U.S.-Russian Tensions Rise Over Missile Shield Plan

Staff / Truthdig Jul 9, 2008 Forging an agreement with the Czech Republic to host the radar for the United States' planned missile shield project represents, according to Condoleezza Rice, a way of making the missile defense system "transparent to the Russians." Officials in Moscow, however, are inclined to take this latest move as a hostile gesture that could provoke military retaliation. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Putting Journalists in Check

Staff / Truthdig Jun 5, 2008 The World Newspaper Congress played host to Gary Kasparov on Tuesday. The chess wiz and Kremlin antagonist ridiculed his government for imposing limits on free expression. Indeed, Reporters Without Borders' most recent annual index of global press freedom ranks Russia a dismal 144th. Still, there are plenty of places in the world where you can get beaten, arrested or killed for letting people know what's going on. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Putin Sticks Around

Staff / Truthdig May 8, 2008 A day after giving up Russia's presidency (as required by that pesky constitution), Vladimir Putin assumed the role of prime minister. Anyone want to bet that doesn't suddenly become the most powerful job in Russia? Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Pumedvedevtin

Rainer Hachfeld, Neues Deutschland, Germany Mar 11, 2008 Dig deeper

Medvedev Wins Amid Murmurs of Election Flaws

Staff / Truthdig Mar 3, 2008 It wasn't a surprise victory by any stretch when Vladimir Putin's political heir apparent, Dmitry Medvedev, soundly trounced the competition Sunday to become Russia's next president. However, at least one election-vetting organization, as well as dozens of activists arrested by police as they gathered in Moscow to protest, questioned whether democracy truly won the day. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Russia Stands With Serbia

Staff / Truthdig Feb 26, 2008 Russia and the US are picking sides in the conflict over Kosovo's bid for independence from Serbia Washington's support of Kosovo led to last week's protest outside the U Embassy in Belgrade, and now Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, who may well be next to lead Russia, has reaffirmed that his country will stand behind Serbia Medvedev commented Monday during a visit to Belgrade. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Castro and the Colossus

Robert Scheer / Truthdig Feb 20, 2008 The Cuban president, who is resigning after five decades in power, has caused his people suffering, but the giant to the north bears even greater responsibility for the island's plight. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Putin and the New ‘Arms Race’

Staff / Truthdig Feb 9, 2008 Vladimir Putin isn't taking the expansion of NATO and a planned missile shield lightly The Russian president told his people: "It is already clear that a new phase in the arms race is unfolding in the world It is not our fault, because we did not start it" Flush with oil money, Russia is planning to beef up and flaunt its military capabilities in response. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Putin Is Time’s ‘Person of the Year’

Staff / Truthdig Dec 20, 2007 Time magazine has decided to celebrate "order before freedom," as the newsweekly put it, with its "person of the year" selection, because "if Russia succeeds as a nation-state in the family of nations, it will owe much of that success to one man, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin." Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Medvedev

Rainer Hachfeld, Neues Deutschland, Germany Dec 12, 2007 Dig deeper

Putin Wins

Olle Johansson, Sweden Dec 4, 2007 Dig deeper

Russian Election Boosts Putin, Sparks Protests

Staff / Truthdig Dec 4, 2007 The results of Sunday's parliamentary election in Russia, which resulted in a sweeping victory for Vladimir Putin's United Russia party and signaled that the president will stay in power beyond the end of his second term next spring, are being questioned on a national and international scale. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )