Leaders from the European Union and the United Kingdom vowed Monday to impose sanctions over Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to recognize two separatist regions in eastern Ukraine as independent. In a letter statementsEuropean Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said they “condemn in the strongest possible terms the … Read more
Press play to listen to this article Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman said Monday that there were no plans yet for a new summit with US President Joe Biden, contradicting claims by the Elysée Palace and the White House, which had said overnight that the leaders agreed “in principle” to meet provided Russia did not … Read more
A Russian invasion of Ukraine would lead to sweeping economic sanctions on Russian companies, preventing them from trading with US dollars and UK pounds, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Sunday. The impact of sanctions will extend beyond Russian President Vladimir Putin’s inner circle to “all companies and organizations of strategic importance to Russia,” Johnson … Read more
MUNICH — With his country under threat of imminent attack by Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy received a standing ovation at the annual Munich Security Conference on Saturday — and then bit the hands that applauded him in a scathing speech that slammed Western allies for not doing enough to punish Moscow and move his … Read more
Press play to listen to this article Western leaders on Saturday appealed to Vladimir Putin to not give up on diplomacy amid warnings that the Russian president has already decided to invade Ukraine. Speaking at the annual Munich Security Conference, European, US and NATO leaders insisted that a standoff over the Russian troops threatening Ukraine … Read more
Press play to listen to this article Whether or not Moscow launches an attack on Ukraine in the coming days, the West must gear up for years of heightened Russian pressure on the country and on Europe as a whole, Latvian Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš said Friday. In an interview with POLITICO, Kariņš said Russian … Read more
Robert Zaretsky is a professor of French history at the University of Houston. His latest book is “The Subversive Simone Weil: A Life in Five Ideas.” Rarely in recent history has so much been said by so many about one man. Listen to the media, and you’ll come away convinced that the current march toward … Read more
KYIV — Facing Western warnings of an “imminent” Russian invasion and a hasty official call for a day of national unity, many Ukrainians Wednesday simply shrugged their shoulders and went about their usual business. A US intelligence warning that Wednesday could be the day Russia invades its neighbor prompted multiple Western governments to tell their … Read more
MOSCOW — In ordinary times, not being able to influence your country’s politics can feel frustrating. When that country is on the brink of war, it can feel like torture. “It is utterly horrible to find yourself helpless, a person on whom nothing depends,” said Andrei Makarevich, a veteran Russian rock star. His is one … Read more
Press play to listen to this article Russian President Vladimir Putin and his trusty foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, signaled on Monday that there would be no imminent military strike on Ukraine and that they were prepared to continue diplomatic dialogue with the West, led by the United States. Coming after the US warned that a … Read more