Russians have applied for more visas to Europe’s visa-free Schengen area so far this year than in 2023, despite bureaucratic and geopolitical hurdles, the business newspaper Kommersant reported Wednesday, citing travel industry data. Demand for business and tourist visas to the 29-nation Schengen Zone rose by 35% between January and October compared to the same…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Russian President Vladimir Putin does not plan to offer his congratulations to Donald Trump, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday, as the former U.S. president was on the cusp of securing a second term in the Oval Office. “I’m not aware of any plans by the president to congratulate Trump,” Peskov told reporters shortly after…
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…
Donald Trump claimed a “magnificent” victory over Kamala Harris in the fight for the presidency on Wednesday as results put him on the verge of one of the most stunning comebacks in U.S. political history. A Trump victory holds immense significance not only for Americans, but also for international relations — particularly with Russia. U.S.-Russia…
Lawmakers from Russia’s upper-house Federation Council voted unanimously on Wednesday to ratify a mutual defense treaty with North Korea, as Western news outlets report that Ukrainian forces have engaged in clashes with North Korean soldiers sent to fight in the Kursk region. President Vladimir Putin signed the agreement with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during a…
Ukrainian drones targeted the North Caucasus republic of Dagestan, media reported and authorities reported early Wednesday, in the first such attack on the region since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. “This morning, air defense forces destroyed an unmanned aerial vehicle over Kaspiysk,” Dagestan head Sergei Melikov said on Telegram. Kaspiysk, a port city named after…