Russia Won’t Budge on Missile Defense

Staff / Truthdig Apr 23, 2007 Defense Secretary Robert Gates was dispatched to Russia on Monday to smooth over relations with Vladimir Putin, who is upset over U.S. plans to locate missile defense sites in Europe. Russia has repeatedly voiced its opposition to such plans, and Monday's meeting between Gates and his counterpart was no exception. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

St. Petersburg Showdown

Staff / Truthdig Apr 16, 2007 Russian riot police clashed with about 500 demonstrators Sunday in St. Petersburg. The situation escalated when the time the government had allowed for the rally expired but protesters continued to call for President Vladimir Putin to step down. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Putin Puts Kasparov in Check

Staff / Truthdig Apr 14, 2007 Vladimir Putin's regime, with the aid of 9,000 police officers, attempted to prevent a rally in Moscow by arresting opposition leader Garry Kasparov along with dozens of other protesters and even some journalists. The chess phenom has accused Putin of trampling on democracy. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Kremlin Condemns Exile’s Revolutionary Plot

Staff / Truthdig Apr 13, 2007 It sounds like the plot of a Hollywood suspense thriller, but exiled Russian multimillionaire Boris Berezovsky seems quite serious about his scheme to oust President Vladimir Putin's Moscow government in a "violent overthrow." Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Another Russian Journalist Dies Prematurely

Staff / Truthdig Mar 7, 2007 Police say Ivan Safronov, a military correspondent for a major Russian newspaper, jumped out of a fifth-floor window. But the media and friends say it's likelier that he was murdered because his reporting had embarrassed Vladimir Putin's government. Thirteen Russian journalists were killed in 2006, making it the third-most-dangerous country to report from. (h/t: Largest Minority) Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Putin Attacks U.S.

Staff / Truthdig Feb 10, 2007 The Russian president, normally a close ally of President Bush, used a security summit this week to lash out at American foreign policy, calling the U.S. "very dangerous." Vladimir Putin added that the United States has "overstepped its borders" and is "nourishing" a nuclear arms race. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Santa vs. Putin

Mike Luckovich / Truthdig Dec 3, 2006 Dig deeper

Putin Urges ‘Goodwill’ Toward North Korea

Staff / Truthdig Oct 25, 2006 During a nationally broadcast town hall-style address, Russian President Vladimir Putin pitched a more open stance in dealing with North Korea: "You must never push one of the participants in talks into a corner." Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Molly Ivins: In Politics, Comedy and Tragedy

Molly Ivins / Truthdig Jul 20, 2006 George Bush at the G8, Katherine Harris in Florida, Joe Lieberman in Connecticut, Ralph Reed in Georgia, and good old Tom DeLay in the grand state of Texas so bad they're almost funny. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Putin Slaps Bush Over Iraqi Democracy

Staff / Truthdig Jul 16, 2006 President Bush told President Putin that America wants to see Russia develop a free press and free religion--like Iraq. Putin responded: "We certainly would not want to have the same kind of democracy as they have in Iraq, quite honestly.? (watch it) Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Needed: A New Direction for U.S.-Russian Relations

Staff / Truthdig Mar 9, 2006 We need a new policy toward Russia--one that is neither triumphalist, Cold War-like, or ignorant of the fact that the pro-Western liberal groups in Russia are in fact supported by a tiny fraction of the Russian electorate. Dig deeper ( 5 Min. Read )

The Putin Perspective

Staff / Truthdig Feb 1, 2006 Russia's leader answers mostly tough questions for three and a half hours without the aid of notes or alcohol--a new personal record. | storyOf interest: He doesn't regard Hamas as a terrorist organization and won't support cutting off its funding. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )