Russia - Page 60

Infamous Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, released by the U.S. government last week in exchange for basketball player Brittney Griner, said on Saturday that he wholeheartedly supports Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and wishes he could join the fighting.

The Kremlin confirmed on Monday that leader Vladimir Putin would not hold his traditional year-end press conference in December, suggesting it may instead occur in 2023 – the first time in a decade that Putin skips the occasion.

Britain’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) is gambling its reputation somewhat by predicting Russia is “unlikely” to make significant gains in the coming months.

Russia’s foreign minister has eliminated the Vatican as a possible venue for peace negotiations following comments by Pope Francis that offended Moscow.

Pope Francis urged boys and girls to pray for children “forced to live the terrible and dark days of war” after his Angelus address Sunday.

An apparently significant strike on Russian-controlled Melitopol by U.S.-supplied HIMARS artillery either killed a number of civilians or “hundreds” of Russian soldiers, according to conflicting accounts from Russia and Ukraine. 

Following the release of former WNBA star Brittney Griner from Russian custody in exchange for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, dubbed “the Merchant of Death,” Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL) blasted the “lopsided” deal, calling it a “major propaganda victory” for Russia’s leader.

After what was overall an extremely mild autumn, winter temperatures have dropped considerably across Europe, a fact that has been deemed “likely” to worsen the continent’s gas crisis.

The Russian Federation is attempting to source more drones and “hundreds” of missiles from the Islamic Republic of Iran in order to sustain its campaign of strategic strikes against Ukraine, Britain’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) believes. 

NATO’s Secretary-General has expressed a fear that the alliance may be dragged into an armed conflict this winter with Russia, and stated that the alliance’s most important task is to prevent war in Europe.

Incoming House Foreign Affairs Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) called for arms to Ukraine to help destroy the Russian military as public officials have increasingly warned about the prospect of a “major war” between the West and Russia.

On Friday’s “PBS NewsHour,” New York Times columnist David Brooks stated that he believes the prisoner swap for Brittney Griner was the right thing to do, but it does show the U.S. will free bad people to get American citizens home, but

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba urged the Vatican not to place Ukraine and Russia on the same plane as if both share responsibility for the war.

A full-blown “major war” between Russia and the West could possibly break out over Ukraine, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg warned.

The European Commissioner for Home Affairs and Immigration, Ylva Johansson, has warned that Russia may be trying to create an influx of refugees into the European Union by bombing critical infrastructure across Ukraine.

On Friday’s broadcast of MSNBC’s “The ReidOut,” Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) stated that Viktor Bout, the arms dealer who was serving time in prison for agreeing to supply weapons to U.S. agents posing as Colombian terrorists to kill Americans, freed

The government of Russia and its state media arms celebrated the release on Thursday of Viktor Bout, a warlord known as the “Merchant of Death,” from U.S. custody as a “New Year gift” for a “wonderful person” languishing in American prison.

On Thursday’s “PBS NewsHour,” White House NSC Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby responded to a question on what there is to prevent Russia from imprisoning more Americans by stating, “Putin has done this before,” and Americans who want to go

On Thursday’s broadcast of the Fox News Channel’s “The Story,” White House NSC Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby responded to concerns that the prisoner swap for Brittney Griner could incentivize taking Americans prisoner to get concessions by stating that

On Thursday’s broadcast of CNN’s “Situation Room,” State Department Spokesperson Ned Price stated that the Biden administration proposed that Russia release both Paul Whelan and Brittney Griner and wished Whelan had been released along with Griner, but “the other side

The release of Viktor Bout, a Russian warlord known as the “Merchant of Death” for his prolific arms dealing, on Thursday is the latest in a string of similar liberations under President Joe Biden that have seen violent criminals freed in exchange for unjustly imprisoned Americans abroad.

Video showing the moment the U.S. handed over convicted terrorist “the Merchant of Death” Viktor Bout in exchange for Brittney Griner is viral

Brittney Griner, the former WNBA star whom Russia released in turn for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, is an “inspiration” to “LGBTQI+ Americans,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.

Former NFL QB and current radio personality Boomer Esiason blasted the Biden administration on Thursday for abandoning Marine Paul Whelan in the Brittney Griner deal with Russia.

Brittney Griner was arrested in February at a Moscow airport by Russian officials for possession of cannabis vape cartridges.

It is a “deeply disturbing” decision to release Russian arms deal Viktor Bout, Democrat Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) said on Thursday, although he praised the news of former WNBA star Brittney Griner coming back to America as part of the Biden administration’s controversial prisoner swap.

Dallas Cowboys superstar Micah Parsons ripped the Biden Administration for not securing the release of long-imprisoned former Marine Paul Whelan in its prisoner swap with Russia for WNBA star Brittney Griner, but he quickly backtracked his comments.

Russian leader Vladimir Putin admitted to operational issues for the Russian military in the ongoing invasion of Ukraine, including “soldiers … who have left their combat positions,” in remarks on Wednesday to his country’s human rights agency.

Critics blasted Biden for trading a dangerous Russian arms dealer in exchange for a mere basketball player and leaving a US Marine behind.

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) predicted on Thursday that leftist President Joe Biden’s decision to trade imprisoned basketball player Brittney Griner for notorious Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, known as the “merchant of death,” would result in people dying as rogue states interpreted the move as open season to arrest Americans.

Russia freed WNBA star Brittney Griner on Thursday in a dramatic high-level prisoner exchange, with the U.S. releasing notorious Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, American and Russian officials said.

Ukraine’s culture minister has demanded the West boycott Russian culture including opera, arguing Ukraine is in a “civilizational battle.”

The son of a Russian businessman close to President Putin has been acquitted of violating a law that bars Russians from flying drones.

Italy´s most famous opera house opens Russia’s ‘Boris Godunov’ tonight, sparking protests and allegations of a propaganda win for the Kremlin.

Time magazine announced on Wednesday that it had chosen Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky its person of the year for 2022, calling it an obvious choice in light of the head of state’s ubiquity and his ability to “galvanize the world” around his cause.

The European Union has seen imports of liquid natural gas from Russia rise to record levels this year, sending billions of euros to Moscow.