GENEVA — With stern expressions and polite words before the cameras, President Joe Biden and Russia's Vladimir Putin plunged into hours of face-to-face talks Wednesday at a lush lakeside Swiss mansion, a highly anticipated summit at a time when both leaders say relations between their countries are at an all-time...
Kremlin: Putin Won’t Congratulate Biden Until Challenges End
MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin won’t congratulate President-elect Joe Biden until legal challenges to the U.S. election are resolved and the result is official, the Kremlin announced Monday. Putin is one of a handful of world leaders who have not commented on Biden’s victory, which was called by major...
Putin Touts Russia’s COVID-19 Vaccine as Effective and Safe
MOSCOW — The Russian president on Thursday praised a coronavirus vaccine that Russia approved for use earlier this month as effective and safe, a clear bid to address international skepticism about the shots that have only been studied for two months in a few dozen people. In an interview with the state...
Russia Approves Virus Vaccine as Global Cases Top 20M
ROME — The number of confirmed coronavirus cases worldwide topped 20 million, more than half of them from the United States, India and Brazil, as Russia on Tuesday became the first country to approve a vaccine against the virus. Russian President Vladimir Putin said that one of his two adult daughters had...
Russia’s Putin Orders Non-Working Month to Curb Coronavirus
MOSCOW — President Vladimir Putin on Thursday ordered most Russians to stay off work until the end of the month as part of a partial economic shutdown to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Speaking in a televised address to the nation on Thursday, Putin said he was extending the...
Putin Backs Term Limit Freeze Allowing Him to Stay in Office
MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin revealed his tightly guarded political plans Tuesday and supported a constitutional amendment that would allow him to seek reelection in 2024 by restarting the term count. The constitutional change would pave the way for the 67-year-old Putin to stay in office until 2036, if...
Putin Hails Russian Arms Sales Abroad
MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin says that arms sales abroad have continued to increase over the past year. Speaking Monday at a meeting with top officials, Putin said that arms exports are expected to top $13 billion this year, which he said exceeds last year's sales by more than...
Putin Sits Down With New Ukraine Leader for First Time
PARIS — Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy met for the first time Monday at a summit in Paris to try to end five years of war between Ukrainian troops and Russian-backed separatists. Both leaders sat down at the French presidential palace along with the leaders of...
Putin Open for Talks With Trump, Warns Against Force on Iran
MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday he's open for a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump but doesn't expect quick progress on easing tensions with Washington. The Russian leader also strongly warned the United States against using force on Iran, saying it will trigger a "catastrophe." Trump said...