This weekend, thousands of people defied the cold and the control in Moscow to show their dislike for Vladimir Putin and what Russia has become under his leadership: corrupt, energy-reliant, centralised, and uncompetitive. It is now a country that must win externally because it can't help but lose internally. ‘Post-BRIC’, as a new report has it. My guess is that Putin will ‘...

Another bravura blog performance from Adam Curtis, pulling together Eddie Limonov, Dean Reed (the Communist Glen Campbell), Mark Ames, Rodric Braithwaite's Afgantsy, Putin grey eminence Vladislav Surkov and many, many more in arguing the influence of the late Soviet avant...

Propaganda gift for Putin after ex-Blair aide says Moscow’s 2006 allegations that British diplomats used a fake rock to transmit secret data were true

Vladimir Putin said he would not plunge Russia into stagnation in a third presidential term but offered stability for what he warned would be a long and painful period of global turbulence.  More »

With Putin set to return as president, US politicians are distancing themselves from the White House’s soft line on Russia

It’s the New Year — a time when politicians all over the globe get on their soapboxes and preach to their people. From Merkel’s pledge to do everything for the euro, to North Korea’s vow to defend their new leader unto death, to Putin’s speech laden with sexual innuendo, here’s a selection of this year's messages from world leaders: Barack Obama: ‘I p...

The Christmas weekend was, I'm sure you noticed, rich with political incident. And yet, from continued turbulence in the Middle East to continued turbulence in Chris Huhne's career, few things stood out as much as the protests against Vladimir Putin in Russia. They were, by most reasonable estimates, the largest in that country since the fall of the Soviet Union. And they add to the wave...

Vladimir Putin has faced claims that he is the richest man in Europe, presiding over a mafia state and with a personal fortune of more than $40bn (£25.5bn). But Russia’s central election commission has said his bank balance was rather more modest – a mere $179,612. No, absolutely, I always believe what the State tells

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian counterpart Mykola Azarov failed to achieve a breakthrough in talks yesterday (20 December) over Kiev's push for a gas price cut to help its struggling economy and soothe European supply concerns.  More »

Mikhail Prokhorov, Russia’s third richest man, to challenge Putin Nickel magnate appeals to angry middle class for presidency – but some claim he is merely a Kremlin stooge For sale only to close friends of V Putin.