Targeted killings spark debate within Russian opposition

[ad_1] Jamie Dettmer is opinion editor at POLITICO Europe.  KYIV — “She’ll say whatever the FSB [Federal Security Service] wants her to say,” said Ilya Ponomarev, a former Russian lawmaker-turned-dissident who now lives in Kyiv. Discussing who was behind the bombing of a St. Petersburg café earlier this month —Continue Reading

‘Shocking’: Putin critic handed 25 years in prison

[ad_1] MOSCOW — A Russian court on Monday slapped opposition activist Vladimir Kara-Murza with 25 years in prison for treason and other claimed offenses. Moscow City Court sentenced Kara-Murza to a penal colony for spreading “fake news” about the army and “cooperation with an undesirable organization,” as Russian President VladimirContinue Reading

Who was behind the St. Petersburg bombing?

[ad_1] Press play to listen to this article Voiced by artificial intelligence. The Kremlin didn’t waste time blaming Ukraine for orchestrating the weekend bombing of a cafe in St. Petersburg, leaving what they claimed was 40 injured and high-profile ultranationalist military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky dead. And Ukrainian officials were noContinue Reading

Zelenskyy digs in against calls to quit Bakhmut

[ad_1] Press play to listen to this article Voiced by artificial intelligence. Doubts are growing about the wisdom of holding the shattered frontline city of Bakhmut against relentless Russian assaults, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is digging in and insists his top commanders are united in keeping up an attritionalContinue Reading

Putin hails ‘new levels of cooperation’ with China

[ad_1] Vladimir Putin said “Russia and China are reaching new levels of cooperation” after meeting Beijing’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, in Moscow on Wednesday. The Russian president hailed the relationship between Beijing and Moscow as important to “stabilize the international situation,” adding that he awaits a visit from Chinese PresidentContinue Reading