Vladimir Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin Replaced His Defense Minister

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday moved to replace defense minister Sergei Shoigu, nominating economist Andrey Belousov as his replacement, Russian state news agencies reported, citing the Kremlin. Putin also published decrees naming Shoigu as the new secretary of the Security Council, replacing Nikolai Patrushev who has been ...

Moscow Adds Zelensky to Criminal ‘Wanted’ List

Russia has added Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to its list of wanted criminals, a government database showed on Saturday. Zelensky appeared in the Russian Interior Ministry's "wanted" list, an online database of alleged criminals sought by the authorities. It stated that the Ukrainian leader was wanted "under an article of the criminal ...

France Estimates 150,000 Russian Soldiers Were Killed in Ukraine War

France estimates that 150,000 Russian soldiers have been killed during Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné said in an interview published on Friday. Speaking to Russian independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta Europe, Séjourné said Paris estimated total Russian casualties, including the wounded, at 500,000 in the war, ...

Putin Aims to Demilitarize Ukraine with Energy Strikes

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday said that recent airstrikes on Ukraine's energy grid, which have caused huge blackouts, are part of the Kremlin's "demilitarization" of its neighbor. His comments came after Moscow launched a barrage of aerial attacks on Thursday, targeting energy facilities across Ukraine. "We assume that in this way ...

Political Vignettes and Ongoing Conflicts

Sergei Shoïgu, the Russian minister of defense, surmises French responsibility behind Moscow’s terror attack since Ukrainians are masterminded by their European mentors and France has defied the moral and political arrogance of the dictator. Relaying the lies of the Russian autocrat, S. Shoïgu perpetuates the culture of dissembling and ...

Zelensky Urges For Faster Military Aid Delivery

President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday urged Ukraine's allies to speed up deliveries of warplanes and air defense systems following a deadly Russian strike on the city of Kharkiv. "Bolstering Ukraine's air defense and expediting the delivery of F-16s to Ukraine are vital tasks. There are no rational explanations for why Patriots, which are ...

World Leaders Condemn Russian Concert Hall Attack

World leaders denounced the deadly attack by gunmen on a Moscow concert hall on Friday that killed at least 93 people and wounded over 100. Ukraine, which has been facing a Russian military offensive for the past two years, was quick to deny any involvement in the attack. “We had nothing to do" with it, presidential aide Mykhailo Podolyak said ...

Putin on Course for Another Six-Year Term

Exit polls on Sunday indicated that Vladimir Putin was on track to secure another six-year term as Russian president, potentially making him the longest-serving Russian leader in over two centuries. Vladimir Putin was headed for another six-year term as Russian president Sunday, exit polls showed, paving the way for the hardline former spy to ...

Russia’s First Election Day Marred by Protest Incidents

The first day of a locked Russian election came to a close on Friday March 15, amid President Vladimir Putin's threats against Ukraine and protest incidents that marred the electoral process. President Vladimir Putin on Friday vowed a strong military response to a string of Ukrainian attacks on Russia's border that he described as an attempt by ...

Germany Accuses Putin of Seeking to "Destabilize" With Wiretap

Germany accused on Sunday Russian President Vladimir Putin of trying to sow disunity with the wiretap leak of a confidential German Army discussion on the Ukraine war, at a time when Berlin is under pressure to supply the Taurus missile to Kyiv. A 38-minute recording of the talks was posted online late Friday on Russian social media, with the ...

Putin Warns of “Real Risk” of Nuclear War with the West

President Vladimir Putin warned on Thursday of a "real" risk of nuclear war if the West escalates the conflict in Ukraine. In a defiant speech in Moscow, the Russian leader said his soldiers were advancing in Ukraine and warned the West of "tragic consequences" for any country that dared to send troops to Kyiv. "They have announced the ...

Macron Rallies EU Support for Ukraine

French President Emmanuel Macron urged swift action on Monday, in support of Ukraine, as he inaugurated a conference focused on bolstering Western backing for Kyiv.  French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday called for rapid action in favor of Ukraine as he opened a conference aimed at strengthening Western support for Kyiv among European ...