Tag Archives: Vladimir Putin

FRANCE: European Court Of Human Rights Rules Russia’s “Gay Propaganda” Law To Be Discriminatory

The Guardian reports: A Russian law that bans gay “propaganda” encourages homophobia and discrimination, the European court of human rights has ruled, in a sharply worded rebuke to the Kremlin. Three Russian gay rights activists brought the case against the 2013 federal statute, widely known as the “gay propaganda” law, after they were arrested between 2009-12 for protesting against local …

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Putin Jokingly Offers Asylum To James Comey [VIDEO]

The Independent reports: Vladimir Putin has joked that the fired FBI director James Comey is welcome to seek asylum in Russia. Speaking in his annual question and answer session in Moscow, the Russian President said it was “very strange” that the FBI official had leaked details of conversations with Donald Trump, and likened his actions to those of NSA whistleblower …

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REPORT: Russian Attack On US Election Systems More Widespread That Previously Known, 39 States Hit

Bloomberg reports: Russia’s cyberattack on the U.S. electoral system before Donald Trump’s election was far more widespread than has been publicly revealed, including incursions into voter databases and software systems in almost twice as many states as previously reported. In Illinois, investigators found evidence that cyber intruders tried to delete or alter voter data. The hackers accessed software designed to …

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REPORT: Russian Hackers Planted “Fake News” Report About Qatar To Create Crisis With Arab Allies To US

CNN reports: US investigators believe Russian hackers breached Qatar’s state news agency and planted a fake news report that contributed to a crisis among the US’ closest Gulf allies, according to US officials briefed on the investigation. The FBI recently sent a team of investigators to Doha to help the Qatari government investigate the alleged hacking incident, Qatari and US …

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Leaked NSA Document Shows Russian Spies Tried To Hack US Voting System Just Days Before Election

The Intercept reports: Russian military intelligence executed a cyber attack on at least one U.S. voting software supplier and sent spear-phishing emails to more than 100 local election officials just days before last November’s presidential election, according to a highly classified intelligence report obtained by The Intercept. The top-secret National Security Agency document, which was provided anonymously to The Intercept …

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Putin Denies “Really Talking” To Michael Flynn [VIDEO]

NBC News reports: Michael who? Russian President Vladimir Putin claims that he had limited personal interaction with former U.S. National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, when asked by NBC’s Megyn Kelly in an exclusive interview about the nature of their relationship — and a widely circulated December, 2015 photo that shows the two sitting next to each other at dinner during …

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Putin On Hacking Charges: It’s Like Anti-Semitism When People Say “The Jews Are To Blame” [VIDEO]

CNBC reports: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday angrily denied allegations that Moscow meddled in the 2016 U.S. election, even comparing rhetoric about Russia to “anti-Semitism.” It’s like anti-Semitism,” he said, comparing Russia’s critics to people who would say things like “the Jews are to blame.” Through a live translation in the televised interview with NBC News’ Megyn Kelly, Putin …

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RUSSIA: Putin Ally Head Of Orthodox Church Declares Same-Sex Marriage To Be Just Like Nazism

The Moscow Times reports: Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Orthodox Church compared the adoption of homosexual marriage laws to the adoption of laws in fascist Germany. The Patriarch made the comments in Kyrgyzstan while promoting new translation of his book, according to RIA Novosti. The Patriarch said “so-called homosexual marriages” were a threat to families and added that “when …

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Putin Flip-Flops On Hacking Denials, Says “Patriotically Minded” Private Russians Might Have Done It [VIDEO]

The New York Times reports: Shifting from his previous blanket denials, President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia said on Thursday that “patriotically minded” private Russian hackers could have been involved in cyberattacks last year to help the presidential campaign of Donald J. Trump. While Mr. Putin continued to deny any state role, his comments to reporters in St. Petersburg were …

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Megyn Kelly To Interview Putin For NBC Debut

From the Hollywood Reporter: It’s official: Megyn Kelly will interview Vladimir Putin one-on-one for the first episode of her Sunday night NBC series. Kelly herself made the announcement on NBC’s Today Thursday morning, reporting live from Russia. Kelly is moderating the plenary session of an economic forum in St. Petersburg on Friday (June 2), where Putin will be one of …

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FRANCE: Putin Tells Macron He’s Working To Find “Complete Truth” On Chechnya’s Anti-LGBT Pogrom

The New York Times reports: France’s newly elected president, Emmanuel Macron, came out of his first meeting with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia on Monday with a message of stark challenge, promising French military reprisals for any use of chemical weapons by Russia’s allies in Syria and saying he would closely monitor the curtailing of civil rights for gay …

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REPORT: Flynn Lied To Federal Investigators About Having Been Paid By Russia To Attend Putin Gala

NBC News reports: Former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn appears to have lied to security clearance investigators by telling them he was paid by “U.S. companies” when he traveled to Russia in December 2015, according to a letter released Monday by the ranking Democrat on the House Oversight Committee. “The Oversight Committee has in our possession documents that appear to …

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Trump Drops In On GOP Rep. Kevin McCarthy One Day After Tape Revealed Him Saying “Putin Pays Trump”

The Hill reports: President Trump dropped by a meeting Thursday with House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), one day after a report that that lawmaker privately accused Trump of being on Russia’s payroll. Trump and Vice President Pence made an unscheduled appearance at a meeting of White House senior adviser Jared Kushner’s innovation initiative. McCarthy was participating in the Roosevelt …

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Vladimir Putin: Trump Revealed No Secrets To Us And We’ll Give You The Meeting Transcripts To Prove It

The Hill reports: Russian leader Vladimir Putin said early Wednesday that President Trump did not share secrets with Russian officials last week and is willing to give Congress transcripts to prove it. The Associated Press and Reuters reported that Putin is willing to hand over the records of the president’s conversation with Russia’s foreign minister and ambassador. Two days ago, …

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Vladimir Putin Reacts To Comey Firing: Your Question Is Funny, We Have Nothing To Do With That [VIDEO]

CBS News reports: Russian President Vladimir Putin said the firing of former FBI Director James Comey will have “no effect” on U.S.-Russia relations, reacting for the first time to President Trump’s dramatic ouster of the man leading the probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 campaign. Putin spoke with CBS News correspondent Elizabeth Palmer shortly before taking to the ice …

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RUSSIA: Vladimir Putin Publicly Backs Investigation Into Murders And Torture Of Gay Men In Chechnya [VIDEO]

Deutsche Welle reports: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday said he supports an investigation into the reported torture and murder of gay men in Chechnya, days after German Chancellor Angela Merkel pressed him on the issue. Putin said he would personally ask the chief prosecutor and the interior minister to cooperate with human rights ombudswoman Tatyana Moskalkova in an investigation …

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RUSSIA: German Chancellor Angela Merkel Publicly Pressures Putin To Stop Chechen Abuses Of Gay Men

The Independent reports: Angela Merkel has publicly raised concern over the reported prosecution of gay men in Chechnya with Vladimir Putin, following wide-ranging talks. The German Chancellor raised the alleged capture and torture of more than 100 people at a joint press conference with the Russian President in Sochi. The Kremlin has backed the Chechen government’s denials over the brutal …

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REPORT: FBI Intel Suggests Russian Spies Worked To Infiltrate The Trump Campaign Via His Advisors

CNN reports: The FBI gathered intelligence last summer that suggests Russian operatives tried to use Trump advisers, including Carter Page, to infiltrate the Trump campaign, according to US officials. The new information adds to the emerging picture of how the Russians tried to influence the 2016 election, not only through email hacks and propaganda but also by trying to infiltrate …

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Kremlin Spox Dismisses Reports Of Chechen Murders Of Gay Men After Putin Meets With Chechen Leader

Radio Free Europe reports: Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman sought to downplay evidence of a campaign of abuse targeting gay men in Chechnya, saying the Kremlin has “heard no confirmation” of reports that have prompted outrage in the West. Speaking to journalists on April 20, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin has no reason to doubt regional leader Ramzan Kadyrov’s …

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REUTERS: Russian Think Tank Linked To Vladimir Putin Developed Strategy To Swing Election To Trump

Reuters reports: A Russian government think tank controlled by Vladimir Putin developed a plan to swing the 2016 U.S. presidential election to Donald Trump and undermine voters’ faith in the American electoral system, three current and four former U.S. officials told Reuters. They described two confidential documents from the think tank as providing the framework and rationale for what U.S. …

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