Could Russian Propaganda Turn Serbia against the EU and NATO? | DW News

Dec 16, 2023 | Pro-democracy campaigners are urging Serbians to go out and vote in parliamentary and local elections on Sunday. The election is pitting Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic's ruling Serbian Progressive Party, against a pro-Western opposition coalition.

Observers say campaigning has been held in an atmosphere of intimidation and under the heavy influence of Russia.

The elections were initially scheduled to be held by 30 April 2026, but president Vucic called a snap election. DW's journalists Sanja Kljajic and Alexandra von Nahmen met Serbian voters and election observers in the capital Belgrade.

Putin Makes Emboldened Speech - as EU Opens Ukraine Accession Talks | Russia-Ukraine War

Dec 14, 2023 | EU leaders have agreed to open membership talks with Ukraine and Moldova. Hungary's prime minister - Putin ally Viktor Orban - wasn't in the room when the EU voted and said he did not wish to participate in the "bad decision".

Hungary Blocks €50bn of EU Funding for Ukraine | BBC News

Dec 15, 2023 | Hungary has blocked €50bn ($55bn; £43bn) in EU aid for Ukraine - just hours after an agreement was reached on starting membership talks.

"Summary of the nightshift: veto for the extra money to Ukraine," Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said after Thursday's talks in Brussels. EU leaders said the aid negotiations would resume early next year.

The aid blocking was announced by Mr Orbán shortly after the EU leaders decided to open membership talks with Ukraine and Moldova and to grant candidate status to Georgia.

Hungary - which maintains close ties with Russia - has long opposed membership for Ukraine but did not veto that move.


Hungary blocks €50bn in EU aid for Ukraine hours after membership talks approved: Viktor Orbán says extra money to Kyiv had been vetoed but talks would resume in the new year »

Ukraine’s Zelenskyy in Last-ditch US Tour to Plead for $61bn Aid – BBC News

Dec 12, 2023 | Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is in Washington DC to try and save a $61bn (£48.5bn) US defence package for Kyiv. Republican members of Congress have stalled the aid package and have argued that more should be done to strengthen the US-Mexico border.

Zelenskyy will meet behind closed doors with various senators as well as the new House Speaker, Mike Johnson, to plead his case. The Ukrainian president will also meet with President Joe Biden, who has urged US lawmakers to approve the funds as soon as possible.


This has Trump written all over it! Those Republicans must be off their rockers! Zelenskyy and the Ukrainians are doing the West’s dirty work – he and his people are fighting for the maintenance of the freedom of the West. If the US in particular and the West in general let Zelenskyy and his people down, the war will in all probability be won by Putin, with all the ramifications that will follow. This is insanity! – © Mark Alexander

The Russian Partygate

Dec 11, 2023 | Why did Boris Johnson meet an “ex” Russian spy?

The British government has just announced that Russian spies have been targeting British MPs, peers, civil servants, journalists, and others with cyber-hacking since 2015 as part of a concerted attempt to meddle in British politics.

The new Foreign Secretary, David Cameron, said last week that Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) was behind “unsuccessful attempts to interfere in UK political processes” and that Russia’s ambassador to London had been summoned. …

US Will ‘Lose Face before World’ If It Abandons Kyiv, Says Ex-Ukraine President

THE GUARDIAN: Exclusive: Leonid Kuchma describes history behind Putin’s attack as new edition of his 2003 book Ukraine Is Not Russia is published

Ukraine’s former president Leonid Kuchma has warned that the US “will lose face before the entire world” if it abandons Kyiv, and said mistakes by the west contributed to Vladimir Putin’s all-out invasion last year.

In his first interview with a western publication since 2015, Kuchma described Putin as a career KGB operative. “It’s his profession, with everything that implies,” he said, adding: “People say his obsession with Ukraine is a kind of mania or mental disorder. Maybe it’s true.” » | Luke Harding in Kyiv | Monday, December 11, 2023

Republican senator says Ukraine may have to cede land to Russia to end war: JD Vance, one of GOP lawmakers who voted to block Ukraine aid package, asks ‘what $61bn would accomplish that $100bn hasn’t’ »

Senate Republicans block funding bill that included aid for Ukraine and Israel: Congress unlikely to approve more funding for Ukraine before end of year after GOP demanded stricter border regulations »

Russia Outlaws LGBTQ Content and Symbols as 'Extremist' | DW News

Dec 10, 2023 | Russia is tightening its repression of the LGBTQ community. A new law that will soon come into force effectively categorizes symbols and information that are not heterosexual as extremist. As DW’s Jennifer Pahlke reports, those who break it could face big fines and long jail sentences.

How Ukraine Plans to Stop Speaking Russian

Dec 7, 2023

Vladimir Putin to Seek Another Term as Russian President

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The announcement was long expected after the Constitution was amended in 2020, effectively allowing the Russian leader to stay in power until 2036.

A photograph released by Russian state media showed President Vladimir V. Putin speaking in Moscow on Friday during a medal ceremony for military personnel. | Valeriy Sharifulin/Sputnik, via Reuters
President Vladimir V. Putin said on Friday that he would seek another term as Russia’s leader at an election scheduled for March 17, setting in motion a campaign that is widely expected to result in another victory.

With the war in Ukraine as a backdrop, Mr. Putin’s announcement was laden with symbolism. According to Tass, a Russian state news agency, he made it during a military awards ceremony in the Kremlin, responding to a question posed by Artyom Zhoga, a Russian military officer and official from Donetsk, a city in eastern Ukraine.

“I won’t hide it, I had different thoughts at different times,” Mr. Putin said. “But now you are right, the time is such when a decision needs to be made,” he said. “I will run for president of Russia.”

It was a long-expected announcement, awaited by observers at least since the Russian Constitution was amended in 2020 to effectively allow Mr. Putin to stay in power until 2036. He has led Russia as either president or prime minister since 1999. » | Valerie Hopkins and Ivan Nechepurenko | Friday, December 8, 2023

Putin Described as 'Most Intelligent Gentleman' by Former Austrian Foreign Minister | BBC News

Dec 7, 2023 | The former Austrian foreign minister Karin Kneissl, who hit the headlines when she danced with Vladimir Putin at her wedding in 2018, has moved to Russia. In an interview, Ms Kneissl claimed that “political pressure” had forced her out of Austria and described President Putin as “the most intelligent gentleman". It comes as this month European Union leaders are set to discuss imposing additional restrictions on Russia over the war in Ukraine, in what would be a twelfth round of sanctions.

Saudi’s MBS Welcomes Putin with Smiles & Handshake | Russia’s Bid to Checkmate US In Middle East?

Dec 7, 2023 | Russian President Vladimir Putin and Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman held bilateral talks in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, on December 6. Putin said "nothing can prevent the development of our friendly relations" as he makes a rare trip abroad seeking to bolster Russia's influence in the Middle East. MBS also said that cooperation between the two countries had a "positive impact on many issues" in the Middle East. Before Saudi Arabia's visit, Putin made a trip to the UAE, where he met President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Putin in the Middle East: What Is the Focus of His Visit to the UAE and Saudi Arabia? | DW News

Dec 6, 2023 | Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in the United Arab Emirates for a rare trip abroad. It's his first time visiting the Middle East since Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The UAE's foreign minister greeted the Russian President on his arrival. Putin then traveled on for talks with the UAE president Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed. He hailed the two countries current relations, saying they were at an "unprecedented high." Putin will also visit Saudi Arabia during the trip, where he will hold talks with the country's de facto ruler Mohammed bin Salman.

For more on this, we talk to Juri Rescheto. He is DW's former Moscow Bureau chief and joins us now from Riga, as DW is banned from reporting in Russia.


Related video here.

Putin Received in UAE with Flypast and Russian Flags Lining the Streets

Dec 6, 2023 | Vladimir Putin said relations with the UAE had reached unprecedented levels as he was greeted in the country with a flypast and Russian flags, despite an international warrant for his arrest.

Putin’s meeting with Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, the UAE’s president, came as the Kremlin hailed Russia’s “main economic partner in the Arab world”.

The Russian president, who has been largely isolated since the war in Ukraine, was greeted with fanfare. He is wanted for the abduction of children in Ukraine by the International Criminal Court, to which the UEA is not a signatory.

Russia's Top Court Bans LGBTQ Activism | DW News

Nov 30, 2023 | Russia's Supreme Court has effectively outlawed LGBTQ activism after labeling the community an extremist group. The judges approved an application by the Justice Ministry, which argued that authorities had identified manifestations of an extremist nature in the international LGBTQ movement. It's the latest in a series of laws restricting LGBTQ rights. DW Correspondent Jennifer Pahlke explains what this ruling means for the LGBTQ community in Russia.

Russia Outlaws ‘International LGBT Public Movement’ as Extremist

GUARDIAN INTERNATIONAL: Human rights activists say supreme court’s vague wording provides wide scope for persecution

The head of the Russian LGBT Network, Igor Kochetkov, centre, says ‘all legal activities of LGBT organisations will be impossible in Russia’. Photograph: AP
Russia’s supreme court has outlawed what it called an “international LGBT public movement” as extremist, in a landmark ruling that representatives of gay and transgender people warn will lead to arrests and prosecutions of the already repressed LGBTQ+ community.

The ruling in effect outlaws LGBTQ+ activism in a country growing increasingly conservative since the start of the war in Ukraine. The “extremist” label could mean that gay, lesbian, transgender or queer people living in Russia could receive lengthy prison sentences if deemed by the authorities to be part of the so called “international LGBT public movement”.

The justice ministry earlier this month filed a request that the “international LGBT movement” be labelled extremist, without clarifying what it meant under the term, which is not a registered entity in Russia but rather a broad definition used by the Russian authorities. » | Pjotr Sauer | Thursday, November 30, 2023

Bash the shit out of the weak, the oppressed and the downtrodden, why don’t you? It’s always a good idea, because it makes the weak look strong. Thereafter, these weaklings often proceed to quote Jesus and Christianity as justification for their cruel and ruthless behaviour and persecution. But never forget: Jesus would abhor the persecution of gay people. Jesus, lest we forget, besought us all to be mindful and caring of the weak and oppressed. For this, He assured us, is the way to honour God, our Maker! Anyone who thinks that he is doing God’s work by oppressing any weak group in society is not on the straight path. In fact, he is on the road to perdition! Repent and repeal these ridiculous laws! Cease and desist meting out such cruelty! – © Mark Alexander

Putin's Way | Full Documentary | FRONTLINE

Mar 2, 2022 | In this 2015 documentary, FRONTLINE traces Vladimir Putin’s ascent from unemployed spy to modern-day czar, and investigates the accusations of criminality and corruption that have surrounded his reign in Russia. (Aired 2015)

In this 2015 film, a coproduction with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, producer Neil Docherty and correspondent Gillian Findlay traced Putin’s career back two decades to his political start in St. Petersburg, where allegations of corruption began almost immediately. Drawing on firsthand accounts from exiled Russian business tycoons, writers and politicians, as well as the exhaustive research of scholar and best-selling “Putin’s Kleptocracy” author Karen Dawisha, the film examined troubling episodes in Putin’s past, from alleged money-laundering activities and ties to organized crime, to a secret personal fortune said to be in the billions.

Finland Steps Up Border Closings in Dispute With Russia

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The escalation comes as Finland tries to address a rise in the arrivals of migrants and asylum seekers that officials blame on Moscow.

Finnish border guards escorting migrants at the international crossing with Russia near Salla, Finland, on Thursday. | Jussi Nukari/Lehtikuva, via Associated Press
Finland is closing all but one of its land border crossings with Russia, escalating a standoff between the two countries over an influx of migrants that Finnish officials blame on Moscow.

Starting on Friday, only the Raja-Jooseppi crossing in northern Lapland will stay open to travelers, while all seven other land crossings will be closed. Last week, Finland closed four of the entry points.

“Russia has sought for years to cause discord, to shake unity in Europe and to weaken the Western alliance and international rules-based order,” the Finnish prime minister, Petteri Orpo, said in a televised address to Parliament on Thursday. “Our national response must be clear and strong.”

He had previously said the situation at the border was deteriorating amid signs that the Russian authorities were helping asylum seekers make their way to the country.

“Finland cannot be influenced,” he said. “Finland cannot be shaken.” » | Johanna Lemola and Emma Bubola | Johanna Lemola reported from Helsinki, Finland, and Emma Bubola from London. | Thursday, November 23, 2023

Putin Bans the LGBTQ Movement

Nov 17, 2023 | Putin bans the LGBTQ movement as a terrorist or extremist organisation.

This builds on earlier laws against the LGBTQ+ community beginning in 2010 with no. 436-FZ of 2010-12-23 and ratcheting up progressively, describing LGBT marches as "satantic" and now today the justice ministry has filed a motion with the Supreme Court to ban the activities of the "international LGBT public movement" as inciting social and religious strife.

It will be examined on 30th November.

Charles de Gaulle's Pro-Kremlin Grandson Says He Wants Russian Citizenship

FRANCE 24: A grandson of French war hero and former president Charles de Gaulle said Thursday he wanted Russian citizenship, saying Russia offered “great possibilities”.

A file photo showing an expired Russian passport. © Omar Haj Kadouro, AFP
Pierre de Gaulle is little known in France, but Russian state media have heralded his pro-Kremlin statements as proof that leading Western voices support Moscow’s assault in Ukraine.

“It would be an honour for me to acquire Russian citizenship,” he told a journalist at the Saint Petersburg Cultural Forum, Russian agencies said.

He also said that Russia was “fighting for traditional values, the family and spirituality” in Ukraine and that “NATO had lost”. » | News Wires | Thursday, November 16, 2023

The Observer View on the War in Ukraine: The West Can’t Afford to Forget about It

THE OBSERVER – EDITORIAL: Volodymyr Zelenskiy is in dire need of support as his counteroffensive against Russia stalls and the risk of stalemate looms

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visits an artillery training centre aat an undisclosed location in Ukraine. Photograph: Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Reuters
Recent events in the Middle East have drawn international political and media attention away from the war in Ukraine at what looks like a critical juncture. This is understandable but nonetheless alarming. The principal beneficiary of this loss of focus is Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, who ordered an illegal, unprovoked full-scale invasion in February last year that has caused more than 27,000 civilian casualties and appalling destruction. The UN believes that the true casualty figure is “considerably higher”. Putin has been accused of war crimes by the international criminal court.

Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, and his western backers were optimistic earlier this year that Russian ground forces, badly led and often poorly equipped, could be ejected from occupied territory in eastern and southern Ukraine. But a much anticipated counteroffensive, using tanks, missiles and other modern weapons supplied by Nato states, was delayed. When it finally began five months ago, progress was disappointing, obstructed by minefields and entrenched Russian defences. There was no breakthrough. » | Observer editorial | Saturday, November 4, 2023

AUF DEUTSCH:

Von der Leyen: „Über 90 Prozent des Wegs“ zu EU-Beitrittsverhandlungen geschafft: „Dies ist das Ergebnis harter Arbeit.“ In Kiew lobt die EU-Kommissionspräsidentin Reformen in der Ukraine. Der Kampf gegen Korruption sei auch im eigenen Interesse seines Landes, betont Präsident Selenskyj. »