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But now, as Mr. Putin seeks to project an image of restored stability and control, he has been putting his defense minister on display, even if Mr. Shoigu has not addressed the public or even been heard speaking. Mr. Shoigu was also present on Monday as Mr. Putin convened a meeting of his top security chiefs. On Tuesday, as Mr. Putin praised his security forces in a grandly choreographed speech, Mr. Shoigu was again present, wearing his military uniform. Mr. Shoigu, who was a very popular minister of emergency situations before becoming defense minister in 2012, has had a long and friendly relationship with Mr. Putin. Mr. Putin may have kept both men in charge as part of his decades-long efforts to place the sprawling Russian military more under his control.

Persons: Vladimir V, Sergei K, Shoigu, Valery V, Putin, Yevgeny V, Wagner, ” Mr, Gerasimov, Mr, Prigozhin, Ramzan Kadyrov, —, ”, ” Andrei Guryulov, Aleksandr Dugin, Aleksandr G, Lukashenko, Dugin, Long, General Gerasimov, It’s, Andrei Soldatov, Putin “, ” Oleg Matsnev Organizations: Putin, Cuban, National Defense Control Center of Russia, Russian military’s Zvezda, United, Defense Ministry, General Staff Locations: Moscow, Russia, Ukraine, United States, Cuba, Russian, Ukrainian, Lyman, Chechnya, United Russia, Belarus

☆ After Prigozhin’s Uprising, Yesterday’s Putin Is Gone - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Andrei Kolesnikov | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Mr. Putin today is not who he was last week. Is Mr. Putin really the all-powerful, czar-like figure they thought he was? Mr. Prigozhin, while becoming a relatively popular figure among certain groups, was never a serious or convincing candidate as a national leader. First, he said that to defeat the enemy in Ukraine, Russians should tighten their belts and be ready to live like North Koreans. Replace Mr. Putin, his teacher in the profession of gaining power?

Persons: Putin, Prigozhin, Sergei Shoigu, Putin’s, Aleksandr Lukashenko of, Wagner Locations: Ukraine, North Koreans, Russia, Moscow, Aleksandr Lukashenko of Belarus, Russian

CNN —Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko claims he convinced Russian leader Vladimir Putin not to “destroy” the Wagner group and its chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, talking up his role in halting the mercenaries’ military insurrection that caused crisis in Russia at the weekend. Let’s talk with Prigozhin, with his commanders.”Lukashenko – a longtime ally of the Russian President – said Putin told him: “Listen, Alex, it’s useless. There were 10 times more swear words (I later analyzed them) than normal vocabulary,” Lukashenko added, describing his interactions with a foul-mouthed Prigozhin. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Lukashenko was able to draw on a personal relationship with Prigozhin to reach the deal, which would also see Wagner troops and equipment absorbed by the Russian military. Lukashenko said Tuesday that Prigozhin has received his personal assurances of safety, and the safety of his men, in order to defuse the rebellion on Saturday evening.

Persons: Aleksandr Lukashenko, Vladimir Putin, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Lukashenko, ” Lukashenko, Putin, ” Lukashenko –, –, Alex, ”, Dmitry Peskov, Prigozhin, Sergei Shoigu –, “ Organizations: CNN, Federal Security Service Locations: Belarus, Russian, Russia, Moscow, Belarusian, Minsk

☆ Belarus' dictator says he talked Putin out of assassinating Prigozhin: 'Yes, we could take him out'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Rebecca Cohen | Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Belarus' president said that he talked Vladimir Putin out of assassinating Yevgeny Prigozhin. Prigozhin attempted to march on Moscow in an armed revolt against the Russian defense ministry. "I said to Putin, 'Yes we could take him out, it wouldn't be a problem, if it doesn't work the first time then the second,'" Lukashenko said in a speech Tuesday. Had Putin decided to follow through with this plan there wouldn't be any negotiations, Lukashenko said, according to state-run media agency BelTA. After Prigozhin's attempted mutiny, Putin announced an agreement in which Prigozhin could live in exile in neighboring Belarus, but Putin has since said traitors would be "brought to justice," suggesting that the Wagner leader could face consequences.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Lukashenko, Prigozhin, —, Aleksandr Lukashenko, Putin, Shaun Walker ., Prigozhin's, Wagner Organizations: Service, Wagner Group, Twitter Locations: Belarus, Moscow, Russia

☆ Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin breaks his silence, expresses 'regret' for destroying Russian military aircraft
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Wagner mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin posted an 11-minute audio message on Telegram Monday. In the message, the Wagner boss expresses "regret" for shooting down Russian military aircraft. Prigozhin expressed no regret for his march, however, claiming the "public demanded it." "We regret that we had to hit air assets, but those assets were dropping bombs and launching missile strikes," Prigozhin said. He also wanted accountability for Russia's military leadership, namely Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov.

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, —, Aleksandr Lukashenko, Wagner's, Sergei Shoigu, Staff Valery Gerasimov Organizations: Service, Russian, Russian Ministry of Defense, Staff, Wagner PMC Locations: Belarus, Moscow, Belarusian, Ukraine, Russia, Rostov, Africa

☆ A former US ambassador to Russia says Putin is showing how weak he is by relying on Belarus' Lukashenko to help him resolve the Wagner uprising
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

John Sullivan told CBS that Putin's reliance on Belarus to solve his problems shows "actual weakness." Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko helped to resolve the Wagner Group's uprising on Saturday. "It's not just an appearance of weakness, it's actual weakness," Sullivan said. It's not just an appearance of weakness, it's actual weakness," Ambassador John J. Sullivan told CBS' "Face the Nation" on Sunday. As part of the deal, Prigozhin will go into exile in Belarus in exchange for not being prosecuted for the uprising.

Persons: John Sullivan, Aleksandr Lukashenko, Wagner, It's, Sullivan, —, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Lukashenko, what's, John J, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Mick Ryan, Insider's Katherine Tangalakis Organizations: CBS, Service, Wagner Group, Russian, New York Times, Associated Press, Putin Locations: Belarus, Russia, Prigozhin, Rostov, Russian, Moscow

☆ Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin hasn't spoken publicly in the 24 hours since he ended his rebellion
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

As of Sunday afternoon, Yevgeny Prigozhin had not posted to Telegram for more than 24 hours. The Wagner boss normally shares multiple posts a day with his more than 640,000 followers. But ever since announcing an abrupt end to his rebellion in a 58-second audio message, the normally outspoken Wagner boss has gone silent. Prigozhin, in his last message, claimed he was ending his march on Moscow to avoid bloodshed. It has now been viewed more than 8.1 million times on his corporate "Concord" press account, which has some 1.3 million followers.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, —, Aleksandr Lukashenko, Prigozhin, Prigozhin —, Don — Organizations: Service, Financial Times Locations: Ukraine, Moscow, Concord, Belarus, Rostov, Russian

☆ Russia’s State Media Blamed Prigozhin, But Some Criticism of Putin Surfaced
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( Neil Macfarquhar | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“Armed mutiny in Russia is not supported by the society,” said Dmitry Kiselyov, the anchor and senior Kremlin propagandist whose program — Vesti Nedelu or “News of the Week” — sets the tone for the government monopoly on broadcast news. “Treason in the time of war is a grave crime.”The newscast then showed in full Mr. Putin’s vehement, 5-minute speech from Saturday morning, in which he accused Mr. Prigozhin, without mentioning his name, of stabbing Russia in the back. Within hours of that address, the vows that Mr. Prigozhin would face criminal prosecution for his actions had evaporated. All news outlets carried the statement from Dmitri S. Peskov, the presidential spokesman, who broke the dramatic tension by announcing a behind-the-scenes deal credited to President Aleksandr G. Lukashenko of neighboring Belarus. In exchange for standing down, Mr. Prigozhin was granted safe passage out of the country and his troops were forgiven.

Persons: Yevgeny V, ”, Dmitry Kiselyov, Putin’s, Prigozhin, Dmitri S, Aleksandr G, Lukashenko Organizations: Kremlin Locations: Moscow, Russia, Belarus

☆ US says Wagner Group rebellion reveals 'extraordinary' cracks in the 'Russian facade'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia's mercenary Wagner Group rebelled this weekend, nearly reaching Moscow before calling it off. The Wagner Group, a powerful paramilitary organization led by former Putin ally Yevgeny Prigozhin, took over a Russian military headquarters in Rostov-on-Don without issue on Saturday and then continued to push toward Moscow. Blinken was just one of many US officials monitoring the situation in Russia on Saturday as the Wagner Group marched toward Moscow. "I think we've seen more cracks emerge in the Russian facade," Blinken added. "We'll see if this means that Wagner forces are coming out of Ukraine.

Persons: Wagner, Antony Blinken, Blinken, —, Vladimir Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Aleksandr Lukashenko, Putin, it's, Africa — Organizations: Wagner Group, Service, Russian, Wagner, NBC News Locations: Moscow, Russian, Rostov, Belarus, Russia, Kyiv, Ukraine, Africa

☆ One Big Winner of Kremlin-Wagner Clash? The Dictator Next Door.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( Valerie Hopkins | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Vladimir V. Putin is known for his tight control over the news media in Russia. His onetime ally, the Wagner military group founder Yevgeny V. Prigozhin, is himself the owner of a conservative media outlet and a flamboyant showman on social media. But on Sunday, he took credit for brokering an agreement between Mr. Putin and Mr. Prigozhin, averting a scenario that the Russian leader had compared to the civil war that followed the Revolution of 1917. Now Mr. Lukashenko, an international pariah, is trying to use the P.R. victory to burnish his credentials as a credible statesman, mediator — and above all, loyal ally to Mr. Putin.

Persons: Vladimir V, Putin, Wagner, Yevgeny V, Prigozhin’s, Aleksandr G, Lukashenko, Prigozhin, —, Mr Organizations: Mr Locations: Russia, Belarus, Belarusian

☆ Video shows Russians cheering for Wagner and Prigozhin as they leave the key military hub of Rostov-on-Don
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Videos show Russians cheering for Wagner troops in Rostov-on-Don. Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin previously said Wagner captured the military hub without firing a shot. Prigozhin was among the Wagner fighters leaving Rostov on Saturday night. Russian Wagner fighters pull out of Rostov-on-Don. ReutersVideos posted by local media show Russians thanking Russian Wagner fighters, according to The Times, and one video shows someone firing shots into the air as the troops leave.

Persons: Wagner, Don, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, —, Prighozin, Don —, Russian Wagner, Aleksandr Lukashenko, Putin Organizations: Rostov, Service, Wagner Group, Don, Saturday, The New York Times, The Times, Reuters, Belarus, Kremlin, Associated Press Locations: Rostov, Russian, Moscow, Belarus

☆ Wagner leader Prigozhin will move to Belarus following the mercenary group's uprising against Putin, Kremlin spokesman says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Michelle Mark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Wagner Group boss Yevgeny Prigozhin will move to Belarus and won't be prosecuted, a Kremlin spokesman said. Prigozhin and his mercenary group waged an uprising and marched across Russia on Saturday. In exchange for Prigozhin's exile to Belarus, the mercenary leader won't be prosecuted, the Associated Press reported, citing a Kremlin spokesperson. "The war wasn't needed to return Russian citizens to our bosom, nor to demilitarize or denazify Ukraine," Prigozhin said. On Saturday the mercenary group was reportedly also in Lipesk province, just 225 miles south of Moscow.

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, —, Dmitry Peskov, Vladimir Putin's, Aleksandr Lukashenko, Putin, didn't Organizations: Kremlin, Service, Wagner Group, Associated Press, Wagner, Prigozhin, The New York Times, Times Locations: Belarus, Russia, Moscow, Ukraine, Rostov, Lipesk province

☆ Prigozhin Says Wagner Will Stop March on Moscow
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the owner of the Wagner paramilitary group, said his forces will stop their march on Moscow and return to their camps to avoid bloodshed, as the Belarus president Aleksandr Lukashenko announced a deal to halt the armed confrontation threatening Russia. Lukashenko, who said he spent most of Saturday negotiating with Prigozhin and Russian President Vladimir Putin, said an agreement was reached “that unleashing a bloodbath on the territory of Russia was unacceptable.”

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Aleksandr Lukashenko, Lukashenko, Vladimir Putin, ” Organizations: Prigozhin Locations: Moscow, Belarus, Russia

☆ Wagner boss says he will turn back to avoid bloodshed after coming within hours of Moscow
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Russian forces are led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, a billionaire and former close ally of Putin. Prigozhin's defiant march toward Moscow was the culmination of a months-long feud with top Russian military leaders. Prigozhin had for years been a close ally of the Russian president, dubbed "Putin's chef" after growing wealthy from state catering contracts. With much of the Russian military bogged down in Ukraine, however, few security forces have been left to challenge Wagner directly. According to videos and photos shared on social media, Wagner forces were also in possession of advanced air defense equipment, limiting the Kremlin's ability to attack them from the sky.

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Putin, —, Prigozhin, Aleksandr Lukashenko, Lukashenko, Vladimir Putin, Sergey Sobyanin, Sergei Shoigu Organizations: Service, Russian, Russian Defense, Rostov Locations: Moscow, Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, Rostov

In the war-torn Chechnya region, Mr. Kadyrov built up a private fiefdom while professing loyalty to no official but Mr. Putin himself. A judo sparring partner from Mr. Putin’s youth became a construction billionaire and built Mr. Putin’s landmark bridge to Crimea. And then there was Mr. Prigozhin, who has said that he met Mr. Putin in 2000 as a St. Petersburg restaurateur. In Ukraine, as Mr. Prigozhin tells it, Wagner troops were only called in after Mr. Putin’s initial invasion plan failed. But Mr. Putin seemed to vacillate on his own support for Mr. Prigozhin.

Persons: Vladimir V, Putin, Yevgeny V, Prigozhin, Putin’s, “, ”, —, “ Putin, Tatiana Stanovaya, ” Mr, Ramzan Kadyrov, Aleksandr G, Lukashenko, Mr, Wagner, tycoons, Boris N, Yeltsin, Kadyrov, Prigozhin’s, K.G.B, Donald J, Trump, Weeks, ’, Putin “, Andrei Soldatov, Prigozhin “, ” Mark Galeotti, ” Neil MacFarquhar, Valerie Hopkins Organizations: Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, ., Reuters, Federal Security Service, Kremlin, Television, Defense, Defense Ministry, Center for Locations: Russia, Moscow, Russian, Rostov, Chechnya, Belarus, Russia’s, Don, Ukraine, Putin’s, Crimea, St, Petersburg, United States, Syria, Africa, Ukrainian, Bakhmut

The target was Aleksandr Poteyev, a former Russian intelligence officer who disclosed information that led to a yearslong F.B.I. investigation that in 2010 ensnared 11 spies living under deep cover in suburbs and cities along the East Coast. In keeping with an Obama administration effort to reset relations, a deal was reached that sought to ease tensions: Ten of the 11 spies were arrested and expelled to Russia. According to Mr. Walton’s book, a Kremlin official asserted that a hit man, or a Mercader, would almost certainly hunt down Mr. Poteyev. Based on interviews with two American intelligence officials, Mr. Walton concluded the operation was the beginning of “a modern-day Mercader” sent to assassinate Mr. Poteyev.

Persons: Aleksandr Poteyev, Obama, Sergei V, Mr, Poteyev, Brown, Calder Walton, Walton’s, Ramón, Joseph Stalin’s, Leon Trotsky’s, Walton, Mercader ”, Grigory Mairanovsky Organizations: Intelligence, Harvard, The New York Times, Kremlin Locations: Russian, East Coast, Russia, Moscow, Britain, Mexico City, S.V.R

☆ In a warning to the West, Putin says Russian tactical nukes are being put in Belarus to stop a 'strategic defeat'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Putin made a fresh set of nuclear threats this week after confirming Russian warheads were moved to Belarus. The Russian president said the escalatory step was meant to serve as a warning to the West. US and Western officials quickly brushed off Putin's most recent batch of nuclear threats. The Russian president compared the move to the deployment of US nuclear weapons in various European countries over the years. Putin said this week that the transfer of the weapons to Belarus would be done by the end of summer.

Persons: Putin, —, Vladimir Putin, Antony Blinken, Jens Stoltenberg, Stoltenberg, –, Aleksandr Lukashenko Organizations: ., Service, NATO, St ., Economic, BBC News, Reuters Locations: Belarus, Ukraine, St . Petersburg, Russia, Moscow, Soviet Union, St, Japan

☆ Belarus Pardons Opposition Activist Who Was Hauled Off a Ryanair Flight, State Media Says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Matthew Mpoke Bigg | Ivan Nechepurenko | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Belarus has pardoned an opposition activist who was arrested in 2021 after the Belarusian government forced the landing of a commercial flight he had been on that was transiting its airspace, state media reported on Monday. The activist, Roman Protasevich, 28, was the editor of Nexta, a channel on the Telegram messaging app that was instrumental in organizing mass protests against President Aleksandr G. Lukashenko after his disputed election victory in 2020. The details of Mr. Protasevich’s arrest drew international attention. A Belarusian court in May sentenced Mr. Protasevich to eight years in prison for crimes including acts of terrorism and insulting the president. But on Monday, Belta, the Belarusian state news agency, reported that Mr. Protasevich had told journalists he had been pardoned, calling it “great news.”Such leniency for someone who had been an active member of the opposition is unusual in Belarus, where, during nearly three decades in power, Mr. Lukashenko has a longstanding pattern of silencing dissent and violently suppressing opponents.

☆ ‘A problem in the political culture": Serbians call for more than disarmament to end violence after mass shootings
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Despite having one of the world’s highest rates of gun ownership in the world, mass shootings like this are extremely rare in Serbia. Most people simply inherited weapons from their parents and grandparents – remnants of the sort of violence that no longer plagues the region. While the two “gratuitous” acts of violence that shocked the country this month were without precedent, O’Donnell said, other types of violence are more banal. ‘Serbia against violence’Since the shootings, tens of thousands of Serbians have taken to the streets in opposition-led “Serbia against violence” marches, demanding the resignation of several government ministers. Against this public demand for a mellowing of the political culture, Vučić has seemed unsure how to respond.

The longtime political allies - both subject to U.S. sanctions - are seeking to cement economic ties by facilitating trade and investment. "(The deals) constitute a milestone in the history of our bilateral and business ties," said Ricardo Cabrisas, Cuba's foreign trade minister, in a speech closing the forum on Friday. Russia also provided funds, know-how and technology to restart a steel mill in Cuba to supply construction materials on the island, according to Cuba state-run media reports. More than 150 Russian businesspeople attended the forum in Havana, according to Cuban officials. SUGAR DEALRussia this week also promised to help revive Cuba's once-vaunted sugar industry, which has nearly collapsed in recent years as its production has plunged to historic lows.

CNN —Russia’s air force may have just suffered one of its worst days since the Ukraine war began. Some analysts believe Ukrainian air defenses may have been pushed forward as the Russian air force uses more “glide munitions” that can fire at targets from distance. They are using these bombs “from a distance that is unreachable for Ukrainian air defense,” he said. Mykola Oleshchuk, the commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, has also suggested that the nature of the threat has changed. That may be as of much concern in Russia as the loss of four aircraft over Russian territory

☆ Fried food is linked to increased risk of anxiety and depression
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Taylor Nicioli | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

A research team in Hangzhou, China, found that frequent consumption of fried foods, especially fried potatoes, was linked with a 12% higher risk of anxiety and 7% higher risk of depression than in people who didn’t eat fried foods. These results “open an avenue in the significance of reducing fried food consumption for mental health,” according to the paper published Monday in the journal PNAS. Frequent consumption of fried foods was linked to higher risk of anxiety and depression. Dr. Walter Willett said the results “should be regarded as very preliminary, especially the connection with fried food and acrylamide.”“The health effects of fried food will depend greatly on what food is fried and what type of fat is used for frying,” said Willett, professor of epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard T.H. It's also possible that some people with mental health issues reach for fried food.

☆ Russia's ultranationalists appear increasingly vulnerable after pro-war blogger's killing
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The blast killed Tatarsky and injured at least 30 others, the authorities said, before detaining a woman on suspicion of involvement in what they described as a "high-profile murder." The death also sent shockwaves through Russia's pro-war commentariat which has burgeoned since Russia invaded Ukraine over a year ago. Tatarsky was one of Russia's more prominent and outspoken pro-war bloggers, with 572,000 followers on the popular messaging app Telegram. Unsettling ultranationalistsTatarsky's death is the second apparent assassination of a prominent Russian pro-war commentator on home soil. A leading Russian military blogger was killed on April 2, 2023 in an explosion in Russia's second-largest city of St. Petersburg, the interior ministry said.

☆ How Silicon Valley Bank's collapse ripped through global tech
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Martin Coulter | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

March 14 (Reuters) - Not long after California startups started pulling money out of troubled Silicon Valley Bank, entrepreneurs in other parts of the world woke up to the news. While the global effects of Silicon Valley Bank's collapse are just emerging, one thing is clear: tech startups, no matter how far apart, are intertwined. FOUNDERS WARYQuincy Lee, founder of Seattle-based EV charging startup Electra Era, tried to move millions of dollars from Silicon Valley Bank on Thursday afternoon as warning signs multiplied. European stocks fell on banking industry concerns, though, and even startups that did not bank with SVB were scrambling. CHINESE STARTUPS MOVING MONEYSVB's Shanghai-based joint venture, SPD Silicon Valley Bank (SSVB), said it had a sound corporate structure and an independent balance sheet.

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