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Tag: Vladimir Putin

  • Vladimir Putin sworn in for fourth term as Russian president

    Vladimir Putin was sworn in as Russia’s president for a fourth term on Monday, extending his almost two-decade rule by another six years at a time of high tension with his Western rivals.

    The 65-year-old, in power since 1999, is on course to become the longest-serving Russian leader since Joseph Stalin after his victory in March’s elections.

    Putin won nearly 77 percent of the vote in polls in which his most vocal opponent was banned from running.

    He has promised to use his fourth term to revitalise the country’s economy. But he also faces a host of delicate international disputes.

    “I consider it my duty and my life’s aim to do everything possible for Russia, for its present and for its future,” Putin said at Monday’s swearing-in ceremony, with his hand on the Russian constitution.

    Several thousand guests lined the red carpet and filmed Putin on their smartphones as he arrived for the swearing-in ceremony in the ornate Andreyev Hall, part of the Kremlin palace complex.

    Among them were US action star Steven Seagal, who has taken up Russian citizenship as well as former German chancellor Gerhard Schroder and Naina Yeltsina, the widow of Putin’s late predecessor Boris Yeltsin.

    The car that brought him to the inauguration was a black Russian-made limousine — a change from previous ceremonies when he used a German Mercedes.

    “I feel strongly conscious of my colossal responsibility,” he said, thanking Russians for their “sincere support” and “cohesiveness.”

    “We have revived pride in our fatherland,” Putin said.

    “As head of state I will do all I can to multiply the strength, prosperity and fame of Russia.”

    Shortly after the ceremony, Putin asked parliament to back a new mandate for outgoing prime minister Dmitry Medvedev, his long time ally, in a move that suggested continuity.

    – Crackdown on opposition –

    Opposition leader Alexei Navalny called on Russians to protest across the country on Saturday under the slogan “Not our Tsar”.

    On Saturday nearly 1,600 protesters including Navalny were detained during nationwide rallies against Putin. Navalny has been released pending a court hearing.

    The unrest revived memories of 2012, when authorities cracked down on rallies against Putin’s return to the Kremlin from the post of prime minister.

    Navalny was barred from challenging Putin in the March election over a fraud conviction that his supporters say is politically motivated.

    – Strained ties with West –

    Russia’s ties with the West have been strained by Putin’s moves to annex Crimea from Ukraine and to launch a military campaign in Syria in support of long-time Russian ally President Bashar al-Assad.

    In recent months relations have soured further over accusations of the poisoning of an ex-spy in Britain and of election meddling in the US.

    “For Putin any concession is a sign of weakness, so there shouldn’t be any expectation of a change in foreign policy,” said Konstantin Kalachev, the head of the Political Expert Group think tank in Moscow.

    But independent political analyst Dmitry Oreshkin said the president may find himself obliged to shift his approach to the international community over the next term.

    “Russia hasn’t been so isolated since the Soviet war in Afghanistan” from 1979 to 1989, he told AFP.

    “Now his task isn’t to bring any new lands to Russia, but to force the world to consider Russia’s interests and accept its previous conquests.”

    Reports that Alexei Kudrin — a liberal former finance minister who is respected abroad — could return to the Kremlin in a reshuffle, suggest the president could be seeking a less confrontational approach.

    The constitution bars Putin from running again when his fourth term ends in 2024. But he has remained silent on the issue of his succession.

    Some Muscovites said Monday that they would back Putin as president for life.

    “If a leader defends his country’s interests, then let him govern until the end of his days,” said Maxim Kuznetsov, a courier.

    Driver Maxim Yermolayev said that, “for a good president, I think that even 30 years (in power) is not enough.”

    – Economic woes –

    Putin has promised to use his fourth term to improve Russians’ standard of living.

    “People will live better,” he said.

    A new poll by Russia’s independent Levada Center found that while the majority of Russians support Putin’s foreign policy, the main complaints are over the economy.

    The survey showed 45 percent of Russians believe Putin has not been able to achieve a “fair distribution” of state revenues to benefit ordinary people.

    Russian businesses are expecting wide-ranging reforms in a system of government that is heavily bureaucratised.

    According to statisics published in the RBC newspaper on Monday, the number of bureaucrats during Putin’s third term rose by 50 percent, from 1.57 million to 2.17 million.

    Putin has struggled to revive an economy that crashed after Moscow was hit with Western sanctions over Crimea and by a fall in global oil prices.

    AFP

  • Trump still willing to meet with Putin despite rising U.S.-Russia tensions – White House

    U.S. President Donald Trump is still willing to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in spite of increasing tensions between the United States and Russia, White House Spokesperson, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, said on Tuesday.

    “The president still would like to sit down with him [Putin]. Again, he feels like it is better for the world if they have a good relationship.

    “But that’s going to depend on the actions of Russia,’’ Sanders told newsmen.

    Sanders also said the U.S. was considering additional sanctions against Russia and will make a decision on the matter in the “near future.”

    Tensions between the U.S. and Russia have escalated in recent days over the conflict in Syria.

    The U.S., UK and France launched missile strikes on a number of targets in Syria on Saturday in response to the alleged use of chemical weapons in the Damascus’ suburb of Duma.

    Western states have blamed the Syrian government forces for the incident, but Damascus has denied using chemical weapons.

    Ties between Moscow and Washington significantly worsened after the eruption of the Ukrainian crisis in 2014.

    Russian-U.S. relations continued to deteriorate in 2017 over a number of issues including alleged Russian interference in the U.S. presidential election.

    Also by playing a row around Russian diplomatic property in the U.S. as well as U.S. pressure on the RT broadcaster’s activities in the U.S.

    In 2018, tensions have escalated even further over the U.S. decision to expel Russian diplomats over Moscow’s alleged involvement in the poisoning of former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal in the UK city of Salisbury.

    However, Russia has repeatedly denied all allegations.

     

  • Putin says Russia to raise minimum wage May 1

    Russia will raise its minimum wage effect from May 1, President Vladimir Putin, who is running for re-election in March, said on Wednesday.

    Putin said that the monthly minimum wage should be raised from 9,489 rubles (166.47 dollars) at present to be in line with the minimum cost of living, which now stands at 11,163 rubles.

    Labour Minister, Maxim Topilin, was quoted by RIA news agency as saying the ministry would in the near future prepare draft legislation on raising the minimum wage.

    He also said the ministry was working with the finance ministry to establish the cost of the increase, the agency reported.

     

  • NATO looking for external enemy to justify its existence: Putin

    NATO looking for external enemy to justify its existence: Putin

    President Vladimir Putin of Russia has said that the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) has been constantly looking for an external enemy to justify its existence, the RIA Novosti news agency reported Wednesday.

    Putin told American director Oliver Stone in an interview that the Eastern Bloc does not exist anymore, neither does the Soviet Union, so why NATO is still there.

    “I have an impression that in order to justify its existence, NATO needs an external enemy. Thus, there is a constant search for an enemy or some provocations,” he said.

    The Russian president said he has not lost hope for changes in Russian-U.S. relations.

    Earlier, at the plenary session of the “Business Dialogue between Russia and the U.S.” at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin said Russia is going to continue to engage in dialogue with the new U.S. administration.

    “Political will and mutual effort are needed for any talks to succeed.” he said.

     

  • Macron meets Putin, no fiery handshake, hold talks on Syria, Ukraine

    France’s President Emmanuel Macron and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Monday vowed to improve the strained relations between their countries, while admitting to disagreements during talks at Versailles palace described by Macron as “extremely frank”.

    Their first meeting since Macron took office provided another test of the Frenchman’s diplomatic skills after his memorable first encounter last week with US President Donald Trump that Macron sealed with a vice-like handshake.

    This time the handshake was warmer but the tone guarded after an hour of talks on the 300th anniversary of a visit to Versailles by tsar Peter the Great.

    Putin admitted to some differences of opinion in the talks which covered issues including the conflicts in Syria and Ukraine, but insisted that Franco-Russian ties withstood “all points of friction”.

    “We disagree on a number of things but at least we discussed them,” Macron said.

    “Our absolute priority is the fight against terrorism and the eradication of terrorist groups and Daesh in particular,” he said, using an alternate name for the Islamic State group that has claimed several deadly attacks in France.

    – “Organs of propaganda” –

    The newly elected French leader called for a stronger partnership with Russia on Syria, one of the sticking points in relations between the West and Moscow which backs the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.

    Macron advocated “a democratic transition that preserves the Syrian state”, warning that “failed states” in the Middle East were a threat to the West.

    But in an apparent warning to Assad and Russia, he said the use of chemical weapons in Syria would be a “red line” for his presidency and would draw an “immediate response” from France.

    The pair discussed the Western sanctions imposed on Russia over its military involvement in Ukraine as well as allegations of Russian meddling in France’s election campaign.

    Putin declared that the sanctions were “in no way” helping to end the fighting between government forces and Kremlin-backed rebels in Ukraine’s east.

    The Russian strongman, who hosted Macron’s far-right rival Marine Le Pen for talks during the election race, also shrugged off allegations that Russian hackers infiltrated Macron’s campaign.

    “Maybe they were Russian hackers, maybe they were not,” he said, dismissing the claims as unsubstantiated.

    Macron, for his part, expressed anger at reports by pro-Kremlin media during the election questioning his sexuality and links to high finance.

    He took aim at the Russia Today broadcaster and Sputnik agency, calling them “organs of influence and propaganda”.

    – ‘No concessions’ –

    Putin’s visit comes after the 39-year-old French centrist made a successful debut on the world stage last week, holding his own against Trump at a NATO summit in Brussels and at a G7 summit in Italy.

    Ahead of the visit, Macron told a French weekly that he was not “bothered” by leaders who “think in terms of power dynamics”.

    He said he would make “not a single concession” to Russia on the long-running conflict in Ukraine, with he and his G7 counterparts saying they were prepared to strengthen sanctions against Moscow.

    Since the start of the war in Ukraine in 2014, Russia has flexed its muscles with a series of war games involving tens of thousands of troops in areas bordering NATO Baltic states.

    Macron said he, Putin and the leaders of Germany and Ukraine would meet soon for talks, “which will allow us to make a complete evaluation of the situation”.

    – Modernising tsar –

    Western powers charge Russia with failing to honour its commitments under the Minsk accords framework for ending the violence in Ukraine.

    France helped spearhead the sanctions, which have seriously dented EU-Russia trade.

    Putin moved quickly after the French election to try to smooth things over, congratulating Macron and urging him to work to overcome their countries’ “mutual distrust”.

    Monday’s visit comes seven months after Putin cancelled a trip to Paris amid a row over Syria with Macron’s predecessor Francois Hollande, who had said Russia’s bombing of Aleppo could amount to war crimes.

    In Versailles, he and Macron inaugurated an exhibition marking the visit of Russia’s modernising tsar Peter the Great to France in 1717.

    The fervently pro-Europe Macron said his invitation to Putin aimed to showcase “a Russia which is open to Europe”.

    Putin was also later to visit a new Orthodox cathedral complex in central Paris.

     

     

    Mail Online

  • British govt alarmed by Russia’s ban on Jehovah Witnesses, appeals ruling

    The British government says it is “alarmed” by Russia’s ban on Jehovah Witnesses and has launched an appeal for Vladimir Putin to uphold religious freedom.

    TheNewsGuru reported the Supreme Court in Russia banned activities of Jehovah’s Witnesses in the country after describing the group as an extremist organization.

    The Supreme Court was deciding on a claim lodged by the Russian Ministry of Justice to liquidate the group’s administrative centre near St Petersburg and 395 local organizations. Its decision will come into effect within 30 days unless an appeal is lodged, when it will be delayed until the resolution of the case.

    Baroness Anelay said the ruling by the Russian Supreme Court “effectively criminalises the peaceful worship of 175,000 Russian citizens” and contravenes rights enshrined in the country’s own constitution.

    “I am alarmed by the decision of Russia’s Supreme Court to recognize the Jehovah’s Witnesses as ‘extremists’,” the Foreign Office minister said, adding that “The UK calls on the Russian government to uphold its international commitment to freedom of religion”.

    The Jehovah’s Witnesses plan to appeal Thursday’s ruling, which came after six days of hearings attended by hundreds of supporters.

    “We are greatly disappointed by this development and deeply concerned about how this will affect our religious activity,” said spokesman Yaroslav Sivulskiy.

    “We hope that our legal rights and protections as a peaceful religious group will be fully restored as soon as possible,” he added.

    The case could be taken to the European Court of Human Rights, which ruled a previous attempted ban on Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia unlawful in 2010.

     

    Read more here.

  • Putin condoles Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi

    ImageFile: Putin condoles Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi
    Russia’s Vladimir Putin.

    Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has expressed his condolences to President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, over the death of Egyptian police officers and military personnel in a terrorist attack in El-Arish.

    TheNewsGuru reports that a suicide bomber rammed his vehicle into an Egyptian security checkpoint outside a police building in northern Sinai on yesterday morning, killing at least 10 people and wounding 22 others, according to Egyptian officials.

    The attacker drove a white rubbish truck packed with explosives into the checkpoint before security forces shot dead the driver and safely detonated the bomb. The vehicle was stolen days earlier and had been modified with built in metal plates to enforce the truck.

    The attack, on the Mediterranean coastal city of el-Arish, was followed by several small explosions as militants wearing black masks fired rocket-propelled grenades at troops guarding the checkpoint.

    Medical and security officials have said the death toll is likely to rise.

    No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, but the finger of blame will undoubtedly be pointed at Isis, which is known to be an active terrorist group in the area.

    Isis has used reinforced trucks as weapons in Syria and Iraq.

    “What happened proves yet again that the international community needs to consolidate its efforts in countering international terrorism,” Putin stressed in his message of condolence to his Egyptian counterpart.

    The United Nations (UN) Security Council has condemned the attack as well while stressing that those responsible should be brought to justice.

    “The members of the Security Council condemned in the strongest terms the heinous and cowardly terrorist attack that took place in the northern Sinai city of Al-Arish, Egypt, today, 9 January 2017… Those responsible for these killings should be held accountable, the Council said in a press statement.

    Meanwhile, President Putin reaffirmed that Russia is ready to further step up cooperation with its Egyptian partners in fighting this global threat.

    Putin passed on words of sympathy and support to the victims’ families and friends and wished a speedy recovery to those injured in the attack.

  • Russian ambassador shot dead in Turkey

    The Russian ambassador to Turkey was shot dead by a Turkish police officer at an art gallery in Ankara tonight.

    Ambassador Andrey Karlov, 62, was repeatedly shot in the back at close range by a gunman shouting: ‘Allahu Akbar (God is Great). We die in Aleppo, you die here!’

    The shooter has been named on social media as Mevlüt Mert Altıntaş, 22, an off-duty police officer from the Ankara special forces department. Altintas was later shot dead by police, according to local media.

    Karlov died at the scene, which was later confirmed by the Russian foreign ministry.

    Local media, citing security guards at the scene, said the killer showed a police ID to enter the gallery. In video, he could be seen standing calmly behind Karlov before pulling out a pistol and opening fire.

    The Russian foreign ministry said it was in contact with Ankara over the events, and had received assurances that those responsible would be punished.

    Russia condemned the shooting as a ‘terrorist act’ in an official statement.

    Meanwhile, Russian president, Vladimir Putin, called an urgent meeting with his foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, and the heads of the security services.

    Karlov had been part of discussions between Russia and Turkey that led to an evacuation of east Aleppo getting under way late last week. He had also been a central conduit to the Turkish government’s rapprochement with Moscow in April.

  • Forbes announces Dangote, Putin world’s most powerful people

    Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man, founder and chair of Dangote Group, has been announced in the list of world’s most powerful people in 2016 by Forbes magazine.

    ImageFile: Forbes announces Dangote, Putin world’s most powerful people1
    Aliko Dangote, Founder and CEO of Dangote Group.

    59 years old Dangote who emerged 71st world’s most powerful person in 2015, emerged 68th world’s most powerful person in the recent ranking alongside Russian President, Vladimir Putin; United States (US) President-elect, Donald Trump; German Chancellor, Angela Merkel and 71 other world’s most powerful people who made the list.

    To compile the list, Forbes said they considered hundreds of candidates from various walks of life all around the globe, and measured their power along four dimensions: power over lots of people, financial resources controlled by each person, powerful in multiple spheres and active use of power.

    Forbes said, “To calculate the final rankings, a panel of Forbes editors ranked all of our candidates in each of these four dimensions of power, and those individual rankings were averaged into a composite score,” adding that this year’s list, comprised of 74 world shakers and movers, “comes at a time of rapid and profound change, and represents our best guess about who will matter in the year to come”.

    In 2015 Dangote Cement launched new plants in Cameroon, Ethiopia, Zambia and Tanzania. The company produces more than 30 million metric tons annually, and plans to double capacity by 2018.

    Dangote, whose net worth is towering more than $12 billion as of December 15, 2016 according to Forbes, owns about 90% of publicly-traded Dangote Cement through a holding company; this percentage exceeds the 80% ownership ceiling set by the Nigerian Stock Exchange. A spokesman for Dangote told Forbes that the company has until October 2016 to lower Aliko Dangote’s stake and plans to do so by then.

    ImageFile: Forbes announces Dangote, Putin world’s most powerful people
    Russian President, Vladimir Putin.

    Other companies in the Dangote Group, which is active in 15 African countries, include publicly-traded salt, sugar and flour manufacturing companies.

    Vladimir Putin is emerging the world’s most powerful person for the fourth consecutive year, with the German Chancellor clinching number one spot for world’s most powerful woman and world’s third most powerful person.

    “Russia’s president has exerted his country’s influence in nearly every corner of the globe,” the US business magazine wrote, adding that “From the motherland to Syria to the US presidential elections, Putin continues to get what he wants”.

    “In second place, President-elect Donald Trump has a seeming immunity to scandal, both houses of Congress on his side, and a personal net worth in the billions.

    “And the third most powerful person in the world also happens to be the most powerful woman, Angela Merkel, the chancellor of Germany and the backbone of the European Union,” Forbes announced.

    Announced Time magazine Person of the Year recently, Trump, who was elected US president last month, was listed 72nd in Forbes’ 2015 power rankings.

    Forbes said there are new names on the list this year, including Theresa May, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (#13); Travis Kalanick, CEO of Uber (#64); Bob Iger, CEO of The Walt Disney Company (#67); Mike Pence, Vice President-Elect of the United States (#69), Rodrigo Duterte, President of the Philippines (#70); and Sheldon Adelson, CEO of Las Vegas Sands (#72).

    Forbes said two former members also return to the list this year: Antonio Guterres, incoming Secretary-General of the United Nations (#36, last appearance in 2009); and Recep Erdogan, President of Turkey (#56, last appearance in 2011).

    Outgoing US President, Barack Obama, who placed second in 2015, plummeted to 48th place this year as he waits out the final weeks of his presidency.

    Fourth place went to China’s President, Xi Jinping, while the fifth spot on the list went to Pope Francis.

    Forbes said, its list of world’s most powerful people is not meant to be the final word but the beginning of a conversation

    ImageFile: Wedding Guru ad

    “Any ranking of the world’s most powerful people is going to be subjective, so we don’t pretend ours is definitive,” Forbes said.

    “So tell us what you think: Is the CEO of Facebook really more powerful than the CEO of Apple? Is the Prime Minister of Japan more powerful than the Prime Minister of Canada? Who did we miss? What did we get wrong? Join the conversation by commenting below,” Forbes demanded.

  • UN Security Council, countries denounce terror attacks in Istanbul

    UN Security Council, countries denounce terror attacks in Istanbul

    The United Nations (UN) Security Council and many countries in the world have condemned the latest terrorist attacks in Istanbul, Turkey, which killed at least 39 people and injured 155 others.

    The UN Security Council on Sunday “condemned in the strongest terms the heinous and cowardly terrorist attacks” in a press statement, reaffirming that “terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security”.

    The twin bombings, by a car bomb and a suicide bomber, occurred outside a football stadium in central Istanbul on late Saturday. The car bomb was detonated after a football match ended about one and half an hour, killing 30 police officers.

    UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, on Saturday denounced in a statement the deadly terror attacks “reportedly targeting Turkish police personnel”.

    The European Union (EU) on Sunday reaffirmed in a statement “our strong condemnation of all acts of terror and confirm our continued commitment to work together closely with Turkey in combatting the threat of terrorism”.

    Secretary General, Thorbjorn Jagland, of the Council of Europe voiced in a denouncement statement on Sunday “deepest condolences to the people of Turkey and its government”.

    Russian President, Vladimir Putin, also condemned the attack and emphasized the need for the international community to jointly combat terrorism.

    In a message of condolences to his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Putin described the attack as cowardly and believed whoever committed the crime will be punished.

    United States (US) Defence Secretary, Ash Carter, has issued a statement saying “this attack only redoubles our resolve to stand shoulder to shoulder with our Turkish allies in condemning these attacks and relentlessly combatting terrorism”.

    He also said the US remains “committed to working closely with Turkey within NATO” and the coalition fighting the Islamic State group.

    While condemning the terror attacks in Istanbul, French President, Francois Hollande, expressed full support to Turkish authorities in fighting terrorism, the Elysee said in a statement on Sunday.

    Foreign Ministry of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), in its statement on Sunday, restated the UAE principled position against “all forms and manifestations of terrorism,” while expressing solidarity with the Turkish government against “terrorist crimes”.

    Denouncing the twin bombings in Istanbul, Jordan’s Minister of State for Media Affairs, Mohammad Momani, also voiced solidarity and support for Turkey, and called for increased efforts by the international community to uproot terrorism.

    “Pakistan condemns this heinous act of terrorism in the strongest possible terms,” Pakistani Foreign Ministry said Sunday in a statement, while expressing “deep sorrow and grief” to the bloodshed.

    Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbass, said Sunday in an official statement, “This awful crime is totally condemned and rejected which contradicts with our religious values as well as the traditions, the morals and the laws all over the world”.

    Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said Sunday that while condemning “all terrorism in Turkey”, Israel “expects that Turkey will condemn all terrorist attacks in Israel”.

    “The fight against terrorism must be mutual. It must be mutual in condemnation and in countermeasures,” he added.

    Turkey and Israel sent ambassadors to each other this month to normalize ties six years after an Israeli raid on a Gaza-bound Turkish flotilla killing 10 Turkish activists.

    Hungarian foreign ministry on Sunday said in a statement Hungary stands side by side with Turkey in the fight against terrorism.

    Iran expressed on Sunday “deep concerns” over repeated terror attacks hitting neighboring Turkey and urged countries to deliver a “decisive” response to the acts of violence perpetrated by extremist terrorists, deeming “global determination and consensus” as the only way to eliminate terrorism, said the Foreign Ministry in a statement.

    Turkey’s largest city Istanbul and capital Ankara have come under a spate of deadly attacks over the past year further worsening the security situation there.

    Istanbul was last hit in late June, when three suicide bombers assaulted the city’s major international airport and killed 45 people.

    Thousands of Turks took to the streets on Sunday to denounce the latest terror attacks, and Turkey declared a day of national mourning on Sunday for the victims. Turkish President Erdogan has vowed vengeance and pledged to fight against terrorism “to the end.”

    At parliament on Sunday, Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party and the opposition Republican People’s Party and the Nationalist Movement Party read a joint declaration condemning the terror attack, and expressed “full support” for the security forces in the fight against terrorism.

    Turkey’s pro-Kurdish opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party strongly condemned the attack in a written statement, saying it felt great sorrow and shared the pain.

    The Kurdistan Freedom Hawks, a Kurdish militant group linked to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, has claimed responsibility for the Saturday attacks, Turkish media said.