Tag Archives: Russia

The Associated Press reports: Ukrainian authorities said Sunday that Russia’s military bombed an art school sheltering some 400 people in the port city of Mariupol, where heavy street fighting is underway weeks into a devastating Russian siege. The strike on the art school was the second time in less than a week that local officials reported an attack on a …

Reuters reports: Russian President Vladimir Putin is healthy, sane and “in better shape than ever”, his close ally Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko has said in an interview with the Japanese television channel TBS. “He and I haven’t only met as heads of state, we’re on friendly terms,” Lukashenko said in a recording of the interview. “I’m absolutely privy to all …

The Associated Press reports:  In a speech on Saturday, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng criticized the far-reaching Western sanctions imposed on Russia after it invaded Ukraine and said the root cause of the war in Ukraine “lies in the Cold War mentality and power politics.” Echoing a Kremlin talking point, the Chinese envoy said if NATO’s “enlargement goes further, …

Mediaite reports: Although most GOP voters view him unfavorably, Republicans were twice as likely as everyone else to hold a “favorable” view of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Respondents to a YouGov poll released this week were asked “Do you have a favorable or unfavorable view of Vladimir Putin?” Among all respondents, just 10 percent answered “Somewhat favorable” or “Very favorable,” …

The Guardian reports: A gay rights activist from Kharkiv, Elya Shchemur was killed during the Russian bombardment of the city centre, her colleagues at Kharkiv Pride said on Thursday. She was killed at the local territorial defence office where she volunteered, they said. “Elya was an activist and a patriot: she participated in all possible actions and democratic events of …

Politico reports: The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts last week quietly renamed its “Russian Lounge” — a room featuring the country’s art and culture paid for by one of its richest men, Vladimir Potanin — amid a backlash against Russia since the invasion of Ukraine. In 2011, Potanin [photo] donated $5 million to the Kennedy Center. He paid to …

The Verge reports: PayPal is expanding the services available to its Ukrainian users and waiving fees to help with humanitarian efforts in the country during Russia’s ongoing invasion. According to a news release, Ukrainians will be able to send and receive peer-to-peer PayPal or Xoom payments, and the company won’t apply its normal fees to either side of the transaction. …

Axios reports: Burger King on Friday said that its business partner controlling approximately 800 restaurants in Russia has “refused” to suspend operations in the country. “We contacted the main operator of the business and demanded the suspension of Burger King restaurant operations in Russia. They have refused to do so,” David Shear, the president of Restaurant Brands International, which owns …

CNBC reports: President Joe Biden held a nearly two-hour phone call on Friday morning with Chinese President Xi Jinping to discuss Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The call was seen as a critical test of whether Biden can convince China to stay on the sidelines of the conflict in Ukraine, and to turn down Russian requests for military or economic aid. …

The Associated Press reports: Pope Francis on Friday denounced the “perverse abuse of power” on display in Russia’s war in Ukraine and called for aid to Ukrainians who he said had been attacked in their “identity, history and tradition” and were “defending their land.” Francis’ comments, in a message to a gathering of European Catholic representatives, marked some of his …

Reuters reports: Russian President Vladimir Putin justified the invasion of Ukraine before a packed soccer stadium on Friday but coverage of his speech on state television was unexpectedly interrupted by what the Kremlin said was a technical problem with a server. Speaking on a stage at the centre of Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium, Putin promised to tens of thousands of people …

The Daily Beast reports: In a long and winding interview with Russian broadcaster RT, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov waxed nostalgic on Friday about the good old days when the Soviet Union was intact and doubled down on the party line that Russia’s deadly attack on Ukraine is a simple military maneuver. After telling the host that he had a …

The Associated Press reports: Russia’s request to freeze a FIFA ban on its soccer teams ahead of next week’s World Cup qualifying playoffs was denied Friday. FIFA said the Court of Arbitration for Sport dismissed the Russian soccer federation’s bid for an urgent interim ruling to freeze the ban pending a full appeal, which could come within weeks. The CAS …

The Washington Post reports: McDonald’s is now closed in Russia, part of a wave of companies exiting the country after its invasion of Ukraine sparked sanctions from the West. But a local alternative, Uncle Vanya, appears to be gearing up to take a bite of the Russian burger business — with a strangely familiar logo. Though none of these new …

Mediaite reports: Russian state TV is airing a clip of Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-NC) calling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a “thug” on repeat. Cawthorn slammed Zelensky a week ago in a video that went viral online. He called him a “thug” whose government is consumed with wokeness and corruption. “Remember that Zelensky is a thug,” Cawthorn told reporters. “Remember that …

Politico Europe reports: Before Russia invaded Ukraine, Booba — one of France’s most popular rap artists, with an online audience of millions — spread wild claims about COVID-19. But since late February, the French musician has shifted gears to another global crisis: the war in Ukraine. And in post after post, Booba [photo], who canceled a sponsorship deal with Puma …

Axios reports: Ukraine’s top national security official asked earlier this month for the U.S. to go beyond traditional military aid and provide the country with the funding, training and weaponry to support a long-term resistance movement, according to a letter obtained by Axios. Russia’s advances on the battlefield have largely stalled, prompting fears of a long, grinding war of attrition. …

Just in from Quinnipiac Polling: A majority of Americans (60 percent) think Russian President Vladimir Putin is mentally unstable, while 24 percent say he is mentally stable. As for politicians and media figures who have had words of praise for Putin in the last several weeks, 57 percent of Americans say they view those individuals less favorably, while 36 percent …

Bloomberg News reports: The House voted overwhelmingly on Thursday to suspend normal trade relations with Russia and Belarus, preparing for President Joe Biden to enact higher tariffs on more products and further weaken the Russian economy in response to its military assault on Ukraine. The U.S. has already taken steps to shut off the importation of Russian oil, liquefied natural …

Politico reports: President Joe Biden will speak to China’s Xi Jinping on Friday, the two leaders’ first call since Russia invaded Ukraine and one that could play an outsize role in determining the trajectory of the war. During the conflict’s early weeks, Russia has aligned itself with China, and Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin reinforced their nations’ ties during …