Latest news with #pro-Kremlin
Newsweek
6 days ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
Putin Weaponizes Ukrainian Protests in Bid To Undermine Zelensky
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Kremlin is exploiting discontent in Ukraine at its parliament's move to put anti-corruption watchdogs under the control of the prosecutor general, the Institute for the Study of War has said. The think tank's assessment follows protests sparked by concerns that Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) would no longer be able to operate independently to fight graft. Ukrainian analysts have told Newsweek the move undoes a decade of democratic progress, although its president Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday he backed a new draft law aimed at strengthening the independence the anti-corruption institutions. Newsweek has contacted the Ukrainian president's office and the Kremlin for comment. Ukrainians protest against a new bill curtailing anti-corruption agencies on July 23, 2025 in Kyiv, Ukraine. Ukrainians protest against a new bill curtailing anti-corruption agencies on July 23, 2025 in Kyiv, It Matters Protests erupted nationwide after Zelensky signed a bill Tuesday that critics condemned as destroying the independence of NABU and SAPO, in a move the Ukrainian president said aimed to curtail Russian influence. But critics say the law deprives anti-corruption agencies of their independence, and does nothing to target Russian agents in or outside the agencies. The Kremlin can capitalize on this discontent inside Ukraine to cast aspersions on the government in Kyiv it wants to oust. What To Know On Tuesday, Zelensky signed a law passed by the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada (parliament) which subordinated Ukraine's two main anti-corruption agencies to the Ukrainian Prosecutor General. It came a day after a raid by the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) and Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office on NABU offices during a probe into employees allegedly suspected of collaborating with Moscow. Zelensky said the new law ensured Ukraine's anti-corruption bodies can operate without Russian influence. But protests took place across the country over fears that the bodies would not be able to operate independently. Kremlin officials and propagandists have pounced on the protests to portray the Ukrainian government as corrupt and illegitimate and discourage continued Western support for Ukraine, the ISW said. Although they are not anti-war demonstrations, Russian MPs and pro-Kremlin mouthpieces claimed that Ukrainians protesting the law were opposing the continuation of the war, the government in Kyiv and Zelensky himself. The think tank also said that the Kremlin will likely to use the protests to try to divide Ukraine from its allies with the hope of weakening its military. In comments to Newsweek, Elena Davlikanova, fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) said the law was a serious blow to Ukraine's anti-corruption course. Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Marnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works MMK, July 16, 2025, in Magnitogorsk, Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Marnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works MMK, July 16, 2025, in Magnitogorsk, Russia. Getty Images Uliana Movchan from the same think tank, said the law risks eroding transparency, reducing accountability, and enabling political interference in corruption investigations. This would remove critical oversight mechanisms, allowing the executive—particularly the President—to exert greater control over law enforcement and judicial processes leading to public officials facing fewer consequences for misconduct, Movchan added. Meanwhile, Elina Beketova, also from CEPA said that Ukraine had returned to the pre-Maidan era, where "justice" and "anti-corruption" were just empty words, and prosecutors served political interests. What People Are Saying Institute for the Study of War (ISW): "Russia is weaponizing ongoing domestic protests in Ukraine to intensify rhetoric designed to undermine Ukraine's legitimacy and discourage Western support." Elina Beketova, fellow, Democratic Resilience, Center for European Policy Analysis: "This move undoes over a decade of progress in Ukraine. She added: "The principles and freedoms people fought for during and after the Revolution of Dignity—transparent rules and accountability—are being erased." Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky submitted a new bill Thursday saying: "The most important thing is real tools, no Russian connections, and the independence of NABU and SAPO." What Happens Next Zelensky announced Thursday he had approved the text of a new draft law to strengthen the rule of law and the independence of Ukraine's anti-corruption institutions, without providing further details. But anti-corruption activists say it is to early to say that the legislation will actually restore the independence of the NABU and SAPO, the Kyiv Independent reported.
Daily Mirror
7 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
Russia issues chilling 'we can destroy you' WW3 threat to UK
Ranting Russian TV host Vladimir Solovyov has threatened the UK and Europe with 'destruction' in a chilling statement aired on Vladimir Putin's state TV this week One of Vladimir Putin's most sycophantic puppets has issued a threat to the UK and Europe, saying Russia should 'destroy' them. Vladimir Solovyov, a pro-Kremlin media personality, spoke on his Russian state TV show 'Sunday Evening With Vladimir Solovyov' and responded to a comment from military expert Evgeny Buzhinsky, who said Europe is getting ready for war. Solyovov questioned why Russia would wait to attack Europe. 'We should strike right now,' he said. 'No need to wait until they get ready, we should destroy them right away.' He then added: 'If Americans strike the Kaliningrad region, what options are there? Two Poseidon [nuclear armed torpedoes] and there will be a Strait named after Comrade Stalin." The comments come after remarks by US Army Europe and Africa commander General Chris Donahue on July 17 suggesting NATO forces could capture the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad if it wanted to. Kaliningrad is heavily militarised and surrounded by NATO members Poland and Lithuania, making it a significant source of tension between the alliance and Russia. Donahue made the comments as NATO revealed its new 'Eastern Flank Deterrence Line' defence plan at the first Association of the US Army's 'LandEuro' conference held in Wiesbaden, Germany. The plan focusses on NATO allies developing standardised digital systems and integrated defence production to help allies in the event of an attack by Russia. There are concerns around potential Russian targeting of the Baltic states, which may then turn into a launching pad into Poland. In the event of a Russian attack, one of the first places to be subject to NATO bombing 'would be Kaliningrad', if it is not Moscow or St Petersburg, according to University of Bath lecturer in Russian and post-Soviet politics, Dr Stephen Hall, who spoke to the Kyiv Independent. Continuing his rant, Solyovov bit back at Buzhinsky's suggestion that Russia's current actions should send a message to the US, saying that the 'time for signals is over' and that 'this is the time for strikes'. He continued: "They are not reading any of the signals. They did not take our Oreshnik strikes into account.' Solyovov was referring to previous uses of the Oreshnik missile, which could strike anywhere in Europe or on the western coast of the US. Putin himself has previously boasted that they are 'impossible to intercept', although these claims have been contested by some military analysts. 'They're pretending like nothing happened,' Solyovov went on. 'They're convinced that we won't dare. They've made it up that supposedly India and China have told us, 'Don't use nuclear weapons, or else.' Or else what?" Solyovov and Buzhinsky then went on to suggest the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen in the Arctic Circle could be attacked. "All of them are ready to die for it?" Solovyov asked. "There aren't many of them, so it will be quick. No one will even notice that Norwegians are gone.' Continuing the bizarre show, Solyovov suggested a German ship in the Baltic Sea should be sunk once Germany begins delivering long-range weapons to Ukraine. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on July 17 that this will happen 'very soon'. Rounding off his rant, Solyovov said he had 'no pity' for the Ukrainian city of Lviv. 'I believe Lviv should be erased off the face of the Earth,' he said. 'It should be simply destroyed."
Novaya Gazeta Europe
7 days ago
- Politics
- Novaya Gazeta Europe
Russian Supreme Court bans ‘international Satanist movement' — Novaya Gazeta Europe
Russian soldiers attend a service at Main Cathedral of the Russian Armed Forces outside Moscow, on 23 June 2020. EPA/SERGEI ILNITSKY A Russian Supreme Court judge has designated 'Satanism' and the 'International Satanist movement' as 'extremist', and legally banned their operations in Russia, independent news outlet Mediazona reported on Wednesday. The decision means that, among other things, 'the general principles of Satanism' and the performance of 'occult rituals' will now be outlawed in Russia, according to the Prosecutor General's office, which hailed the designation as a triumph for 'legal forces' in the 'eternal struggle between good and evil'. Presiding judge Oleg Nefedov, who previously applied the same designation to the non-existent 'international LGBT movement' in November 2023 and oversaw the April decision to decriminalise the Taliban, conducted the hearing in a closed-door session, with no media or other officials permitted to attend. The designation follows over a year of discussions by top officials and prominent pro-Kremlin voices regarding the fight against Satanism in Russia, which began with a special State Duma session in July 2024, featuring deputies, priests, and several state media propagandists. During the initial discussion, participants broadly classified a variety of groups, including LGBT individuals, 'childfree' advocates, women's abortion rights proponents, Ukraine's Azov battalion members, furry and therian subcultures as 'Satanist' or destructive influences in society. In January, Patriarch Kirill, primate of the Russian Orthodox Church and a close ally of Vladimir Putin, renewed discussion of the topic, demanding that Satanism be legally banned in Russia, and endorsed a proposed law banning the advertisement of 'occult magic services', such as astrology or tarot card readings. 'It is unacceptable that various Satanic sects forming part of the international Satanist movement are still freely conducting their rituals in our country, recruiting young people, and openly registering their groups and communities on social media,' Patriarch Kirill said at the time, adding that Russian soldiers in Ukraine were 'ready to give their lives for values that are clearly trampled upon by Satanists'. Though the legislation endorsed by Kirill was rejected on 11 July by the government of Prime Minister Mikhail Mushustin on the grounds that its definitions were overly nebulous, in early July the Prosecutor General's Office and Justice Ministry jointly filed a lawsuit with the Russian Supreme Court requesting that the 'international Satanist movement' be recognised as extremist. In November 2023, Putin pardoned a member of a Satanist gang that killed four teenagers who was serving a 20-year prison sentence in recognition of his military service in Ukraine.
Express Tribune
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Italian festival drops Putin-aligned conductor
Gergiev is recognised as one of the world's leading conductors. Photo: File Italy's Royal Palace of Caserta announced on Monday that it was cancelling a weekend concert of pro-Kremlin maestro Valery Gergiev – a vocal supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin – after an uproar from politicians and Kremlin critics, reports AFP. Gergiev has not condemned Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, a stance for which he was fired from the Munich Philharmonic in March 2022. He has not played a concert in Europe since. The scheduled concert in the 18th century palace near Naples – now a museum – had caused a heated debate in Italy, with Ukraine condemning the move and Russia's exiled opposition calling for protests. Days of uncertainty over whether the concert would take place ended with an abrupt cancellation. "The Directorate of the Royal Palace of Caserta has ordered the cancellation of the symphony concert conducted by Valery Gergiev, scheduled as part of the Un'Estate da Re festival for July 27," the palace said in a brief statement. It gave no official reason for the cancellation. The team of late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny welcomed the cancellation on social media with a "Hurrah!". "Putin's pals should not be touring around Europe like nothing happened," they said in a statement. Moscow's ambassador to Italy, Alexei Paramonov, however, slammed the move as a "scandalous situation". In a statement on the Russian embassy's Facebook account, Paramonov railed against Western politicians' "policy of 'cancelling' Russian culture". He also said it was "sad" to watch Italy "subordinate its cultural policy to the demands of Ukrainians and other immigrants". Russia's state TASS news agency said Gergiev was not informed about the decision, quoting the conductor as saying: "I do not have this information." 'Common sense' Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli – who had earlier warned that the concert risked turning into a propaganda event – said the cancellation was "common sense" and aimed at "protecting the values of the free world". The 72-year-old Gergiev – recognised as one of the world's leading conductors – is known for conducting epic symphonies of Russian classical music by Piotr Tchaikovsky, amongst other successes in Western opera houses. For decades, he has been one of the most vocal supporters of Putin's long rule. He famously played a 2016 concert in the ruins of Syria's Palmyra after its capture by Russian-backed Syrian forces. He also conducted a triumphant concert in Georgia's Tskhinvali region after the Russian invasion in 2008, just a few metres from a detention centre where Georgian civilians were being held. Gergiev also supported the Kremlin's 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimea peninsula. The conductor has stayed silent on the Ukraine invasion and mostly out of the public eye since 2022, but has played concerts in Asia. He is believed to have personal ties with Putin. In 2023, Putin named him as the director of Moscow's historic Bolshoi Theatre, while he was already heading Saint Petersburg's Mariinsky theatre. Russia's cultural figures have been divided since the Ukraine invasion – with many supporting the Kremlin while others have gone into exile to denounce the military offensive.
Int'l Business Times
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Int'l Business Times
Russia Seeks To Fine Web Users Searching For Content Deemed 'Extremist'
Russian lawmakers advanced a bill on Tuesday that would fine internet users who search online for web pages, books, artworks or music albums that authorities have deemed "extremist" -- a move critics have called a dangerous attack on freedom. More than 5,000 entries are on the Russian justice ministry's list of "extremist materials", including songs praising Ukraine, blog posts by feminist rock band Pussy Riot and websites critical of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Deputies in the lower house State Duma backed the bill by 306 votes to 67 and the text will now be sent to Russia's upper house, where it is unlikely to face any major opposition. The legislation would impose fines of up to 5,000 rubles ($64) on anyone found to have deliberately searched for or gained access to material on the list. It was not clear how the bill would work in practice and whether internet service providers or websites would be responsible for monitoring violations. Russian authorities already block access to thousands of websites accused of hosting "extremist" content. If approved by Russia's upper house, the bill will be sent to President Vladimir Putin to be signed into law. The legislation has drawn rare criticism from across Russia's political spectrum. A few hours before the vote, several activists and a journalist from Russian newspaper Kommersant were arrested for protesting against the bill outside the State Duma. Russian opposition politician Boris Nadezhdin, who organised the protest, said the bill was like "something out of 1984" -- a reference to George Orwell's novel about a totalitarian superstate. "This law punishes thought crimes," he told AFP. The bill was originally about tightening regulation over shipping clerks but evolved as lawmakers covertly inserted amendments, later spotted by the media. Duma speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said the legislation was aimed at "those trying to destroy and ruin" Russia using the internet. But others, including the head of a state-sponsored internet safety watchdog, have warned that the legislation could have broader ramifications. The editor-in-chief of pro-Kremlin broadcaster Russia Today, Margarita Simonyan, said the legislation would make it impossible to investigate and expose extremist groups. The bill would also ban advertising for virtual private networks (VPNs) and impose fines for transferring SIM cards to another person, both ways of browsing with more privacy.
