Rosja

The Portuguese armed forces, in cooperation with the Spanish Navy, are monitoring the movements of Russian ships off the coast of the Iberian Peninsula, Radio Observador reports. The information was confirmed by the Spanish General Staff.more

Fighter jets of the German and British air forces have intercepted three Russian reconnaissance aircraft in international airspace over the Baltic Sea, dpa reported, citing a German Bundeswehr communiqué today.more

Business with Russia is increasingly becoming a business risk for German companies. Some, such as Ritter Sport, have already suffered image damage as they continue to operate in Russia. Gypsum manufacturer Knauf also remains active in the country, despite the fact that one of the group's factories in the Donbass was bombed by the Russians, the portal of the daily Welt wrote yesterday.more

Cypriot authorities announced yesterday that they have taken harsh action against those accused by the United States and Britain of helping Russian oligarchs circumvent sanctions imposed on Moscow after the invasion of Ukraine.more

Although in 2023 the number of billionaires in the world and the size of their fortunes decreased, the number of Russian super-rich and the value of their assets increased, according to the Russian edition of Forbes magazine. Over the year of the war in Ukraine, the number of Russian billionaires has increased from 88 to 110, and their wealth from 353 to 505 billion dollars.more

The UK has imposed sanctions on five people responsible for the attempted poisoning, arrest and conviction of Russian opposition leader Vladimir Kara-Murza, who also has British citizenship. Earlier this week, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison.more

The UK has a fairly limited capability to deter Russian spy ships in the North Sea, former Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff General Simon Mayall assessed today. However, he added that such actions by Russia are nothing new.more

Russia has developed a programme to sabotage wind farms and communication cables in the North Sea, the BBC reported, citing details of an investigation by public broadcasters in Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland.more

Russia's embassies in European countries are de facto intelligence residences, equipped with numerous eavesdropping antennas; the record holder in this regard is the Brussels facility, which has 17 antennas; at least 182 such devices have been counted throughout Europe, the independent Russian channel on Telegram, Możem Objasnit', reported today.more

British aircraft intercepted two Russian fighter jets and a reconnaissance plane over the Gulf of Finland. British and German aircraft escorted the planes away and handed them over to the Swedish air force, British Sky News reported yesterday.more

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that the Russian authorities' detention of journalist Evan Gershkovich and denial of consular access to the reporter of "The Wall Street Journal" is a signal that people around the world should "beware of even setting foot" in Russia.more

The assimilation of Putin's Russia to the Soviet Union is not surprising, looking at the whole history of Russia, it is rather a return to the typical state, says Keir Giles, an expert at the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House) in London.more

Twitter has removed restrictions on Kremlin-linked accounts introduced after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine. Research by The Telegraph last week indicates that Elon Musk's company is no longer limiting the reach of Russian authorities and media organizations.more

Finland's accession to NATO is Putin's nightmare, showing what a terrible strategist he is, said Adm. James Stavridis, former Supreme Commander of NATO forces in Europe. Finland brings serious assets to the Alliance in every domain, he added.more

For Poland, investing in the military is no longer a luxury but a necessity, and the pace of armaments is fueled by still-living memories of Russian tyranny.more

The president of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach, said that the criticism from the governments of some European countries about the decision to return Russian and Belarusian athletes to international competition is "regrettable and violates the autonomy of sport."more

Russia's invasion of Ukraine will continue as long as Vladimir Putin believes he can impose his will on Ukraine with military action or force it to stop fighting when the West abandons it, according to the US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW).more

Sanctions imposed on Russian citizens after the attack on Ukraine are rather effective, as they freeze their assets, but insufficient, and legal mechanisms should be created to seize these assets, according to experts who track corruption.more

Chinese leader Xi Jinping's visit to Moscow will result in a mutually beneficial agreement under which Russia will offer China its raw materials in exchange for Beijing's favorable attitude toward the Kremlin's invasion of Ukraine and assistance in easing Western sanctions, Britain's Financial Times said yesterday.more

I do not expect a quick end to Russian aggression in Ukraine, said Chancellor Olaf Scholz in an interview with the Rheinische Post daily. He also admitted that he had "regular talks with Putin", during which "glaring differences of opinion still persist".more

Chinese leader Xi Jinping arrived today for a state visit to Russia, media in both countries reported. According to the announcement, he will be in Moscow to talk with Vladimir Putin about strengthening bilateral cooperation and the war in Ukraine.more

A spokesman for South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, referring to Putin's expected visit after the International Court of Justice (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for the Russian leader, said South Africa was "aware of its legal obligations".more

Ukrainian Military Intelligence (HUR) representative Andriy Yusov said today that the Kremlin is concerned about the International Criminal Court's (ICC) decision to order the arrest of Vladimir Putin. According to HUR, the search for a person to replace Putin is already beginning.more

Chinese President Xi Jinping should use a trip to Moscow to encourage President Vladimir Putin to withdraw Russian troops from Ukraine, a spokesperson for British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Friday.more

The two-day International Congress of Russophiles was held in Moscow. Among the participants were conspiracy theorists and celebrities, including Charles de Gaulle's grandson, American actor Steven Seagal and an Italian princess who fears that European boys are being encouraged to marry their cows, The Guardian reported.more