Associated Press Photoshops 'Anti-Russian Demonstration' in Istanbul (UPDATED)

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This AP “photograph”, which clearly proves that Russia is destroying the Middle East, has been floating around the Internet. Do you notice something odd about it? Yes: Putin's blood-soaked fangs aren't that large. But also: that’s just sloppy Aside from the hands, which clearly do not belong to the same body, what's up with that poster? The over-the-top concave (created by the firm grip of the painted, mutant hand), the crappy Photoshop shadow effect…Come on. This is embarrassing. Keep up the good work, Associated Press. UPDATE: This might actually be a case of “terrible nails”. Reader “Simon” points out that there are other pictures of this woman. As such, we apologize for jumping the proverbial gun. (AP still bites the big one, though.)

Vladimir Putin Interview to the Italian newspaper Il Corriere della Sera

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Ahead of his visit to Italy, Vladimir Putin gave an interview to the newspaper Il Corriere della Sera.

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Good evening.

Luciano Fontana: Good evening, Mr President. First of all, we would like to thank you for giving us this important opportunity to interview you today.
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Putin prefers a bad peace

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By Israel Shamir

In February, it is a long way to the spring, lamented Joseph Brodsky, the poet. Indeed, snow still falls heavily in Moscow and Kiev as well as in the rolling steppes that form Russian-Ukrainian borderlands, but there it is tinted with red. Soldiers are loth to fight in the winter, when life is difficult anyway in these latitudes, but fighting already flared up in war-torn Donbass, and the US prepares to escalate by supplying sophisticated weapons to Kiev. Tired by the siege and by intermittent shelling, the rebels disregarded snow and took the strategic Donetsk airport. This airport with its Stalin-built tunnels, a symbol of solid Soviet defence work, presented a huge challenge for underequipped militia. Its many-leveled underground facilities were built to sustain a nuclear attack; still, the rebels, after months of fighting, flushed the enemy out and took it. 

Putin Addresses the Nation With Annual New Year's Speech

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During his traditional New Year address to the nation, Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed sincere gratitude to Russian people "for staunch loyalty in both times of triumph and of woe."


 Russian President Vladimir Putin mentioned Olympic Games 2014 in Sochi, the reunification of Crimea with Russia and expressed sincere gratitude to Russian people for "unity and solidarity" during his traditional New Year address to the nation.

A coup against Putin or a coup BY Putin?

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A very interesting question was recently asked by a reader of the French Saker Blog, "FD":

Should we expect a coup AGAINST Putin or a coup BY Putin? Given the power of the pro-USA forces at the top political, intellectual, financial and media circles, will Putin not have to make his own "18 Brumaire"?

This is a very interesting idea because, in a way, it might appear to be, if not a good solution, t

Bad times for Putin bashers

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I don't know if you have noticed this, but the usual crowd of Putin bashers is being uncharacteristically quiet these days, especially the ones I call the "hurray patriots".  Some of their blogs have simply been closed, others are apparently frozen, and those still minimally active are getting very few visitors (nope, I shall not name them here, both on principle and in order not to direct any traffic towards these cesspools).  They are all apparently getting tired of chanting their favorite mantras ("Putin has sold out!", "Putin has betrayed Novorussia!", "Putin is a puppet of the oligarchs!", etc.).  The reason for that sudden drop in energy is simple: the Putin bashers have just suffered a series of painful political defeats.  Let's look at them one by one:

Euronews Responds to Unfair Coverage Claims Over Putin Video

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The Euronews editorial staff in a statement obtained by RIA Novosti Monday denied recent allegations of unfair coverage following a controversial video showing Ukrainian security forces firing at a portrait of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"Euronews is constantly and vigorously providing facts without any judgment and in any case with respect. It was not our intention to offend any of the parties involved, but to serve our audiences everywhere with the bare facts of this report," the channel's editorial staff said.

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Rasmussen: NATO Ready to Welcome Putin’s Peace Plan for Ukraine if It Is Genuine

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NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen expressed his readiness to welcome Russian President Vladimir Putin’s peace plan for Ukraine in case it is genuine. “If recent statements from President Putin represent a genuine effort to find a political solution, I would welcome it, because that is exactly what we need, a constructive political process,” Rasmussen said during joint press conference with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko in the course of NATO summit in Wales.

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In search of peace: Putin & Poroshenko shake hands at key Ukraine talks (Video)

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Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in Minsk for talks with the leaders of the member states of the Eurasian Customs Union, Ukraine and representatives of the EU.

Who is Mr. Putin? by Mikhail Khazin (MUST SEE!)

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There is a lot of nonsense and garbage floating around on the Internet about the personality of Vladimir Putin, mostly written folks who not only know nothing about him, but who don't even understand the basics about how the Russian state works.  Today, I want to share with you a video (especially translated or this purpose by the Russian Team) in which the renowned Russian economic Mikhail Khazin shares his view of Putin and of Putin's current position vis-à-vis the hostile and russophobic West.  I don't always agree with Khazin, and even in this case I don't fully agree with some of what he says, but I think that Khazin has really "nailed the bottom line on the head" (how is that for a combo-neologism?).  
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US pressure on French banks 'blackmail' linked to Mistral warship deal - Putin

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Vladimir Putin said that Russia was aware of pressure that the United States puts on France over the deal to build the Mistral warships for Russia and views it as blackmail, RIA reports. "What is being done now with the French banks causes nothing but outrage in Europe and in our country as well," Putin said at a meeting with Russian ambassadors and permanent envoys.

"We are aware of the pressure that our American partners exert on France with a purpose of not to deliver the Mistral warships to Russia. And we know even that the United States hinted that if the French do not deliver the Mistrals, then sanctions will gradually be lifted from the banks, or at least be reduced to minimum. If this is not blackmail, then what is it?" he added.

West should get rid of ambitions to build 'global barracks' dictating its rules - Putin

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Russian President Vladimir Putin hopes the West will stop forcing its principles on other countries, making a "world barracks" out of the international stage. "I hope pragmatism will triumph after all. The West will rid itself of the ambitions and desire to put a 'world barracks" in place, to line all up by ranks and to force uniform rules of conduct and living on society," Putin stated. "I hope the West will build relations on the basis of equality and mutual respect, taking each others' interests into account," the Russian president said to ambassadors and permanent envoys at a conference on Monday.

On trends in global politics

Putin to visit Buenos Aires in July to strengthen cooperation with Argentina

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Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he plans to visit Buenos Aires in July to lay the groundwork for joint projects between Russia and Argentina in the energy sector, including civilian nuclear technologies, military-technological cooperation and machine building.

"Argentina is one of Russia's key partners in Latin America," Putin said on Friday.

Putin forecasts Russia's GDP to grow higher than expected early in 2014.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin expects that Russia’s GDP growth would be higher than it was expected in 2014. "Last year, Russia’s GDP grew by not very much - 1.3%. This is slightly less than the year before, but still there was some growth. I think this year we will reach more significant figures than we predicted in the beginning of this year," Putin said at a meeting with Russian and Austrian business leaders in Vienna on Tuesday, reports Interfax.

Putin and OSCE Chairperson discuss situation in Ukraine on Tuesday

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"Now we need to discuss exactly how we can help," said Didier Burkhalter, expressing satisfaction that he and Putin were able to arrange a meeting quickly. "Our direct contact and dialogue is very important," said the Chairman of the OSCE. The meeting of the two presidents, closing Putin’s official visit to Austria, lasted 50 minutes instead of the scheduled half an hour

OSCE Chairperson-in-office Didier Burkhalter considers it necessary to find at least a part of solutions   on the situation in Ukraine in the next several days, repors RIA Novosti.

Putin, Obama discuss implementation of Poroshenko's peace plan by phone

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Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed proposals for peace in Ukraine with US President Barack Obama on Monday, the Kremlin said in a statement, after Ukraine's leader announced a ceasefire in military operations in the east, informing Reuters. US President urged Putin to support peace in Ukraine and said Moscow would face further "costs" if it did not take steps to reduce tensions in the country, the White House said.

"They discussed ... the implementation of the peace plan proposed by the President Petr Poroshenko," the Kremlin said. "Putin stressed that priority must be given to halting military operations and to the start of direct negotiations between the opposing sides."

Putin's aide proposes anti-dollar alliance to force US to end Ukraine's civil war

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Sergey Glazyev, the economic aide of Vladimir Putin, published an article outlining a plan for "undermining the economic strength of the US" in order to force Washington to stop the civil war in Ukraine. Glazyev believes that the only way of making the US give up its plans on starting a new cold war is to crash the dollar system.

In his article, published by Argumenty Nedeli, Putin's economic aide and the mastermind behind the Eurasian Economic Union, argues that Washington is trying to provoke a Russian military intervention in Ukraine, using the junta in Kiev as bait. If fulfilled, the plan will give Washington a number of important benefits. Firstly, it will allow the US to introduce new sanctions against Russia, writing off Moscow's portfolio of US Treasury bills. More important is that a new wave of sanctions will create a situation in which Russian companies won't be able to service their debts to European banks.

Prince Charles' drawing parallel with Hitler an act of 'non-royal behavior'- Putin

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President Vladimir Putin on Saturday described British Prince Charles' reported comparison of the Russian leader with Nazi German dictator Adolf Hitler as an act of "non-royal behavior."

"I haven't heard this phrase. If it is true, it is, of course, unacceptable. I think he realizes this. He is a well-mannered person. I have met him and other members of the royal family. It's non-royal behavior," Putin said at a meeting in St. Petersburg with the chiefs of global news agencies, Interfax reports.

It's bad to read other people's mail – Putin's reaction on US reading EU leaders' letter

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Russian President Vladimir Putin said during a meeting of the Russian Security Council that Washington's reaction to the letter that he sent to European leaders about the situation in Ukraine was strange. "It's bad to read other people's mail", Putin said. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said during the meeting that the State Department's official spokesperson said in what proved Washington's first reaction to Putin's letter that Russia should not politicize its gas deals with Ukraine and should adhere to market pricing.

Russia doesn't prohibit homosexual relations, only propaganda among minors is banned - Putin

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 During his meeting with Sochi Olympics volunteers, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia does not seek to hold anyone legally responsible for homosexual relations, as it is widely stipulated in the West. More specifically, he underlined that Russia does not arrest anyone for homosexual relations, and it is only the promotion of homosexuality and pedophilia among minors that is strictly banned.