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The prosecution has requested a sentence for Alexei Navalny in his latest criminal case: 20 years in the Russian version of the supermax prison, usually reserved for murderers with life sentences. The politician is accused under six articles of the Russian Criminal Code: establishing “an extremist community” (the Anti-Corruption Foundation) that was “infringing citizens’ rights” (calling for 2021 rallies), “inciting” and “financing” extremism (the ACF), “involving minors in dangerous acts”(rallies), and even “rehabilitating Nazism” (anti-Putin statements by his chief of staff). The court sessions are being held in the penal colony, with journalists not allowed to attend. Here’s Navalny’s final...

The former civilian head of the NATO alliance has warned that some Eastern European states are prepared to send their soldiers to Ukraine if the bloc does not make significant pledges to Kiev at an upcoming summit. Anders Rasmussen, former NATO secretary-general and a current adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, is touring Europe and Washington to gauge the level of support Kiev should expect at the Vilnius summit in July. “I think the Poles would seriously consider going in and assemble a coalition of the willing if Ukraine doesn’t get anything in Vilnius,” he said. “We shouldn’t underestimate the...

Michael Weiss and Holger Roonemaa Mon, February 20, 2023 at 5:00 PM CST A leaked internal strategy document from Vladimir Putin’s executive office and obtained by Yahoo News lays out a detailed plan on how Russia plans to take full control over neighboring Belarus in the next decade under the pretext of a merger between the two countries. The document outlines in granular detail a creeping annexation by political, economic and military means of an independent but illiberal European nation by Russia, which is an active state of war in its bid to conquer Ukraine through overwhelming force. “Russia’s goals...

Okay, Jon Meacham, we're going to take up your invitation, and mock you, you shameless hack! On today's Morning Joe, discussing Ukrainian President Zelensky's visit to D.C. today, Meacham said: "I think President Biden has led with immense skill throughout this crisis. It's reminiscent of the senior President Bush during the first Gulf War, and then back to the great World War II leadership. And I say that without, people can mock that, perhaps, but David [Ignatius] can check me on it. Get the rest of the story and view the video here.

“Ukraine lost more than 100 thousand servicemen since the war started,” said the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, News.az reports citing UNIAN.He stressed that Russia should pay for the crimes it committed: “Occupation of Ukraine by Russia led to death, destructions, in short, sufferings that can not be expressed with words. All of us remember Bucha events. It is estimated that more than 20 thousand civilians and more than 100 thousand Ukrainians. Russia should pay for these horrific crimes.”

Kyiv relies entirely on its allies for weapons. That’s not a position any country fighting a war for its existence should be in – relying on others for its defense needs. NATO was unprepared for a big war, especially with Russia. ...

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia pounded Ukraine’s energy facilities Tuesday with its biggest barrage of missiles yet, striking targets across the country and causing widespread blackouts. A senior U.S. intelligence official said missiles crossed into NATO member Poland, where two people were killed. A second person confirmed to The Associated Press that apparent Russian missiles struck a site in Poland about 15 miles from the Ukrainian border.

Dmitry Peskov, the Press Secretary of the President of the Russian Federation, is outraged by the arrival of Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine’s President, in the city of Kherson, which has been liberated from the occupiers. Source: Kremlin-aligned news outlet RIA Novosti, citing Peskov Details: Peskov did not want to comment on journalists' questions about Zelenskyy's arrival in Kherson, but he said that the administrative centre of Kherson Oblast is "the territory of Russia". Background: On 14 November, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has arrived in the city of Kherson, which was liberated from the Russian invaders.

Ukraine has received its first delivery of NASAMS air defence systems which will "significantly strengthen" its armed forces, Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov said on Monday. White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said last month the United States was accelerating the shipment of the sophisticated NASAMS systems to Ukraine after a devastating missile barrage from Russia. "Look who’s here! NASAMS and Aspide air defence systems arrived in Ukraine!," Reznikov wrote on the Telegram messaging app, thanking Norway, Spain and the United States for the shipments. "These weapons will significantly strengthen the #UAarmy and will make our skies safer."

Russia has acknowledged for the first time that it doesn't have enough equipment for mobilized soldiers in its war against Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Wednesday that there are issues with equipment for the hundreds of thousands of men being sent to fight in Ukraine under President Vladimir Putin's partial mobilization decree. Peskov said a newly-formed council created by Putin is working on resolving problems with equipment. "Vigorous measures taken to rectify the situation are already yielding the first positive results," he said. Regional authorities are working on providing "the missing gear," Peskov said, noting that Deputy...

The United States will consider every means to advance diplomacy with Russia if it sees an opening, but at the moment Moscow shows no sign of willingness to engage in meaningful talks, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday. "Every indication is that far from being willing to engage in meaningful diplomacy, President Putin continues to push in the opposite direction," Blinken said at a press conference with his French counterpart Catherine Colonna. "We consider and will consider every means to advance diplomacy if we see an opening to advance it by whatever means, of course we'll always...

U.S. B-52 bombers and around 60 other aircraft are taking part in NATO’s weeks-long nuclear exercise, which kicks off on Monday amid Russian threats of nuclear war. According to a statement by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), 14 countries and up to 60 aircraft will take part in the nuclear exercise known as “Steadfast Noon.” A NATO official said part of the exercise would be held more than 625 miles from Russia, VOA reported. NATO described the exercise as “a routine, recurring training activity” that is “not linked to any current world events.”

In less than 24 hours part of Ukraine becomes part of Russia and NATO just held a secret meeting to ramp up the war. Vladimir Putin pointed the finger directly at the U.S. for its attack on the Nord Stream pipelines. Germany is on the brink of collapse as German energy experts point to coming blackouts.

US President Joe Biden’s administration will soon release its National Security Strategy, which is being revised in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The document will no doubt trigger a renewed debate about how the United States should gear up for a new cold war against Russia and China. But before we plunge into a global great-power competition, it’s worth recalling Biden’s promise to create a “foreign policy for the middle class” and take a look at what most concerns Americans.US President Joe Biden’s administration will soon release its National Security Strategy, which is being revised in the wake...

Gala concert devoted to the 1160th anniversary of Russian statehood Vladimir Putin made a speech at a gala concert marking the 1160th anniversary of Russian statehood. President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Friends, Today, we are marking the 1160th anniversary of Russian statehood. I would like to congratulate you on this momentous historical date that is of key importance for Russia. Veliky Novgorod, Rurikovo Settlement, Staraya (Old) Ladoga and Izborsk are the cradle of Rus, the source of our civilisation and our state, our culture and education. It is from here, from the north, that the guards of the first Russian...

The war exposed Ukraine to two of her most critical vulnerabilities – questionable legitimacy and extreme nationalism. Legitimacy derives from acceptance and recognition. However, Ukraine’s neighbors Russia, Poland, and Romania do not accept their current borders with Ukraine.###After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, Ukraine got its borders within which she achieved independence and millions of Russians, Poles, Hungarians and Romanians were trapped in a newly created country.The Ukrainian problem is greatly exacerbated by the fact that unlike pluralistic societies such as the USA, Canada, Switzerland, and Russia, which are tolerant of different cultures, religions, and languages, Ukraine is not....

Vladimir Putin can call up all the troops he wants, but Russia has no way of getting those new troops the training and weapons they need to fight in Ukraine any time soon. With his invasion of Ukraine faltering badly, the Russian President on Wednesday announced the immediate “partial mobilization” of Russian citizens. Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Russian television that the country will call up 300,000 reservists. If they end up facing Ukrainian guns on the front lines, they are likely to become the newest casualties in the invasion Putin started more than seven months ago and that...

Enjoy this brief, 3.5 min Freedom YTReferendum in Donbass with huge participation of local residents

Factories, businesses, and families across Europe are battling for survival as Russia’s chokehold on the continent’s natural gas supply sends prices to astronomical heights, unleashing a brutal economic storm that has tested European solidarity about Russia’s war in Ukraine and fueled fears of an impending recession. Crushingly high energy prices have soared to 10 times their average level throughout the past decade, leading to spikes that have throttled industries and left households scrambling to pay their bills. From the energy-intensive aluminum industry to fertilizer manufacturers, companies across Europe have been forced to slash production or even go bankrupt in the...

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov emphasized on Friday at a conference that it is not in Moscow's interest to have an open conflict with the United States or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).Ryabkov expressed concerns over Russia's current relations with the two, stating that they are "near-zero levels." He shared that "America is incapable of negotiating in principle and, together with a number of NATO capitals, is directly pushing Kiev to transfer military operations to our territory, intending to fight to the last Ukrainian" so as to impose "a strategic defeat" on Russia.He further underscored that Moscow is...