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☆ White House swipes at Tara Reade after Biden accuser moves to Russia: 'Won't attempt to speak for an aspiring Russian citizen'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The White House took a swipe at Tara Reade after the former Biden Senate aide moved to Russia. Reade previously accused Biden of assaulting her in the 1990s, a charge he has repeatedly denied. Reade told a Russian-state news outlet that she feels safer there now. "I won't attempt to speak for an aspiring Russian citizen, the convicted Russian spy who's sponsoring her, or the foreign government with which she has chosen to align," White House spokesperson Andrew Bates said in a statement first reported by CNN's Edward-Isaac Dovere. Reade said in an interview with Sputnik, a Russian state-owned news organization, that she would like to ask Russian President Vladimir Putin for Russian citizenship.

Persons: Tara Reade, Reade, Biden, —, Joe Biden, Andrew Bates, CNN's Edward, Isaac Dovere, Vladimir Putin, Maria, who's, it's, Sputnik, Maria Butina Organizations: White, Biden Senate, Service, Sputnik, Democratic, Guardian, US Locations: Russia, Russian, US, Ukraine

☆ Tara Reade, who accused Joe Biden of sexual assault, is seeking refuge in Russia and singing Moscow's praises
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Tara Reade, the former Senate staffer who accused Joe Biden of sexual assault, is now in Russia. Reade made the announcement at a Tuesday press conference in Moscow with Sputnik, a state-owned news outlet. "It is remarkable that Joe Biden raped me when I worked for him at the US Congress, and I'm supposed to be the fugitive," Reade said. Reade claimed media investigations into her credibility were part of a smear campaignReade filed a formal criminal complaint against Biden in 2020, but her credibility soon came under intense scrutiny. He said he believed Reade was "subjected to a double standard" in the media and that her past life faced undue attention unrelated to her sexual assault claims.

Persons: Tara Reade, Joe Biden, Reade, —, Maria Butina, Butina, Vladimir Putin, Biden, Douglas Wigdor, I'm Organizations: Service, Sputnik, National Rifle Association, US, New York Times, Biden, Times, Antioch University, Politico Locations: Russia, Moscow, Russian, Ukraine, Seattle, American, Washington

☆ Tara Reade, Who Accused Biden of Assault, Says She Has Moved to Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Eduardo Medina | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Tara Reade, the former Senate aide who accused President Biden of sexual assault as he ran for president in 2020, said on Tuesday that she had moved to Russia and was seeking citizenship there, according to Sputnik, a Russian-government-run news site. Then in 2020, around the time when he appeared likely to win the Democratic nomination for president, she accused him of sexual assault. Mr. Biden flatly denied her allegations. In interviews with The New York Times in April 2020, no former Biden staff members could corroborate any details of Ms. Reade’s allegation or recall any similar behavior by Mr. Biden toward her or any women. A friend of Ms. Reade’s said that she had told her the details of the allegation at the time.

Persons: Tara Reade, Biden, Reade, Sputnik, Mr, Ms, Reade’s Organizations: Sputnik, Democratic, New York Times, Biden Locations: Russia, Russian, United States, Biden’s

☆ China declines US request for a meeting between defense chiefs
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu attends a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu in Moscow, Russia, April 16, 2023. Sputnik/Pavel Bednyakov/Pool via REUTERSMay 29 (Reuters) - China has declined a request by the U.S. for a meeting between their defense chiefs at an annual security forum in Singapore this weekend, media reported on Monday, a new sign of strain between the powers. The Pentagon said it believed in open communication "to ensure that competition does not veer into conflict." Last week, White House spokesman John Kirby said there were discussions by the Defense Department to get talks going between Lloyd Austin and his Chinese counterpart, who was named defense minister in March. Li is a member of the Central Military Commission, China's top defense body that is commanded by President Xi Jinping.

☆ Ukraine's 'Iron General' is facing off against his 4th Russian war commander. Here's why the others lost their jobs.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

The Russian general, however, does not appear to be living up to those expectations. Alexander DvornikovWhen Russia first launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in late-February 2022, it relied on district commanders rather than overall commander of the war effort. Sergey SurovikinIn early October, Putin appointed Army Gen. Sergey Surovikin, nicknamed "General Armageddon," to be the overall theater commander. "Putin likely viewed Surovikin as the last untarnished high-ranking commander in Ukraine he could appoint to overall theater command," the think tank said. As 2023 rolled around, and Russian forces continued to suffer heavy losses in eastern Ukraine, Putin seemingly gave in to Gerasimov's campaigning.

Biden said on Friday he had an "extremely negative" reaction to reports that Russia has moved ahead with a plan to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. The U.S. State Department denounced the Russian nuclear deployment plan. Tactical nuclear weapons are used for tactical gains on the battlefield, and are usually smaller in yield than the strategic nuclear weapons designed to destroy U.S., European or Russian cities. "The United States has been for decades maintaining a large arsenal of its nuclear weapons in Europe. Together with its NATO allies it participates in nuclear sharing arrangements and trains for scenarios of nuclear weapons use against our country."

☆ Without a hint of irony over Ukraine, Putin rages against countries that meddle in other states
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-24 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev arrive for a working breakfast of the leaders of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in Moscow, Russia May 9, 2023. Vladimir Smirnov | Sputnik | ReutersRussian President Vladimir Putin slammed countries that he said were trying to "impose their dominance" and rules on others, saying Wednesday that those that do were "completely ignoring the sovereignty" of other states. Russian President Vladimir Putin on a screen at Red Square as he addresses a rally and a concert marking the annexation of four regions of Ukraine — Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia — in central Moscow on Sept. 30, 2022. Putin said Tuesday that Russia was going through "difficult times" as it continued its military campaign in Ukraine, but said national pride was growing. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov looks on, next to Russian President Vladimir Putin, as they wait for the US-Russia summit at the Villa La Grange, in Geneva on June 16, 2021.

☆ China doesn't really care who wins the war in Ukraine — it just wants to win the peace, analysts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

There's little doubt that China wants the war between Russia and Ukraine to end, and soon. Political analysts and China watchers note that, ultimately, Beijing doesn't really care who "wins" the war — or what form a peace deal takes. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks with Chinese President Xi Jinping via phone line, in Kyiv on April 26, 2023. Russian President Vladimir Putin and China's President Xi Jinping shake hands during a signing ceremony following their talks at the Kremlin in Moscow on March 21, 2023. Any peace will be hard-wonNo-one is underestimating the challenges any would-be peace broker has before them.

☆ Belarus state media publish photo of Lukashenko following health speculation
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 15 (Reuters) - A Belarusian state news channel on Monday published a photo of President Alexander Lukashenko at what it said was a military command centre in what would be his first public appearance in almost a week, following speculation over the health of the 68-year-old leader. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko attends a meeting of the Supreme State Council of the Union State of Russia and Belarus at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia April 6, 2023. Sputnik/Mikhail Klimentyev/Kremlin via REUTERSThe Pul Pervovo Telegram channel, a state outlet that reports on Lukashenko's activities, said the president was working at a central air force command base. Lukashenko was last seen in public on May 9 at Victory Day events in both Moscow and the Belarusian capital Minsk. His failure to appear in public since then had prompted reports, not confirmed officially, that he had been taken to a medical facility.

☆ Putin Condemns Western Support for Ukraine as Russia’s Battlefield Losses Mount
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Ann M. Simmons | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during the Victory Day military parade in Moscow. Photo: Gavriil Grigorov/Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo/APRussian President Vladimir Putin fired a rhetorical broadside at Washington and the West on Tuesday, condemning allied military support for Ukraine as Moscow faces mounting battlefield losses more than a year after invading its smaller neighbor. Speaking to a crowd on Moscow’s Red Square at the country’s annual Victory Day parade commemorating the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II, Mr. Putin declared: “An actual war has once again been unleashed against our Motherland,” saying the West sought Russia’s “disintegration and destruction.”

☆ Russian security agents have been using a secret network of corrupted computers to spy on NATO for decades, but the US just busted it open, feds say
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

US authorities have busted open a secret computer network run by Russian security agents. FBI agents have neutralized what the Justice Department called "sophisticated malware." "Globally, the FSB has used Snake to collect sensitive intelligence from high-priority targets, such as government networks, research facilities, and journalists." Director of Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) Alexander Bortnikov attends a meeting of the service's collegium in Moscow, Russia, February 28, 2023. Top Justice Department officials praised the FBI's ability to neutralize the FSB's network.

☆ Photos show how Putin massively scaled back his Victory Day celebrations compared to the ostentatious military displays of previous years
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Photos from this year compared to previous years show how much the Victory Day parade has changed:A Soviet T-34 tank during the Victory Day Red Square Parade on May 9, 2023, in Moscow, Russia. Russian tanks in Red Square during the Victory Day military parade in Moscow, Russia, Sunday, May 9, 2021. Armored vehicles drive past the Kremlin after a military parade on Victory Day, with an empty sky, on May 9, 2023. Russian soldiers march toward Red Square to attend a Victory Day military parade in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, May 9, 2023. A Russian service member walks across a street before a military parade on Victory Day in Moscow, Russia, on May 9 2023.

☆ Russia's version of NATO is crumbling, with even some of its closest allies frustrated by Putin's failing war in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

CSTO, Russia's equivalent of NATO, was never a powerhouse, but relations have become more strained. And Frankopan said that countries had likely stopped trusting Russia's military abilities. Marin also said that CSTO members don't seem interested in taking big risks to protect the alliance's future. AP Photo/Felipe Dana, FileRussia a 'toxic partner'According to Frankopan, regional backlash to Russia's invasion of Ukraine could be happening for multiple reasons, including ideological objections to Russia's brutal tactics. Marin said the Ukraine invasion had made Russia a "rather toxic partner" to most of its post-Soviet neighbours.

☆ Victory Day analysis: Putin tried to project strength, but Moscow parade revealed only his isolation
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Nathan Hodge | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —For Russian President Vladimir Putin, this year’s Victory Day parade in Red Square was a chance to continue his war on history. It has become a pawn to their cruel and selfish plans.”Despite the pomp of the parade, Putin cuts an increasingly isolated figure. In Russia, Putin and his regime have destroyed these values. A lone Soviet-era T-34 tank leads the procession in Moscow in contrast to the large array of military hardware on display on previous Victory Day parades. “Victory Day is the victory of our grandfathers,” he said.

☆ Putin says a 'real war' is being waged against Russia in Victory Day speech
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers a speech during a military parade on Victory Day, which marks the 78th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, in Red Square in central Moscow, Russia May 9, 2023. Sputnik/Gavriil Grigorov/Pool via REUTERSMOSCOW, May 9 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday said a "real war" was again being waged against Russia as he invoked the Soviet Union's victory in World War Two to say the West was trying to destroy his country. In a speech on Red Square as part of Russia's Victory Day celebrations, Putin said Russia wanted to see a peaceful future, and said the entire country was behind what Russia calls the "special military operation" in Ukraine. Putin said the West had forgotten the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in 1945. Reporting by Reuters; editing by Guy FaulconbridgeOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ False flag? Analysts says Russia 'likely staged' Kremlin drone attack it blamed on Ukraine and the West
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Ukraine denied any involvement in the incident, with officials saying it more likely signaled that Russia was planning a large-scale terrorist attack against Ukraine in the coming days. The Kremlin went further in its accusations on Thursday, claiming that Washington had helped Ukraine to plot and orchestrate the drone attack. CNBC contacted the Kremlin for a response to claims that it was likely behind the drone attack itself. A view of the roof of Senate Palace of the Kremlin from Red Square on May 3, 2023 in Moscow, Russia. The Kremlin said the drone attack had taken place "on the eve of Victory Day, the May 9th Parade, at which the presence of foreign guests is also planned."

☆ Russia Approves Life Sentence for Treason
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Alan Cullison | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin approved a law that would punish the crime of high treason with a life sentence, up from 20 years. Photo: SPUTNIK/via REUTERSRussian President Vladimir Putin approved a law imposing a life sentence for treason Friday, as well as stiffening of penalties for a raft of crimes that the Kremlin has used to crush dissent and antiwar sentiment in the country. The amendments to Russia’s criminal code, passed by parliament earlier this month, are the latest incremental tightening of authority by the Kremlin as it steels itself for a protracted war in Ukraine.

☆ Putin hails Turkey ties as first Turkish nuclear plant inaugurated
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a ceremony for nuclear fuel loading at the Akkuyu nuclear power plant, which is under construction in Turkey, via video link in Moscow, Russia April 27, 2023. Russia's state nuclear energy company Rosatom built the Akkuyu nuclear power plant and Thursday's ceremony saw the first loading of nuclear fuel into the first power unit at the site in Turkey's southern Mersin province. "But Turkey will enjoy the advantage of a country that has its own nuclear energy, and nuclear energy, as you know, is one of the cheapest," he added. Erdogan thanked Putin for his support on Akkuyu, adding: "We will take steps to build a second and a third nuclear power plant in Turkey as soon as possible." In a phone call before the ceremony at Akkuyu, Erdogan and Putin also discussed the situation in Ukraine and the Black Sea grain deal, the Turkish leader's office said.

☆ How Putin spent 20 years rebuilding Russia's military 'and then just simply destroyed it' in Ukraine, according to an expert who watched it happen
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +17 min

Vladimir Putin has spent his two decades in power rebuilding and reforming Russia's military. Below, Galeotti describes those reforms, what they achieved, and how, in a devastating war in Ukraine, Putin has squandered the military he built. IGOR SAREMBO/AFP via Getty ImagesWhen Putin came to power at the end of the 1990s, what was the state of the Russian military? How did the Russian military underperform in that conflict in Georgia? What did those conflicts show about the capabilities of the Russian military and about the impact of those reforms?

Sputnik/Gavriil Grigorov/Kremlin via REUTERS/File PhotoApril 25 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday signed a decree establishing temporary control of the Russian assets of two foreign energy firms, signaling Moscow could take similar action against other companies if need be. The decree - outlining possible retaliation if Russian assets abroad are seized - showed Moscow had already taken action against Uniper SE's (UN01.DE) Russian division and the assets of Finland's Fortum Oyj (FORTUM.HE). Rosimushchestvo said more foreign firms could find their assets under temporary Russian control, TASS reported. Last October European Council President Charles Michel said the EU was looking at using Russian assets frozen under sanctions against Moscow towards rebuilding Ukraine. Fortum had already warned shareholders there was a risk its Russian assets could be expropriated.

☆ Russia's war in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Ivana Kottasová | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

People who fled contested territory in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region disembark at a railway station in the Russian port city of Nakhodka. Photo: Vitaliy Ankov/Sputnik/APAs Russia’s war on Ukraine grinds into a second year, some Ukrainians who fled the fighting and ended up in far flung parts of Russia are still unsure if they will ever be able to return home -- and whether they would be welcome when they get there. Ukraine describes these refugees as forcibly deported, though some Natalia says no one forced her to leave. “It was our decision,” she told CNN by phone from Russia’s far east, where she has resettled since arriving last spring. Over the course of many months, CNN has managed to reach a handful of Ukrainians like Natalia.

☆ Russia is landing new buyers for its sanctioned diesel all over the world and Brazil's taking advantage of the steep discounts.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Today we're talking energy — and I'm sharing a conversation with a leading expert on Russian diesel flows. Phil Rosen: You shared some data on how Brazil is seeing a dramatic uptick in Russian diesel imports, and a decrease in diesel imports from other sources, including the US. It really does appear that Russian diesel is muscling in on US market share in Brazil. How does this data on Brazil's diesel imports fit into the broader picture with China and India? Russian diesel is displacing traditional suppliers to these countries, while trade flows are changing to backfill the loss of Russian diesel into Europe.

☆ The Pentagon leaks: What documents leaked in the US military's worst intelligence breach in a decade reveal
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The leaked documents revealed US spying on adversaries and allies alike. The leak also offered compromising details on the extent to which the US has infiltrated Russia's military and intelligence apparatus. Insider obtained and reviewed copies of photographs of dozens of the leaked documents. The documents revealed the US is spying on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and showed that he wanted to launch drone strikes against Russian forces in Russia. The US is keeping a watchful eye on ChinaA number of the leaked documents pertained to China, amid historic tensions between the US and Beijing.

☆ The US dollar's outlook is complicated. Here's what to know about the currency's standing on the world stage.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The dollar's position as a top reserve currency, however, may be somewhat less certain. They pointed to Russia's invasion of Ukraine as a catalyst for the currency's drop-off as a reserve currency. "We believe the erosion of the dollar's reserve currency status has accelerated in recent years at an alarming pace," Eurizon said. Here's the takeaway forecasters seem to agree on: The dollar's losing some ground as a global reserve currency, but none at all as far as international trade. What's your outlook for the dollar's role on the world stage in 2023 and beyond?

☆ Elon Musk holds the keys to the moon because SpaceX's Starship megarocket launch is crucial to NASA's return
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( Marianne Guenot | Kate Duffy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

The rocket, which NASA has tagged for upcoming missions, is crucial to NASA's return to the moon. The highly anticipated Starship launch will determine whether NASA's Artemis moon program is on track for success. NASA's SLS relies on Starship for the moon landingA Starship prototype being launched. NASA's SLS rocket, by contrast, has a high price tag for the taxpayer: The project has cost $50 billion in development since the program's inception in 2006. All of this makes NASA's SLS a poor competitor to SpaceX's shiny new rocket.

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