Free Republic

Chinese nationalists are calling for Russia to return land they claim was stolen by the Kremlin in the 19th century. A video on Chinese social media has called on Beijing to take advantage of Moscow's weakened position to seize large parts of Siberia and Russia's Far East. The clip has gone viral in China and has racked up millions of hits among viewers on TikTok. -snip- The Treaty of Aigun in 1858 forced China to cede much of Manchuria to the Russian Tsar Alexander II. The territory, comprising some 600,000 square kilometres, is part of Russia's Far East and includes...

The tyrant managed to avoid several looming questions on Assad's ouster and the deaths of North Korean troops. A CHILDISH Vladimir Putin has offered out the US to a bizarre "missile duel" involving his Orshenik rockets during his annual strange call-in. The Russian dictator lived up to his typical boastful nature as he rambled on about Donald Trump and even claimed Russia hasn't lost in Syria despite the embarrassing rebel siege on his pal Assad. -snip- The weird address saw Putin try to flex his muscles towards the West as he spoke on his self-proclaimed unbeatable Oreshnik missile. Western scepticism...

If I had the opportunity to go back in time, knowing what I know now, I would reconsider the decision regarding the "special operation" in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin said during his annual press conference, APA's Moscow correspondent reports. that this was stated by Russian President Vladimir Putin during his annual press conference. He emphasized that preparation was needed before launching the "special operation": "But we began the operations without any special preparation.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday suggested a missile 'duel' with the United States that would show how Russia's new Oreshnik hypersonic ballistic missile could defeat any US missile defense system. Addressing Western skepticism about the Oreshnik, Putin suggested that both sides select a designated target to be protected by US missiles. "We're ready for such an experiment," Putin said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has commented on U.S. President Joe Biden pardoning his son, Hunter Biden, APA's Moscow correspondent reports. During a year-end press conference, Putin said he does not criticize Biden for pardoning his son. "Biden pardoned his son, even though he had said he wouldn't. When discussing Biden, one must consider that he is a politician. The important question is which trait of his dominates—politics or humanity. It seems humanity prevails in Biden. I wouldn’t criticize him for that," the Russian leader emphasized. Putin compared Hunter Biden's pardon to Stalin's decision not to exchange his captured son.

Russian President Vladimir Putin refused to provide a specific timeline for when Ukrainian forces might be expelled from Russia's Kursk region during a news conference on Thursday, in response to a question from a resident who asked for clarity on the situation in the border area. Putin responded by saying: "I cannot and do not even want to name a specific date when they will be knocked out. There is a battle going on now, such serious battles. We will definitely knock them out. Sorry, I cannot name a specific date. I imagine there are plans, and they will be...

Vladimir Putin bizarrely suggested that Russian eating habits were to blame for rising food prices. His comments came in response to questions about the economy during a marathon press conference broadcast live on state TV. -snip- In an attempt to answer his own question about how to address food inflation, he noted that consumption of some goods had risen beyond supplies. As an example he pointed to meat consumption, saying Russians were eating "significantly" more than the global average. -snip- Putin also appeared to target Russian farmers, blaming a lack of milk production for rising butter costs. -snip- Russia's central...

An ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin has implied that Moscow cannot push Ukraine out of Kursk by the end of the year, despite Putin previously setting a deadline to kick them out by October. Russia's Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, Valery Gerasimov, said that all the tasks set by the country's leadership for the military in 2024 have been completed, according to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. He was speaking during a briefing for the military. As Ukrainian forces remain in Kursk, it is possible that driving them out was not a...

FOOTAGE from Syria shows hordes of Vladimir Putin's troops fleeing the country in military trucks after a decade of bloodshed. And satellite pics from a Russian airbase on the west coast reveals how Vlad's men have been forced to take apart their attack helicopters and air defence units before leaving hot on Assad's tail.

Russian President Vladimir Putin appointed Alexander Khinshtein acting governor of southern Kursk region on Thursday, saying "crisis management" was needed in the area, which has been partly occupied by Ukrainian forces since August. Putin was shown in a clip posted on the Kremlin website offering the post to Khinshtein, a journalist and veteran member of the State Duma, Russia's lower house of parliament. "I would like to offer you the position of acting governor of Kursk region, as at this time crisis management is needed there, in view of the situation occurring there," Putin told Khinstein.

Vladimir Putin has been branded a "psychopath" as he was seen in a video asking Russian soldiers who have lost their legs in the war with Ukraine whether they are "used to their new condition". -snip- In the footage, Putin is all smiles among the amputee soldiers, even asking one, "Are you used to your new condition? " The soldier responds affirmatively, answering "Yes sir, already new victories, achievements." In the chilling footage another mentions how some have been adapting for two years, still chasing victories and new goals. Putin nods approvingly, saying, "That's a very good thing. It's very...

Vladimir Putin is facing an economic crisis on multiple fronts as the rouble collapses and inflation soars. The head of the Russian Central Bank, Elvira Nabiullina, looks set to compound Moscow's economic misery further as she warns that inflation is continuing to rise. She warned on Wednesday that interest rates may have to be hiked further but added that the decision is “not predetermined.” Ms Nabiullina said: “We have indicated that the Central Bank is open to the possibility of raising the rate, but I want to emphasise that this is not predetermined. "Yes, there is a new pro-inflationary factor,...

The Ukrainian president is still set on joining Nato, but Trump's team seems to have ruled that out. MORE details of Donald Trump’s clever plan to bring a swift end to the war in Ukraine have emerged. Trump's top team has hatched a carrot and stick plan to force the warring leaders to the discussion table and bring peace to the region when he enters office in January. The clever scheme uses America’s military support for Ukraine as a double-edged sword to encourage Zelensky and threaten panicky Putin. If the Russian war-mongerer kept snatching land and refused to join peace...

In a coordinated operation, Russian authorities conducted raids on three of Moscow’s largest and most popular nightclubs on Friday night, detaining hundreds of men and taking them to military conscription offices. The raids, which took place at the Simachev, Mutabor/ARMA, and Mono nightclubs, began around 2 a.m. and continued for several hours, sending shockwaves through the city’s nightlife scene. According to witnesses, dozens of police vehicles, including paddy wagons, lined up outside the nightclubs as enforcement personnel, accompanied by police K9 units, systematically entered the establishments. Clubgoers described the scene as chaotic, with people being escorted out in groups. The...

Ukraine's air force said that at least 73 Russian attack drones entered the country's airspace on Saturday into Sunday morning, after a week in which both sides made battlefield history with new advanced weapons systems. Ukraine's air force said it downed 50 of the 73 Russian drones that crossed into the country. Another 19 drones were lost in flight, while four more were still flying in Ukrainian airspace as of just after 7 a.m. local time. Russia's Defense Ministry reported downing 36 Ukrainian drones overnight Saturday and early Sunday. The ministry said its own strikes were part of a wider...

Vladimir Putin has said he will fire more of Russia's new hypersonic missiles at targets in Ukraine. The Russian president added that his country has already begun mass production of the nuclear-capable weapon. Putin also said that Moscow would carry out more tests of the hypersonic Oreshnik ballistic missile in 'combat conditions,' a day after firing one on Ukraine. 'We will continue these tests, including in combat conditions, depending on the situation and character of the security threats posted to Russia,' he said in a televised meeting with military chiefs. Putin said that while it isn't an intercontinental missile, it's...

The Russian media is in a state of panic as inflation soars and the Ruble slumps, leaving many to struggle. Moscow's print news outlets, heavily controlled by Russian President Vladimir Putin, were uncharacteristically negative in their coverage as they raised concerns about the economic well-being of ordinary Russians. As reported by the BBC's Russia Editor, Steve Rosenberg, the front page of Russian newspaper Nezavismaya Gazeta said: "Some products have gone up in price this year by tens of percent." The report highlighted that butter is 6.6% more expensive than it was in September, and 30% more expensive than this time...

Ukraine could develop a rudimentary nuclear bomb within months if Donald Trump withdraws US military assistance, according to a briefing paper prepared for the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence. The country would quickly be able to build a basic device from plutonium with a similar technology to the “Fat Man” bomb dropped on Nagasaki in 1945, the report states. “Creating a simple atomic bomb, as the United States did within the framework of the Manhattan Project, would not be a difficult task 80 years later,” the document reads. With no time to build and run the large facilities required to enrich...

Donald Trump's dominant victory in this week's US presidential election has left politicians, captains of industry and military chiefs the world over scrambling to calibrate their approaches ahead of his return to office. -snip- A recent Wall Street Journal report citing three sources 'close to the president-elect' claimed that Trump's transition office is considering one proposal that would prevent Kyiv from joining NATO for at least 20 years in exchange for lucrative arms deals. In the meantime, the conflict would be halted by the implementation of a large demilitarised zone (DMZ) that would effectively freeze the fighting in place and...

Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov has explained why President Vladimir Putin does not plan to congratulate Donald Trump on his victory in the US election, APA reports citing TASS. "I still know nothing about Putin's intention to congratulate Trump," the Kremlin spokesman told the media. A few hours earlier, Peskov also said Putin had no plans for congratulating Trump. "I suggest remembering that we are talking about an election that took place in a country that is unfriendly to us and in a country that is involved in the conflict over Ukraine," Peskov said.