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Economic stability key selling point as Putin gears up for reelection

Russians are finding a few imported staples, like fruit, coffee and olive oil, have shot way up in price. Most global brands have disappeared or been reincarnated as Russian equivalents under new, Kremlin-friendly ownership. A lot more Chinese cars are zipping around the streets. Those who want a particular luxury cosmetic may be out of luck. Other than that, not much has changed economically for most people in President Vladimir Putin's Russia, more than two years after he sent troops into Ukraine. That's despite the sweeping sanctions that have cut off much of Russia's trade with Europe, the U.S. and their allies. That sense of stability is a key asset for Putin as he orchestrates his foreordained victory in the March 15-17 presidential election for a fifth, six-year term. Inflation is higher than most people would like, at over 7% above the central bank's goal of 4%. But unemployment is low, and the economy is expected to grow 2.6% this year, according to the International ...

US imposes sanctions on Russian shipping giant in bid to squeeze oil sales

Among other measures imposed on Russia following the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the US and its allies slapped an oil-price sales cap on the country's exports

Russian crude oil traders come up with ways to sidestep US sanctions

Russian barrels are not sanctioned for countries like India, but if the ships they are delivered on come under sanctions then India cannot buy such shipments

Country needs long-range missiles to end Russia's invasion: Ukraine's PM

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Tuesday that his country needs long-range missiles and other ammunition to end Russia's invasion, and said he expects a US aid package that's stalled in Congress to come through, speaking at a news conference the day after he attended a conference in Tokyo on reconstructing Ukraine. Ukraine has modern equipment, training soldiers and fighting at NATO standards and that European countries and the United States are supporting us, absolutely," Shmyhal said. But, he said, the country needs more long-range missiles for air defense against Russia on the frontline, Shmyhal said. Unfortunately, now they prevail in the air and unfortunately this leads to some consequences from the frontline, but I should say that we have no refuses from our partners to supply military equipment to Ukraine," he said. In many western countries, military support for Ukraine is facing pushback over growing costs as the war approaches the two-year mark. The United

In today's Russia, free spirits are sent to Gulag: French President Macron

Reacting to the reported death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, French President Emmanuel Macron said that free spirits are sent to the Gulag and condemned to death in today's Russia

After defending it for four months, Ukraine withdrawing from Avdiivka

Ukraine's military chief said early Saturday that he's withdrawing troops from the city of Avdiivka in eastern Ukraine, where outnumbered defenders battled a Russian assault for four months. The timing is critical as Russia is looking for a morale boost ahead of the second anniversary on Feb. 24 of Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the March presidential election in Russia. In a short statement posted on Facebook early Saturday, Ukrainian commander Oleksandr Syrskyi said he had made the decision to avoid encirclement and preserve the lives and health of servicemen." The commander-in-chief added that troops were moving to more favourable lines." Our soldiers performed their military duty with dignity, did everything possible to destroy the best Russian military units, inflicted significant losses on the enemy in terms of manpower and equipment. We are taking measures to stabilise the situation and maintain our positions, the statement read. The withdrawal came a day afte

Navalny's death brings new urgency for more US aid to Ukraine: Biden

President Joe Biden said on Friday that the apparent death of Russian anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny brings new urgency to the need for Congress to approve tens of billions of dollars for Ukraine to stave off Moscow's invasion. Speaking at the White House, Biden said that no matter the cause, he holds Russian President Vladimir Putin responsible for Navalny's death. He added, I hope to God it helps push US lawmakers to send more aid to Ukraine. Biden said that history is watching lawmakers in the House, which hasn't moved to take up a Senate-passed bill that would send funds and armaments to Ukraine, whose troops US officials say are running out of critical munitions on the battlefield. The failure to support Ukraine at this critical moment will never be forgotten, Biden said. And the clock is ticking. This has to happen. We have to help now. Biden said the US had not confirmed Navalny's death in a Russian prison above the Arctic Circle, but that he had no reason to doubt

Russian efforts to create anti-satellite weapons are cause for US concern

The US has gathered highly sensitive intelligence about Russian anti-satellite weapons that has been shared in recent weeks with the upper echelons of government, according to four people who have been briefed on the intelligence. The people, who were not authorised to comment publicly, said the capability was not yet operational. The intelligence sparked an urgent but vague warning Wednesday from the Republican head of the House Intelligence Committee, who urged the Biden administration to declassify information about what he called a serious national security threat. Rep. Mike Turner gave no details about the nature of the threat, and the Biden administration also declined to address it. But several leading lawmakers, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, cautioned against being overly alarmed. A congressional aide said he understood that the threat relates to a space-deployed Russian anti-satellite weapon. Such a weapon could pose a major danger to U.S. satellites that transmit .

Russia, China accuse US, UK of attacking Yemen rebels' military sites

Russia and China on Wednesday accused the United States and Britain of illegally attacking military sites used by Yemen's Houthi rebels to launch missiles at commercial vessels in the Red Sea, disrupting global shipping. US deputy ambassador Robert Wood and UK Ambassador Barbara Woodward countered that the Houthi attacks are illegal, and their proportionate and legal action against the Yemen rebels are being taken in self-defense. Woodward said the Houthi attacks are driving up the costs of global shipping, including the costs of food supplies and humanitarian aid in the region. But Russia's deputy U.N. ambassador Dmitry Polyansky and China's U.N. envoy Zhang Jun argued that the U.N. Security Council never authorized military action against Yemen. The clashes came at a council meeting where U.N. special envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg said promising efforts to restore peace to Yemen have been slowed by rising regional tensions linked to the war in Gaza and "in particular the militar

Russia prefers Biden to Trump because he's 'more experienced, predictable'

President Vladimir Putin has said that Russia would prefer to see President Joe Biden win a second term, describing him as more experienced than Donald Trump. Speaking in an interview with a correspondent of Russian state television on Wednesday, Putin declared that he would work with any US leader who is elected, but noted unequivocally that he would prefer Biden's victory when asked who would be a better choice from the point of view of Russia. Biden, he's more experienced, more predictable, he's a politician of the old formation, Putin said. But we will work with any US leader whom the American people trust. Asked about speculation on Biden's health issues, Putin responded I'm not a doctor and I don't consider it proper to comment on that. Biden's team worked to alleviate Democratic concerns over alarms raised by a special counsel about Biden's age and memory. They came in a report determining that Biden would not be charged with any criminal activity for possessing classified .

Prez Biden warns opposing Ukraine funding 'playing into Putin's hands'

President Joe Biden on Tuesday urgently called for House Republicans to bring a USD 95.3 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan to a vote, warning that refusal to take up the bill, passed overnight in the morning by the Senate, would be "playing into Putin's hands". "Supporting this bill is standing up to Putin," Biden said, raising his voice in strong comments from the White House. But the package faces a deeply uncertain future in the House, where hardline Republicans aligned with former President Donald Trump -- the frontrunner for the GOP presidential nomination, and a critic of support for Ukraine -- oppose the legislation. Speaker Mike Johnson has cast new doubt on the package and made clear that it could be weeks or months before Congress sends the legislation to Biden's desk. The months-long push to approve the USD 60 billion in Ukraine aid that is included in the package has exposed growing political divisions in the Republican Party over the role of the US ...

Elon Musk says Putin can't lose war in Ukraine, opposes senate bill

Musk's comments came as he agreed with Johnson's statement that Putin would not lose in Ukraine. Johnson said those who expect a Ukraine victory were "living in a fantasy world"

Russia warns West: We will be very tough if you 'steal' our assets

Russia has said that if its property is seized then it will seize U.S., European and other assets in responses

Russia, West clash over Ukraine at UNSC meeting ahead of war anniversary

Russia accused the West on Monday of sabotaging agreements that would have prevented the war in Ukraine -- but the US and its allies put the blame squarely on Moscow, saying there is no escaping that President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of its smaller neighbour. Days before the second anniversary of Russia's invasion on February 24, 2022, Russia's UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia again put the cause of the war down to the failure to implement the 2015 Minsk agreements, which he blamed on "Kyiv's sabotage" supported by the West. The agreements aimed to resolve the conflict between Ukraine and Russia-backed separatists that flared in April 2014 after Russia's annexation of Crimea and its support for the separatists in the mostly Russian-speaking industrial east called Donbas. At Monday's Security Council meeting that Russia called on the seventh anniversary of the signing of the Minsk peace plan brokered by France and Germany, Nebenzia called claims by Ukraine and Western natio

Warned Nato allies to spend more on defence to counter Russia: Donald Trump

Republican front-runner Donald Trump said Saturday that, as president, he warned NATO allies that he would encourage Russia to do whatever the hell they want to countries that are delinquent as he ramped up his attacks on foreign aid and longstanding international alliances. Speaking at a rally in Conway, South Carolina, Trump recounted a story he has told before about an unidentified NATO member who confronted him over his threat not to defend members who fail to meet the trans-Atlantic alliance's defense spending targets. But this time, Trump went further, saying had told the member that he would, in fact, encourage Russia to do as it wishes in that case. You didn't pay? You're delinquent?' Trump recounted saying. No I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. You gotta pay. You gotta pay your bills.' NATO allies agreed in 2014, after Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula, to halt the spending cuts they had made after the Cold

Parl highlights: Lok Sabha adjourned sine die as Budget session concludes

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India does not trust US; played smart by staying close with Russia: Haley

Aspiring Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley on Wednesday said that India wants to be a partner with the US, but as of now they don't trust Americans to lead. The Indian-American presidential aspirant also said that New Delhi has played smart in the current global situation and stayed close with Russia. In an interview with Fox Business News, Haley, 51, said that as of now India sees the United States as weak. "I have dealt with India too. I have got to say, I have dealt with India too. I have talked with Modi. India wants to be a partner with us. They don't want to be a partner with Russia," she said. "The problem is, India doesn't trust us to win. They don't trust us to lead. They see right now that we're weak. India has always played it smart. They have played it smart, and they have stayed close with Russia, because that's where they get a lot of their military equipment," she said in response to a question. "When we start to lead again, when we start to get the weak

Russia accuses US of aggression against Iraq and Syria, US vows to continue

Russia accused the United States on Monday of aggression against Iraq and Syria aimed at preserving its global dominance and salvaging the Biden administration's image ahead of US elections. The US retorted that its military response to unjustified attacks by Iranian-backed proxies against American forces is not only legal but will continue. The exchange came at a contentious UN Security Council meeting called by Russia, Syria's closest ally, where both countries also said they did not want an escalation and spillover of the Israel-Hamas war. Many council members expressed fears of a growing Mideast conflict and urged de-escalation and stepped-up peace efforts. Russia's UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia accused the US of violating international law and continuing to sow chaos and destruction in the Middle East. He said violence by the United States and its allies has escalated from the Palestinian territories to Lebanon, the Red Sea and Yemen and is nullifying international efforts to

Ukraine claims to uncover $40 million corruption in weapon procurement

Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) said it has discovered a mass corruption scheme in the purchase of weapons amounting to nearly USD 40 million by the country's military, CNN reported

US sanctions on Russian oil shipments a worry for Indian refiners

Enhanced enforcement of sanctions by Western powers may increase procurement costs and reduce the appeal of discounted Russian crude