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The setting was an economic conference in far eastern Russia, with discussion of the ruble and domestic investment, but that didn’t stop President Vladimir V. Putin from wading into American politics on Tuesday, branding the criminal cases against Donald J. Trump political persecution and praising the billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk. For years, the Russian leader has demonstrated an ability to exploit political divisions within Western nations, often by signaling to conservatives abroad that he is aligned with them in a global fight against liberal values. Mr. Putin’s remarks on Tuesday, made at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, appeared aimed at lending firepower to the Republican outcry over the prosecutions of Mr. Trump, who has long expressed public admiration for the Russian leader and has helped encourage a sizable Moscow-friendly contingent within his party. The cases against Mr. Trump — who faces 91 felony counts in four jurisdictions — represent the “persecution of one’s political rival for political motives,” Mr. Putin said. He predicted that the entire affair would help Russia by exposing American domestic problems for the world to see and revealing the hypocrisy of American democracy.

Persons: Vladimir V, Putin, Donald J, Elon Musk, Putin’s, Trump, Mr Organizations: Trump, Eastern Economic, Republican, Trump — Locations: Russia, Western, Vladivostok, Moscow

☆ Ukraine War Live Updates: North Korea's Kim Jong-Un Heads to Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Paul Sonne | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

When the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia four years ago in their only previous meeting, it was mostly for diplomatic show. But this week he will meet Mr. Putin with the ability to supply something the Kremlin desperately needs: munitions that could help Russian forces fighting in Ukraine. Russia’s defense minister, Sergei K. Shoigu, visited North Korea in July on a trip that U.S. officials at the time said was aimed at setting up an armaments deal. North Korea has one of the world’s largest armies, despite having a population of only about 26 million people. Analysts believe that North Korea has a surplus of ammunition since it has not fought a war since 1953, when the Korean Armistice was signed.

Persons: Kim Jong, Vladimir V, Putin, ”, Fyodor Tertitskiy, Tertitskiy, Kim, Ali Khamenei, Iran’s, Aleksandr G, Lukashenko, Sergei K, Shoigu, Petr Akopov, “, ” Mr, Akopov Organizations: North Korean, Mr, Kookmin University, Russian, Pentagon, South Korea, Analysts, RIA Novosti, . Security Locations: Russia, Ukraine, North Korea, Seoul, Vladivostok, Iran, Moscow, Belarus, South, Korea, Pyongyang

☆ Putin's spokesman claims Putin hasn't decided whether to run again in 2024, but a Russia expert says any indecision is just a schtick
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A spokesperson for Putin said the Russian president hasn't decided if he will run again in 2024. But Putin's feigned indecision is his standard schtick, a Russia expert told Insider. Putin's spokesman said there are no candidates who would pose a real threat to Putin's power. A spokesperson for Putin told Russian state media this week that the president has not decided whether he will run again in next year's election. In reality, there's little question that Putin will run in — and win — his fifth presidential election since 2000 come spring.

Persons: Putin, hasn't, Putin's, Vladimir Putin, coy, Dmitry Peskov, Simon Miles, Miles, Boris Yeltsin's, Peskov, Alexei Navalny —, Boris Nemtsov, Yevgeny Prigozhin, — Organizations: Service, RBC, Reuters, Duke University's Sanford School of Public, Soviet Union, Russian, Kremlin Locations: Russian, Russia, Wall, Silicon, —, Soviet, Ukraine

☆ Putin says the cases against Donald Trump show the ‘rottenness’ of the U.S. system.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Paul Sonne | More About Paul Sonne | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

President Vladimir V. Putin called the criminal cases against Donald J. Trump good for Russia and an indication of the American system’s “rottenness,” in wide-ranging remarks Tuesday that also touched on the war in Ukraine, China and Elon Musk. The comments came as Mr. Putin prepared to meet with the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, who arrived in Russia on Tuesday, the Kremlin said. Russian news reports have speculated that the meeting could take place at the Vostochny Cosmodrome, a space launch center in the Amur region. Mr. Putin confirmed on Tuesday that he would visit the facility but did not say he would host Mr. Kim there. Here is some of what the Russian leader said:

Persons: Vladimir V, Putin, Donald J, Elon Musk, Kim Jong, Kim Organizations: Trump, Elon, North Korean, Vostochny Locations: Russia, Ukraine, China, Vladivostok, Amur

☆ Kim-Putin Meeting Nears, but Where?
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Daniel Victor | More About Daniel Victor | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Kim Jong-un arrived in Russia on Tuesday, the Kremlin confirmed, traveling aboard his slow-moving armored train to a meeting with President Vladimir V. Putin that could see the two nations increasing military cooperation. The North’s official Korean Central News Agency published photographs on Tuesday of Mr. Kim and other officials on the train, which is his preferred method of travel during his rare trips out of the country. The Kremlin spokesman, Dmitri S. Peskov, confirmed Mr. Kim’s arrival in Russia later on Tuesday. Russian state media shared video that purported to show Mr. Kim disembarking his train in Primorsky Krai, in Russia’s Far East, on Tuesday. Mr. Kim and Mr. Putin will discuss bilateral cooperation — including trade and economic ties — and have an “intensive exchange of opinions on the situation in the region,” Mr. Peskov said.

Persons: Kim Jong, Vladimir V, Putin, Kim, Dmitri S, Peskov, Alexander Kozlov, Khasan, Mr Organizations: Kremlin, Korean Central News Agency, — Locations: Russia, Primorsky Krai, Russia’s Far, Khasan, Russian

One such train was spotted on Monday heading north, near where the borders of North Korea, Russia and China meet. It was moving in the direction of Vladivostok, where Mr. Putin is attending an economic forum. On Tuesday, North Korean state media confirmed that Mr. Kim had indeed left Pyongyang, the North’s capital, for Russia by train. South Korean officials said soon afterward that he had crossed the border. The green train that officials look for is the special bulletproof one that Mr. Kim — and his father and grandfather, who ruled North Korea before him — have used to visit China, Russia or the former Soviet Union.

Persons: Kim Jong, —, Vladimir V, Putin —, Putin, Mr, Kim, Kim —, Kim’s Organizations: Soviet Union Locations: Russia, North Korea, China, Vladivostok, North Korean, Pyongyang

Putin reportedly arrived in Vladivostok on Monday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, according to state TV Russia 24. Kim, meanwhile, appears to be on a train heading to Russia, a South Korean government official told CNN. With its borders sealed because of that for much of the past three years, North Korea has only recently begun to relax travel restrictions. Vladivostok lies 130 km (80 miles) from the border with North Korea. North Korea is already under United Nations and US sanctions imposed over Pyongyang’s weapons of mass destruction program.

Persons: CNN — Kim Jong, Vladimir Putin, Kim, Putin, Dmitry Peskov, Donald Trump –, Xi Jinping, Moon Jae, Sergei Shoigu, Jake Sullivan Organizations: CNN, Ukraine, Russia “, Russia, South, North, The North, Russian, White House, United Nations Locations: Russia, Pyongyang, Moscow, United States, North Korean, Vladivostok, Monday, South Korean, North Korea, Singapore, Hanoi, North, South Korea, China, The, The North Korea, Korea, Ukraine

Kim’s delegation likely includes his foreign minister, Choe Sun Hui, and his top two military officials – Korean People’s Army Marshals Ri Pyong Chol and Pak Jong Chon. Other officials identified in North Korean state media photos may hint at what Kim might seek from Putin and what he would be willing to give. U.S. officials released intelligence last week that North Korea and Russia were arranging a meeting between their leaders. After decades of a complicated, hot-and-cold relationship, Russia and North Korea have been drawing closer since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Both Russian and North Korean officials denied such claims.

Persons: —, Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin, Kim, Jeon Ha Gyu, Choe Sun Hui, Ri, Pak Jong Chon, Putin, Pak, Song, Adm, Kim Myong Sik, it's, Kim Jong, Jo Chun Ryong, Putin’s, Dmitry Peskov, ”, Adrienne Watson, “, Matthew Miller, Wagner, Sergei Shoigu, Jim Heintz, Aamer Madhani, Matthew Lee, Dake Kang, Ng Han Guan Organizations: Korean Central News Agency, Korea’s Defense Ministry, Korean People’s, Korea’s Unification Ministry, TASS, Associated Press, White, National Security, North, Democratic People’s, ”, Washington, United, Korean, Russian Locations: SEOUL, South Korea, Russia, Ukraine, North, North Korean, Korea, Russian, Vladivostok, Pyongyang, North Korea, Monday ., Ukrainian, DPRK, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Washington, Japan, Moscow, Beijing, United States, Korean, Tallinn, Estonia, Fangchuan, China, russia, ukraine

When North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un, visited President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia four years ago, it was mostly for diplomatic show. But this week he will visit Mr. Putin a second time with the ability to supply something the Kremlin desperately needs: munitions that could help Russian forces fighting in Ukraine. The meeting, announced by both governments on Monday, comes as Mr. Putin is courting support for his standoff against the United States and NATO from other leaders opposed to Western dominance. In a brief statement, the Kremlin said Mr. Kim would “pay an official visit to the Russian Federation in the coming days” at Mr. Putin’s invitation. North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency confirmed that Mr. Kim would soon visit Russia for a summit meeting with Mr. Putin, but provided no further details.

Persons: Kim Jong, Vladimir V, Putin, Kim, Mr Organizations: North, Mr, NATO, Russian Federation, Korean Central News Agency Locations: Russia, Ukraine, United States, Iran, India, Kremlin

☆ Russia’s ‘Merchant of Death’ Is Looking to Forge a New Life in Politics
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-10 | by ( Valerie Hopkins | More About Valerie Hopkins | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

As an arms trafficker, he operated in some of the world’s most dangerous places, becoming one of the world’s most wanted men and earning the nickname “Merchant of Death,” not to speak of a 25-year prison sentence in the U.S. But now, nine months after returning to Russia in a prisoner exchange, Viktor A. “I’ve been for 15 years locked up in your federal system,” he said in an interview conducted in somewhat stilted English at his party’s Moscow headquarters. “So what do you expect for me, that I have to take time to take vacation? He was long suspected of having links to Russia’s military intelligence agency, the G.R.U.

Persons: Merchant of, ”, Viktor, Vladimir V, “ I’ve, I’ve Locations: U.S, Russia, Ulyanovsk, Moscow, Thailand, Manhattan

☆ G20 Declaration Omits Criticism of Russia, Notes Ukrainians’ ‘Suffering’
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-09 | by ( Katie Rogers | More About Katie Rogers | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The declaration also underscored the potential of digital technologies to increase inclusion in global economies. The president joined other leaders in announcing a project to create a rail and shipping corridor linking India to the Middle East and, eventually, Europe. It was a promise of new technological and trade pathways, they said, in a part of the world where deeper economic cooperation was overdue. The project lacked key details, including a time frame or budget. Even so, it represented much softer than usual rhetoric about Russia from Mr. Biden and other Western leaders, who have spent the better part of two years spending billions on arming Ukraine and burning untold domestic political capital building support for the war.

Persons: ” Jake Sullivan, Oleg Nikolenko, ” Mr, Biden, Xi Jinping, Vladimir V, Putin Organizations: Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry, Facebook, Bank, African Union, Mr Locations: India, Europe, Russia, Ukraine, China

☆ Hitler didn't stop when he was given land, and nor would Putin, says Ukraine's former defense minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Ukraine's former defense minister said a peace deal where Ukraine gives up land won't stop Russia. Reznikov said a similar deal didn't stop Hitler in the 1930s and "Putin's actions follow a similar pattern." Ukrainian officials have repeatedly said they will not accept a peace deal that includes giving up land to Russia. Ukraine has also told China, which has expressed interest in brokering a peace deal, that it won't accept a deal that involves giving Russia territory. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said earlier this year that a peace agreement can't include giving land to Russia, or else it wouldn't be a "just peace and a durable peace."

Persons: Reznikov, didn't, Hitler, Putin, Vladimir Putin, Adolf Hitler, Oleksii Reznikov, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Antony Blinken, Zelenskyy, Emmanuel Macron Organizations: Service, Guardian, Ukraine, Czechoslovakia, NATO, Soviet Union Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Europe, Wall, Silicon, Nazi Germany, Germany, Czechoslovakia, China, Soviet

President Biden is set to arrive in New Delhi on Friday for a global summit meeting where he will present the United States as an economic and strategic counterweight to China and Russia, taking advantage of the absence of leaders from those two countries, who are skipping the gathering. Mr. Biden is bringing with him the promise of up to $200 billion in new development funds for climate change, food security, public health and other infrastructure needs in less developed countries through revamped international financing institutions like the World Bank, leveraged by a relatively small investment by the United States. Mr. Biden’s plan would match only a fraction of the Chinese investments in recent years but offers an alternative to Beijing’s presence as an omnipresent and often unforgiving creditor. The president will have an important opportunity at the Group of 20 meeting thanks to the decisions by President Xi Jinping of China and President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia to not attend. Mr. Biden will have room to present a case to a large group of important world leaders that they should align with the United States on matters that include condemning Russia’s war in Ukraine and curbing China’s increasing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific.

Persons: Biden, Biden’s, Xi Jinping, Vladimir V, Putin Organizations: World Bank, Group Locations: New Delhi, United States, China, Russia, American, Ukraine

☆ US scorns Putin’s possible turn toward North Korea
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Russia may be looking to Kim to replenish its ammunition and artillery supplies as the war in Ukraine grinds into another bloody winter. It’s also a big oil supplier, and North Korea and Russia are both living under punishing Western sanctions and restrictions on their access to the global market. As it often has during the Ukraine war, Washington is trumpeting information from its intelligence agencies to foreshadow and discredit Putin’s moves before they happen. While the US is dismissive of the possible Kim-Putin meeting, both leaders have the capacity to make trouble for Washington. Putin’s friendship with the Chinese leader has worried the US, although Beijing may not have offered quite the assistance that the Russian leader might have hoped for – one reason he may be turning to North Korea for military supplies.

Persons: CNN — Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong, Washington’s, Kim, Putin, It’s, Donald Trump’s, Putin’s, Rahm Emanuel, Emanuel, Jake Sullivan, ” Sullivan, Russia’s, Joe Biden, Xi Organizations: CNN, Washington, Ukraine grinds, North Korean, White Locations: Korean, Ukraine, China, Korea, Russia, Pyongyang, North Korea, Washington, Japan, Iran, Beijing, Russian, Pacific

☆ Vladimir Putin must really be desperate for help since he's planning to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and talk about weapons, top US diplomat says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is planning to meet with Vladimir Putin to discuss a possible arms deal. The move just shows the Kremlin's "desperation," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told NBC News. Kim is reportedly planning to travel to Russia this month to discuss supplying weapons to Russia for use in Ukraine. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told NBC News on Thursday that Kim's planned upcoming trip to Russia for arms deal talks shows the Kremlin's "desperation." AdvertisementAdvertisementThe counteroffensive has been slow-moving, but Blinken told NBC News on Thursday that Ukrainian troops were making "very tangible progress" over the last couple of weeks.

Persons: Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin, Antony Blinken, Kim, Kim's, Mark Hertling, Putin, Mr, Hertling, Blinken Organizations: NBC News, Service, United, North, NBC, New York Times, CNN, US Army Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, United States, Moscow, North Korea, US Army Europe

☆ Blinken, in Kyiv, Says U.S. Will Send $1 Billion More in Aid
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Constant Méheut | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +6 min

The aid will also include demining assistance to clear Russian land mines and prevent the remnants of war from causing further harm to civilians, Mr. Blinken said. It includes ammunition made with depleted uranium for Abrams tanks, which are scheduled to arrive in Ukraine this fall, Mr. Blinken said. Mr. Blinken traveled by train to Kyiv with Denmark’s prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, according to a State Department statement. He was replaced by Rustem Umerov, who has been the chairman of Ukraine’s State Property Fund. A senior State Department official told reporters traveling with Mr. Blinken that the effort was aimed at “putting global support on a long-term, sustainable path.

Persons: Antony J, Blinken, Biden, Dmytro Kuleba, Volodymyr Zelensky, ” Mr, Zelensky, ”, “, Lynsey Addario, Mr, Mette Frederiksen, Blinken’s, Oleksii, Rustem Umerov, Umerov’s, Tyler Hicks, Putin, Vladimir V, Russia, Erin Mendell, Anushka Patil Organizations: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kyiv, United, Pentagon, The New York Times, Ukraine’s, Department, Property Fund, 22nd Mechanized Brigade, State Department Locations: Kyiv, Ukraine, U.S, United States, matériel, Kostyantynivka, Ukrainian, ”, Russia, “, Denmark, Ukraine’s, Bakhmut, Israel

☆ Vladimir Putin is getting so desperate, he's 'scrambling for help' from Kim Jong Un, retired US general says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A retired US general says resorting to asking Kim Jong Un for weapons shows how desperate Putin is. "It's showing that Mr. Putin is scrambling for help," retired Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling told CNN. Get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in business, from Wall Street to Silicon Valley — delivered daily. The New York Times reported on Monday that Kim is planning to travel to Russia later this month to discuss supplying weapons to Russia. It's showing that Mr. Putin is scrambling for help," said Hertling, who previously served as the commanding general of US Army Europe.

Persons: Kim Jong Un, Putin, Mr, Mark Hertling, Vladimir Putin, Kim, Hertling, CNN's Jim Acosta, Oryx, James, Spider, Marks Organizations: CNN, Service, New York Times, Times, US Army Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, North Korea, North

☆ India's G20 presidency risks ringing hollow as Ukraine war dashes hopes of consensus
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Clement Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

US President Joe Biden, right, and Narendra Modi, India's prime minister, at an arrival ceremony during a state visit on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Thursday, June 22, 2023. One of the risks is that by elevating India's presidency of the G20 so much, there are now expectations for India to deliver some concrete breakthroughs. Russia-Ukraine impasseIndeed, the specter of Russia's Ukraine invasion has loomed large over G20 meetings for the various tracks that India has convened. He even labeled it the "biggest achievement" of India's G20 presidency so far — despite Russia and China abstaining. This development serves to buttress India's burgeoning economic clout, the basis of its greater confidence and assertiveness geopolitically.

Persons: Joe Biden, Narendra Modi, India's, haven't, Manjari Chatterjee, Modi, Manjari Chatterjee Miller, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Putin, Pramit Pal Chaudhuri, Chaudhuri, Sergei Lavrov —, Putin —, CFR's Miller, Eurasia Group's Chaudhuri, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Sumedha Dasgupta, Biden, Taiwan —, assertiveness, It's, Pravin Krishna Johns Organizations: White, Bloomberg, Getty, Indian, Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Manjari Chatterjee Miller, Foreign, Council, Foreign Relations, CNBC, Global, African Union, UN, Group Russia's, West, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, India's, Economist Intelligence Unit, Moscow, . Warming, Apple, Pravin Krishna Johns Hopkins University's School, International Locations: Washington , DC, New Delhi, India, Ukraine, Pakistan, South Asia, Washington ,, Russia, China, Varanasi, Bali, Eurasia, Asia, U.S, . Warming India, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, Beijing

☆ 5 costly mistakes the Russian military has made since it invaded Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Coverage of the grueling conflict has, in part, been characterized by a litany of Russian military mistakes that began early and continue to crop up. Advertisement Advertisement Watch: VIDEO: Why Russia's military is failing so far in UkraineHere are 5 military mistakes Russia has made since February 24, 2022. Putin vowed Russian troops would take the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv within a matter of days. AdvertisementAdvertisementA man wearing a Ukrainian flag visits an avenue where destroyed Russian military vehicles have been displayed ahead of Independence Day in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, Aug. 21, 2023. There are several examples throughout the war of Russian troops and leaders harming their own side.

Persons: Vladimir Putin's, Putin, Efrem Lukatsky Putin, Michael Kofman, Calder Walton, ANATOLII STEPANOV, Serhii, aren't, Screengrab Organizations: Service, Kyiv, Center for Naval, Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government, Intelligence, Sunday Times, Javelin, Getty, High Mobility Artillery, Kremlin, Security Service, Russian Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Kyiv Russia, Kyiv, Russian, Ukrainian, Bucha, Vuhledar, Oskol, Ukraine's Kharkiv, AFP, Makiivka, Donetsk Oblast, village's, Belgorod, Crimean, Kerch

☆ North Korea Finds New Leverage in the Ukraine War
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Choe Sang-Hun | More About Choe Sang-Hun | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

For Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea, a rare trip to Russia this month to discuss military aid for President Vladimir V. Putin’s Ukraine war effort could provide two things the North has wanted for a long time: technical help with its weapons programs, and to finally be needed by an important neighbor. North Korea has not been used to getting a lot of attention other than global condemnation for its nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests. But Russia’s urgency to make new gains in the war is offering Mr. Kim a bit of the geopolitical spotlight — and a new way to both irk the United States and draw closer to Moscow and Beijing. Though Russia has long been a crucial ally for the isolated North, relations between the two countries have at times grown tense since the disintegration of the Soviet Union. And Russia accounts for very little of the economic trade that North Korea needs; China alone provides nearly all of that.

Persons: Kim Jong, Vladimir V, Kim Locations: North Korea, Russia, Ukraine, United States, Moscow, Beijing, Soviet Union, Korea, China

Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea, plans to travel to Russia this month to meet with President Vladimir V. Putin to discuss the possibility of supplying Russia with more weaponry for its war in Ukraine and other military cooperation, according to American and allied officials. Mr. Kim could possibly go to Moscow, though that is not certain. Mr. Putin wants Mr. Kim to agree to send Russia artillery shells and antitank missiles, and Mr. Kim would like Russia to provide North Korea with advanced technology for satellites and nuclear-powered submarines, the officials said. Mr. Kim is also seeking food aid for his impoverished nation. Mr. Kim also plans to visit Pier 33, where naval ships from Russia’s Pacific fleet dock, they said.

Persons: Kim Jong, Vladimir V, Putin, Kim Organizations: Mr, Eastern Federal University, Eastern Economic, Russia’s Locations: North Korea, Russia, Ukraine, Pyongyang, North, Vladivostok, Moscow, Korea

☆ Russian and Turkish Leaders to Meet Amid Push to Revive Grain Deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( Gaya Gupta | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Image Grain stored in a warehouse in the village of Moloha, in Ukraine’s Odesa region, in July. The meeting was announced after talks on Thursday between the countries’ top diplomats in Moscow ended with no apparent progress in resurrecting the deal, which Russia withdrew from in July. Moscow complained that the deal was being carried out unfairly, and has since repeatedly bombarded Ukrainian grain facilities and threatened civilian ships heading to Ukrainian ports. On Monday, the two leaders also are expected to discuss a proposal to build a gas distribution hub in Turkey that Russia could use to reroute its gas exports. Establishing a gas hub in Turkey could make Ankara a powerful player in international gas markets and give Russia an intermediary through which to reach European buyers.

Persons: Emile Ducke, Vladimir V, Putin, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Russia’s, António Guterres, Guterres, Erdogan, Mr Organizations: The New York Times, Turkish, Initiative, United Nations, NATO Locations: Moloha, Ukraine’s Odesa, Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, Ukrainian, Ukraine’s, Turkey, Kyiv, New York, Sochi, Russian, Turkish, Ankara

☆ Opinion | Prigozhin’s Real Legacy: The Mercenary Blueprint
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-03 | by ( Sean Mcfate | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The death of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Wagner mercenary chief, has set off intense speculation over the future of the world’s most dangerous private army. In reality, the departure of the boss may not change much. After Mr. Prighozin’s failed mutiny in June, President Vladimir Putin forced many Wagner mercenaries to surrender their weapons to the Russian military, granting his generals their wish. Reports emerged on Thursday that the Russian government is now moving to take control of operations of the enterprise there that Mr. Prigozhin built as a conflict entrepreneur. It is simply too profitable for Mr. Putin to fully disband.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Prigozhin, Dmitri Utkin, Prighozin’s, Vladimir Putin, Wagner’s, Putin Organizations: Mr Locations: Russian, Africa

☆ Russia signs 280,000 for contract military service this year -Medvedev
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A view shows a billboard promoting military service under the contract in Russian Armed Forces and containing information about payments, on a road in the Leningrad Region, Russia July 4, 2023. REUTERS/Anton Vaganov/file photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 3 (Reuters) - Some 280,000 people have signed up so far this year for professional service with Russia's military, the deputy chair of the Russian Security Council, former President Dmitry Medvedev, said on Sunday. Visiting Russia's Far East, Medvedev said he was meeting local officials to work on efforts to beef up the armed forces. "According to the Ministry of Defence, since Jan. 1, about 280,000 people have been accepted into the ranks of the Armed Forces on a contract basis," including reservists, state news agency TASS quoted Medvedev as saying. Some Russian lawmakers suggested Russia needs a professional army 7-million strong to ensure the country's security - a move that would require a huge budget allowance.

Persons: Anton Vaganov, Dmitry Medvedev, Medvedev, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Lidia Kelly, William Mallard Organizations: Russian Armed Forces, REUTERS, Russian Security Council, Ministry of Defence, Armed Forces, Ukraine, Thomson Locations: Leningrad Region, Russia, Melbourne

☆ New Russian High School Textbooks Seek to Justify War in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Valeriya Safronova | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The book follows a singular and standardized version of history approved by the highest echelons of power in Russia, and it appears to be the latest push in the Kremlin’s youth-targeted propaganda campaign to justify its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The text devotes 28 pages to Russia’s war in Ukraine, which the authors frame as a response to an increasingly aggressive West that intended to use Ukraine as a “battering ram” to destroy Russia. Revised history textbooks for younger students will be released next year, according to a report from RIA Novosti, a Russian state media outlet. One of the book’s authors, Vladimir Medinsky, is a former culture minister and an adviser to President Vladimir V. Putin. Echoing Mr. Putin’s own words, the authors accused the United States of spreading what they call “Russophobia” in former Soviet republics and of escalating the war in Ukraine, leaving Russia with “no other alternatives” than to call for a partial mobilization that aimed to press 300,000 men into service in the conflict in 2022.

Persons: ”, Vladimir Medinsky, Vladimir V, Putin, Putin’s, “ Organizations: RIA Novosti Locations: Russian, Ukraine, United States, Russia, Soviet

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