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Putin - Madman, modern day Hitler or simply misunderstood, or just an inspirational Russian leader?

MenInG

MenInG

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A few differing views on him so lets start the debate.

Here is what he said today: (from SKY)

Putin says invasion is going to plan - as he praises Russian soldiers as 'real heroes'
Russia's Vladimir Putin is speaking live now, where he is praising his soldiers as "real heroes".

He announces a posthumous award to a fallen Russian soldier who he says "blew himself up" with a grenade to avoid being captured.

Mr Putin says Ukrainians and Russians are "one people" but that Ukrainians are "threatened and brainwashed".

He also continues his bizarre claims that Russia is fighting "neo-Nazis" and that civilians are being used as "human shields".

Contrary to what Ukraine has said, he says Russian forces have provided humanitarian corridors for civilians to flee and that Ukrainian "nationalists" are blocking them.

Meanwhile, he says the "special military operation" - as Russia has been calling it - is going to plan.

"All objectives that were set are being resolved or achieved successfully," he says.

This is despite Western intelligence suggesting the invasion is behind Russia's schedule.
 
Lol he’s def not an inspiration. He is prolly delusional now and his inner circle are too scared to say anything
 
The West love to compare leaders with Hitler, hits hard with Zionist sympathisers, its all they have; rinse the sympathetic vote.

Fact is Putin has not commited any Genocide, yet the West will always drop the comparison with Hitler due to the Holocaust, which the West allowed to take place.

West should compare evil leaders to Blair and Bush; illegal wars, false flags, and regime change. Western government traits.
 
NATO is the issue, not Putin. For me Bush Blair Sharon are/where the undisputed top dogs when it comes to evil.
 
It depends which Hitler you are talking about.

Hitler's holocaust is something i despise, but i often believe Hitler the leader who bought his country back into the world stage gets overlooked alot.

After WW1, Germany was economically dead due to taking the blame for WW1 and having to pay fines under the treaty of Versailles. Infact, it was that treaty that cause the poor economic conditions which would result in Hitler to take matters into his own hands. Treaty of Versailes caused WW2 to happen.

In Putin's case, well if he thinks that a buffer should exists between his state and Nato, than after invading Ukraine and making it part of Russia, that buffer automatically vanishes.

But if we to believe that Putin is capturing these so called buffer countries due to the action of NATO, than he is a modern day Hitler but in a good sense.
 
If putin is compared to Hitler then I don't want to think who Bushs, Blair, obama or the Clinton's would be compared to.
 
How many people has putin killed compared to netanyahu, bush and blair?
 
Major said:
It depends which Hitler you are talking about.

Hitler's holocaust is something i despise, but i often believe Hitler the leader who bought his country back into the world stage gets overlooked alot.
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Hitler was nothing but a pathetic populist who drove a world power straight into ground.

Thanks to Hitler all German economy got wiped, their infrastructure destroyed and their women mass-raped by Russians/Americans/English etc.

Germany efficiency was/is what set them apart of rest of Europe/World
 
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WhenSultansBowled said:
Hitler was nothing but a pathetic populist who drove a world power straight into ground.

Thanks to Hitler all German economy got wiped, their infrastructure destroyed and their women mass-raped by Russians/Americans/English etc.

Germany efficiency was/is what set them apart of rest of Europe/World
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The german economy was already in shambles when they were forced to take the blame for WW1 in the treaty of versailes. They were paying ridiculous heavy fines.

Hitler came into existence due that treaty and after coming into power, he would again lead to Germany emerging as a super power that it was allowed to just take over Poland.

Had he stopped at Poland and not becoming motivated to build another German Empire, he would had done great. His mistake was his greed and after doing well in the initial years of WW2, he forced his adversaries to take strict action against him.
 
What would be the Israel's role in this conflict is going to be interesting?

Zelensky is a Jew and very pro Israeli, and Putin has already destroyed a couple of sacred Jewish monuments in Ukraine.

It could turn into a WW if Israel comes face to face with Russia - but I guess it won't happen.
 
If Putin was Hitler then so were George Bush, Obama and the rest who invaded and killed Iraqis, Afghans and Pakistanis in millions. Putin can't be Hitler because he is a white man killing white people who are also mostly his co-coreligionists.
 
What Putin is doing is no different than what US did in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Libya etc. In fact, he is doing it in self-defense whereas what USA did was all offense.

West/USA are the worst kind of evangelist. Dont remember seeing any of these crocodile tears when all the above mentioned countries were blown to smithereens when they attacked them. Atleast Putin is doing it very cautiously and judiciously to minimize civilian casualties. What does the west do? Instigate and abet an insurgency in Ukraine using local population against a trained army and cry foul commenting from the gallery. Worst part is, no one (including the gullible Ukrainians) see this.

This is actually a war between US/NATO vs Russia fought on Ukrainian soil over the shoulders of civilian Ukraine population and paid for with Ukrainian and Russian blood. All Ukraine had to do was to refrain from inspiring to join NATO to avoid all of this.
 
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All 4 can happen at the same time. They are not mutually exclusive to each other.
 
Putin is no Hitler. He is merely an apparatchik with a massive USSR hangover.

Many of the older generation in Russia and the former Soviet republics still look at the USSR era with a lot of nostalgia, and swear that it was a lot better under the communist system. Putin belongs to that generation, and actually served in the KGB as well. He is likely to be more nostalgic than others most, and more intent on bringing back the USSR glory days than most.
 
silentkiller187 said:
If putin is compared to Hitler then I don't want to think who Bushs, Blair, obama or the Clinton's would be compared to.
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Bush, Blair and Obama ( not clinton ) killed far more number of civilians , but they cannot be compared with Hitler because people they killed were in Afghanistan and middle east. Putin , can be compared to Hitler for killing people from "civilized ' world , they are white Europeans and he is committing the war crime .
 
I don't really have much knowledge of what is Russia and what is USSR. It all boils down to the question of whether the states which made up larger Russia was legitimate in the first place. Can we compare it with the USA? That is also a conglomeration of scores of states held together under a common flag. So is the EU. Russia wants to dominate it's sphere, and USA want's to dominate the globe. Putin could be seen as a hero from one side, and seen as an evil tyrant from the other.
 
Thousands Without Internet After Massive "Cyberattack" In Europe: Report

Paris:

Thousands of internet users across Europe have been thrown offline after what sources said Friday was a likely cyberattack at the beginning of Russia's offensive in Ukraine.

According to Orange, nearly 9,000 subscribers of a satellite internet service provided by its subsidiary Nordnet in France are without internet following a "cyber event" on February 24 at Viasat, a US satellite operator of which it is a client.

Eutelsat, the parent company of the bigblu satellite internet service, also confirmed to AFP on Friday that around one-third of bigblu's 40,000 subscribers in Europe, in Germany, France, Hungary, Greece, Italy and Poland, were affected by the outage on Viasat.

In the US, Viasat said on Wednesday that a "cyber event" had caused a "partial network outage" for customers "in Ukraine and elsewhere" in Europe who rely on its KA-SAT satellite.

Viasat gave no further details, saying only that "police and state partners" had been notified and were assisting with investigations.

General Michel Friedling, head of France's Space Command, said there had been a cyberattack.

"For several days, shortly after the start of operations, we have had a satellite network that covers Europe and Ukraine in particular, which was the victim of a cyberattack, with tens of thousands of terminals that were rendered inoperative immediately after the attack," he said, adding that he was talking about a civilian network -- Viasat.

The outages also knocked offline some 5,800 wind turbines in Germany and Central Europe with a combined output of 11 gigawatts.

"Due to a massive disruption of the satellite connection in Europe, remote monitoring and control of thousands of wind power converters is currently only possible to a limited extent," said the manufacturer, Germany's Enercon which said the problems started on February 24, the first day of the invasion of Ukraine.

"There is no danger to the wind turbines" which continue to produce energy but can no longer be reset remotely if needed, the manufacturer said.

A report by Germany's Federal Office for Information Security said that it was "conceivable that the outages were the consequence of a "cyberattack", German daily Handelsblatt reported.

Military and cyber specialists fear that the Russian-Ukrainian conflict could lead to an outbreak of cyberattacks, a "cyber Armageddon" with major consequences for civilians in Ukraine and Russia, but also globally, through a spillover effect.

But a worst-case scenario has so far been avoided, as the attacks observed appear to be contained in their impact and geographical scope.

Cybersecurity companies have observed attacks in Ukraine that deploy a new data-destroying virus, the actual effects of which are not yet known.In Russia, institutional websites were made inaccessible from abroad, to protect them from denial of service (DOS) attacks that regularly rendered them inoperable.

https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/tho...ttack-report-2804722#pfrom=home-ndtv_bigstory
 
Ukraine invasion: Western sanctions 'equivalent to declaring war' Putin claims as he defends military action

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the West was engaged in "economic banditry" against Russia and that Moscow would respond.

Vladimir Putin has described Western sanctions on Russia as being "equivalent to declaring a war", insisting that his invasion of Ukraine was driven by a need to protect Russian speakers in the country.

Speaking to female flight attendants in comments broadcast on state television, the Russian president said Moscow wanted Ukraine to be "demilitarised", "de-nazified" and to have a neutral status.

He said: "These (sanctions) are methods of fighting against Russia.

"These sanctions that you can see are equivalent to declaring a war - but thankfully it has not come to an actual war but we understand what these threats are about."

He said that everything was going to plan in Ukraine, and that the Russian army would "fulfil its aims".

He also warned that Moscow would consider any third-party declaration of a no-fly zone over the country as "participation in the armed conflict".

Mr Putin also said there was no plan for martial law or the declaration of an emergency situation in Russia, saying: "There is currently no need".

It comes after the Kremlin accused the West of behaving like bandits and claimed the world is "too big" for the US and Europe to isolate a country as big as Russia.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the West was engaged in "economic banditry" against Russia and that Moscow would respond.

He did not specify what response there would be but said it would be in line with Russian interests.

"This does not mean Russia is isolated," he told reporters on Saturday.

"The world is too big for Europe and America to isolate a country, and even more so a country as big as Russia.

"There are many more countries in the world."

Mr Peskov said that if the US imposed sanctions on Russia's energy exports then it would deliver a considerable jolt to energy markets.

The global sanctions on Russia could result in dire consequences for energy and grain importers.

The country is a leading exporter of grains and a major supplier of crude oil, metals, wood, and plastics.

Companies suspending operations in Russia include Apple, Mercedes-Benz, BP, Volkswagen, clothing retailer H&M, and furnishings store IKEA.

Spain's Teatro Real, one of Europe's major opera houses, confirmed it will cancel upcoming performances by Russia's Bolshoi Ballet.

But the sanctions appear to be doing little to deter Russian forces, as fighting continues in the northern cities of Ukraine as the invasion enters its tenth day.

The northeastern city of Mariupol has endured days of "relentless attacks", with residents left without power and water after Russian missiles struck critical infrastructure.

It is understood the city remains in Ukrainian hands, but British intelligence said it is "highly likely" Mariupol is surrounded by Russian forces.

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said on Saturday that Russia is prepared for the third round of talks with Ukraine.

In a news briefing in Moscow with his Kyrgyz counterpart, he claimed that Kyiv is "coming up with excuses" in order to postpone the meeting.

Mr Lavrov said: "For now, we haven't received any new dates. We were prepared… from yesterday evening to conduct a third round."

He said that the "optimism" surrounding the situation has been dampened by "angry" statements made by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

https://news.sky.com/story/ukraine-...ts-and-russia-too-big-to-be-isolated-12558006
 
Putin is definitely not Hitler.

Even though I think his invasion of Ukraine is a mistake, he has been a good leader for Russia.
 
Vladimir Putin would have wanted to take Kyiv in just a couple of days – but he seems to be increasingly cornered. Sky News has spoken to experts about how the Russian President may react next as the war in Ukraine enters day 11.

Air Marshal Philip Osborn, a former chief of defence intelligence and director at Universal Defence and Security Solutions, said: "Putin's in a corner over the conflict in Ukraine. But that brings with it all kinds of risks as his options are not nearly as clear as they were at the start.

"He really needs to maintain a narrative, which at the moment is to stop NATO expansionism and is all about the security of Russia.

"Part of the implementation of the no-fly zone gives him that opportunity to underline that narrative at home, to make this about NATO and Russia, not about his miscalculation in Ukraine.

"He just can't hold that country. I think any nation who thinks it's going to hold a country of 40 million-plus people who just don't want you there regardless of the size is killing themselves.

He added Russia may have been "overconfident" about the invasion, but ultimately "underestimated the Ukrainians".

Mr Osborn said: "He spent a lot of money bringing those armed forces up to scratch, but they don't seem to be doing what he wants. At the heart of military power is these people. It's have you got the right people with the right morale? The right training and the right skills.

"If you take a step back again, I think what we're seeing is a hugely overconfident Russian military engaging with the reality of a really high and well-equipped, highly motivated opponent.

"So I think we've seen an error of overconfidence as far as they're concerned. And they have underestimated the Ukrainians.

"That's led to tactical and operational level failures in terms of logistics, in terms of command and control. But what I think it's also underlined is that Russia is just not used to doing this type of stuff.

SKYNEWS
 
The Russian military has shelled a mosque sheltering more than 80 people in the city of Mariupol, Ukraine's government has said.

"The mosque of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent and his wife Roxolana (Hurrem Sultan) in Mariupol was shelled by Russian invaders," it said in a tweet.

"More than 80 adults and children are hiding there from the shelling, including citizens of Turkey."

It did not say if there were any people killed or wounded.

The Ukrainian Embassy in Turkey said a group of 86 Turkish nationals, including 34 children, were among the people who had sought safety in the mosque.

Moscow has denied targeting civilian areas in what it calls a special military operation in Ukraine.

Ukraine has accused Russia of refusing to allow people out of Mariupol, where a blockade has left hundreds of thousands trapped.

Russia blames Ukraine for the failure to evacuate people.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelenskyy also accused Russia of kidnapping the mayor of Melitopol, a port city in the south of Ukraine.

He described the abduction "a new stage of terror".

US officials had warned before the invasion of Russian plans to detain and kill targeted people in Ukraine.

Mr Zelenskyy himself is believed to be on that list.

SKY
 
MenInG said:
The Russian military has shelled a mosque sheltering more than 80 people in the city of Mariupol, Ukraine's government has said.

"The mosque of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent and his wife Roxolana (Hurrem Sultan) in Mariupol was shelled by Russian invaders," it said in a tweet.

"More than 80 adults and children are hiding there from the shelling, including citizens of Turkey."

It did not say if there were any people killed or wounded.

The Ukrainian Embassy in Turkey said a group of 86 Turkish nationals, including 34 children, were among the people who had sought safety in the mosque.

Moscow has denied targeting civilian areas in what it calls a special military operation in Ukraine.

Ukraine has accused Russia of refusing to allow people out of Mariupol, where a blockade has left hundreds of thousands trapped.

Russia blames Ukraine for the failure to evacuate people.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelenskyy also accused Russia of kidnapping the mayor of Melitopol, a port city in the south of Ukraine.

He described the abduction "a new stage of terror".

US officials had warned before the invasion of Russian plans to detain and kill targeted people in Ukraine.

Mr Zelenskyy himself is believed to be on that list.

SKY
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Good grief.
 
Lego20 said:
What Putin is doing is no different than what US did in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Libya etc. In fact, he is doing it in self-defense whereas what USA did was all offense.
.
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In Syria America played limited role, it was Russia and Iran who bombed civilians far more than America
 
LongHorn said:
In Syria America played limited role, it was Russia and Iran who bombed civilians far more than America
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Please do behave.

Your Amreeka played the most prominent role, a role which they are masters at, REGIME CHANGE. And no, Amreeka has killed more than Russia and Iran post WW2 and in the ME.
 
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Boris Johnson has said Vladimir Putin is like a drug dealer who has got Western nations hooked on Russian oil and gas.

"Vladimir Putin over the last years has been like a pusher, feeding an addiction in Western countries to his hydrocarbons," the prime minister said on Tuesday.

"We need to get ourselves off that addiction."

He said Russia's invasion of Ukraine has "helped to trigger a spike" in the price of oil.

'Pretty good' peace talks held as Zelenskyy hints at NATO concession - live Ukraine updates

"It is vital if we're going to stand up to Putin's bullying, we're going to avoid being blackmailed by Putin in the way that so many Western countries sadly have been," he added.

"We've got to get ourselves off Russian hydrocarbons."

SKY
 
The Kremlin has said Joe Biden's "war criminal" comment is "unforgiveable" - and has accused the West of behaving in a "disgusting" way.

Insisting it is putting "colossal energy" into peace talks, Russia also accused Ukraine of "dragging out" the negotiations and said its conditions for ending the conflict are "absolutely clear".

The comments come after Vladimir Putin hit back at US President Joe Biden after he called him a "war criminal" as the conflict in Ukraine enters its 21st day.

The Kremlin added that the remarks made by Joe Biden were "unacceptable".

Moscow has repeatedly denied targeting civilians.



Sky news
 
Ukraine conflict: Putin lays out his demands in Turkish phone call

Turkey has positioned itself with great care to be the go-between with Russia and Ukraine - and this seems to be paying off.

On Thursday afternoon, President Vladimir Putin rang the Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and told him what Russia's precise demands were for a peace deal with Ukraine.

Within half an hour of the ending of the phone call, I interviewed Mr Erdogan's leading adviser and spokesman, Ibrahim Kalin. Mr Kalin was part of the small group of officials who had listened in on the call.

The Russian demands fall into two categories.

The first four demands are, according to Mr Kalin, not too difficult for Ukraine to meet.

Chief among them is an acceptance by Ukraine that it should be neutral and should not apply to join Nato. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has already conceded this.

There are other demands in this category which mostly seem to be face-saving elements for the Russian side.

Ukraine would have to undergo a disarmament process to ensure it wasn't a threat to Russia. There would have to be protection for the Russian language in Ukraine. And there is something called de-Nazification.

This is deeply offensive to Mr Zelensky, who is himself Jewish and some of whose relatives died in the Holocaust, but the Turkish side believes it will be easy enough for Mr Zelensky to accept. Perhaps it will be enough for Ukraine to condemn all forms of neo-Nazism and promise to clamp down on them.

The second category is where the difficulty will lie, and in his phone call, Mr Putin said that it would need face-to-face negotiations between him and President Zelensky before agreement could be reached on these points. Mr Zelensky has already said he's prepared to meet the Russian president and negotiate with him one-to-one.

Mr Kalin was much less specific about these issues, saying simply that they involved the status of Donbas, in eastern Ukraine, parts of which have already broken away from Ukraine and stressed their Russianness, and the status of Crimea.

Although Mr Kalin didn't go into detail, the assumption is that Russia will demand that the Ukrainian government should give up territory in eastern Ukraine. That will be deeply contentious.

The other assumption is that Russia will demand that Ukraine should formally accept that Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014, does indeed now belong to Russia. If this is the case, it will be a bitter pill for Ukraine to swallow.

Nevertheless, it is a fait accompli, even though Russia has no legal right to own Crimea and actually signed an international treaty, after the fall of Communism but before Vladimir Putin came to power, accepting that Crimea was part of Ukraine.

Read more:

Still, President Putin's demands are not as harsh as some people feared and they scarcely seem to be worth all the violence, bloodshed and destruction which Russia has visited on Ukraine.

Given his heavy-handed control over the Russian media, it shouldn't be too hard for him and his acolytes to present all this as a major victory.

For Ukraine, though, there are going to be serious anxieties.

If the fine details of any agreement aren't sorted out with immense care, President Putin or his successors could always use them as an excuse to invade Ukraine again.

A peace deal could take a long time to sort out, even if a ceasefire stops the bloodshed in the meantime.

Ukraine has suffered appallingly over the past few weeks, and rebuilding the towns and cities which Russia has damaged and destroyed will take a long time. So will rehousing the millions of refugees who have fled their homes.

What about Vladimir Putin himself? There have been suggestions that he is ill, or possibly even mentally unbalanced. Did Mr Kalin detect anything strange about him in the phone call? Not at all, he said. Mr Putin had apparently been clear and concise in everything he said.

Yet even if he does manage to present an agreement with Ukraine as a glorious victory over neo-Nazism, his position at home must be weakened.

More and more people will realise that he overreached himself badly, and stories of the soldiers who have been killed or captured are already spreading fast.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-60785754
 
Russian President Vladimir Putin has hailed the country's "special operation" in Ukraine at a rally marking the anniversary of the 2014 annexation of Crimea.

Moscow's Luzhniki stadium, which hosted the World Cup final in 2018, was packed for the rally, with patriot songs, and crowds waving Russian flags and shouting: "Russia! Russia! Russia!"

Images and video from the stadium showed a sea of red, blue and white flags and banners, with one reading: "For Putin!"

Sky
 
A superb set of intereviews. Discusses Ukraine many years ago.

No doubt a smart man, not scared of anyone and can be ruthless too. He makes Biden & Boris look like uneducated idiots.

MUST WATCH!!!

Search for

The Putin Interviews - Part 1 of 4 Oliver Stone
 
Putin is quite strong and enigmatic as a leader I find, he has an aura about him.

I would personally disagree with him on a number of matters, but there is no doubting the man’s legendary status as far as post-war politicians go.
 
James said:
Putin is quite strong and enigmatic as a leader I find, he has an aura about him.

I would personally disagree with him on a number of matters, but there is no doubting the man’s legendary status as far as post-war politicians go.
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And i think the idea of humans to support such leaders is what have led to downfalls of countries.

Japan , Scandinavian countries and Germany have done well without such “strong” leaders but good institutions.
 
KingKhanWC said:
A superb set of intereviews. Discusses Ukraine many years ago.

No doubt a smart man, not scared of anyone and can be ruthless too. He makes Biden & Boris look like uneducated idiots.

MUST WATCH!!!

Search for

The Putin Interviews - Part 1 of 4 Oliver Stone
Click to expand...

I'm no fan of Boris or Biden but look at the state of Russia's economy now. You can't say what Putin has done is smart.
 
KingKhanWC said:
A superb set of intereviews. Discusses Ukraine many years ago.

No doubt a smart man, not scared of anyone and can be ruthless too. He makes Biden & Boris look like uneducated idiots.

MUST WATCH!!!

Search for

The Putin Interviews - Part 1 of 4 Oliver Stone
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What do you think about the genocide he carried out in Chechnya?
 
topspin said:
I'm no fan of Boris or Biden but look at the state of Russia's economy now. You can't say what Putin has done is smart.
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Sure there is a long way to go but in the 90's when Putin arrived, Russians were eating soup out of carrier bags. The end of the Soviet Regime bought harship to the people. Since he has transformed Russian lives. The western sanctions have slowed down its growth, which is why Russia nows wants a new system of finance.

Watch those interviews. They are not from a Russian channel but Oliver Stone, for an American tv channel.

Whatever we think of him, Putin is changing history as we speak. The next decade you will see a totally different world. The good times come to an end for all Empires, the western empire starting with the collapse of the $ is on the way down now. I dont want to live in Russia but I also dont want to live in the US. Sadly in the UK we have to accept we are ruled over by criminals & liars, which will also lead to the downfall of this nation.
 
KingKhanWC said:
Sure there is a long way to go but in the 90's when Putin arrived, Russians were eating soup out of carrier bags. The end of the Soviet Regime bought harship to the people. Since he has transformed Russian lives. The western sanctions have slowed down its growth, which is why Russia nows wants a new system of finance.

Watch those interviews. They are not from a Russian channel but Oliver Stone, for an American tv channel.

Whatever we think of him, Putin is changing history as we speak. The next decade you will see a totally different world. The good times come to an end for all Empires, the western empire starting with the collapse of the $ is on the way down now. I dont want to live in Russia but I also dont want to live in the US. Sadly in the UK we have to accept we are ruled over by criminals & liars, which will also lead to the downfall of this nation.
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I would! Don't you want to go to the beaches in Miami, rooftops and restaurants of New York, Golden gate bridge, Coachella etc?
 
topspin said:
I would! Don't you want to go to the beaches in Miami, rooftops and restaurants of New York, Golden gate bridge, Coachella etc?
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USA isnt what it was in the 80's. Its a bit of dump from what Ive heard from friends who visit there reguarly all over the country for work.

Besides when you live in Europe it isnt much different. Im looking to for a few months trip to South America, Peru, Mexico, Brazil, Chile etc. Real culture, real people.
 
Joe Biden has said Vladimir Putin "cannot remain in power", appealing to the Russian people against the killing of innocent civilians, and telling Ukraine that the US stands with them.

In a powerful speech given in Warsaw in Poland, the US president built on earlier remarks in which he called Mr Putin a "butcher", describing him as "a dictator" and saying that stopping the war in Ukraine is "the task of our time".

He said: "Brutality will never grind down the will to be free. Ukraine will never be a victory for Russia."

He told a cheering crowd: "For God's sake, this man cannot remain in power. God bless you all, and may God defend our freedom and may God protect our troops."

And quoting Pope John Paul II, he said: "Never, ever give up hope, never doubt, never tire, never become discouraged. Be not afraid."

Mr Biden also sent a direct message to the people of Russia to say they are not the "enemy".

He continued: "I refuse to believe that you welcome the killing of innocent children and grandparents or that you accept hospitals, schools, maternity wards, for God's sake, be pummelled with Russian missiles and bombs. Or cities being surrounded so that civilians cannot flee, supplies cut off in attempts to starve Ukrainians...

Ukraine war: Russia appears to scale back invasion ambitions - but UK warns bombardment of cities will continue

"Millions of families are being driven from their home including half of all Ukraine's children. These are not the actions of a great nation."

The President said "swift and punishing" costs are the only things that will get Mr Putin to change his course, a month on from the invasion of Ukraine.

He said his message to the people of Ukraine is simple: "We stand with you."

He said Russia had "strangled democracy" and "sought to do so elsewhere", having "the gall" to say he did not invade Ukraine. Mr Biden said: "It's a lie. It's just cynical. He knows that. And it's also obscene."

Mr Biden's speech ends a four-day trip that also included an earlier stop for a series of summits in Brussels.

Earlier on Saturday, following official meetings in Warsaw, the president described Russian leader Vladimir Putin as a "butcher".

The Kremlin said his comment would further narrow any possibilities of repairing relations, according to Russian state news agency Tass.

Mr Biden and the US foreign and defence ministers Antony Blinken and Lloyd Austin met their Ukrainian counterparts for the first time to discuss how "to fortify Ukraine's ability to fight back Russian aggression".

Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba told reporters that Ukraine had received additional security pledges from the US on developing defence co-operation.

He also said that Ukraine agreed with the US on ways to put pressure on Europe to impose fresh sanctions on Russia.

Meanwhile, Mr Biden said he was "not sure" that Russia had changed its strategy in its invasion of Ukraine after Moscow said its focus was now to completely "liberate" the breakaway eastern Donbas region.

SKY
 
How has Russia responded to Biden's remarks?

"For God's sake, this man cannot remain in power," US President Joe Biden told a crowd in Warsaw after condemning Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine in a powerful speech.

Mr Biden cast Russia's invasion of Ukraine as a battle in a much broader conflict between democracy and autocracy.

"The battle for democracy could not conclude and did not conclude with the end of the Cold War," Mr Biden said. "Over the last 30 years, the forces of autocracy have revived all across the globe."

Commenting on the US leader's remarks, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Reuters news agency: "That's not for Biden to decide.

"The president of Russia is elected by Russians."

Mr Peskov later told Russia's RBC that Biden was clearly "the victim of many misconceptions".

"This speech - and the passages which concern Russia - is astounding, to use polite words," he added.

"He doesn't understand that the world is not limited to the United States and most of Europe."
 
Russia had 'no choice' but to launch military operation, Putin says

Russian President Vladimir Putin said today that Moscow's military operation in Ukraine would undoubtedly achieve what he said were its "noble" objectives.

Speaking at an awards ceremony at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia, the Kremlin leader was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies that Moscow had "no other choice" but to launch a military operation to protect Russia.

He went on to say there was "no doubt" that the Kremlin's military operation in Ukraine would "reach its objectives", adding that a clash with Ukraine's anti-Russian forces had been "inevitable".

As the war in Ukraine enters its 49th day, Mr Putin claimed Russian forces were acting "bravely and efficiently" and using the most modern weapons, TASS news agency reported.

The speech also saw the Russian leader say that his country "can't be isolated", according to Russia's RIA news agency.
 
Russian military leaders are as much to blame for the Ukraine invasion as President Vladimir Putin - and both should face consequences, the UK defence secretary has said.

In a major speech today, Ben Wallace is expected to not mince his words, and tell the world bluntly, that Mr Putin and his inner circle should share the same fate as the Nazis, who ended up defeated and facing the Nuremberg trials for their atrocities.

It comes as President Putin prepares to stage a military parade to celebrate Victory Day in Russia, marking the defeat of Hitler's fascists in 1945.

According to extracts given to Sky News, Mr Wallace will say: "Through their invasion of Ukraine, Putin, his inner circle and generals are now mirroring the fascism and tyranny of 70 years ago, repeating the errors of last century's totalitarian regimes."

He will add: "Their fate must also, surely, eventually be the same."

https://news.sky.com/story/ukraine-...head-of-victory-day-parade-in-russia-12609080
 
Putin "Seriously Ill", Says Ex-Spy. Blood Cancer, Says Oligarch: Reports

An oligarch with close ties to the Russian leader has reportedly been recorded as saying "Putin is very ill with blood cancer".

New Delhi: Russian President Vladimir Putin is "seriously ill" and it is an "element" of what is happening in Ukraine, said a former British spy. "It's not clear exactly what this illness is - whether it's incurable or terminal, or whatever. But certainly, I think it's part of the equation," he said.
Christopher Steele, who wrote a dossier on Donald Trump and alleged Russian interference in the 2016 US election campaign, told Sky News: "Certainly, from what we're hearing from sources in Russia and elsewhere, is that Putin is, in fact, quite seriously ill."

Meanwhile, an oligarch with close ties to the Russian leader has reportedly been recorded as saying "Putin is very ill with blood cancer".

In a recording obtained by a US magazine New Lines, the unnamed oligarch was heard discussing Putin's health with a Western venture capitalist.

Speculations around the Russian President's health intensified since the Ukraine war as the leaders appeared frail at public events including the Victory Day celebrations last week. In the photos and videos doing the on social media, Putin had a thick green cover draped over his legs as he sat among Second World War veterans and senior dignitaries to watch a military parade in Moscow's Red Square.

Putin, in a black bomber jacket, was also spotted coughing and was the only person among his group who needed additional coverings to combat the relatively mild 9-degree Celsius weather, reported the Independent.

The Russian oligarch says in the recording that Putin had surgery on his back linked to his blood cancer shortly before ordering the invasion of Ukraine. The president has gone "crazy", he adds.

Recently, a video meeting between Putin and Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu, showed him tightly clutching the table, not letting go for the entirety of the 12-minute clip.

"We all hope that Mr Putin dies. He absolutely ruined Russia's economy, Ukraine's economy and many other economies - ruined absolutely," the oligarch says. "The problem is with his head. One crazy guy can turn the world upside down."

The name of the oligarch has been kept anonymous by the the western businessman as he recorded the conversation without his permission, reported New Lines maganize.

A top Ukrainian military official has also claimed the Kremlin leader has cancer and other ailments. He told the Sky News that Putin is in a "very bad psychological and physical condition and he is very sick".

Russia's invasion, which Putin calls a "special operation" to disarm Ukraine and protect it from fascists, has jolted European security. Kyiv and its Western allies say the fascism assertion is a baseless pretext for an unprovoked war of aggression.
https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/put...ch-reports-2978132#pfrom=home-ndtv_topstories
 
Vladimir Putin says Russia will do everything it can to bring the Ukraine war to an end "as soon as possible", despite the direction of the conflict swinging against his military in recent days.

Russian troops have been routed in parts of the north east with thousands of square kilometres of territory liberated by defence forces near Kharkiv.

The Ukrainian flag flies once again over dozens more settlements, including the key city of Izyum where a mass burial site was unearthed, as a top police investigator expressed his shock at the discovery.

Sky News journalist's eyewitness report from scene - latest updates on Ukraine war

Ukrainian forces, buoyed by the surging advance near Kharkiv and progress in the south near Kherson, hope to push Russian soldiers out of all Ukrainian territory.

This however is likely not what President Putin means by a swift conclusion to the conflict.

Appearing at a televised summit in the Uzbek city of Samarkand, he spoke to Indian prime minister Narendra Modi.

"I know that today's era is not an era of war, and I have spoken to you on the phone about this," Mr Modi told the Russian president.

As the Indian leader made the remark, Mr Putin pursed his lips, glanced at him and then looked down before touching the hair on the back of his head.

He told Mr Modi that he understood he had concerns about Ukraine, but that Moscow was doing all it could to end the conflict.

"I know your position on the conflict in Ukraine, the concerns that you constantly express," he said. "We will do everything to stop this as soon as possible."

In the recently recaptured city of Izyum, there has been an outcry following the discovery of a mass burial site.

Speaking on Telegram on Friday afternoon, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said: "Today, the world must see what the Russian army left behind.

"More than four hundred graves are in the forest near Izyum. We still don't know exactly how many bodies are there.

"Russia has already become the biggest source of terrorism in the world, and no other terrorist power leaves behind so many deaths.

"This must be recognised legally. The world must act. Russia must be recognised as a state sponsor of terrorism."

SKY
 
Putin is not a madman and definitely is not like Hitler. He is sharper than every single western politician.

He probably made small mistakes here and there (something all leaders do) but I think he has done well as a leader overall.
 
Not to brag or anything, i saw the war in Ukraine coming a long time ago.

Putin is an authoritarian but not crazy as many in the west would have us believe.

Ukraine has always been a buffer zone for Russia and attempts to change that was always going to be the last straw for Russia.

Even if there was another leader in Putin's place, same would have happened sooner or later.

Reminds me of the Cuban Crisis and the Bay of Pigs that happened back in the 1960s.

Big powers, including the benevolent US, simply dont let you knock on their doorsteps like that.

Unfortunate for Ukraine because they deserve to have aspirations and an independent foreign policy but sometimes your fate is written by your geography.
 
If you're just joining us, here's a quick catch up on what's happened this morning:

President Putin has given a rare TV address to the nation

He said reservists would now be called up to serve in Ukraine - starting today

He accused the West of engaging in nuclear blackmail against Russia

Putin said Russia has "lots of weapons to reply" and that he was not bluffing

He said again he was defending "our people" in the Donbas
 
Queues have sprung up along Russia's border as men attempt to leave the country amid a military call-up for the war in Ukraine.

President Vladimir Putin announced a partial military mobilisation on Wednesday, which could see 300,000 people summoned to serve in the war.

The Kremlin says reports of fighting-age men fleeing are exaggerated.

But on the border with Georgia, miles-long queues of vehicles have formed including men trying to escape the war.

One man, who did not want to be named, told the BBC's Rayhan Demytrie he had grabbed his passport and headed to the border, without packing anything else, immediately after President' Putin's announcement - because he fell into the group that could potentially be sent to the war.

Some witnesses estimated the queue of cars at the Upper Lars checkpoint to be some 5km (3 miles) long, while another group said it had taken seven hours to get across the border. Video from the scene showed some drivers leaving their cars or trucks temporarily in standstill traffic.

Georgia is one of the few neighbouring countries that Russians can enter without needing a apply for a visa. Finland, which shares a 1,300km (800 mile) border with Russia, does require a visa for travel, and also reported an increase in traffic overnight - but said it was at a manageable level.

Other destinations reachable by air - such as Istanbul, Belgrade or Dubai - have seen ticket prices skyrocket immediately after the military call-up was announced, with some destinations sold out completely. Turkish media have reported a large spike in one-way ticket sales, while remaining flights to non-visa destinations can cost thousands of euros.

SKY
 
The EU must take Vladimir Putin's threats he could use nuclear weapons in the conflict in Ukraine seriously, the bloc's foreign policy chief has said.

Josep Borrell told the BBC's Lyse Doucet that the war had reached a "dangerous moment".

His remarks come as Russia begins a partial mobilisation and moves to annex four regions of Ukraine.

Mr Putin has faced setbacks on the battlefield, with his forces pushed back by a Ukrainian counter-offensive.

"Certainly it's a dangerous moment because the Russian army has been pushed into a corner, and Putin's reaction - threatening using nuclear arms - it's very bad," Mr Borrell said.

Seven months since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began, analysts agree that President Putin's forces are on the back foot, but he said a "diplomatic solution" must be reached, one that "preserves the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine".

"Otherwise, we can finish the war, but we will not have peace, and we will have another war," he said.

In a rare address to the nation earlier this week, Mr Putin said his country had "various weapons of destruction" and would "use all the means available to us", adding: "I'm not bluffing".

"When people say it is not a bluff, you have to take them seriously," Mr Borrell said.

In the same speech President Putin announced the call-up of 300,000 Russians who have done compulsory military service, sparking protests and reports of people fleeing the country to avoid being sent to the front line.

Who is winning the war in Ukraine?
What does Russia's troop call-up mean for Ukraine?
It comes after a rapid counter-offensive in which Ukraine says it took more than 8,000 sq km (3,088 sq miles) back from Russian forces.

Now self-styled referendums on joining Russia are being held in four occupied regions. Ukraine has denounced these as annexation attempts, and reported that armed Russian soldiers are going door-to-door collecting votes.

BBC
 
This week, one Russian newspaper, Moskovsky Komsomolets, concluded: "Vladimir Putin has nowhere to retreat. So, he'll continue to attack."

Cue St George's Hall of the Kremlin Palace and the controversial signing ceremony in front of MPs, senators and officials.

Vladimir Putin's decision to annex the four Ukrainian territories ("incorporate" in Kremlinspeak) is the Russian president's latest offensive in his battle with Ukraine and the West.

Through annexation, the Kremlin is trying to change the facts on the ground (at a time when Russia has been losing ground in Ukraine).

Mr Putin wants to present a fait accompli to Kyiv and to the West.

It raises the stakes considerably in the president's standoff with Ukraine and the Western world.

The Kremlin event was carefully choreographed for maximum patriotic effect: plenty of applause for the president from the invited audience; a stirring rendition of the national anthem; and Mr Putin and the four Kremlin-appointed administrators of the annexed territories clasping hands and chanting "Russia! Russia!" along with everyone in the hall.

But declaring "this is my land now" doesn't make it true. Especially in the light of the so-called "referendums" in the occupied territories, which were not real referendums at all. They were Kremlin-conceived, Kremlin-controlled events designed as a smokescreen for Moscow to grab 15% of Ukraine's territory. Ukraine will not accept this annexation; neither will the international community as a whole.

"The United States will never, never, never recognise Russia's claim on Ukraine sovereign territory," US President Joe Biden said on Thursday, while UN Secretary General António Guterres had already said the annexation "would have no legal value and deserves to be condemned".

But that still leaves the question: what now? How will Mr Putin respond when Ukrainian troops push on to try to reclaim their land?

Russia has already warned that any attack on its "new territories" will be viewed as an attack on the territorial integrity of Russia. The Kremlin says it reserves the right to respond "with all means available to it".

That includes, potentially, nuclear weapons. In recent weeks, senior Russian officials have been dropping unsubtle hints about Moscow's nuclear arsenal.

In his speech today, Vladimir Putin said the United States had created a "precedent" by using nuclear weapons against Japan at the end of World War Two.

That comment won't have gone unnoticed by Western governments.

Russia's nuclear sabre-rattling has been causing concern in the West. But it's worrying people inside Russia, too. This week, an editorial in the country's mainstream Nezavisimaya Gazeta newspaper was heavily critical of "senior Russian officials" for making "nuclear threats".

"It is incredible that today… high-ranking officials in Russia start talking about the nuclear button," the editorial continued. "They do this without a second thought… They even forget to make the qualification so important for the world to hear: 'Of course, we mustn't allow this under any circumstance.'

"To allow, in thoughts and words, the possibility of a nuclear conflict is a sure step to allowing it in reality."

What struck me most about President Putin's annexation speech was just how full it was of anti-Western bile. The Russian president seems set on whipping up nationalistic, anti-Western sentiment in the country.

It's a useful diversion from the problems at home and the battlefields of Ukraine.

BBC
 
Russia's President Vladimir Putin has signed the final papers to annex four regions of Ukraine - even as his military suffered further setbacks.

The Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions are "accepted into the Russian Federation" the documents say.

But in two of those areas - Luhansk and Kherson - Ukraine said it has been retaking more villages.

Mr Putin also signed a decree to formalise Russia's seizure of the nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhia.

Last Friday, the Russian leader held a grand ceremony in the Kremlin, where he signed agreements with the Moscow-installed leaders of the four regions.

The move followed self-proclaimed referendums in the areas, denounced as a "sham" by the West.

But on the ground there appears to be a different reality, with Ukrainian forces making gains in both the south and the east.

Serhiy Haidai, Ukrainian governor of Luhansk, told the BBC on Wednesday that six villages in the region had been recaptured.

And President Zelensky later said Ukraine had liberated three more villages in the southern region of Kherson.

That followed a series of gains in Kherson the previous day, including the strategically key village of Davydiv Brid.

Meanwhile, the southern city of Zaporizhzhia was rocked by a series of huge explosions an hour or so before dawn.

Local authorities say seven Russian missiles hit residential buildings and that people are under the rubble. There has been no information on casualties so far.

The BBC's Paul Adams, who is in the city, says rescue workers are combing through the shattered remains of an elegant five storey apartment building in the middle of the city.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia would retake any territory that had been lost to Ukrainian forces.

Facing questions over the recent losses, he told reporters: "There is no contradiction here. They will be with Russia forever, they will be returned."

In a speech to teachers on Russian teachers' day, Mr Putin said he would "calmly develop" the annexed territories.

But Andrey Kartopolov, the chairman of the State Duma defence committee, told state media that Russia needed to stop lying about what was happening on the battlefield, saying that Russians were not stupid.

Russia is still working to mobilise reservists, after Mr Putin announced a call-up last month of 300,000 people who had completed compulsory military service.

But Mr Putin has rowed back on which groups will be affected, after strong opposition and protests in Russia against the move.

He has signed a decree exempting several categories of students, including first-time students at accredited institutions, and certain types of postgraduate students - such as those in the field of science.

In another move, President Putin has signed a decree to formalise Russia's seizure of the nuclear power plant in one of the annexed regions - Zaporizhzhia - which has been occupied by Russian troops since the early days of the war.

Russia says the plant - Europe's largest nuclear facility - will be operated by a new company, but Ukraine's nuclear operator has dismissed the move as "worthless".

Rafael Grossi, the head of the UN's nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, has said he will hold consultations with the two sides following the development.

He is heading to Kyiv and then Moscow, seeking to establish a protection zone around the plant, which is situated near the front line of fighting.

BBC
 
<b>Putin describes talks with Lukashenko as ‘very fruitful’</b>

President Putin has described talks with his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko as “very fruitful”.

His host in Minsk, in turn, spoke of “constructive and productive” talks, the Russian state news agency TASS reported on Monday after the conclusion of the talks in Minsk.

Among other things, the two heads of state had agreed on a continuation of military cooperation, as well as even closer economic cooperation.

Putin believes that both Moscow and Minsk successfully resisted pressure from Western sanctions and attempts to isolate Russia and Belarus.

“We are coordinating our steps to minimise the influence of the illegal restriction measures on our economy,” Putin said. “And we are doing it quite convincingly and effectively.”

— Al Jazeera
 
US President Joe Biden has welcomed the International Criminal Court's issuing of an arrest warrant against his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin.

The ICC accused President Putin of committing war crimes in Ukraine - something President Biden said the Russian leader had "clearly" done.

The claims focus on the unlawful deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia since Moscow's invasion in 2022.

Moscow has denied the allegations and denounced the warrants as "outrageous".

It is highly unlikely that much will come of the move, as the ICC has no powers to arrest suspects without the co-operation of a country's government.

Russia is not an ICC member country, meaning the court has no authority there.

However, it could affect Mr Putin in other ways, such as being unable to travel internationally. He could now be arrested if he sets foot in any of the court's 123 member states.

Mr Putin is only the third president to be issued with an ICC arrest warrant.

President Biden said that, while the court also held no sway in the US, the issuing of the warrant "makes a very strong point".

His administration had already "formally determined" that Russia had committed war crimes during the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, with Vice-President Kamala Harris saying in February that those involved would "be held to account".

The United Nations also released a report earlier this week that found Moscow's forced removal of Ukrainian children to areas under its control amounted to a war crime.

In a statement on Friday, the ICC said it had reasonable grounds to believe Mr Putin committed the criminal acts directly, as well as working with others. It also accused him of failing to use his presidential powers to stop children being deported.

Russia's commissioner for children's rights, Maria Lvova-Belova, is also wanted by the ICC for the same crimes.

ICC prosecutor Karim Khan has said the warrants were "based upon forensic evidence, scrutiny and what's been said by those two individuals".

The court had initially considered keeping the arrest warrants a secret, but decided to make them public to try and stop further crimes being committed.

"Children can't be treated as the spoils of war, they can't be deported," Mr Khan told the BBC.

"This type of crime doesn't need one to be a lawyer, one needs to be a human being to know how egregious it is."

Mr Khan also pointed out that nobody thought that Slobodan Milosevic, the Serbian leader who went on trial for war crimes in Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo in the 1990s, would end up in The Hague to face justice.

"Those that feel that you can commit a crime in the daytime, and sleep well at night, should perhaps look at history," Mr Khan said.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said any of the court's decisions were "null and void" and former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev compared the warrant to toilet paper.

Russian opposition activists have welcomed the announcement. Ivan Zhdanov, a close ally of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, has tweeted that it was "a symbolic step" but an important one.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed his thanks to Mr Khan and the ICC for their decision to press charges against "state evil".

BBC
 
The International Criminal Court on Friday announced an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin on the war crime accusation of unlawfully deporting Ukrainian children.

The Hague-based ICC said it had also issued a warrant against Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia's presidential commissioner for children's rights, on similar charges.

Moscow dismissed the orders as "void." Russia is not a party to the ICC so it was unclear if or how Putin could ever end up in the dock.

War-battered Ukraine welcomed the ICC announcement, with President Volodymyr Zelensky hailing the "historic decision."

The court's shock notice came hours after other news with the potential to significantly impact Russia's war on Ukraine, including a Moscow visit from Chinese leader Xi Jinping and more fighter jets for Kyiv's forces.

More than 16,000 Ukrainian children have been deported to Russia since the February 24, 2022 invasion, according to Kyiv, with many allegedly placed in institutions and foster homes.

ICC prosecutor Karim Khan told AFP that Putin was now liable for arrest if he set foot in any of the court's more than 120 member states.

He said the arrest warrants were "based upon forensic evidence, scrutiny and what's been said by those two individuals".

"The evidence we presented focused on crimes against children. Children are the most vulnerable part of our society," said Khan.

The ICC said judges found there were "reasonable grounds" to suspect Putin's criminal responsibility and grant Khan's application for the warrants, which were made back on February 22.

ICC President Piotr Hofmanski said the execution of the warrants "depends on international cooperation".

'Historic decision'

During a meeting with Putin in mid-February, Lvova-Belova said she adopted a 15-year-old child from the devastated Ukrainian port city of Mariupol.

"Now I know what it means to be a mother of a child from Donbas -- it is a difficult job but we love each other, that is for sure," she told Putin.

She added that "we evacuated children's homes into safe areas, arranged rehabilitation and prosthetics for them and provided them with targeted humanitarian assistance."

The arrest warrant for Putin, a sitting head of state of a UN Security Council member, is an unprecedented step for the ICC.

Set up in 2002, the ICC is a court of last resort for the world's worst crimes, when countries cannot or will not prosecute suspects.

Prosecutor Khan launched an investigation into alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine just days after Russia's invasion.

Khan recently posted pictures from a visit to Ukraine alongside empty cots in an empty children's care home, and said that investigating alleged child abduction was a "priority".

"It's poignant," he said. "One sees empty cribs and empty beds juxtaposed with paintings by those children on the walls."

Zelensky, who met Khan on his visit, welcomed the arrest warrants for his nemesis in Moscow.

"A historic decision from which historic responsibility will begin," Zelensky said.

Ukraine's Western allies also hailed the move.

US President Joe Biden said the warrant was "justified," and "makes a very strong point," while noting that the United States is not a member of the ICC.

"There is no doubt that Russia is committing war crimes and atrocities in Ukraine, and we have been clear that those responsible must be held accountable," a State Department spokesperson said. "The ICC Prosecutor is an independent actor."

Britain called the decision "welcome" and the European Union said it was "just the start." Human Rights Watch said it was a "big day for the many victims" of Russian forces.

'Void'

The Kremlin dismissed the warrants.

"Russia, just like a number of different countries, does not recognise the jurisdiction of this court and so from a legal point of view, the decisions of this court are void," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev compared the warrants to toilet paper, while foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said they "have no meaning" for Russia.

The ICC's Khan however said there were "so many examples of people that thought they were beyond the reach of the law".

"Look at (Slobodan) Milosevic or Charles Taylor or (Radovan) Karadzic or (Ratko) Mladic," he said, referring to a series of war criminals from the former Yugoslavia, and former Liberian president Taylor, who have faced justice.

Earlier in the day, Beijing and Moscow announced that Chinese leader and strategic ally Xi would be in Russia next week to sign accords ushering in a new era of ties.

The United States has accused China of mulling arms shipments to support Russia's campaign -- claims Beijing has strongly denied.

The arrest warrants come a day after UN investigators said Russia's forced transfer and deportation of Ukrainian children to areas under its control amounts to a war crime.

The investigators said parents and children had spoken of youngsters being informed by Russian social services that they would be placed in foster families or adopted.

Neither Russia nor Ukraine are members of the ICC, but Kyiv has accepted the court's jurisdiction and is working with Khan's office.

Russia denies allegations of war crimes by its troops. Experts have said it is unlikely it would ever hand over any suspects.

With fighting still raging in Ukraine, Kyiv welcomed the news Friday that Slovakia will donate 13 MiG-29 warplanes.

Ukraine has long requested fighter jets from Western allies, although it is seeking primarily modern US-made F-16s.

NDTV
 
Russia, Amreeka, and China are not members of the ICC.

Amreekans should keep quiet on Putin's arrest warrant, cos Bush should be arrested for war crimes, along with Blair.

Nothing will come about of Putin's arrest warrant anyway, other than his travel is restricted. He can still visit places like UAE etc.
 
US urges Xi to press Putin over 'war crimes' in Ukraine

Chinese President Xi Jinping should press Vladimir Putin to "halt the war crimes" in Ukraine, the US has urged.

The two will meet again on Tuesday for official talks during Mr Xi's first visit to Moscow since the invasion.

The White House's National Security Council spokesman called on Mr Xi to urge his Russian counterpart to withdraw troops from Ukraine.

John Kirby said seeking a ceasefire would not be enough.

"We hope that President Xi will press President Putin to cease bombing Ukrainian cities, hospitals and schools, to halt the war crimes and atrocities and to withdraw his troops," he said.

"But we are concerned that instead China will reiterate calls for a ceasefire that leaves Russian forces inside Ukraine's sovereign territory and any ceasefire that does not address the removal of Russian forces from Ukraine would effectively ratify Russia's illegal conquests."

In another development, Japan's Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, is making a surprise visit to Ukraine for talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky. He is expected to voice solidarity and support for Ukraine following Russia's invasion.

Japan and China see each other as regional rivals. Since Russia's war in Ukraine began, Tokyo has provided Kyiv with a mixture of humanitarian, financial and non-lethal military aid.

On Monday, Mr Xi and Mr Putin held more than four hours of what were described as informal talks, with more formal discussions scheduled for Tuesday.

There are concerns that China's support for Russia - currently based on technology and trade - might become military, potentially including artillery shells.

Mr Putin has said he will discuss a 12-point plan proposed by Mr Xi to "settle the acute crisis in Ukraine".

"We're always open for a negotiation process," Mr Putin said, as the leaders called each other "dear friend".

China released its plan to end the war last month - it includes "ceasing hostilities" and resuming peace talks.

...
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-65022366
 
Putin: China plan could end war, but Ukraine and West not ready for peace

China's peace plan for Ukraine could be used as a basis to end the war, Vladimir Putin has said.

But Mr Putin said the plan could be put forward only when they are ready "in the West and Kyiv".

The Russian leader met Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday in Moscow to discuss the conflict, and relations between the two countries.

China's plan, published last month, does not explicitly call for Russia to leave Ukraine.

Listing 12 points, it calls for peace talks and respect for national sovereignty, without specific proposals.

But Ukraine has insisted on Russia withdrawing from its territory as a condition for any talks - and there is no sign that Russia is ready to do that.

On Wednesday the Moscow-backed authorities in annexed Crimea said an attack by three waterborne drones on the Black Sea Fleet in the Bay of Sevastopol had been repelled with no damage to the fleet. The report could not be independently confirmed.

...
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-65030929
 
ICC concerned by Russia’s ‘threats’ over Putin warrant
International court’s comments come after ex-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev threatened to hit the war crimes tribunal with hypersonic missiles.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has expressed concern over “threats” from Russia following its issuing of a war crimes arrest warrant for President Vladimir Putin.

The ICC’s statement of concern on Wednesday came after former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev threatened to hit the war crimes court in The Hague with hypersonic missiles. It also followed Russia’s top investigative body opening a criminal case against ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan as well as the judges who issued the warrant for Putin.

The presidency of the ICC’s Assembly of States Parties said it “regrets these attempts to hinder international efforts to ensure accountability for acts that are prohibited under general international law”.

The assembly also “reaffirms its unwavering support for the International Criminal Court”, the presidency said.

“The International Criminal Court embodies our collective commitment to fight impunity for the gravest international crimes. As an institution of last resort, the Court is complementary to national jurisdictions. We call on all States to respect its judicial and prosecutorial independence,” it added.

Medvedev said on Monday: “It’s quite possible to imagine a hypersonic missile being fired from the North Sea from a Russian ship at The Hague courthouse.”

He added: “Everyone walks under God and rockets… Look carefully to the sky…”

The ICC arrest warrant for Putin, issued on Friday, accuses the Russian leader of unlawfully deporting thousands of Ukrainian children, a war crime.

...
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/3/23/icc-concerned-by-russian-threats-over-putin-arrest-warrant
 
Russia to station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus
Deal with allied neighbour will not violate non-proliferation agreements, Putin says

Russia has reached an agreement with Belarus to station tactical nuclear weapons on its smaller neighbour’s territory, so bringing some of its arsenal closer to the rest of Europe, Vladimir Putin has said.

The Russian president made the announcement on state television, arguing that it would not breach non-proliferation agreements and that it would match similar arrangements that the US has with several of its European allies.

Putin said he was acting after negotiations with Belarus’s president, Alexander Lukashenko, who he said had “long raised the question” of a nuclear deployment on his country’s territory.

“There is nothing unusual here either: firstly, the United States has been doing this for decades,” Putin said. “They have long deployed their tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of their allied countries.”

It is estimated by the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation that there are about 100 American nuclear weapons – airborne gravity bombs – stored in Europe across six bases in five countries, although they are retained in the control of the US.

“We agreed that we will do the same – without violating our obligations, I emphasise, without violating our international obligations on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons,” the Russian president added.

...
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/mar/25/russia-to-station-tactical-nuclear-weapons-in-belarus
 
Major said:
Had he stopped at Poland and not becoming motivated to build another German Empire, he would had done great. His mistake was his greed and after doing well in the initial years of WW2, he forced his adversaries to take strict action against him.
Click to expand...

I don’t think it was “greed.” The inability to stop was instead deeply rooted in Nazi ideology, even intrinsic to it. To stand still, for Hitler, was to invite sterility. Hitler believed in his sacred mission of national rebirth through conquest and racial purification. The restless desire for onward expansion was a function of an ideology which was Manichean, which stressed the all or nothing nature of the ceaseless struggle and which had a fanatical belief in the power of will to overcome any obstacle.

Its ideas were detached from reality and therefore not constrained by pragmatism or rational cost/benefit considerations. As the great historian Ian Kershaw commented, it was not only destructive, it was also self-destructive.
 
Nato has condemned Russia's "dangerous" and "irresponsible" rhetoric after Vladimir Putin's decision to station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus.

The organisation is "closely monitoring" the situation and said the move would not lead it to change its own nuclear strategy.

The US said it did not believe Russia was preparing to use nuclear weapons.

Belarus shares a long border with Ukraine, as well as with Nato members Poland, Lithuania and Latvia.

Ukraine has called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to address the potential threat of President Putin's announcement on Saturday.

President Putin said Moscow would not be transferring control of its arms to Minsk and that Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko - a firm ally of the Kremlin and supporter of its invasion of Ukraine - had long raised the issue with him.

Ukraine says the move violates nuclear non-proliferation agreements - an accusation President Putin has denied, instead comparing it to the US stationing its weapons in Europe.

But Nato on Sunday described Russia's reference to nuclear sharing as "misleading".

"Nato allies act with full respect of their international commitments," a spokesperson said.

The military alliance also accused Russia of consistently breaking its own arms control commitments, including the country's decision to suspend the new START treaty - a deal signed in 2010 which limits the number of US and Russian nuclear warheads and gives each the power to inspect the other's weapons.

BBC
 
START treaty: Russia stops sending nuclear arms info to US
Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said: ‘There will be no notifications at all’ with Washington as the US also stops sharing data on its nuclear weapons with Moscow.

Russia will no longer share detailed information on its nuclear weapons with the United States as outlined in the New START treaty, a senior official in Moscow has said, as Russia’s military began drills with its Yars intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launchers in Siberia while fighting in Ukraine rages and tension with the US mounts.

Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told Russian news agencies on Wednesday that Moscow had halted all information exchanges with Washington after suspending its participation in the New START nuclear arms treaty last month.

“There will be no notifications at all,” Ryabkov said in remarks reported by Russian news agencies when asked if Moscow would also stop issuing notices about planned missile tests.

“All notifications, all kinds of notifications, all activities within the framework of the treaty will be suspended and will not be conducted regardless of what position the US may take,” he said.

...
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/3/30/start-treaty-russia-stops-sending-nuclear-arms-info-to-us
 
Murder, ‘alcohol and prostitutes’: Wagner convicts pardoned by Putin return to terrorise home towns

He strode up and down the central street of Tskhinvali on Monday, like he did most days, occasionally stopping to chat with passersby.

Locals knew the man, Soslan Valiyev, 38, as an idiosyncratic but popular fixture in Tskhinvali, the tiny capital of the Russian-backed breakaway region of South Ossetia in Georgia.

Tsugri, as Valiyev was affectionately nicknamed by everyone in town, had a developmental disability. “As long as I could remember Tskhinvali, Tsugri was always there, greeting cars as they entered the city with his big smile,” said Alik Puhati, a journalist and South Ossetian native.

“He was loved by everyone in our tight community. A welcomed guest at weddings and dinners, people really took care of and protected him,” Puhati added.

The shock was therefore palpable in Tskhinvali when the news broke out that Tsugri had been killed that evening. A harrowing video published on Telegram channels showed a man chasing and kicking Tsugri moments before he reportedly stabbed him to death.

“Everyone is in shock,” Puhati said, “people ask themselves, ‘How could this have happened?’”

Local authorities announced in the early hours of Tuesday that they had arrested a man who was suspected of murdering Tsugri. The man, who was identified by state-run media, was Georgiy Siukayev, a convicted murderer who was recruited from jail last autumn by the Wagner paramilitary organisation to fight in Ukraine.

Over the course of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Wagner has recruited tens of thousands of inmates, including murderers and domestic abusers, to fight some of the war’s bloodiest battles.

...
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...doned-by-putin-return-to-terrorise-home-towns
 
Russia has accused Ukraine of trying to assassinate President Vladimir Putin by using drones to target his residence in the Kremlin in central Moscow.

The presidential office said defences downed two drones overnight. Mr Putin's spokesman said the Russian leader had not been in the complex at the time.

Unverified footage on social media appeared to show an object flying over the Kremlin before a small explosion.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky denied his country was behind it.

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"We don't attack Putin or Moscow. We fight on on our territory. We are defending our villages and cities," he said, speaking on a visit to Finland.

Meanwhile a Ukrainian presidential adviser told the BBC the reported incident indicated Russia could be "preparing a large-scale terrorist provocation" in Ukraine.

The two countries frequently trade accusations and denials since the Russian invasion in February 2022.

Russia said the two drones targeting the Kremlin - a large government complex in central Moscow - were disabled using electronic radar assets.

One video on social media showed smoke rising over the fortified complex, and in another a small explosion was visible above the Kremlin Senate building, while two men appeared to clamber up the dome.

In a statement, the Russian presidency said: "Last night, the Kyiv regime attempted to carry out a strike on the Kremlin residence of the President of the Russian Federation with unmanned aerial vehicles."

It said it regarded this "as a planned terrorist act and an assassination attempt on the president", and Russia "reserves the right to take retaliatory measures wherever and whenever is deemed necessary".

Mr Putin has very high personal protection and the BBC's Russia Editor Steve Rosenberg says it is astonishing to think that drones could have got anywhere near the Kremlin.

The Russian leader was unhurt and his schedule would continue as normal, his office said. He was working in Novo Ogaryovo outside Moscow on Wednesday.

Fragments of the drones had fallen on the Kremlin site but no-one had been hurt and there was no damage to buildings, the presidency said.

It also noted the incident had come shortly before Russia's 9 May Victory Day parade, which foreign dignitaries were expected to attend.
 
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is the first European Union leader to meet with Vladimir Putin since an international warrant was issued against the Russian President

Source: Bloomberg


1697542511572.png
 
Russia's new nuclear submarine test launches Bulava intercontinental missile
Nov 5 (Reuters) - Russia's new nuclear-powered submarine Imperator Alexander III carried out a successful test launch of the Bulava ballistic missile, designed to carry nuclear warheads, the Russian defence ministry said on Sunday.

"Firing a ballistic missile is the final element of state tests, after which a decision will be made to accept the cruiser into the Navy," the defence ministry said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app.

President Vladimir Putin has been pushing for Russia to maintain its nuclear deterrent to counter what he calls growing security threats, as ties between Moscow and the West have hit new lows over the war Russia launched in Ukraine in 2022.

The intercontinental missile, launched from an underwater position in the White Sea off Russia's northern coast, hit a target thousands of kilometres away on the Kamchatka peninsula in the Russian Far East, it said.

The ministry did not say when the test occurred.

The Borei class strategic-missile cruiser is equipped with 16 Bulava missiles and modern torpedo weapons, it said.

Putin took part in a ceremony in December setting the Imperator Alexander III afloat, TASS state news agency said.

The navy has three nuclear-powered submarines of the Borei class in service - one is completing tests and three more are under construction, the defence ministry said.

The 12-metre (40-foot) long Bulava missile, which has an estimated range of around 8,000 km (5,000 miles) and can carry up to six nuclear warheads, has become the cornerstone in the naval part of Russia's nuclear triad.
 
Putin looked ruthless or what Kyiv army calls him ''Satan''. But compare his actions to Israel's IDF, Putin is quite humane. He did not target densely populated areas by civilians, could have said that Ukraine's army is hiding among the civilians and are using them as human shields, and TBH Zelensky banned Ukrainian males to get out of the country so that could have been all the reason for Putin. But he allowed for effective humanitarian efforts, grain corridor etc roughly about 8 million Ukrainians have received humanitarian support.

Since the start of the conflict 1700 Ukraine children injured or dead since Feb 2022 comparing that to 3600 children killed in Gaza in guess what? 3 weeks since 7th October.
Putin doesn't seem that ruthless if you just start comparing civilian causality statistics and humanitarian efforts that happened in Ukraine
 
Hassan A said:
Putin looked ruthless or what Kyiv army calls him ''Satan''. But compare his actions to Israel's IDF, Putin is quite humane. He did not target densely populated areas by civilians, could have said that Ukraine's army is hiding among the civilians and are using them as human shields, and TBH Zelensky banned Ukrainian males to get out of the country so that could have been all the reason for Putin. But he allowed for effective humanitarian efforts, grain corridor etc roughly about 8 million Ukrainians have received humanitarian support.

Since the start of the conflict 1700 Ukraine children injured or dead since Feb 2022 comparing that to 3600 children killed in Gaza in guess what? 3 weeks since 7th October.
Putin doesn't seem that ruthless if you just start comparing civilian causality statistics and humanitarian efforts that happened in Ukraine
Click to expand...
yeah, sure.

Ukrainians also went and massacred 1000+ russian civilians and took 100s of hostages
 
Russia loads missile with nuclear-capable glide vehicle into launch silo

MOSCOW, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Russia's rocket forces loaded an intercontinental ballistic missile equipped with the nuclear-capable "Avangard" hypersonic glide vehicle into a launch silo in southern Russia, according to a defence ministry TV channel broadcast on Thursday.

President Vladimir Putin announced the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle in 2018, saying it was a response to U.S. development of a new generation of weapons and a U.S. missile defence system that it could penetrate.

As it approaches its target, the Avangard glide vehicle detaches from the rocket and is able to manoeuvre sharply outside the trajectory of the rocket at hypersonic speeds of up to 27 times the speed of sound (about 21,000 miles per hour or 34,000 kilometres per hour).

The 'Zvezda' television channel owned by the Russian defence ministry showed a ballistic missile being transported to a launch silo, slowly raised into vertical position and then lowered into a shaft in the Orenburg region near Kazakhstan.

Russia installed its first Avangard-equipped missile in 2019 at the same Orenburg facility.

Russia and the United States, by far the biggest nuclear powers, have both expressed regret about the steady disintegration of arms-control treaties which sought to slow the Cold War arms race and reduce the risk of nuclear war.

But the United States, Russia and China are developing a range of new weapons systems, including hypersonic ones.

The United States casts China as its biggest competitor and Russia as its biggest nation-state threat, while U.S. President Joe Biden argues that this century will be defined by an existential contest with between democracies and autocracies.

Russia says the post-Cold War dominance of the United States is crumbling and that Washington has for years sown chaos across the planet while ignoring the interests of other powers.


Reuters
 
Putin did a trip to the middle east visiting UAE and Saudi.

When Boris or Biden landed, they were ignored or taken in rather quietly Watch how this man is greeted!

Greatest leader alive today.

 
Putin says he will run for re-election in 2024

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Friday that he would run for re-election in 2024, allowing the Kremlin leader to extend his decades-long grip on power into the 2030s.

The 71-year-old has led Russia since the turn of the century, winning four presidential ballots and briefly serving as prime minister in a system where opposition has become virtually non-existent.

The announcement came at a set-piece Kremlin event for army personnel, including those who have fought in the military offensive in Ukraine that Putin ordered in February last year.

“I won’t hide it: I’ve had different thoughts at different times. But this is a time when a decision has to be made,” Putin said at the ceremony.

Source : Dawn News
 
Finland bolsters military ties with US after Putin warning

WASHINGTON: Finland on Monday signed an agreement to enhance military cooperation with the United States, a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin warned the neighbouring country over its entrance into NATO.

The Defense Cooperation Agreement formalizes greater ties with the United States, including joint training of forces and military interoperability, in line with Finland’s accession to the Atlantic alliance in April.

Signing the agreement in Washington with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defense Minister Antti Hakkanen hailed it as a “strong sign of US commitment to the defense of Finland and the whole northern Europe.”

“We do not expect the United States to take care of the defense of Finland. We continue to invest in our defense and share the burden in our area and beyond,” he said.

Putin warns of ‘problems’ with Finland after NATO membership

“However, this agreement significantly enhances our ability to act together in all situations.”

Finland, which fended off a Soviet invasion in the 1939-40 Winter War, for decades steered clear of formally entering NATO for fear of antagonizing its giant neighbor but changed course following Russia’s assault on Ukraine, which had tried unsuccessfully to enter the alliance.

In an interview with state television released Sunday, Putin charged that the West had “dragged” Finland into NATO, saying Russia had long ago settled 20th-century disputes with Helsinki.

Putin announced the creation of a new district within Russia’s military near Finland, with which Russia shares a 1,340-kilometer (830-mile) border.

Blinken, speaking at the signing, said Finland “knows almost better than anyone what is at stake for Ukraine.”

“In 1939, the Finns also faced a Russian invasion, and proved that a free nation can put up an incredibly powerful and resilient resistance,” Blinken said.

“Your history is also a reminder of why it’s so important that we all continue to stand with Ukraine,” he added.

“Autocrats who try to redraw one nation’s border by force almost certainly will not stop there.”

Both Blinken and Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen renewed support for the entrance into NATO of Sweden, which launched its bid alongside Finland but has been held up by Turkey.

Source : The Business Recorder
 
This
The Bald Eagle said:
Finland bolsters military ties with US after Putin warning

WASHINGTON: Finland on Monday signed an agreement to enhance military cooperation with the United States, a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin warned the neighbouring country over its entrance into NATO.

The Defense Cooperation Agreement formalizes greater ties with the United States, including joint training of forces and military interoperability, in line with Finland’s accession to the Atlantic alliance in April.

Signing the agreement in Washington with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defense Minister Antti Hakkanen hailed it as a “strong sign of US commitment to the defense of Finland and the whole northern Europe.”

“We do not expect the United States to take care of the defense of Finland. We continue to invest in our defense and share the burden in our area and beyond,” he said.

Putin warns of ‘problems’ with Finland after NATO membership

“However, this agreement significantly enhances our ability to act together in all situations.”

Finland, which fended off a Soviet invasion in the 1939-40 Winter War, for decades steered clear of formally entering NATO for fear of antagonizing its giant neighbor but changed course following Russia’s assault on Ukraine, which had tried unsuccessfully to enter the alliance.

In an interview with state television released Sunday, Putin charged that the West had “dragged” Finland into NATO, saying Russia had long ago settled 20th-century disputes with Helsinki.

Putin announced the creation of a new district within Russia’s military near Finland, with which Russia shares a 1,340-kilometer (830-mile) border.

Blinken, speaking at the signing, said Finland “knows almost better than anyone what is at stake for Ukraine.”

“In 1939, the Finns also faced a Russian invasion, and proved that a free nation can put up an incredibly powerful and resilient resistance,” Blinken said.

“Your history is also a reminder of why it’s so important that we all continue to stand with Ukraine,” he added.

“Autocrats who try to redraw one nation’s border by force almost certainly will not stop there.”

Both Blinken and Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen renewed support for the entrance into NATO of Sweden, which launched its bid alongside Finland but has been held up by Turkey.

Source : The Business Recorder
Click to expand...
This may brew a new war in this region as Putin as usual would retaliate to such steps.
 

Ukraine conflict to top agenda in Erdoğan, Putin meeting: Kremlin​

The ongoing war in Ukraine will be on top of the agenda in the upcoming meeting between President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, the RIA news agency cited Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov as saying on Friday.

Peskov declined to say when exactly Putin would make the visit. A Turkish official told Reuters this week that it would take place on Feb. 12.

RIA also quoted Peskov as saying Türkiye was coming under unprecedented pressure from the "Anglo-Saxons" – meaning the United States and Britain – over its ties with Russia, but that Ankara was preserving its independence.

Türkiye is one of the most active countries working to ensure a permanent cease-fire between Ukraine and Russia. Its delicately balanced act of assuming a mediator role by keeping communication channels with both warring sides open provides a glimmer of hope in diplomatic efforts to find a solution and achieve peace in Ukraine.

With the unique position of having friendly relations with both Russia and Ukraine, Türkiye has won widespread appreciation for its push to end the war.

Since the beginning of the conflict, Ankara has offered to mediate between the two sides and host peace talks, underlining support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. While Türkiye has opposed international sanctions designed to isolate Moscow, the country has also closed its straits to prevent some Russian vessels from crossing.

In a breakthrough, Russian and Ukrainian delegations met for peace talks in Istanbul on March 29, 2022. Türkiye also hosted Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers in Antalya earlier in March. Ankara has also facilitated the landmark grain corridor deal between the warring sides together with the United Nations, adding to efforts to prevent a global food crisis.

Source: Daily Sabah
 
Tucker Carlson’s interview with Vladimir Putin hasn’t been posted online yet, but he is already doing the Russian authoritarian’s bidding.

In a video posted to X announcing the sit-down Tuesday — the first interview Putin has granted with a Western media figure since his full-scale invasion of Ukraine two years ago — Carlson predictably and dishonestly villainized the press. The right-wing extremist, who has lauded autocrats in recent years, claimed English-speaking outlets are “corrupt” and “lie” to their audiences as they disseminate “propaganda of the ugliest kind.” (Projection much?)

As a supposed example of manipulative media behavior, Carlson accused journalists of engaging in “fawning pep sessions” when interviewing Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky, who the former Fox News host asserted he would like to earnestly sit down with, but once likened to a rat.

“At the same time our politicians and media outlets have been doing this, promoting a foreign leader like he’s a new consumer brand,” Carlson said, “not a single Western journalist has bothered to interview the president of the other country involved in this conflict: Vladimir Putin.”

While technically true, Carlson is lying by omission, the very thing he accused the Western press of doing in the video he posted online. It is true that no Western journalist has interviewed Putin since the onset of the war, but it isn’t for a lack of trying. The actual reason is quite simple: Putin has declined to grant access — a fact that should make it all the more obvious as to why Carlson, of all people, has been welcomed into the Kremlin palace, while others have been denied.

“Does Tucker really think we journalists haven’t been trying to interview President Putin every day since his full scale invasion of Ukraine?” CNN’s Christiane Amanpour rhetorically remarked upon seeing Carlson’s claim. “It’s absurd — we’ll continue to ask for an interview, just as we have for years now.”

Even Putin’s own spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, said Carlson was outright wrong on the matter. Asked on Wednesday if no Western journalist had attempted to interview Putin, Peskov said, “No, Mr. Carlson is wrong. Actually, he can’t know that. We receive a lot of applications for interviews with the president.” Peskov hinted at the reason that Carlson was selected, saying he “has a position that is different from the rest” of Western media.

Meanwhile, as Carlson implied that US news organizations are not interested in telling the Russian story, The Wall Street Journal’s Evan Gershkovich sits in a prison for doing precisely that.

Putin not only has declined to participate in interviews with the free press, but over the past two years he has waged a war against the media, locking up journalists, fining Big Tech companies for hosting “fake” information about the Ukraine invasion, and pushing through censorship laws that clamp down on news organizations.

Source: CNN
 
Russian President Vladimir Putin has told conservative US journalist Tucker Carlson that ending Moscow’s almost two-year-old invasion of Ukraine is “simple”.

In his first interview with a Western reporter since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began two years ago, the Kremlin handpicked Carlson, a former Fox News superstar-turned-online commentator.

The reason is obvious – Carlson has characterised the Russia-Ukraine war as a “border dispute”, called on Americans to cut off multibillion aid packages to Kyiv, and compared Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to a “rat” and a “pimp”.

Issues with the national debt,” Putin told Carlson, who looked gullible and sheepish for most of their sit-down. “You have nothing better to do, so you should fight in Ukraine? Wouldn’t it be better to negotiate with Russia?”

When Carlson asked whether Putin could just call US President Joe Biden to “work it out”, Putin refused – but said the solution was “very simple”.

“If you really want to stop fighting, you need to stop supplying weapons. It will be over within a few weeks. That’s it. Then we can agree on some terms,” he said.

Carlson did not even try to refute Putin’s outlandish and ungrounded claims.

One was Putin’s belief that elected leaders do not run the United States.

“So, twice you’ve described US presidents making decisions and then being undercut by their agency heads. So, it sounds like you’re describing a system that’s not run by the people who are elected in your telling,” Carlson said.

Source: Al Jazeera
 
The West is telling us Putin is a dictator and he is but let's look at its support for Munir and NS. Putin locks up Navalny and he is evil, NS and Munir lock IK, its an internal matter and its an internal matter.The Munafiqs are exposed
 
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