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☆ Genius or madness? Why Putin wants an economist to be Russia's new defense minister at a key point in the war
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

But Putin's replacement of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu was unexpected — and his choice of successor, civilian economist Andrei Belousov, was even more of a surprise. Russia's incoming Defense Minister Andrey Belousov. "Belousov's main goal is to secure [Russia's] military needs in terms of arms. The Kremlin announced on Sunday that Shoigu, Russia's defense minister since 2012, had been relieved of his post and would become secretary of Russia's influential Security Council. Prigozhin died last August in a plane crash after a short-lived and ill-fated rebellion against Russia's military leadership.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Miguel Diaz, Maxim Shemetov, Sergei Shoigu, Andrei Belousov, Belousov, Putin, Andrey Belousov, Shoigu, Belousov's, Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, Uralvagonzavod, Ramil Sitdikov, Staff Valery Gerasimov, Tatiana Stanovaya, Stanovaya, Nikolai Patrushev, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Ukraine —, Prigozhin, Valery Gerasimov, Mikhail Klimentyev Organizations: Cuban, Canel, Reuters, NATO, Institute for, Anadolu, Getty, Kremlin, Russian MoD, Defense Ministry, Sputnik, Afp, Staff, Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, CNBC, Nazi, Security, Wagner Group, Russian Armed Forces, Russian Defence, Defence Ministry Board, National Defence Control Centre Locations: Moscow, Russia, Ukraine, Washington, Kharkiv, Russian, Urals, Nizhny Tagil, Nazi Germany, Kremlin

☆ Andrey Belousov: Shifting his fishing buddy sideways, Putin chooses an economy expert for the war in Ukraine. Here’s why
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Nathan Hodge | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Alexandra Prokopenko, a former adviser at Russia’s Central Bank, put the shakeup down to the growing interrelationship between the war and Russia’s economy. “Putin’s priority is war; war of attrition is won by economics,” Prokopenko wrote in a thread on X. Russia's President Vladimir Putin, center-right, with Sergei Shoigu, at Red Square for the Victory Day military parade in central Moscow on May 9, 2024. Putin has shifted Shoigu sideways to a post as the secretary of Russia’s Security Council, meaning that Shoigu is not completely out of the picture. Discussing Shoigu’s new appointment, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the former defense minister would remain immersed in matters of military production.

Persons: Vladimir Putin’s, shakeup, Andrey Belousov, Sergei Shoigu, Alexandra Prokopenko, ” Prokopenko, Belousov, Vladimir Putin, Natalia Kolesnikova, Prokopenko, Pyotr Stolypin, Putin, Shoigu’s, Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, ” Peskov, General Valery Gerasimov, Nikolai Patrushev, Patrushev, Mikhail Mishustin, Dmitry Patrushev, “, ”, Tatiana Stanovaya Organizations: CNN, Kremlin, Russian Ministry of Defense, Russia’s Central Bank, Russia's, Victory Day, Getty, NATO, Putin, US Congress, Ministry of Defense, Security, Russia’s General Staff, subjugating, Security Council, Federal Security Service Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Moscow, AFP, Europe, Kyiv, Shoigu, Russian, Japan, Soviet Union, subjugating Ukraine, Patrushev

☆ Indonesia's Defense Minister Prabowo leads in early unofficial presidential vote count
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Clement Tan | In Clemtan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Indonesia's presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto gestures after he cast his ballot to vote in the country's presidential and legislative elections at a polling station in Bogor on February 14, 2024. Indonesians began voting for a new president on February 14 with Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto the frontrunner to lead Southeast Asia's biggest economy despite concerns over his human rights record. Indonesia's Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto, a former army general, appears to have an early unofficial lead in the race to become country's next president, "quick counts" show after voting in the world's third-largest democracy closed on Wednesday. Prabowo appears to have won a simple majority of ballots cast in Wednesday's elections, with some early independent snap counts putting his percentage of the popular vote at nearly 60% — substantively more than what pre-election opinion polls yielded. "It's too early to conclude anything … so we have to wait," Baswedan told CNBC after the early snap counts suggested he was trailing Prabowo.

Persons: Prabowo Subianto, country's, Prabowo, Anies Baswedan, Pranowo, Suharto, Joko Widodo, It's, Baswedan, CNBC's Martin Soong Organizations: Defence, Indonesia's, Former Jakarta, Central Java, Indikator, CNBC Locations: Bogor, Central, Indonesia

☆ Indonesia Presidential Hopeful Prabowo Seen Getting Majority Votes Survey
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-10 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesian defence minister Prabowo Subianto is predicted to secure over 50% of votes needed to win the country's presidential election in one round, a new opinion survey showed on Saturday, the last day of campaigning. Prabowo is projected to gain 51.9% votes, based on a survey of 1,220 respondents by Lembaga Survei Indonesia (LSI), conducted between Jan. 29 to Feb. 5. On Friday, pollster Indikator Politik projected Prabowo to pip the 50% threshold needed to win in a single round. A run-off between two candidates with the most votes will be held in June if no candidate gets more than 50% of votes. Jokowi, as the president is popularly known, has been accused of interference and bias over his implicit support for Prabowo, which his allies have denied.

Persons: Prabowo Subianto, Lembaga Survei, Anies Baswedan, Ganjar Pranowo, pip, Djayadi Hanan, Joko Widodo, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, Hanan, Jokowi, Gibran, Jokowi's, Gayatri Suroyo, Kanupriya Kapoor, Sam Holmes Organizations: Jakarta Locations: JAKARTA, Lembaga Survei Indonesia, Central Java, Anies

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Seventeen-year-old Naima Khairiya Ismah started being bombarded by social media posts from candidates for Indonesia's presidential election on before she'd even given voting any thought. Candidates are reaching out through the apps young voters use, the K-pop music many love, and even video gaming events. “As young people, we can't meet the candidates in person,” said first-time voter Ismah, chatting after class outside her Jakarta high school. But their campaigns have been stressing issues that matter to young people: job opportunities, climate change and institutional corruption. Last month, Raka showed up at the popular Mobile Legend Championship e-sport tournament in Jakarta to appeal to young gamers.

Persons: Khairiya Ismah, Joko Widodo, they've, ”, Prabowo Subianto, Ganjar Pranowo, Anies Baswedan, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, Subianto, They're, who's, Raka, Subianto's, Chong Sung Kim, Kim, ” Kim, It's, Karlina Octaviany, Baswedan, Ahn, Octaviany, “, Muhammad Fakrezi Syamil, he’s, ” Ismah Organizations: Indikator Politik, Pixar, Subianto's Gerindra Party, Twitter, Golkar, Indonesian, “, Associated Press Locations: JAKARTA, Indonesia, Jakarta, Surakarta, Indikator, Indikator Politik Indonesia, South, Israel, Korean, Indonesian, South Korea, South Jakarta

☆ Russian war critic poses an awkward challenge for Putin and the Kremlin as the election nears
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

The Kremlin has sought to dismiss Nadezhdin's potential to upset an election whose win for Putin is seen as a done deal. Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov told CNBC Thursday that "we are not inclined to exaggerate the level of support for Mr. However, Nadezhdin's recent growing popularity and prominence has changed that, political analysts say, and he now poses a challenge and a dilemma for the Kremlin as the election nears. Nadezhdin has said in interviews that he would end the war with Ukraine, describing the war as a "fatal mistake." Stanovaya believed it was likely that the CEC would not recognize a portion of the signatures that Nadezhdin has garnered.

Persons: Boris Nadezhdin, Vera Savina, Vladimir Putin's, Nadezhdin, Putin, Dmitry Peskov, isn't, Putin's, Tatiana Stanovaya, he's, Stanovaya, András, Czifra, Peskov Organizations: Civic Initiative, Central, Commission, Afp, Getty, Kremlin, CNBC, Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, Duma, Ukraine, Moscow, Election Commission, CEC, Eurasia, Foreign Policy Research Institute, Boris Nadezhdin Press, Central Electoral, Putin, Kremlin's Locations: Moscow, Russia, Ukraine, Russian, Mar, today's Russia, Anadolu

☆ Indonesians head to the polls in February. Here are key issues dominating the elections
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-04 | by ( Randy Mulyanto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Indonesia is preparing to hold general elections for president and vice president for the 2024-2029 period in February 2024. The world's third-largest democracy will open its polls to over 204 million eligible voters casting their ballots, according to its General Elections Commission. While having greater opposition representation in Indonesia's parliament could raise the bar for passing such laws, Titi said there's still a very high barrier to entry for the candidacy process. According to Freedom House's Freedom in the World 2023 report, Indonesia ranked "partly free," scoring 58 out of 100. But for some Indonesians, the cozier relationship has also sparked debt-trap fears and concerns about an influx of Chinese workers.

Persons: Anies Baswedan, Prabowo Subianto, Ganjar, Aditya Irawan, Joko, Widodo, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, Muhaimin Iskandar, Ganjar Pranowo, Prabowo, Gibran, Anies, Titi Anggraini, Titi, there's, Indonesia's, Singapore's ISEAS — Yusof, Lina Alexandra Organizations: Nurphoto, Getty, JAKARTA —, Commission, Solo, National Awakening Party, Central Java, Politik, Nusantara, Association for Elections, Democracy, CNBC, Constitutional, House's, Institute, Indonesia's, of Economic, Law Studies, Initiative, Strategic, International Studies, Hamas, Lowy Institute Locations: Jakarta, Indonesia, JAKARTA, JAKARTA — Indonesia, Central, Politik Indonesia, Nusantara, Borneo, China, Beijing, Southeast Asia, Southeast, Israel, Australian

The conflict is also testing the limits of the regional coalition whose members - which include the Syrian government, Hezbollah, Hamas and other militant groups from Iraq to Yemen - have differing priorities and domestic challenges. On Oct. 7, Hamas' military commander Mohammed Deif called on its axis allies to join the struggle. Yet, like its backer Iran, Hezbollah has avoided an all-out confrontation. Iran does not recognise Israel's existence, while Israel has long threatened military action against Iran if diplomacy fails to curb its disputed nuclear activity. "Iran has shown a four-decade commitment to fighting America and Israel without entering into direct conflict.

Persons: Ali Khamenei, Ismail Haniyeh, wouldn't, Yemen's Houthis, Mohanad Hage Ali, Israel, Mohammed Deif, Khaled Meshaal, Dennis Ross, Hamas didn't, didn't, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Joe Biden, Lloyd Austin, Yoav Gallant, Israel didn't, Karim Sadjadpour, Parisa Hafezi, Laila Bassam, Arshad Mohammed, Tom Perry, Jonathan Saul, Idrees Ali, Phil Stewart, Pravin Organizations: Israel, Reuters, Hezbollah, Carnegie Middle East Center, Hamas, Washington Institute for Near, Iran, AMERICA, United, U.S, Pentagon ., . Defense, NORTH Austin, Carnegie Endowment, International, Thomson Locations: DUBAI, Tehran, Israel, Iran, Palestinian, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Beirut, Gaza, Lebanon, Palestine, United States, U.S, East, Iranian, Afghanistan, Seoul, ISRAEL, America, Dubai, Saint Paul, Jerusalem, Washington

☆ Russia is turning increasingly hostile toward Israel as it picks sides in the Middle East
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

JERUSALEM, ISRAEL - JANUARY 23: Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) attend their meeting at Prime Minister's Office on January 23, 2020 in Jerusalem, Israel. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi greets Russian President Vladimir Putin on July 19, 2022. Russia's President Vladimir Putin (R) shakes hands with his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad during a meeting in Sochi on November 20, 2017. Russian President Vladimir Putin prepares to greet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during their meeting on Jan. 23, 2020, in Jerusalem. Russia's President Vladimir Putin with senior Saudi officials in 2014.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Benjamin Netanyahu, Mikhail Svetlov, Russia's, Petroleum Javad, Putin, Erdogan, Ebrahim Raisi, John Drennan, Sergei Savostyanov, Mark Galeotti, Israel, Israel Russia's, Sergei Lavrov, Bashar al, Assad, UN Vasily Nebenzya, Tatiana Stanovaya, Stanovaya, Rob Griffith Organizations: Israeli, Minister's Office, Getty, Israel's, Petroleum, Turkish, Israel, U.S . Institute of Peace, AFP, Ministry, Russian Foreign Affairs, Russian, UN, Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, Kremlin, America, Saudi, Afp Locations: JERUSALEM, ISRAEL, Jerusalem, Israel, Russia, Gaza, East, Tehran, Iran, Ukraine, Syria, Moscow, Saudi Arabia, Saudi, Arabia, Sochi, Tel Aviv

☆ As Israel goes to war, Russia must now decide where its loyalty lies in the Middle East
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Kremlin in Moscow on January 30, 2020. Maxim Shemetov | Afp | Getty ImagesThe outbreak of bloodshed, violence and outright war between Israel and Hamas has put Russia in an awkward position, with Moscow traditionally treading a fine diplomatic line between Israel and its allies in the Middle East. Russia has enjoyed warm and constructive relations with Israel in recent years. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi hold a meeting in Tehran on July 19, 2022. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during their meeting at the Kremlin on April 21, 2016.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Benjamin Netanyahu, Maxim Shemetov, Tatiana Stanovaya, Ebrahim Raisi, Sergei Savostyanov, Stanovaya, Saudi Arabia —, Vladimir Putin's, Bashar Assad's, Bashar Assad, Sergei Shoigu, Alexei Nikolsky, Netanyahu, Putin, Mohammed Shia, Al Sudani, Mikhail Svetlov, tellingly, Russia's, Ian Bremmer, Antony Blinken, Petroleum Javad, Erdogan Organizations: Israeli, Kremlin, Afp, Getty, Hamas, Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, AFP, Saudi, Russian Defense, Sputnik, AP Putin, Iraqi, . Security Council, Israel, Eurasia Group, ., Ukraine, Ministry of Defence, Institute for, Petroleum, Turkish Locations: Moscow, Israel, Russia, Ukraine, Iran, Russian, Tehran, Syria, Eastern, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Egypt, Iraq, Umayyad, Damascus, U.S, Palestinian, China

A woman visits a makeshift memorial near the former PMC Wagner Centre, associated with the founder of the Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, in Saint Petersburg, Russia August 24. "From the point of view of Putin, as well as many among the security forces and the military, Prigozhin's death should be a lesson to any potential followers." Putin, who has spoken in the past of his hatred of traitors, described it at the time as a "stab in the back". 'GAME OF THRONES'But the death of Prigozhin, if confirmed, is not without cost to Putin. If Putin was responsible for Prigozhin's death, he said, it demonstrated he was willing to engage in brutal repression of any kind of dissent.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin, Anastasia Barashkova, Putin, Wagner, Vladimir Putin, Prigozhin, Tatiana Stanovaya, Abbas Gallyamov, Gallyamov, Andrew Borene, Samuel Ramani, RUSI, Ramani, Sergei Surovikin, Surovikin, Robert Horvath, Mark Trevelyan, Gareth Jones, Andrew Heavens Organizations: PMC Wagner, Wagner Group, REUTERS, Reuters, Analysts, Kremlin, Central African, Putin, La Trobe University, Thomson Locations: Saint Petersburg, Russia, Kremlin, Ukraine, Africa, Moscow, United States, Belarus, Mali, Central African Republic, France, U.S, Melbourne

A woman visits a makeshift memorial near former PMC Wagner Centre, associated with the founder of the Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, in Saint Petersburg, Russia August 24, 2023. Putin, who has spoken in the past of his hatred of traitors, described it as a "stab in the back". Prigozhin "assumed that Putin would not want to risk all this", Gallyamov said. 'GAME OF THRONES'But the death of Prigozhin, if confirmed, is not without cost to Putin. If Putin was responsible for Prigozhin's death, he said, it demonstrated he was willing to engage in brutal repression of any kind of dissent.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin, Anastasia Barashkova, Putin, Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Utkin, Prigozhin, Tatiana Stanovaya, Wagner, Abbas Gallyamov, Gallyamov, Andrew Borene, Samuel Ramani, RUSI, Ramani, Sergei Surovikin, Surovikin, Mark Trevelyan, Gareth Jones, Andrew Heavens Organizations: PMC Wagner, Wagner Group, REUTERS, Kremlin, Putin, Central African, Analysts, Thomson Locations: Saint Petersburg, Russia, Kremlin, Ukraine, Africa, Moscow, Belarus, Mali, Central African Republic, France, United States, U.S

☆ Pro-war Putin critic and nationalist Girkin detained in Moscow
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Andrew Osborn | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Girkin, also known as Igor Strelkov, helped Russia annex Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and then organise pro-Russian militias who took control of part of eastern Ukraine from Kyiv. Girkin's lawyer told the state news agency TASS that it was not clear why his client had been detained. RBC, citing two unnamed law enforcement sources, said Girkin's Moscow home was being searched and that he had been detained over a complaint against him made by a former Wagner employee. Tatiana Stanovaya, founder of the R.Politik analysis firm, said the men who run Russia's law enforcement and power ministries had long wanted to arrest Girkin. Stanovaya said Girkin's detention was a signal that any of the bitterest critics of Moscow's approach to the war could face prosecution.

Persons: Putin, Igor Girkin, Vladimir Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Igor Strelkov, Girkin, PUTIN, Miroslava Reginskaya, Girkin's, Tatiana Stanovaya, Stanovaya, Andrew Osborn, Kevin Liffey Organizations: RBC, Malaysia Airlines, Federal Security Service, of Angry Patriots, Kremlin, Telegram, Investigative, TASS, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukraine, MOSCOW, Russian, Crimea, Kyiv, Girkin's Moscow

[1/3] A tyre produced by the Finnish group Nokian Tyres on display at a dealership in Moscow, Russia, March 23, 2023. Nokian Tyres' protracted departure illustrates the growing headwinds faced by Western companies that have yet to fully depart the country. "The war changed the operating environment in a rapid and unpredictable way," Nokian Tyres' Chief Transformation Officer Johanna Horsma told Reuters. Additional valuation requirements published in mid-December came in the middle of Nokian Tyres' transaction, he added. The buyer needs to be well selected to avoid scammers, said Nokian Tyres' Horsma.

Persons: Maxim Shemetov, Johanna Horsma, Finland's Fortum, Germany's, Peter Wand, Baker McKenzie, Thomas Kormendi, Kormendi, Alexei Moiseev, Moiseev, Nokian, Tatiana Stanovaya, Elopak, Baker McKenzie's Wand, Alexander Marrow, Darya Korsunskaya, Matt Scuffham, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: Nokian Tyres, REUTERS, Finland's, U.S . Treasury, Reuters, Companies, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, finalising, Ukraine, Western, Frankfurt

☆ Putin's political enemies and Kremlin critics face an 'extremely dangerous' situation in Russia right now
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

"All of the opposition political leaders are either in jail or under restrictive measures or outside of the country. The oppression of political opposition figures in Russia is nothing new. Some accuse the Russian state of trying to poison them, while others have died in suspicious circumstances. Evgenia Novozhenina | ReutersThe persecution of political opposition figures attracted global attention in 2020 when the high-profile Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny was poisoned with a Novichok nerve agent. Russian political analyst Tatiana Stanovaya agreed that "it's extremely dangerous" to be a critic of the Kremlin now, no matter what your background is.

Summary Russia accuses detained U.S. journalist of spyingSays he was trying to gather state/military secretsWall Street Journal denies the allegationsMove latest blow to dire Russia-U.S. tiesLONDON, March 30 (Reuters) - Russia's FSB security service said on Thursday it had detained a reporter for U.S. newspaper The Wall Street Journal on suspicion of spying for Washington, the most serious public move against a foreign journalist since Russia invaded Ukraine. The Wall Street Journal said in a statement it was "deeply concerned" for Gershkovich's safety and that it "vehemently denies the allegations from the FSB and seeks the immediate release of our trusted and dedicated reporter". TOUGH CENSORSHIP LAWS[1/5] Reporter for U.S. newspaper The Wall Street Journal Evan Gershkovich appears in an undated handout image taken in an unknown location. Other foreign journalists covering Russia expressed support for Gershkovich online, saying he was a professional reporter, not a spy. Gershkovich, who has covered Russia since 2017, previously worked at The Moscow Times newspaper and at Agence-France Presse news agency before joining the Wall Street Journal's Moscow bureau in January last year.

☆ Russian defence chief keeps job despite Ukraine routs thanks to Putin
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

The Russian Defence Ministry did not respond to a request for comment on Shoigu or its own performance in Ukraine. Appointed defence minister in 2012, he is part of Putin's inner circle and has enjoyed hunting and fishing holidays with him in his native Siberia. The Russian army has been learning from its mistakes and successfully adapting, the source said. There's no escaping the poor performance of the Russian military". It was "inconceivable", said Jones, that a Western defence minister could have kept his job in such circumstances.

☆ Analysis: Russian mercenary boss courts Putin with Ukrainian battlefield success
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Andrew Osborn | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Now as the founder of Russia's most powerful mercenary group, he is vying for Vladimir Putin's favour by claiming a rare battlefield win in Ukraine. Russia claimed victory on Friday after Ukraine said its forces were holding on after a 'hot' night of fighting. The defence ministry on Friday attributed victory to its airborne units, missile forces and "artillery of a grouping of Russian forces". Margarita Simonyan, editor-in-chief of the state-controlled RT channel and close to the Kremlin, thanked Prigozhin for Soledar. Despite its sometimes publicly strained ties with the Russian defence ministry, some Western military analysts suspect Wagner is closely affiliated with it.

☆ Factbox: Who is Russia's new war commander Gerasimov and why was he appointed?
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Gerasimov's deputies will be Army General Sergei Surovikin, the previous theatre commander, appointed three months ago and nicknamed "General Armageddon"; Army General Oleg Salyukov; and Deputy Chief of the General Staff Colonel-General Alexei Kim. "Now the General Staff is directly and uncompromisingly responsible for absolutely everything," said Semyon Pegov, a Russian military blogger who uses the name Wargonzo. Gerasimov was appointed chief of the general staff and deputy defence minister by Putin on Nov. 9, 2012, three days after Putin's long-time ally Sergei Shoigu was made defence minister. Gerasimov played key roles in Russia's seizure of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and in Russia's game-changing military support for President Bashar al-Assad in the Syrian Civil War. Gerasimov was born on Sept. 8, 1955, in Kazan, rising through the ranks from Russia's tank forces to graduate in 1997 from the Military Academy of the General Staff.

☆ Viktor Bout praises Putin, enjoys celebrity status after Griner exchange
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Mithil Aggarwal | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

He has since given high-profile interviews to state media and on Monday appeared on stage at a political event as he joined an ultranationalist party. Viktor Bout on a plane in Abu Dhabi before departing for Russia on Thursday. Russian media also showed him walking off a plane in Moscow, where relatives waiting with flowers embraced him. AFP - Getty ImagesSince his return home, Bout has given a pair of interviews to Maria Butina on the state-run TV channel RT. Like Butina, who was elected to the State Duma last year, Bout spared no time kicking off a potential political career.

☆ 'Losing is not an option': Putin is 'desperate' to avoid defeat in Ukraine as anxiety rises in Moscow
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Leaders meeting in Yerevan on November 23, 2022. That, Russian political analysts say, will be catastrophic for Putin and the Kremlin, who have banked Russia's global capital on winning the war against Ukraine. They told CNBC that anxiety was rising in Moscow over how the war was progressing. Needless to say, that latest withdrawal darkened the mood even among the most ardent Putin supporters. Another Russian analyst said Putin is increasingly desperate not to lose the war.

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register"For the moment, Putin is hanging in there," said Anthony Brenton, a former British ambassador to Russia. In power since 1999, Putin has weathered numerous domestic crises and wars, and more than once faced down large street protests before effectively outlawing any real opposition. The Kremlin says Putin is backed by an overwhelming majority of Russians and won a landslide re-election victory in 2018. said Weiss, who has had various policy roles on the U.S. National Security Council and has written a book about Putin. A senior European official said Putin would have to demonstratively lose the war to be unseated.

Allied with the troubled call-up of hundreds of thousands of troops, each new development helped fuel a sense of panic in Russia. Putin said Monday’s deadly strikes were revenge, though Kyiv claimed they had been planned well in advance. “The attacks have not degraded Ukrainian military capabilities and are fundamentally irrelevant to the fighting in the northeast and south of Ukraine,” Tuck said. Sustaining such attacks will require a constant supply of rockets, which Moscow is increasingly running out of, military analysts said. Already, Kyiv says Russia has been using more “kamikaze” drones, procured from Iran, as a cheaper and more dispensable alternative.

But it has always demonstrated a sense of restraint, a hesitation to take things too far and risk sparking a broad-scale backlash. With his military in retreat and Ukraine advancing, analysts said Putin appears to have made the largest political gamble of his career. “The social contract has been violated,” said Andrei Kolesnikov, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. The declaration Wednesday is only the third time in Russian history that the government has called for military mobilization. “There are a lot of signals that this will become a significant social and political issue for Putin,” said Tatiana Stanovaya, a Russian political analyst and founder of the political consulting firm R.Politik.

Russia does not fully control any of the four regions, with only around 60% of Donetsk region in Russian hands. With Crimea and the territory in the four other regions, Russia would gain an area about the same size as the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. If Russia goes ahead with the referendums and joins all four regions to Russia then Ukraine - and potentially its Western backers too - would, from a Russian perspective, be fighting against Russia itself. "All this talk about immediate referendums is an absolutely unequivocal ultimatum from Russia to Ukraine and the West." The conflict in eastern Ukraine began in 2014 after a pro-Russian president was toppled in Ukraine's Maidan Revolution and Russia annexed Crimea.

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