Fans of heavy metal could face jail in Russia as Putin bans ‘satanists'
The Russian Supreme Court's ruling came after appeals from the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church, MPs and other officials. It means that anyone who is alleged to be a member of the non-existent movement could face up to eight years in prison. Critics said the ruling would increase the climate of fear that has gripped Russia since President Putin ordered tanks into Ukraine in 2022.
In April, Andrei Kartapolov, a senior MP who heads the Russian parliament's defence committee, told officials that satanism was a 'direct threat to Russian statehood'. He also alleged, without evidence, that Russia's satanists were funded by the West. Another pro-Kremlin MP claimed that he had received complaints from members of the public about the growing number of 'satanic sex orgies' in Moscow and other cities.
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Sky News
an hour ago
- Sky News
Trump's Ukraine deadline for Putin arrives - as uncertainty remains over possible meeting
Donald Trump has rowed back on an earlier claim that he will only meet with Vladimir Putin if Volodymyr Zelenskyy is also at the summit - as a US deadline for Moscow to avoid further sanctions arrives. The Russian president said on Thursday that he hoped to meet the US leader next week, with the summit potentially taking place in the United Arab Emirates. Mr Putin's announcement came on the eve of a White House deadline for Moscow to show progress towards ending the three-year-old war in Ukraine or suffer additional economic sanctions. Asked on Thursday if his deadline for Friday would hold, Mr Trump said of Mr Putin: "It's going to be up to him. We're going to see what he has to say. It's going to be up to him. Very disappointed." Asked if Mr Putin needed to meet Volodymyr Zelenskyy in order to meet him, Mr Trump said: "No, he doesn't." Sky News' US correspondent David Blevins said it was "very difficult to gauge the prospect for a meeting", with the last few days having left a number of questions unanswered - notably whether Russia is really more inclined to a ceasefire, and whether Mr Putin is ready to sit down with Mr Zelenskyy. "It's difficult to see why Putin would be prepared to dilute his red lines at this point," Blevins said. Two White House officials and a senior administration official have told Sky News that secondary sanctions on Russia are still expected to be implemented on Friday. Meanwhile, Mr Trump has said on his Truth Social account that he will be hosting the president of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, and the prime minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, at the White House for an "official Peace Signing Ceremony" on Friday. He added: "These two Nations have been at War for many years, resulting in the deaths of thousands of people. Many Leaders have tried to end the War, with no success, until now, thanks to 'TRUMP'." Mr Trump has long been hoping to add Ukraine to the list of wars he boasts of having stopped, claiming during the election last year he could do so in a single day, but has been frustrated since returning to office. 2:06 Putin suggests he won't meet with Zelenskyy It comes after a White House official told the Associated Press that a US-Russian summit wouldn't happen if Mr Putin did not agree to meet with Ukrainian president Mr Zelenskyy, but the official later said it only made it less likely. When asked about the prospect of meeting with Mr Zelenskyy, Mr Putin said on Thursday: "I have already said many times that I have nothing against it in general, it is possible." However, he distanced himself from any such meeting happening soon, adding: "But certain conditions must be created for this. But unfortunately, we are still far from creating such conditions." 0:23 White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has said Mr Trump wants to meet both leaders because he wants this "brutal war to end". She added: "The White House is working through the details of these potential meetings and details will be provided at the appropriate time." It is understood that the White House is preparing for the possibility of a bilateral or trilateral meeting as it remains unclear whether Mr Putin will be prepared to meet with the Ukrainian leader. Mr Zelenskyy said he had phone conversations with several European leaders on Thursday amid a flurry of diplomatic activity - as the Ukrainian government fears being sidelined by direct negotiations between Washington and Moscow.
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Ukraine war briefing: Zelenskyy rallies Europe allies before Trump-Putin meeting
Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Europe must participate in the peace process between his country and Russia after a call with the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, on Thursday. The Ukrainian president embarked on a lightning round of calls with European leaders ahead of a meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin expected soon. As the Kremlin refused a three-way meeting with Zelenskyy and Trump, Zelenskyy said: 'Ukraine is not afraid of meetings and expects the same brave approach from the Russian side.' The European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, said she had spoken with Zelenskyy about the developments of the past days and 'next steps on the way towards a negotiated peace agreement and Ukraine's future membership in the European Union as well as its reconstruction'. The French president, Emmanuel Macron, reaffirmed France's full support for a ceasefire in Ukraine and the launch of talks aimed at reaching a lasting and solid peace, after a 'long discussion' with Zelenskyy and other European leaders. 'I reiterated to the Ukrainian president France's full support for establishing a ceasefire and launching discussions toward a solid and lasting solution that preserves Ukraine's legitimate rights and guarantees its security and that of Europeans.' Zelenskyy said he had discussed a new International Monetary Fund financial assistance programme for Ukraine with the IMF's managing director, Kristalina Georgieva. 'We are prepared to carry out the necessary steps quickly. The government is already working on this.' Ukraine's current $15.5bn programme with the IMF expires in 2027. Russian drone strikes injured three women in the Bucha district of Kyiv oblast and houses caught on fire, officials said early on Friday. Kharkiv was hit by Shahed drones, causing fires; while on Thursday eight injuries were reported from Russian shelling in Donetsk oblast. The director of Russia's notorious Taganrog prison, where officials are accused of overseeing the systematic torture and starvation of hundreds of Ukrainian detainees, has been notified by authorities in Kyiv that he is suspected of having committed a war crime, write Shaun Walker and Andrew Roth. Aleksandr Shtoda, head of the Sizo 2 pre-trial detention centre in Taganrog, has been formally placed under investigation. A Russian state-owned explosives manufacturer got around sanctions by buying equipment made by Germany's Siemens through a middleman who imports technology from China, Reuters has reported based on customs data and state procurement records. The equipment was for the recently expanded Biysk Oleum Factory (BOZ) in southern Siberia, which makes the explosives TNT and HMX and is listed as a supplier to the Russian defence ministry. Reuters said it found no evidence Siemens knowingly supplied BOZ. A Siemens spokesperson said it strictly complied with international sanctions and demanded the same from its customers, but some goods could reach Russia without it knowing. It would report any sanctions contraventions to the authorities. Questions sent to BOZ and its parent company went unanswered, said Reuters. Russia does not produce much of its own automated machine tooling – and Konrad Muzyka, director of the Rochan military consultancy in Poland, said continued delivery of western-made machines was helping Russia prolong the war. 'Without them, Russia's capacity to sustain or scale its war effort would be more time consuming, expensive and place a bigger burden on the labour market.'
South Wales Guardian
2 hours ago
- South Wales Guardian
David Lammy to host JD Vance as US vice-president arrives for UK holiday
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