Vladimir Putin

Russia keeps rates at 21% amid inflation struggles fueled by war spendings

Russia's central bank has left its benchmark interest rate at 21 per cent, holding off on further increases as it struggles to snuff out inflation fueled by the government's spending on the war against Ukraine. The decision comes amid criticism from influential business figures, including tycoons close to the Kremlin, that high rates are putting the brakes on business activity and the economy. Factories are running three shifts making everything from vehicles to clothing for the military, while a labour shortage is driving up wages and fat enlistment bonuses are putting more rubles in people's bank accounts to spend. All that is driving up prices. On top of that, the weakening Russian ruble raises the prices of imported goods like cars and consumer electronics from China, which has become Russia's biggest trade partner since Western sanctions disrupted economic relations with Europe and the US. High rates can dampen inflation but also make it more expensive for businesses to get th

Brics developing tools to lead global economy, attract new members: Putin

Russian head of state emphasised that the association works for the interests of the member states

Russia's Prez Putin boasts of gains in Ukraine at annual news conference

President Vladimir Putin boasted that his military operation in Ukraine has strengthened Russia and denied that the ouster of key ally Bashar Assad in Syria had hurt Moscow's prestige, as he held his annual news conference and call-in show Thursday. He used the tightly choreographed event, which lasted for about 4 1/2 hours, to reinforce his authority and demonstrate a sweeping command of everything from consumer prices to military hardware. He claimed that sending troops into Ukraine in 2022 has boosted Russia's military and economic power. He also said that if he could go back in time, he would have thought that such a decision should have been made earlier, and Russia should have prepared for it in advance and more thoroughly. "Russia has become much stronger over the past two or three years because it has become a truly sovereign country, he said. We are standing firm in terms of economy, we are strengthening our defence potential and our military capability now is the strongest

Putin, Zelenskyy rule out renewal of key gas transit deal for Europe

Kyiv has refused to extend the five-year deal to ship Russian gas across Ukraine beyond its expiry at the end of this month, President Vladimir Putin said in Moscow

Russia ready to compromise with Donald Trump on Ukraine war, says Putin

Asked what he might be able to offer Trump, Putin dismissed an assertion that Russia was in a weak position, saying that Russia had got much stronger since he ordered troops into Ukraine in 2022

Stupid for Biden to let Ukraine use US weapons to strike Russia: Trump

President-elect Donald Trump on Monday suggested that he may reverse President Joe Biden's recent decision to allow Ukrainian forces to use American long-range weapons to strike deeper into Russian territory. Trump called the decision made by Biden last month stupid." He also expressed anger that his incoming administration was not consulted before Biden made the move. With the loosening of the restrictions, Biden gave Ukraine long-sought permission to use the Army Tactical Missile System provided by the U.S. to strike Russian positions hundreds miles from its border. I don't think that should have been allowed, not when there's a possibility certainly not just weeks before I take over," Trump said during at a wide-ranging news conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort. "Why would they do that without asking me what I thought? I wouldn't have had him do that. I think it was a big mistake. Trump's withering criticism of the Biden administration's move comes as the Democratic administratio

Zelenskyy should prepare to make deal to end Russia-Ukraine war, says Trump

Trump said it would take a century to rebuild Ukrainian cities leveled by the Russian invasion and brushed aside Ukrainian hopes of recapturing seized territory

Men signing up for military voluntarily turning the tide of war: Putin

He said roughly 430,000 Russians had signed army contracts this year, up from roughly 300,000 the year before, a factor he said had huge importance for Russia's war effort

Ukrainian drones strike Russia as Kyiv reels from consecutive air attacks

Ukrainian drone strikes on southern Russia killed a 9-year-old boy and set fire to a major oil terminal, officials said Saturday, the day after Moscow launched a massive aerial attack on its neighbour that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said was one of the heaviest bombardments of the country's energy sector since Russia's full-scale invasion almost three years ago. The boy died when a drone struck his family's home outside Belgorod, a Russian city near the border with Ukraine, local Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov reported on Saturday morning on the Telegram messaging app. His mother and 7-month-old sister were hospitalised with injuries, Gladkov said. He posted photos of what he said was the aftermath of the attack, showing a low-rise house with gaping holes in its roof and front wall flanked by mounds of rubble. Elsewhere in southern Russia, Ukrainian drones overnight hit a major oil terminal in the Oryol region, sparking a blaze, Ukraine's General Staff reported on Saturday

Russia transported Assad in most secured way, says Russian Deputy FM

The Kremlin said on Monday that President Vladimir Putin had made the decision to grant asylum in Russia to Assad

New updates: Delhi's air quality again turns 'poor', likely to remain same for next 2 days

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Russia open to negotiations on Ukraine, welcomes peace initiatives: Kremlin

We have carefully read the statement by US President-elect Donald Trump, made after his meeting with Macron and Zelensky in Paris, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov added

Rajnath Singh attends commissioning ceremony of INS Tushil in Russia

The ships construction was closely monitored by an Indian team of specialists from the Warship Overseeing Team stationed at Kaliningrad, under the aegis of the Indian Embassy in Moscow

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s visit to Russia: Key highlights

Assad left Syria after giving orders for peaceful power handover: Russia

Russia's Foreign Ministry claimed Sunday that Bashar Assad had left Syria after negotiations with rebel groups, and gave instructions to transfer power peacefully. In a post on the Telegram messaging app on Sunday, the ministry said Moscow had not directly participated in these talks. It also said it has been following the dramatic events in Syria with extreme concern". It also said Russian troops stationed in Syria have been put on high alert and that as of early afternoon Sunday, there was no serious threat to the security of Russia's military bases there. Russia has waged a military campaign in Syria since September 2015, teaming up with Iran to allow Assad's government to fight armed opposition groups and reclaim control over most of the country. While Russia now concentrates the bulk of its military resources in Ukraine, it has maintained a military foothold in Syria and keeps troops at its bases there.

Russia's FM Lavrov signals readiness to use any means in Ukraine conflict

Lavrov said Ukraine had lost the opportunity to maintain its territorial integrity by twice rejecting proposals for a deal, once before full-scale war began and then in talks in April 2022 in Turkey

Putin lauds Modi's 'India First' policy, says Russia will 'Make in India'

Russian President Vladimir Putin expresses Russia's readiness to establish manufacturing operations in India, describing investments in the country as profitable

US continues to exploit other economies for their benefit: Vladimir Putin

Addressing the VTB Investment Forum in Moscow on Wednesday, Putin said that the opponents of the US did a lot to undermine the fundamental basis of dollar as their international reserve currency

Putin praises India's support for SMEs through 'Make In India' initiative

Addressing the VTB Investment Forum in Moscow on Wednesday, Putin drew similarities between Russia's import substitution program to India's "Make in India" initiative

Putin urges govt, central bank to coordinate action to curb high inflation

"It is also necessary to curb inflation, which is currently at a fairly high level," Putin told an international investment conference organised by Russia's second-largest lender VTB in Moscow