Dec 30 Watch 4:49 Biden urged de-escalation in call with Putin, but officials still fear Ukraine invasion By Nick Schifrin President Joe Biden spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin Thursday — their second call in a month — amid a crisis over Ukraine. 100,000 Russian troops are massed on Ukraine’s borders, and the administration has warned they could… Continue watching
Dec 30 After shutting down human rights group, Russia labels Pussy Riot member 'foreign agent' By Associated Press Russian authorities have designated a member of the Pussy Riot punk group, a satirist and an art collector as "foreign agents" as part of efforts to stifle dissent. Continue reading
Dec 29 Russian court shuts down a second human rights group in two days By Dasha Litvinova, Associated Press A court in Moscow has granted a request to shut down another prominent human rights organization amid a sweeping crackdown on Russia's rights groups, independent media and opposition supporters. Continue reading
Dec 28 Russian court orders shutdown of renowned rights group By Dasha Litvinova, Associated Press Russia's Supreme Court has ruled that one of the country's oldest and most prominent human rights organizations should be shut down. Continue reading
Dec 24 Russian court slaps Google, Meta with massive fines By Uliana Pavlova, Associated Press A Moscow court has fined Google nearly $100 million and Facebook's parent company Meta $27 million over their failure to delete content banned by local law. Continue reading
Dec 22 Russia's foreign minister says security talks with U.S., NATO will begin in January By Vladimir Isachenkov, Associated Press Russian and U.S. negotiators will sit down for talks early next year to discuss Moscow's demand for Western guarantees precluding NATO's expansion to Ukraine, Russia’s top diplomat said Wednesday. Continue reading
Dec 21 Putin blames West for 'tensions' in Europe, calls for security guarantees By Dasha Litvinova, Associated Press Russian President Vladimir Putin's speech at a meeting with Russia's top military brass came just days after Moscow submitted draft security documents demanding that NATO deny membership to Ukraine and other former Soviet countries. Continue reading
Dec 13 Russia vetoes U.N. resolution linking climate change to international security By Jennifer Peltz, Associated Press Monday's vote sank a years-long effort to make global warming more central to decision-making in the U.N.'s most powerful body. The proposal was spearheaded by Ireland and Niger. Continue reading
Dec 08 Biden pledges 'severe' economic consequences for Russia if Ukraine is attacked By Dasha Litvinova, Aamer Madhani, Vladimir Isachenkov, Associated Press Biden said he was “very straightforward” with Putin during their call Tuesday. Putin, for his part, promised that Moscow will submit its proposals for a security dialogue with the U.S. in a few days. Continue reading
Dec 03 Ukraine says Russia amassed over 94,000 troops at border By Yuras Karmanau, Associated Press Ukrainian and Western officials recently voiced alarm about a Russian troop buildup near Ukraine, saying they feared it could herald an invasion. Continue reading