MOSCOW — National security adviser John Bolton met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday in a prelude to a long-anticipated summit with President Donald Trump that is looking increasingly likely. Putin warmly greeted Bolton in a grand oval meeting hall at the Kremlin, flanked by statues of Russian czars set before lime-painted walls. Putin […]
Vladimir Putin
Posted inNation / World, sj-web
U.S. raises prospect of Trump-Putin meeting at White House
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration says it is amenable to a White House meeting between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, raising the prospect of the Russian president’s first Washington visit in more than a decade even as relations between the two powers have eroded. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders […]
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What comes next for Russia, Putin?
Perhaps Vladimir Putin was using his experience meddling in U.S. elections to meddle in his own. Putin “won” re-election last Sunday with about 76 percent of the vote, not as much as the 99 percent Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein “won” and maybe not as impressive as the nearly unanimous vote by the People’s Congress to […]
Posted inNation / World
Trump’s national security advisers warned him not to congratulate Putin. He did it anyway.
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump did not follow specific warnings from his national security advisers when he congratulated Russian President Vladimir Putin Tuesday on his reelection, including a section in his briefing materials in all-capital letters stating “DO NOT CONGRATULATE,” according to officials familiar with the call. Trump also chose not to heed talking points […]
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British official says Putin ordered poison attack on ex-Russian spy as division widens
MOSCOW (AP) — The gulf between Russia and Britain widened on Friday as they cranked up pressure over a nerve agent attack and a suspected murder in Britain that have deepened Western worries about alleged Russian meddling abroad. Britain’s foreign secretary accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of personally ordering the poisoning of ex-Russian spy Sergei […]
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Putin boasts of new Russian nuclear weapons that make missile defense 'useless'
MOSCOW (AP) — Russia has tested an array of new strategic nuclear weapons that can’t be intercepted, President Vladimir Putin declared Thursday, claiming a technological breakthrough that could dramatically increase Russia’s military capability, boost the Kremlin’s global position and also raise Western concerns about a potential renewed arms race in the 21st century. Speaking in […]
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Russia pushes for increased role in North Korea
By Josh Rogin The Washington Post Both publicly and behind the scenes, Russia has been seeking a greater role for itself in the North Korean nuclear crisis. U.S. officials and experts worry Russian President Vladimir Putin’s unhelpful efforts are driven not by the perceived threat of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un but by a […]
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Donald Trump had 2nd conversation with Putin at G-20 summit
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump had another, previously undisclosed conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin at a summit in Germany this month. White House spokesman Sean Spicer and National Security Council spokesman Michael Anton confirmed that Trump and Putin spoke at a dinner for world leaders and their spouses at the Group of 20 […]
Posted inNation / World, sj-web
Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin hold 'very, very good talks'
HAMBURG, Germany (AP) — At long last face to face, President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin voiced confidence Friday that their historic first meeting would pave the way for a positive trajectory for their two countries. If thornier issues like election meddling came up, they discussed them only in private. In characteristically confident […]
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Austin Bay: Putin has a definitive strategic goal
Events in Ukraine since mid-August demonstrate that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin knows how to create operational and tactical options in order to achieve long-range, history-shaping strategic goals. Russian tanks “flattening” the tiny Ukrainian border town of Novosvitlivka (on Aug. 30) is the most demonstrative operation. As for the tank troops’ tactics, Ukrainian defense ministry spokesman, […]