All articles tagged with #vladimir putin
At Cannes, Andrey Zvyagintsev used his Grand Prix acceptance to directly appeal to Vladimir Putin, urging him to end the war and the carnage. His new film Minotaur—a Russia-set domestic thriller and his first feature in about a decade—is in competition at Cannes and the Sydney Film Festival.
Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin sealed more than 40 bilateral deals but failed to clinch a breakthrough on the Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline, underscoring Beijing’s growing leverage as Moscow shifts energy exports toward China; the leaders touted close ties and broad cooperation while reaffirming China’s One China stance and Russia’s position on Ukraine, with analysts seeing the pipeline setback as a sign of a rebalanced relationship toward Beijing.
Xi Jinping welcomed Vladimir Putin to Beijing for a state visit framed as a stabilizing alliance amid global turbulence, signaling deeper China–Russia coordination and a challenge to U.S. influence. The leaders highlighted energy and security ties while Trumpeted a no-limits partnership, with Xi criticizing unilateral Western policies and urging restraint in Middle East conflicts as Moscow’s position weakens on several fronts.
Xi Jinping welcomes Vladimir Putin to the Great Hall of the People for a two-format summit following Donald Trump’s visit, signaling closer Sino-Russian ties as they discuss trade, energy, and regional conflicts; Putin invites Xi to Russia next year, Xi urges ceasefires in the Middle East, and Beijing confirms plans to buy 200 Boeing jets and seek an extension of the US-China trade deal.
Putin’s trip to Beijing highlights a shift in the Moscow-Beijing relationship: Moscow leans more on China for trade and political cover as Western sanctions bite, while Beijing presses its advantage in a growing anti-U.S. axis. Analysts say China’s leverage has grown even as Putin’s domestic support fades, signaling a realignment in Eurasian power.
Putin said the Ukraine war is ‘coming to an end’ after a dramatically scaled-down Victory Day parade in Moscow and indicated openness to negotiating new European security arrangements, while Ukraine reported ceasefire violations and ongoing clashes on multiple fronts; Zelensky also wielded diplomatic moves around the parade as fighting continued.
EU leaders are weighing the possibility of negotiating with Vladimir Putin with Kyiv’s backing, as frustration grows over stalled peace talks. Costa says there is potential to engage Putin, but there’s no sign Moscow is willing to negotiate yet, and Brussels plans to coordinate the approach without undermining the US-led process. Zelenskyy’s office has encouraged European-level coordination, with some leaders calling for a channel to the Kremlin while others seek consensus on who should speak and when. The last trilateral talks with the US and Ukraine date to February, highlighting the stalled diplomatic track.
A leaked European intelligence report claims Vladimir Putin has intensified personal security to the point of spending weeks at an underground bunker in Krasnodar to avoid assassination, with guards, staff, and even phones screened and limited internet access; the report links the precautions to the killing of a top Russian general and a rising drone threat from Ukraine, while ISW notes increased air defenses around Putin’s residences and Moscow internet shutdowns, though it does not corroborate fears of a coup.
Russia declared a unilateral ceasefire for May 8–9 to coincide with Victory Day and warned of a massive missile strike on Kyiv if Ukraine breaches it, while Zelensky announced Ukraine’s own ceasefire for May 5–6, saying there’s no credible reason to pause during Russia’s holiday—leaving two conflicting truces as fighting continues and diplomacy wanes.
Putin publicly courts Iran, boosting Russia–Iran defense and tech cooperation, while Trump remains conspicuously quiet and has even eased some sanctions—a dynamic the piece argues strengthens Moscow’s partnership at the expense of the US and NATO.
Britain’s PM Keir Starmer says he’s “fed up” with energy bills fluctuating because of Trump and Putin’s actions, linking their wars in Ukraine and Iran to a global energy crunch. He advocates a shift toward renewable energy, reiterates that the UK will not commit British forces to Trump’s Iran war, and is engaging with Gulf leaders to discuss restoring freedom of navigation and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Donald Trump publicly endorsed Hungary’s Viktor Orbán, praising him as a strong leader and urging Hungarians to vote for his re‑election; the move ties Trump to Orbán, a Putin ally, as Orbán faces a tight April race amid concerns over Moscow’s influence and Hungary’s Russian energy dependence, reflecting a long‑standing Trump–Orbán alliance even as European scrutiny of Russia grows.
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung attacked Sen. Richard Blumenthal with a long-standing insult on X after Blumenthal warned about possible U.S. boots on the ground in Iran, marking another sharpened jab in the Trump-era confrontation with critics as reports surface about Russia aiding Iran.
During a roughly hour-long call, Putin publicly undercut Trump’s account by saying Trump didn’t press for a Ukraine ceasefire and that most of the discussion centered on Iran, with Moscow offering to mediate; Trump had touted Putin’s “impressed” reaction to his Iran moves, while aides reportedly push for an exit from the Iran war as oil prices rise and domestic support sags.
Russia’s Vladimir Putin alleged that Ukraine conducted a sea-drone attack on a Russian LNG tanker off the Libyan coast, which exploded and sank; Libyan authorities rescued all 30 crew members, while Kyiv did not immediately comment. Putin warned the incident could intensify energy-market volatility, as Western pressure on Russia’s gas exports continues.