Latest Russia government News
Putin signs off record Russian defense spending as top EU officials visit Kyiv
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin approved budget plans, raising 2025 military spending to record levels as Moscow seeks to prevail in the war in Ukraine. Around 32.5% of the budget posted on a government website Sunday has been allocated for national defense,...
After entering Aleppo, Syrian insurgents advance to a nearby province. Assad says he'll defeat them
BEIRUT (AP) — Thousands of Syrian insurgents took over most of Aleppo on Saturday, establishing positions in the country's largest city and controlling its airport before expanding their shock offensive to a nearby province. They faced little to no resistance from government troops, according to...
Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov re-elected president of fencing's governing body
LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov has been elected to a new term as president of the International Fencing Federation while he faces ongoing sanctions. The federation, known as the FIE, said in an emailed statement that Usmanov won 120 votes for a...
Trump threatens 100% tariff on the BRIC bloc of nations if they act to undermine US dollar
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday threatened 100% tariffs against a bloc of nine nations if they act to undermine the U.S. dollar. His threat was directed at countries in the so-called BRIC alliance, which consists of Brazil, Russia, India,...
Russian police raid Moscow nightclubs in LGBTQ+ crackdown
MOSCOW (AP) — Russian police raided several bars and nightclubs across Moscow on Saturday as part of the government’s crackdown on “LGBTQ+ propaganda,” state media reported. Smartphones, laptops and video cameras were seized, while clubgoers had their documents inspected by...
North Korea's Kim vows steadfast support for Russia’s war in Ukraine
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed his country will “invariably support” Russia’s war in Ukraine as he met Russia's defense chief, the North’s state media reported Saturday. A Russia military delegation led by Defense Minister Andrei Belousov...
What to know about sudden rebel gains in Syria's 13-year war and why it matters
WASHINGTON (AP) — The 13-year civil war in Syria has roared back into prominence with a surprise rebel offensive on Aleppo, one of Syria's largest cities and an ancient business hub. The push is among the rebels' strongest in years in a war whose destabilizing effects have rippled far beyond the...
Georgian protesters clash with police for a second night after EU talks are suspended
TBILISI, Georgia (AP) — Thousands of demonstrators protesting the Georgian government's decision to suspend negotiations to join the European Union rallied outside the parliament and clashed with police for a second straight night on Friday. The night before, police used water...
The ruble's in a slump. For the Kremlin, that's a two-edged sword
Russia's ruble is sagging against other currencies, complicating the Kremlin's efforts to keep consumer inflation under control with one hand even as it overheats the economy with spending on the war against Ukraine with the other. The official central bank rate for Friday was set at...
Jailed Kremlin critic convicted again and handed new prison term for opposing the war in Ukraine
TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Imprisoned Kremlin critic Alexei Gorinov was convicted again on Friday for opposing Russia's war in Ukraine and handed a three-year prison term. A swift, three-day trial against Gorinov, once a low-profile activist, underscored Moscow's intolerance of any...
