FILE PHOTO: A protester wearing a face mask holds a poster of Alexei Navalny in Hollywood during a demonstration in support of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny,
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Germany, Poland and Sweden expelled three Russian diplomats in a coordinated retaliation on Monday for the expulsion of three European Union diplomats by Russia while the EU’s foreign policy chief was visiting Moscow last week.
The tit-for-tat expulsions underscore the volatility in East-West relations and an erosion of trust among former Cold War foes, as the West accuses Moscow of trying to destabilise it and the Kremlin rejects what it sees as foreign interference.
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WASHINGTON/MOSCOW (Reuters) - The United States and Russia said on Wednesday they had extended the New START arms control treaty for five years, preserving the last treaty limiting deployments of the world’s two largest strategic nuclear arsenals.
Newly confirmed U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken addresses reporters during his first press briefing at the State Department in Washington, U.S., January 27, 2021. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/Pool/Files
The pact, due to expire on Friday, was extended to Feb. 5, 2026, despite bilateral disputes over Russia’s jailing of poisoned Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, alleged cyber hacking of U.S. government agencies and treatment of neighboring Ukraine.
D-day for Kremlin critic Navalny as Russian court considers longer jail term swissinfo.ch - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from swissinfo.ch Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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AMMAN (Reuters) - Syria’s long-time foreign minister Walid al-Moalem, an unyielding defender of Syrian President Bashar al Assad’s bloody crackdown on peaceful protesters that sparked a decade-old conflict, died on Monday.
People carry the coffin of Syria s Foreign Minister Walid al-Moalem, during his funeral at Saad bin Muath Mosque in Damascus, Syria, November 16, 2020. REUTERS/Omar Sanadiki
The government gave no details of the cause of death, but the 79-year-old had been in poor health with heart problems. A source close to the government said his deputy, veteran diplomat Faisal Mekdad, was expected to replace him as foreign minister.
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MOSCOW (Reuters) - The trigger for some of the biggest protests to sweep Russia in years was the arrest of opposition politician and Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, who was detained on his return to the country last month after surviving poisoning by a nerve agent.
FILE PHOTO: Protestors rally in support of jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Moscow, Russia January 31, 2021. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov
The anger runs deeper, however, and some protesters, young and old, say they have also taken to the streets to vent their frustration over declining living standards and the perceived gap between a small, wealthy elite and ordinary people.