According to the outlet’s sources, Spanish intelligence services did not know that Kuzminov was in Spain, as they were not informed of his arrival. Earlier this week, government spokesperson Pilar Alegría did not answer questions on whether Kuzminov was under Spanish police protection, saying the case was “under investigation.” Kuzminov defected from Russia in August 2023, flying … Read more
After attending school in Finland and later the U.S., Belgium and the U.K., Stubb entered politics in 2004 as a member of the European Parliament. He hit the Finnish big time in 2008 when — to his own surprise — he was named foreign minister. Praised by allies for his high-energy approach to politics, he was … Read more
He claimed the Russian army detected two missile launches from Ukraine-controlled areas that hit the plane. “Most likely, it was American Patriot systems or European, probably French,” Putin said. POLITICO could not independently verify his claims. Putin refuted theories of “friendly fire” for the downing of the aircraft. “There are friend-or-foe systems, and no matter … Read more
Thousands of protesters rallied in south-central Russia on Wednesday after a court sentenced Fayil Alsynov, an indigenous rights activist for the local Bashkir ethnic group, to four years in a penal colony on charges of inciting ethnic hatred. The demonstration took place outside the courthouse in Baymak, a town of 17,000 inhabitants nearly 2,000 kilometers … Read more
A growing number of asylum seekers arriving on the EU’s eastern frontier is forcing Baltic countries to consider border closures with Russia, due to fears the Kremlin is weaponizing desperate people to create a migration crisis on the Continent. Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia are increasingly concerned after Finland last week shut all of its crossings … Read more
A Russian court on Friday issued its verdict in a new case against jailed opposition leader Alexey Navalny, convicting the politician of promoting “extremism” and extending his time in prison by 19 years, according to Russian state media and his own team. Navalny, who emerged as the most outspoken critic of President Vladimir Putin’s government … Read more