TheNewsGuru

Tag: Russia

  • I think Putin is a killer – Biden

    I think Putin is a killer – Biden

    U.S. President Joe Biden has agreed that Russian President Vladimir Putin is a “killer,” adding that he will “pay” for interfering in the 2020 presidential election in an ABC News interview that aired Wednesday.

    His pre-taped remarks aired after the U.S. intelligence community’s first assessment of foreign interference in the campaign. The report said Putin likely authorized influence operations aimed at promoting then-President Donald Trump and discrediting Biden’s candidacy.

    “He will pay a price,” Biden said in response to the findings.

    Biden said he had warned Putin of potential consequences to election meddling when the two spoke following his inauguration in January.

    “We had a long talk, he and I, when we — I know him relatively well. And the conversation started off, I said, ‘I know you and you know me. If I establish this [interference] occurred, then be prepared.”

    Asked by host George Stephanopoulos whether he thinks the Russian president is a “killer,” Biden replied: “I do.”

    “The price he’s going to pay, you’ll see shortly,” he added without giving further detail.

    He noted that there are still areas in which Moscow and Washington can find common ground despite the two powers’ chilled relations.

    “There are places where it’s in our mutual interest to work together,” he said. “That’s why I renewed the [New] START agreement. That occurred while he’s doing this.”

    Biden also described his March 2011 meeting with Putin, who was then Russia’s prime minister, saying: “President Bush had said I looked in his eyes and saw his soul. I said look in your eyes, and I don’t think you have a soul. He looked back and he said, ‘We understand each other’.”

    The U.S. intelligence report’s findings are likely to be followed by the Biden administration’s announcement of new sanctions as soon as next week, CNN and Reuters reported, citing unnamed officials.

    Biden did not elaborate on the possible Russian sanctions during the ABC News interview.

    Biden’s comments drew immediate condemnation from the speaker of Russia’s lower house of parliament Vyacheslav Volodin, who called them an “attack on Russia” and “hysteria due to weakness.”

  • Russia sues Google, Facebook, Twitter for not deleting protest content

    Russia sues Google, Facebook, Twitter for not deleting protest content

    Russian authorities are suing five social media platforms for allegedly failing to delete posts urging children to take part in illegal protests, the Interfax news agency cited a Moscow court as saying on Tuesday.

    Twitter, Google, Facebook each have three cases against them, with each violation punishable by a fine of up to 4 million roubles (around 54,000 dollars), and cases have also been filed against Tiktok and Telegram, the report said.

    The cases were opened after protests nationwide over last month’s jailing of Alexei Navalny, a prominent critic of President Vladimir Putin.

    Navalny and his supporters say his 30-month sentence, for alleged parole violations related to an embezzlement case, was trumped up for political reasons, something the authorities deny.

    Google declined to comment on the Interfax report. Facebook, Twitter, Tiktok and Telegram did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

    The cases against Google, Facebook and Twitter will be heard on April 2, the agency said.

  • Russia accuses Twitter of breaking law by failing to delete content

    Russia accuses Twitter of breaking law by failing to delete content

    Russia’s communications regulator accused Twitter on Monday of violating Russian law, saying the social media platform had not complied with some of its requests to delete banned content.

    Roskomnadzor said Twitter had failed to delete 2,862 posts containing material linked to suicide, pornography and drugs since 2017.

    It could be fined heavily if found guilty of repeatedly failing to delete content deemed illegal under Russian law, it said.

    The platform is used extensively by Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny and his allies to criticise the authorities and announce new protests.

    Twitter has been fined in the past for breaching Russia’s data laws, but the fines have so far been relatively small.

    It did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

    Russia in recent months has taken steps to exert more influence over foreign social media platforms.

    Bills passed by the lower house of parliament in December 2020 allowed Russia to levy large fines on platforms that do not delete banned content and even restrict access to U.S. social media giants if they “discriminate” against Russian media.

    The foreign ministry has also accused Facebook and other U.S. social media platforms of failing to identify fake posts related to unauthorised protests in support of Navalny, where police detained thousands of demonstrators nationwide.

    In January, President Vladimir Putin queried what he described as the growing clout of U.S. social media giants and said their influence meant they now competed with governments.

    In February, a Moscow court fined Twitter for refusing to store its server holding data about Russian citizens on Russian territory.

  • Navalny arrested at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport

    Navalny arrested at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport

    Russian dissident Alexei Navalny has been detained at Sheremetyevo airport near Moscow, according to a post on Navalny’s Telegram channel.

    He was detained while going through passport control, according to the post.

    Navalny’s plane from Berlin was originally due to land at Vnukovo airport on Sunday evening but diverted to Sheremetyevo at the last minute, according to a dpa reporter.

    The plane was originally due to land at Vnukovo airport but display boards there said the plane had been diverted to the capital’s larger international airport.

    The flight from Berlin, operated by Pobeda airline, was circulating above Vnukovo before it changed its course.

    Opposition politician Ilya Yashin called the diversion a “hysterical reaction” of the Russian government.

    Russian authorities previously said they planned to arrest Navalny, 44, immediately upon return to his home country, accusing him of breaking the terms of a suspended sentence and probation.

  • Navalny leaves Berlin on flight to Moscow despite threat of arrest

    Navalny leaves Berlin on flight to Moscow despite threat of arrest

    Russian dissident Alexei Navalny on Sunday left Berlin on a flight to Moscow, where authorities have threatened to arrest him upon arrival.

    Russian security forces detained several of Navalny’s supporters at the Vnukovo airport near Moscow ahead of his arrival, according to a dpa reporter on the scene.

    Those detained include a close collaborator of Navalny, lawyer Lyubov Sobol, and several activists.

    Uniformed officers pushed back people who came to the airport to welcome Navalny.

    He was expected to arrive at 7:20 pm (1620 GMT) together with his wife Yulia Navalnaya, his staff, and other activists, though the flight could be delayed due to a late start in Berlin.

    Security was tightened at Vnukovo airport in the hours before his arrival.

    OMON, the anti-terrorism special police, took position at the airport with several prisoner transport vehicles.

    Navalny called on his supporters to meet him at Vnukovo, despite the Moscow public prosecutor’s office warning against unauthorised rallies on the premises and the threat of consequences for those who go ahead and do so anyway.

    In St Petersburg, the head of Navalny’s staff there, Irina Fatyanova, said she and two other activists were taken off a train to Moscow and detained by police for three hours.

    The authorities provided no reason for their actions.

    Other activists said they were detained at Pulkovo Airport in St Petersburg or stopped in vehicles on the street.

    Russian authorities have signalled they plan to arrest Navalny, 44, immediately upon return to his home country, accusing him of breaking the terms of a suspended sentence and probation.

    The Kremlin critic is flying home after spending five months in Germany, where he received emergency medical treatment following his poisoning with the nerve agent Novichok.

    Navalny said he never considered staying outside Russia as he had never left his homeland of his own free will, and had “arrived in Germany in a resuscitation box.”

    Navalny, one of President Vladimir Putin’s fiercest critics, fell violently ill on a Russian flight on Aug. 20.

    Two days later he was medically evacuated to Germany.

    The Charite hospital in Berlin announced on Sept. 23 that Navalny had been discharged after his condition “improved sufficiently.”

    Laboratories in Germany, France,p and Sweden have determined that Navalny was poisoned with the nerve agent Novichok.

    Navalny has blamed the poisoning on the FSB, the Russian secret service, under Putin’s orders.

    Putin has dismissed the allegations.

    Russian officials initially refused to accept that he had been poisoned at all.

    On Sunday, Russia said information submitted by Germany on the Navalny case was not helpful, after Germany replied to four letters of request from the Russian government, including protocols of Navalny’s questionings.

    Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Sakharova said Germany’s replies “did not contain anything of substance regarding our questions.”

    Russian authorities have increased the pressure on Navalny, revealing on Tuesday that he could face further jail time for violating the rules of his probation, arising from a conviction in 2014.

    A legal application had been submitted to a Moscow court. Navalny maintains that the probation conditions became invalid on Dec. 30 and dismisses the new legal threats as politically motivated.

    Navalny gained renown during a wave of protests from 2011 to 2013, fuelled by contentious elections for Putin, the parliament and the capital city’s mayor.

    Navalny came in second in Moscow’s 2013 mayoral race.

    Navalny, who holds degrees in law and finance, initially gained popularity as a blogger exposing evidence of corruption, including the luxurious assets of high-ranking officials whose official salaries were incomparably modest.

    He is married with two children.

  • Russia slams U.S. electoral system as ‘archaic’ in wake of Capitol riot

    Russia slams U.S. electoral system as ‘archaic’ in wake of Capitol riot

    A spokeswoman for Russia’s Foreign Ministry has described the U.S. electoral system as “archiac” in the wake of the storming of the U.S. Capitol building in Washington by supporters of Donald Trump.

    “We are again drawing attention to the fact that the U.S. electoral system is archaic, it does not meet today’s democratic standards,” ministry spokeswoman Maria Sakharova told the Interfax agency.

    That leaves room for “numerous violations,” she added, and said that Russia wishes the American people “that they will survive this dramatic moment in their own history with dignity.”

  • Defiant Trump: World leaders react to embarrassing chaos in U.S. Capitol, attempts to overturn election

    Defiant Trump: World leaders react to embarrassing chaos in U.S. Capitol, attempts to overturn election

    Police in the U.S. Capitol responded with drawn guns and tear gas as hundreds of protesters stormed in and sought to force Congress to undo President Donald Trump’s election loss shortly after some of Trump’s fellow Republicans launched a last-ditch effort to throw out the results.

    Here are reactions from around the world:

    SWEDEN
    Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven in a tweet described the incidents as “an attack on democracy”. “President Trump and many members of Congress bear significant responsibility for what’s now taking place. The democratic process of electing a president must be respected.”

    UNITED KINGDOM
    British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in a tweet described the scenes in the U.S. Congress as a “disgrace”, saying the United States stood for democracy around the world and that was it was “vital” now that there should be a peaceful and orderly transfer of power.

    GERMANY
    German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said democracy’s enemies would be cheered by scenes of violence at the United States Capitol, and he called on Trump to accept U.S. voters’ decision.

    In a Tweet posted after protesters stormed the seat of the U.S. legislature, Maas said the violence had been caused by inflammatory rhetoric. “Trump and his supporters must accept the decision of American voters at last and stop trampling on democracy.”

    RUSSIA
    “Quite Maidan-style pictures are coming from DC,” Russia’s deputy U.N. Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy posted on Twitter, referring to protests in Ukraine that toppled Russian-backed President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovich in 2014.

    “Some of my friends ask whether someone will distribute crackers to the protesters to echo Victoria Nuland stunt,” he said, citing a 2013 visit to Ukraine when then-U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland offered food to protesters.

    NATO
    NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg called the violent protests in Washington “shocking scenes” and said the outcome of the democratic U.S. election must be respected.

    SPAIN
    Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said in a tweet: “I am following with concern the news that are coming from Capitol Hill in Washington. I trust in the strength of America’s democracy.

    “The new Presidency of @JoeBiden will overcome this time of tension, uniting the American people.”

    CANADA
    Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed concern about the violent scenes in Washington. “Obviously we’re concerned and we’re following the situation minute by minute,” Trudeau told the News 1130 Vancouver radio station. “I think the American democratic institutions are strong, and hopefully everything will return to normal shortly.”

    Foreign Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne on Twitter: “Canada is deeply shocked by the situation in Washington DC. The peaceful transition of power is fundamental to democracy – it must continue and it will. We are following developments closely and our thoughts are with the American people.”

    TURKEY
    Turkey’s foreign ministry issued a statement expressing concern about the violence and called for calm and common sense while urging its citizens to avoid crowds and the protest area.

    FRANCE
    French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Twitter: “The violence against the American institutions is a grave attack on democracy. I condemn it. The will and the vote of the American people must be respected.”

  • U.S.-Russia rivalry will continue under Biden, says Russian lawmaker

    U.S.-Russia rivalry will continue under Biden, says Russian lawmaker

    Senior Russian lawmaker, Konstantin Kosachev, says there will be no breakthroughs in the U.S.-Russia relations under President-Elect Joe Biden as Washington’s military and political rivalry with Moscow will continue.

    Kosachev, who is the chairman of the Russian upper house’s foreign affairs committee, made the remarks to Sputnik on Tuesday.

    Biden was on Monday confirmed as the next president by the U.S. Electoral College, with 306 electoral votes against incumbent Donald Trump’s 232.

    The U.S. Congress will certify the results on January 6.

    “I assume that under the next president, the U.S. will base its relations with the outside world, including Russia, on the same ‘America First’ principle, no matter what new rhetoric accompanies it.

    “Thus, there will be no breakthroughs in the Russia-U.S. relations, the bitter rivalry in the political and military areas will persist as well as the economic competition,” Kosachev said.

    The lawmaker recalled that Biden’s predecessors, Trump and Barack Obama, both started their presidential tenures promising to revise the country’s foreign policy and prove the U.S. leadership by showing off its achievements instead of imposing its interests.

    “Biden has not made such pronouncements and is unlikely to do so. Firstly, because the U.S. has fewer and fewer achievements, the Americans are starting to lose on the global competition.

    “Secondly, the U.S. can secure its global dominance only through brutal imposition of its interest on both allies and opponents,” Kosachev stressed.

    The lawmaker went on to say that Biden in fact has even less room for maneuvering than his predecessors.

    As Biden heads to the White House, many experts and officials around the globe speculated his presidency will represent a sharp break with Trump’s foreign policy approach.

  • U.S. govt faces cyber attack linked to Russia

    U.S. govt faces cyber attack linked to Russia

    Hackers have been targeting the U.S. Treasury and Commerce departments and other government agencies, according to media reports on Sunday.

    National Security Council spokesman John Ullyot told dpa “the U.S. government is aware of these reports and we are taking all necessary steps to identify and address potential issues related to this situation.”

    The Department of Commerce confirmed to CNN that hackers had overcome protective measures in one of its offices.

    The Washington Post reported hackers with ties to Russian intelligence agency SVR were responsible for the attacks on the Treasury and Commerce departments as well as other U.S. agencies.

    It was unclear what information had been captured, according to the report, which also said the FBI had been brought in to investigate.

    The cyberattacks have reportedly been going on for months.

    Cybersecurity firm FireEye, which U.S. authorities often work with in cyberattack cases, said the hackers were the same group who had attacked it.

    FireEye said last Tuesday that a cyberattack had stolen attack software that the company usually uses to test its customers’ defence systems.

    It was still unclear whether these tools would be used for hacking attacks, it said, adding that the attackers would have been particularly interested in information about the company’s government customers.

    FireEye said its initial analysis pointed to a state-sponsored attack, due to the technical skills and discipline of the attackers.

  • Russia tests Zircon hypersonic missile that can destroy US cities

    Russia tests Zircon hypersonic missile that can destroy US cities

    Russia has successfully tested the Zircon hypersonic missile capable of destroying US cities in the event of a nuclear war.

    The Russian Ministry of Defense said in a statement released on November 26 that it had launched the hypersonic missile, also called Tsirkon, from the White Sea against a target in the Barents Sea.

    Russia said the launch of the new-age 6,000 mph hypersonic Zircon missile was successful.

    The devastating weapon has been identified by Moscow’s state-controlled TV as Russian President Vladimir Putin’s weapon of choice to wipe out American cities in the event of nuclear war.

    The Zircon missile was launched from the lead frigate of project 22350 Admiral Flota Sovetskogo Soyuza Gorshkov in the White Sea and, having covered 450 kilometers, hit the target in the Barents Sea.

    “The missile’s speed was more than Mach 8. The closure of the firing area was provided by the Northern Fleet forces operating in the Barents Sea, including the missile cruiser Marshal Ustinov and the frigate Admiral Flota Kasatonov,” the release added.

    Previous tests took place in October.

    Upon completion of the tests, the hypersonic complex will enter service with the submarines and surface ships of the Russian Navy.

    In addition to the naval version, President Vladimir Putin previously mentioned the development of a land-based Zircon.

    It is assumed that the maximum speed of the missile will be 10.7 thousand kilometers per hour (Mach 9), and the flight range will be over 1 thousand kilometers