Will a Second Trump Presidency Reshape U.S.-Russia Ties? Experts Weigh In

Donald Trump’s sweeping presidential election victory over Vice President Kamala Harris was welcomed by Russian officials on Wednesday, with many expressing cautious hope for better relations with Washington under the new leadership.  Unlike incumbent Joe Biden, who has been one of Ukraine’s staunchest allies in its fight against the full-scale Russian invasion, Trump has built…

Details

Russia’s Central Bank Signals ‘Very Likely’ December Rate Hike

Russia’s Central Bank signaled a high likelihood of raising its key interest rate next month as the country’s rumbling war economy continues to drive inflation far above target levels, according to a new summary of policymakers’ meeting in October. Late last month, the regulator hiked its key rate to a record-high 21%, taking it even further than the emergency rate…

Details

Putin Oversees Launch Ceremony for Russia’s Newest Nuclear Icebreaker

President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday presided over the launch ceremony for Russia’s latest nuclear-powered icebreaker, as Moscow aims to expand its presence in the Arctic and replace markets lost to Western sanctions. “Strengthening the nation’s icebreaker fleet is crucial to our plans for Arctic development and boosting cargo traffic on the Northern Sea Route,” Putin…

Details

Russia’s Supreme Court Upholds Prison Sentence for Ex-Rebel Commander Girkin

Russia’s Supreme Court upheld the four-year prison sentence for nationalist and former rebel commander Igor Girkin, his wife and Russian media reported Wednesday. Girkin, a convicted war criminal in the West and better known by his alias Igor Strelkov, was convicted of “inciting extremism” in January. The 53-year-old was arrested last summer after he criticized…

Details

Zelensky Says He Hopes Trump ‘Victory’ Will Bring ‘Just Peace in Ukraine Closer’

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky congratulated Donald Trump Wednesday on his “impressive victory” in the U.S. election and said he hoped his presidency would bring a “just peace in Ukraine closer.” A likely second Trump term raises questions over Washington’s long-term support for Ukraine — which has fended off Russia’s full-scale invasion for almost three years — as the…

Details

Moscow Behind Incendiary Packages Sent Across Europe, Lithuanian Official Says

Moscow is responsible for sending incendiary devices in packages from Lithuania to other countries in Europe, an adviser to Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda told local media Tuesday. The accusations come a day after The Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed Western security officials, reported that Russia was orchestrating a covert sabotage campaign that involved sending packages…

Details

Ukrainian Drone Slams Into Apartment Complex in Russia’s Belgorod, Governor Says

A Ukrainian drone crashed into an apartment complex in the southwestern Russian city of Belgorod, injuring at least one person, regional authorities said Tuesday. Belgorod region governor Vyachelsav Gladkov said emergency workers rescued a man from the fifth floor of the apartment complex. According to Gladkov, the man suffered from a smoke inhalation injury but…

Details

Russia Launches ‘Record’ Number of Satellites Into Orbit, Including 2 Iranian-Built Devices

Russia launched 55 satellites into orbit on Tuesday, including two privately built Iranian devices, in a demonstration of deepening cooperation between Moscow and Tehran. A Soyuz rocket lifted off from the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia’s Far East at 2:18 a.m. Moscow time, carrying the payload, Russia’s Roscosmos space agency reported. In total, Roscosmos said the…

Details

Kremlin Calls Moldovan Presidential Election ‘Undemocratic’ and ‘Unfair’

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov accused Moldovan authorities of blocking thousands of Moldovans living in Russia from voting in Sunday’s presidential election and questioned the legitimacy of the results. “We can objectively assess these elections by noting that hundreds of thousands of Moldovans who live in the Russian Federation were not given the chance to vote,”…

Details

Governors of Russia’s Rostov, Tambov Regions Resign, Kicking Off Regional Shake-Up

The governors of Russia’s Rostov and Tambov regions announced their resignations on Monday, kicking off what political analysts refer to as “gubernatorpad,” or President Vladimir Putin’s annual shakeup of regional heads. “Today, the country’s leadership is setting other tasks for me at the federal level that will need to be carried out,” Tambov region Governor…

Details

Russia Demanded ‘Neutralization’ of Ukraine in Early Peace Treaty – Reports

Russia demanded that Ukraine drastically reduce its military and cede partially occupied territories, as well as that the West lift its sanctions, in the early stages of peace talks during Moscow’s 2022 invasion, the investigative outlet Systema reported Monday, citing a draft treaty proposal it said it obtained. Russia and Ukraine entered peace talks on Feb.…

Details

Over 3,300 Foreigners Have Received Russian Citizenship for Fighting in Ukraine, Official Says

More than 3,300 foreigners have been awarded Russian citizenship this year in return for aiding Moscow’s offensive in Ukraine, according to Interior Ministry spokeswoman Irina Volk.  In a Telegram post published Sunday, Volk praised her Interior Ministry colleagues for swiftly assisting “a foreign citizen from a neighboring country” who risked being deported from Russia to…

Details

Russia Claims Captured Ukraine Village Near Logistics Hub: Defense Ministry

Russia on Sunday claimed to have captured another Ukrainian village, just a dozen kilometers from the key eastern logistics hub Pokrovsk, as its troops advance rapidly. The Russian Defense Ministry said it had “liberated the settlement of Vichneve following offensive operations”. Russia has been making swift advances in the eastern Donetsk region for weeks, taking…

Details

Russians Weary of War, Turning to TV for Distraction, Moscow Patriarch Says

War-fatigued Russians are turning to entertainment for distraction in what could threaten Russia’s “civilizational identity,” said the head of Russia’s Orthodox Church. “After almost three years of active military operations, we see there’s a certain weariness among our fellow citizens of reports from the front lines,” Patriarch Kirill said at the church’s World Russian People’s…

Details

Russian Investigators Launch Probe Into Deadly Drone Attack on Kursk Region Convent

Russian law enforcement authorities on Friday launched a criminal investigation into a deadly Ukrainian drone strike on a convent in the southwestern Kursk region. Two young men were said to have been killed when drones dropped explosives on the Trinity Convent in the village of Durovo-Bobrik, around 30 kilometers (18.5 miles) from the border with Ukraine’s…

Details

Exiled Businessman Chichvarkin Says He’s Leaving Russia’s Opposition, Citing Infighting

Self-exiled entrepreneur Yevgeny Chichvarkin said Friday that he is temporarily stepping away from Russia’s opposition, criticizing activists for “fighting each other” instead of uniting against the Kremlin. “I’ve decided to withdraw from the Russian opposition for now, until my colleagues and friends refocus on fighting the bloody, monstrous, disgraceful Putin regime,” Chichvarkin said in a video…

Details

North Korea Says It Will Stand by Russia Until ‘Victory’ Over Ukraine

North Korea’s foreign minister met with her Russian counterpart in Moscow on Friday, assuring him that Pyongyang would stand by Russia until it achieves “victory” in its war against Ukraine. The meeting between the two foreign ministers comes amid Western reports that North Korea sent thousands of troops to Russia, possibly for further deployment on the battlefield in Ukraine.…

Details

Finland Charges Russian Nationalist Fighter With War Crimes Allegedly Committed in Ukraine

Finnish prosecutors on Thursday pressed charges against Russian nationalist fighter Vojislav Torden, accusing him of having committed war crimes in eastern Ukraine in 2014. Torden, formerly known as Yan Petrovsky, was detained at Helsinki Airport in July 2023 on suspicion of committing terror crimes in Ukraine. In February, a Finnish court handed him a suspended…

Details

Russia’s Constitutional Court Lifts Statute of Limitations for Anti-Corruption Asset Seizures

Russia’s Constitutional Court ruled Thursday that law enforcement authorities are no longer bound by statutes of limitations when seeking state seizure of assets in anti-corruption cases. “Prosecutors should not be constrained by time limits in anti-corruption lawsuits,” the court said. Those accused of corruption “must be denied the ability to use the statute of limitations…

Details

‘Alexander*a’: A Journey into the Life of Soviet Revolutionary Alexandra Kollontai

BERLIN – “Alexander*a” is a multimedia performance that immerses audiences in the world of pioneering revolutionary and politician Alexandra Kollontai.  As one of the first female diplomats in history, Kollontai also became a powerful advocate for women’s liberation within the early Soviet government.  Directed by Vika Privalova — a multidisciplinary artist born in Russia who…

Details

Russia-Iran Partnership Treaty ‘Coming Soon,’ Lavrov Says

Russia and Iran will sign a strategic partnership agreement “in the near future,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Thursday, as political and military ties between the two countries deepen. Both under heavy Western sanctions, Russia and Iran have strengthened their ties since Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, with Iran widely believed to be supplying Russia with…

Details

Police in Annexed Crimea Charge Woman Over 10-Year-Old Daughter’s ‘Pro-Ukraine’ Video

Russian police in annexed Crimea charged a woman with child neglect after her 10-year-old daughter allegedly posted a video online that “discredited” the Russian army, authorities said Wednesday. The video, shared on Russian Telegram channels, showed a girl choosing between Russian and Ukrainian flags, with an angry face emoji next to the Russian flag and…

Details

U.S. Sanctions Nearly 400 Firms, Accusing Them of Aiding Russia’s War Effort

Washington on Wednesday unveiled a new round of sanctions against almost 400 people and companies it accused of supplying Russia with advanced technology to support its “war machine.” The U.S. Treasury Department announced sweeping sanctions against 275 individuals and entities in countries including India, China, Switzerland and Turkey, with the restrictions aimed at “disrupting global…

Details

History Teacher in Russia’s Khabarovsk Creates North Korean Ideology Club for Students

A history teacher in the Far East Russian city of Khabarovsk created a club for students to learn about Juche, the state ideology of North Korea, Russian media reported Tuesday. According to the club’s founder, Vladislav Kushnirenko, members of the club are currently undertaking work to “debunk myths” about the isolated country after having visited…

Details

Russia Charges Woman With Treason for Buying Pro-Ukraine Stamps, Human Rights Group Says

Russian law enforcement authorities in annexed Crimea charged a woman with treason for allegedly buying non-fungible token stamps in support of the Ukrainian military, the Memorial human rights group said. Lyudmila Kolesnikova, 34, said in a letter to volunteers that she had been placed in pre-trial detention after being arrested by Federal Security Service (FSB)…

Details

Chelyabinsk Region Official Resigns After Murder Sparks Ethnic Clashes

The head of Chelyabinsk region’s Korkino district announced her resignation Wednesday amid mounting criticism from regional authorities over ethnic unrest that erupted following a local woman’s murder. On Thursday night, enraged residents in the town of Korkino gathered outside homes believed to belong to Romani families, damaging property and clashing with riot police. About 40…

Details