Tag Archives: Vladimir Putin

  Moscow, Russia | AFP | With the shock replacement of his government and plans for a constitutional overhaul, President Vladimir Putin has set in motion sweeping changes to Russia’s political order. But what is the longtime Russian leader really up to? And — with Putin facing the end in 2024 …

Moscow, Russia | AFP |  Russian lawmakers will begin reviewing President Vladimir Putin’s nomination of a little-known tax chief as the new prime minister Thursday after his announcement of a sweeping constitutional shake-up fuelled speculation about his future plans. The overwhelmingly Kremlin-loyal State Duma lower parliament is likely to approve Mikhail …

Benghazi, Libya | AFP |  Libyan strongman General Khalifa Haftar on Saturday announced a ceasefire in his months-long battle to control the capital Tripoli after calls for a truce from Russia and Turkey. The North African state has seen an escalation of the turmoil that erupted after a NATO-backed uprising killed …

Kiev, Ukraine | AFP |  Moscow and Kiev on Monday signed a five-year agreement on the transit of Russian gas to Europe via Ukraine, after months of difficult talks but just ahead of a looming New Year deadline. The current gas transit deal between the two ex-Soviet countries expires Tuesday and …

Kramatorsk, Ukraine | AFP |  Ukrainian authorities and pro-Russian separatists in the war-torn east of the country are expected Sunday to swap dozens of prisoners in a frontline operation that stirred controversy in Kiev. As part of the swap, Kiev is expected to hand over to separatists several riot policemen suspected …

Moscow, Russia | AFP | Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday said that the impeachment of Donald Trump was based on “made-up” grounds, adding he did not believe it marked the end of the US president. “It still needs to go through the Senate, where the Republicans have a majority,” Putin …

Moscow, Russia | AFP | Russia decided on Thursday to contest its ban from major sporting events over doping violations, as President Vladimir Putin slammed its sidelining as unfair and insisted athletes should be able to compete under the national flag. Russia’s RUSADA anti-doping agency “made a decision not to agree” …

The Hague, Netherlands | AFP | International investigators looking into the downing of flight MH17 over Ukraine released intercepted phone calls on Thursday showing close links between “high-ranking” Russian officials and rebel suspects facing trial over the crash. The probe said the recordings raised questions about the possible involvement of key …

Budapest, Hungary | AFP | Called “Putin’s Trojan horse” by Hungarian opposition politicians, a small Russian-dominated bank in Budapest has sparked unease ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to the capital Wednesday. The International Investment Bank (IIB) officially completed the move of its headquarters to Budapest last month. But concerns …

Bangui, Central African Republic | AFP | The Central African Republic is an important plank in Russia’s strategy of boosting its presence in Africa by offering security for fragile regimes in resource-rich countries, analysts say. President Vladimir Putin last year surprised the West by a string of high-profile moves that …