

US warned Russia of terror attack 2 wks in advance, Moscow didn't listen

The US warning to Russia couldn't have been plainer: Two weeks before the deadliest attack in Russia in years, Americans had publicly and privately advised President Vladimir Putin's government that extremists had imminent plans for just such slaughter. The United States shared those advance intelligence indications under a tenet of the US intelligence community called the duty to warn," which obliges US intelligence officials to lean toward sharing knowledge of a dire threat if conditions allow. That holds whether the targets are allies, adversaries or somewhere in between. There's little sign Russia acted to try to head off Friday's attack at a concert hall on Moscow's edge, which killed more than 130 people. The Islamic State's affiliate in Afghanistan claimed responsibility, and the US said it has information backing up the extremist group's claim. John Kirby, the Biden administration's national security spokesman, made clear that the warning shouldn't be seen as a breakthrough