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Russia bans Facebook, Instagram ; labels them extremist organizations

A Russian court declared Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, an “extremist organization” on Monday, making its work in Russia illegal. The decision excludes WhatsApp, which Meta also owns. The ruling, effective immediately, bans Facebook and Instagram from Russia, where both platforms are already blocked. The full scope of the ruling’s impact remains […]

Oxford Atlas

Russian lawmaker demands return of Alaska, California fort and reparations amid US-led sanctions

A Russian lawmaker made an outlandish demand over the weekend that the United States return Alaska and a historic settlement in California, in addition to paying reparations to Russia over crippling American-led sanctions that have put Moscow’s economy in a tailspin. Oleg Matveychev, a member of the state Duma, outlined on Russian state television a […]

Kremlin

A ‘cold-blooded’ alliance? China could be a pivotal force in Russia’s war against Ukraine

CIA Director William Burns recently offered a stark assessment of the alliance between Russia and China during a high-profile hearing on Capitol Hill. It is driven by “very cold-blooded” calculations, the U.S. spy chief – a former U.S. ambassador to Russia – told lawmakers on Thursday. Chinese President Xi Jinping may be “unsettled” by Russia’s […]

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Biden’s Russia Response Is Giving Him a Boost. Can He Make It Last?

Before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Joe Biden was in trouble. Rising inflation, a disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, and an ongoing pandemic with mandates and restrictions that were dividing Americans had all sapped his popularity. At the start of this year, his approval rating had plunged below forty percent, and with his main domestic priority – […]