Latest Russia government News

Putin extends rule in preordained Russian election after harshest crackdown since Soviet era

Mar. 18, 2024 22:59 PM EDT

President Vladimir Putin extended his reign over Russia in a landslide election whose outcome was never in doubt, declaring his determination Monday to advance deeper into Ukraine and dangling new threats against the West. After the harshest crackdown on dissent since Soviet times,...

With the election behind him, Putin says Russia aims to set up a buffer zone inside Ukraine

Mar. 18, 2024 16:55 PM EDT

Russian President Vladimir Putin said after extending his rule in an election that stifled opposition that Moscow will not relent in its invasion of Ukraine and plans to create a buffer zone to help protect against long-range Ukrainian strikes and cross-border raids. The Kremlin’s...

Commenting on Navalny's death for first time, Putin says he supported prisoner swap for his foe

Mar. 18, 2024 16:41 PM EDT

Russian President Vladimir Putin said early Monday that he supported an idea to release opposition leader Alexei Navalny in a prisoner exchange just days before the man who was his biggest foe died. In his first comments to address Navalny's death, Putin said of the dissident's...

How Russia's grab of Crimea 10 years ago led to war with Ukraine and rising tensions with the West

Mar. 18, 2024 14:53 PM EDT

A decade ago, President Vladimir Putin seized Crimea from Ukraine, a bold land grab that set the stage for Russia to invade its neighbor in 2022. The quick and bloodless seizure of the diamond-shaped peninsula, home to Russia's Black Sea fleet and a popular vacation site, touched off...

Takeaways from the predictable Russian election that gave Putin another 6 years in power

Mar. 18, 2024 14:12 PM EDT

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — To no one's surprise, President Vladimir Putin secured another six years in power in a preordained election landslide that comes amid the harshest crackdown on the opposition and free speech since Soviet times. The three days of balloting, in which Putin...

Reactions as Vladimir Putin secures a fifth term as Russia's president after tightly controlled vote

Mar. 18, 2024 13:47 PM EDT

Vladimir Putin secured an unprecedented fifth term as president of Russia Monday, as the election commission announced the results of a vote in which he faced no serious challenges and which happened amid the strictest crackdown on opposition and free speech since Soviet times. ...

Russia says Ukraine launched far-ranging drone attacks on final day of Russia's presidential vote

Mar. 17, 2024 23:41 PM EDT

Ukraine launched a new wave of attacks inside Russian territory Sunday, killing at least two people, including a teenager, according to local officials, as Russians cast ballots on the final day of a presidential vote set to extend President Vladimir Putin's rule for another six years. ...

Putin basks in electoral victory that was never in doubt even as Russians quietly protest

Mar. 17, 2024 23:38 PM EDT

Russian President Vladimir Putin basked in a victory early Monday that was never in doubt, as partial election results showed him easily securing a fifth term after facing only token challengers and harshly suppressing opposition voices. With little margin for protest, Russians...

Russia's Vladimir Putin says election indicates "trust" and "hope" in him after vote in which he stifled the opposition

Mar. 17, 2024 17:05 PM EDT
MOSCOW (AP) — Russia's Vladimir Putin says election indicates "trust" and "hope" in him after vote in which he stifled the opposition.

AP PHOTOS: Russians vote in election dominated by Putin

Mar. 17, 2024 16:27 PM EDT

From the hush of isolated Siberian villages to the clamor of big cities to war battered towns in occupied parts of Ukraine, Russians voted in a presidential election overwhelmingly dominated by Vladimir Putin. With ballots counted from about 30% of precincts on Sunday evening, Putin...