Tag Archives: Russia

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 …

The Washington Post reports: Russians “will always be able to distinguish true patriots from scum and traitors and will simply spit them out like a gnat that accidentally flew into their mouths,” said Putin, using language reminiscent of the Stalinist era. “I am convinced that such a natural and necessary self-purification of society will only strengthen our country.” He said …

The Insider reports: Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger made a direct appeal to Russian people and soldiers on Thursday, detailing the lies behind the Kremlin’s propaganda for the war on Ukraine. “Your lives, your limbs, and your futures are being sacrificed for a senseless war condemned by the entire world,” Schwarzenegger said in a video published by Attn. “So every …

Business Standard reports: A slew of drugmakers, including from the US, France, Germany, Switzerland, and the UK have halted exports of non-essential medicines to Russia, in the wake of its invasion into Ukraine, while continuing supply of critical medicines. Eli Lilly has said it will be stopping the exporting of medicines such as Cialis, a treatment for erectile dysfunction, while …

The Washington Post reports: Koch Industries, the American manufacturing giant that employs 122,000 people across the world, said Wednesday it would not exit its operations in Russia because doing so would put its “employees there at greater risk and do more harm than good.” The multinational conglomerate’s presence in Russia is relatively small, its president and chief operating officer, Dave …

Reuters reports: Russia warned the United States on Thursday that Moscow had the might to put the world’s pre-eminent superpower in its place and accused the West of stoking a wild Russophobic plot to tear Russia apart. Dmitry Medvedev [photo], who served as president from 2008 to 2012 and is now deputy secretary of Russia’s Security Council, said the United …

CNN reports: A theater where hundreds of people had taken shelter in Mariupol was bombed on Wednesday, according to local authorities, as hundreds of thousands of people remain trapped in the coastal Ukrainian city that has been encircled for weeks by Russian forces. Mariupol City Council, who shared an image of the destroyed building, said Russian forces had “purposefully and …

“We have the firepower to wipe out every Russia city – just one Trident submarine – and of course we aren’t using it and have no intention of using it. “But why doesn’t somebody in the administration call Putin’s bluff? He’s bluffing! And every time he says, ‘Well, if you do that, we’re going to escalate.’ “Oh no you’re not, …

“It’s time for him to go. He’s a war criminal. I wish somebody had taken Hitler out in the 30. Vladimir Putin is not a legitimate leader, he is a war criminal. “He needs to be dealt with by the Russian people. I’m not asking to invade Russia to take them out. I’m not asking to send American ground forces …

ABC News reports: Speaking just hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on him to be a “leader for peace,” President Joe Biden on Wednesday is expected to detail how much military aid the U.S. is already providing — or will provide — to Ukraine. But it was unclear how much he would directly address Zelenskyy’s emotional and direct appeal …

The Washington Post reports: President Volodymyr Zelensky renewed his plea for air support to protect the skies over Ukraine and push back against Russia’s attacks during a virtual speech to U.S. lawmakers Wednesday, as suspected Russian munitions struck another apartment building in Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital, in an attack that has become part of a daily pattern. “Ukraine is grateful …

NPR reports: In an interview with NPR, Blinken spoke of Western sanctions that cratered the Russian ruble, led global firms to shutter their Russian operations, and closed the Moscow stock market. He said the unplugging of much of Russia’s economy from the West is beginning to wreak long-term effects that are “growing over time.” He insisted that U.S. sanctions against …

Vice News reports: Days after YouTube kicked Kremlin-backed television station Russia Today off its platform, the propaganda network has found a new home on the far-right U.S. social network Gab. Gab CEO Andrew Torba has welcomed RT with open arms, viewing the state-controlled media outlet as a kindred spirit that’s fallen afoul of Big Tech’s censorship, rather than as a …

Reuters reports: The U.S. Senate on Tuesday unanimously passed a resolution condemning Russian President Vladimir Putin as a war criminal, a rare show of unity in the deeply divided Congress. The resolution, introduced by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham and backed by senators of both parties, encouraged the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague and other nations to target the …

The Hill reports: Hillary Clinton is delivering an acceptance speech-style response after being sanctioned by Russia, mocking the country’s leaders by thanking them for the “lifetime achievement award.” The former secretary of State was one of several high-profile political figures that the Russian Foreign Ministry said Tuesday it would sanction, including President Biden and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. The Russian …

Politico reports: The Treasury Department on Tuesday announced additional sanctions targeting the president of Belarus, his wife and a number of Russian officials, the latest in a package of penalties intended to punish the Kremlin and its allies for Moscow’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. “We are taking action against this autocratic attack on democracy,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said …