The Kremlin said on Wednesday it did not expect the incoming U. S. administration to reject NATO enlargement overnight and that almost all communications channels between Russia and the United States were frozen, the RIA news agency reported. “Almost every level of dialogue with the United States is frozen. We don’t communicate with one another, … Read more
In an unprecedented public display of acrimony, President-elect Donald Trump and the CIA are engaged in a war of words over the extent and details of Russian efforts to interfere with the American presidential election. “There must be big smiles this morning at the Kremlin,” said former White House cyber security official Richard Clarke, now … Read more
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has said a victory for his army in Aleppo would be a “huge step” towards ending the country’s five-year civil war. But he added that the defeat of rebel groups in the northern city would not end the conflict. The rebels called for a five-day truce to allow the evacuation of … Read more
Syrian rebels have left the last areas they held in Aleppo’s old city, while calling for a five-day truce to allow the evacuation of civilians. Activist monitoring group the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the pull-back in Syria’s second city came after days of heavy fighting. State media confirmed the military had taken over … Read more
Putin was informed about the case when the investigation was first launched against Ulyukayev. Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed Economy Minister Alexei Ulyukayev on Tuesday over allegations he extorted a $2 million bribe from top oil producer Rosneft, a case which could expose fault lines in the Russian leader’s inner circle. Ulyukayev, a 60-year-old technocrat … Read more
President Vladimir Putin signed off Thursday on a decree granting Russian citizenship to US action hero actor Steven Seagal, the latest high-profile passport handout to a Western celebrity. Hollywood star Seagal and judo-loving Kremlin tough guy Putin have struck up a bromance in recent years, with Seagal visiting Russia repeatedly and defending Moscow’s 2014 annexation … Read more
President Vladimir Putin signed off Thursday on a decree granting Russian citizenship to US action hero actor Steven Seagal, the latest high-profile passport handout to a Western celebrity. Hollywood star Seagal and judo-loving Kremlin tough guy Putin have struck up a bromance in recent years, with Seagal visiting Russia repeatedly and defending Moscow’s 2014 annexation … Read more
It’s not a new Cold War. It’s not even a deep chill. It’s an outright conflict. US-Russia relations have deteriorated sharply amid a barrage of accusations and disagreements, raising the stakes on issues ranging from the countries’ competing military operations in Syria, disputes over Eastern European independence and escalating cyber breaches. “This is a conflict, … Read more
Hackers allegedly from Russia have released more athletes’ medical files stolen from the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada). The athletes include British cyclists Sir Bradley Wiggins, who won a gold medal in Rio, and Chris Froome, the three-time Tour de France champion. There is no suggestion the athletes are involved in any wrongdoing. Wada says the … Read more
The World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) has condemned Russian hackers for leaking confidential medical files of star US Olympic athletes. Athletes affected include tennis players Venus and Serena Williams and teenage gymnast Simone Biles. A group calling itself “Fancy Bears” claimed responsibility for the hack of a Wada database. After the leak, Ms Biles said she … Read more