What is the message why does he speak Deutsch now?? Everything he does has a deeper meaning. Also Trump his father and mother were German so I'm sure he understands some things.

Trump does not understand German at all lol. Like JFK, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and Joe Biden, Trump is monolingual. Bill Clinton, on the other hand, had some proficiency in German, he actually studied the language while at Georgetown.

Interesting my German is even worse than English, but if you have some basic knowledge you can still get around behind the border.
Curse words like Schweinhund or Arschloch are great though.

Yeah, I'm as monolingual as Trump. There was a time when I could read Spanish and understand much of it, but I was too busy to preserve that ability, unfortunately.

They say James Madison (the 4th president) was fluent in six languages. I can't remember which ones, but if true, six is quite impressive

I agree it is a huge talent but you are born with it. I believe Putin speaks several languages.

This guy is amazing !

Powell Alexander Janulus (born 1939) is a Canadian polyglot who lives in White Rock, British Columbia, and entered the Guinness World Records in 1985 for fluency in 42 languages.[1] To qualify, he had to pass a two-hour conversational fluency test with a native speaker of each of the 42 languages he spoke at that time.

Powell Janulus was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He was exposed to many Slavic languages as a child. His Polish mother spoke six languages while his Lithuanian father spoke at least four. He could speak 13 languages fluently at the age of 18.

Smart guy he want to show the West he is not the Devil.


Russia's Putin declares temporary Easter ceasefire in Ukraine
Updated on: April 19, 2025 / 7:17 PM EDT / CBS/AP

Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced a temporary "Easter truce" in the three-year conflict in Ukraine that will last until midnight Sunday.

"On humanitarian grounds, today from 6 p.m. to midnight from Sunday to Monday, the Russian side announces an Easter truce," Putin said in a televised statement released by the Kremlin. The statement has been translated. "For this period, I order to stop all fighting. We assume that the Ukrainian side will follow our example. At the same time, our troops should be prepared to reflect possible violations of the truce and provocations by the enemy, any aggressive actions."

Putin first announced the ceasefire in a meeting with Chief of the General Staff Velary Gerasimov, the Kremlin Press Service said.

Russia's Defense Ministry said in a translated statement that the ceasefire is imposed "for humanitarian purposes and will be observed by the Russian Unified Group of Troops (forces) provided that it is mutually respected by the Kiev regime."

The announcement came the day after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said President Trump's administration was ready to "move on" from peace talks between Russia and Ukraine if progress was not made in the coming days. Rubio made the comments in Paris, after landmark talks among U.S., Ukrainian and European officials.

"We are now reaching a point where we need to decide whether this is even possible or not," Rubio told reporters while departing Paris. "Because if it's not, then I think we're just going to move on."

"It's not our war," Rubio added. "We have other priorities to focus on." He said the U.S. administration wants to decide "in a matter of days." Another meeting is expected next week in London.

International • Apr 20 07:33 • Modified on Apr 20 07:33
Russia's industrial imports fall sharply, sanctions take effect
Author : Mark van Harreveld

Russia's import of goods with potential military applications has fallen sharply, research platform The Insider writes based on an analysis of customs data. In 2024, Russia imported $7.7 billion worth of industrial goods, compared to $11 billion the year before. 'Even China is scaling back its shipments, with electronics imports in particular down ten times from last year,' says researcher Andrey Zayakin of The Insider. It seems as if the international sanctions against Russia are having a visible effect.

At the same time, new supply chains have emerged through the most unexpected countries, including Gabon, Haiti, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. There are several reasons why Russian imports have fallen: in some cases, Russia has localized production or imported goods without declaring them, “but the broader trend shows that a combination of declining funds and increased oversight is weakening Russia’s military-industrial complex.”

Read also
Semantic trick helps Brussels extend sanctions against Russia, without supporting Hungary
According to Russian customs data, official deliveries from China and other countries fell sharply in 2024, with total Russian imports of industrial equipment plummeting by about 50 percent. Before the invasion of Ukraine, Russia imported $9 billion worth of industrial machinery, which peaked despite sanctions in 2023 at more than $11 billion (more than half of which was accounted for by Beijing), before falling sharply in 2024.

Chinese monopoly
Over the past four years, Russia has become increasingly dependent on China as a source of industrial hardware, and Russian technological supply chains have been largely monopolized by Chinese companies. This Sino-Russian partnership has allowed Russia’s war industry to quietly continue as if sanctions were not in place. For example, Russian imports of electronic components produced in the US, Europe, Japan, and South Korea via China increased 60-fold in the period 2020-2023, but plummeted 17-fold in 2024.

Read also
Europe takes steps to ban Russian gas: 'Import still worth 1.3 billion'
And the declines are occurring in almost all industrial categories, from energy systems and metallurgical equipment to optical elements and mechanical parts such as transmission shafts, bearings and centrifuges. Only imports of Western-made metalworking machinery and measuring instruments rose, although their dollar value fell by 23 percent.

Read also
Ukraine finds Indian components in Russian drones
Russia has long used complex supply chains to circumvent embargoes and business bans. Industrial machinery typically enters Russia via three main routes: China, the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), and other non-Western countries such as Taiwan, Israel, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Turkey. “Despite their governments’ official positions, many of these countries have often created loopholes to circumvent sanctions,” Zayakin said.

Read also
Russia keeps companies on government drip to avoid bankruptcies
In contrast, direct imports from countries that do strictly comply with the sanctions, such as the EU/EEA, Switzerland, the UK, the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea and Japan, have fallen to the negligible level of less than $200 million in 2024.

Collapse
At the same time, customs data show that in almost all sectors, imports from so-called third countries increased in 2023, only to collapse the following year. The sharp decline occurred in mechanical engineering, electronics, metalworking and precision instruments. The only exception was energy equipment, which continued to grow slightly.

Read also
Europe gives Russia zero on request: sanctions will not be withdrawn
Now that the import of electronic components from China has almost stopped (from $1.6 billion to $260 million), Russia is sourcing those components from other players. 'The landscape has changed dramatically, the strategy has shifted. Instead of importing branded components, Russia now seems to be sourcing pre-assembled, custom-made electronics from little-known printed circuit board manufacturers.

Source where possible
Countries that recorded the largest growth in exports to Russia were Turkey, Cameroon and Gabon. Russia appears to be sourcing wherever it can: Cameroon, Gabon, Uganda and Haiti exported specialized aerospace equipment, Turkey became a major route for a wide range of goods including metal cutting machinery (from Germany, Japan and Taiwan), deep drilling equipment and chemical flow control systems. The United Arab Emirates has emerged as a general hub for all kinds of industrial equipment.

Read also
Russia wants sanctions lifted: 'They really feel them'
However, Russia is not able to absorb the effects of sanctions properly, because imports via Kremlin-friendly countries also decreased. This has several causes.

For example, Russia has less and less money to buy capital goods, and Moscow is increasingly using its foreign exchange earnings to import consumer goods from China and Turkey, which helps keep inflation under control. A second reason is that many Russian production facilities will have been modernized and stockpiled by 2023, allowing factories to operate without importing machinery. Stricter enforcement of sanctions also plays a role, with manufacturers increasingly vigilant in enforcing export bans.

Countries such as China and other third countries are also becoming more hesitant to export equipment to Russia, at the same time Chinese banks are becoming more reluctant to process related payments. Finally, many valuable goods such as electronic and optical components are simply smuggled without being declared.

Read also
'Made-in-Russia' companies are springing up like mushrooms in China
The sanctions could be even more effective, according to Zayakin, if Japan, South Korea and Taiwan were more involved in coordinating the embargo and monitoring its enforcement. Many of the previously mentioned lesser-known electronics manufacturers come from these countries.

Read also
Russia bypasses oil trade sanctions with crypto, 'no panacea'
Finally, the EU, like the United States, should impose secondary sanctions on Chinese banks for the re-export of European (not just American) goods.

Putin's 'secret 10-year-old SON is seen for the first time': Pictures 'show child Vladimir shares with gymnast lover', anti-Kremlin website claims

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...t-lover-anti-Kremlin-website-claims.html

Explosions in Moscow business district
Three explosions were heard in the business district of the Russian capital Moscow. Images on social media show dark clouds of smoke near the business offices in the area. According to the Russian state media, the explosions in the business district were caused by a car that exploded. It is still unclear whether there were any casualties and whether the explosions are related to the war in Ukraine.

A day earlier, a military depot near the Russian capital was also hit. That attack was attributed to Ukraine, although the country did not claim responsibility for the attack.

Ukraine points to Russia and 'continues to strive for peace'
That new talks on US plans to end the war in Ukraine have not yet led to a breakthrough is Russia's fault, says Ukraine. 'We stressed that we remain committed to the peace efforts of President Donald Trump', said the right-hand man of Ukrainian President Zelensky afterwards.

According to him, the talks are continuing, even though American leaders hinted that their patience is running out. The American proposals include recognition of the occupied Crimean peninsula as Russian. Such a concession is currently out of the question for Ukraine, the country made clear. Certainly as long as Russia is not yet prepared for a complete ceasefire.

International • 17:18 • Modified at 17:18
Tensions rise over Ukraine-Russia peace talks: 'America as an ally in danger'
Author : BNR Web Editors
A meeting in London on a ceasefire proposal from America, Ukraine and the most important European countries is taking place without Marcio Rubio. The American delegation is now led by the so far toothless Keith Kellogg. But the ministers are not interested and have now cancelled the entire conversation. However, there is discussion at a lower level.

This is an analysis by European reporter Geert Jan Hahn.

This week is not about the peace talks, but about the US as a Western ally, writes Europe reporter Geert Jan Hahn in an analysis.

At the same time, US President Donald Trump seems to have had enough: the peace between Ukraine and Russia is far too complicated to solve within 24 hours. Better not at all.

So what's going to happen now?

Ukraine and Europe hope to keep America on board this week, but Trump may come up with a final proposal to Ukraine via Kellogg. This may be in it:

Recognize de jure that Crimea is Russian.
De facto recognize that the occupied territories remain in Russian hands.
Say out loud that Ukraine never wants to join NATO.
The proposal is in the hands of Axios , possibly because it was deliberately leaked from the Ukrainian camp.

Russian 'helpers'
These are impossible conditions for Zelensky to answer with 'yes', because then he would put too much pressure on his position in his own country. At the same time, Putin makes gestures that in our eyes are quite hopeless, but in Trump's eyes are seen as a sign of goodwill. Such as:

No fighting during Easter (announced unilaterally at the last minute and for show).
'Willing' to freeze the front line, which is taken up by many media as a gesture of encouragement, but which is nonsense: Putin's maximalist drive since the beginning of the war (look at the Russian constitution) has been to claim regions in Ukraine that he does not even fully occupy yet.
Spending hours talking to real estate negotiator Steve Witkoff in Moscow, who also has some Russian interests himself .
Climax
The many statements and leaks to the media indicate that tensions are rising enormously, that Trump and Putin are working towards a climax and that Zelensky is doing everything he can to prevent that.

Read also
'Current front line as a final border is unacceptable for final peace'

So this week is not about peace in Ukraine or a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, this week is about America as a Western ally. Trump may want nothing more to do with this war, considers withdrawing all support for Ukraine, normalizes relations with the Russians and in doing so jeopardizes relations with Europeans.

Then the choice is up to The Hague, Rome and many others: are you pro-Ukraine or pro-Trump (and therefore also pro-Putin)?

Chance encounter
Oh yes, Trump and Zelensky may see each other on Saturday at Pope Francis' farewell. Alea iacta est, Trump will think. Zelensky will think: screw your dice.

A way out? Possibly that raw materials deal, signed on the sidelines of the Pope's funeral. The only way for Zelensky to keep Trump on board for a while longer and buy time for the Europeans and himself.

Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, is boasting on the front page of The Wall Street Journal that, “Ukraine will not legally recognize the occupation of Crimea. There’s nothing to talk about here.” This statement is very harmful to the Peace Negotiations with Russia in that Crimea was lost years ago under the auspices of President Barack Hussein Obama, and is not even a point of discussion. Nobody is asking Zelenskyy to recognize Crimea as Russian Territory but, if he wants Crimea, why didn’t they fight for it eleven years ago when it was handed over to Russia without a shot being fired? The area also houses, for many years before “the Obama handover,” major Russian submarine bases. It’s inflammatory statements like Zelenskyy’s that makes it so difficult to settle this War. He has nothing to boast about! The situation for Ukraine is dire — He can have Peace or, he can fight for another three years before losing the whole Country. I have nothing to do with Russia, but have much to do with wanting to save, on average, five thousand Russian and Ukrainian soldiers a week, who are dying for no reason whatsoever. The statement made by Zelenskyy today will do nothing but prolong the “killing field,” and nobody wants that! We are very close to a Deal, but the man with “no cards to play” should now, finally, GET IT DONE. I look forward to being able to help Ukraine, and Russia, get out of this Complete and Total MESS, that would have never started if I were President!

https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114388111141848447

Crimean Peninsula have always been the biggest obstacle in a road to peace.
Ukraine will do everthing to undermine a good future under Russia


Crimea: the holiday paradise you've heard of before

Once upon a time, the rocky and green peninsula with its mild climate and coastline was a popular holiday resort. It was the favorite holiday destination of the Romanovs in Imperial Russia and later of many Russians. It is also called the 'pearl of the Black Sea': Crimea.

If it were up to Russia, this status of Crimea would be restored. Russia is now, after the annexation, pumping buckets of money into a bridge between the Russian mainland and the peninsula. The airport is also being expanded. Will we all soon be going on holiday to Crimea? Or will it remain a holiday paradise that you 'have heard of'?

After the annexation of Crimea in March 2014, President Putin promised that he would take better care of Crimea than Ukraine had done. But after almost eleven years under Russian rule, the situation in Crimea is still not what its residents expected.

Because Crimea has no land connection with Russia and Ukraine no longer supplies goods, everything has to be brought in via an overcrowded ferry from the city of Kerch. Also, almost no tourists come to Crimea anymore. Putin now wants to change that.

Trump expresses displeasure over Russian attack on Kyiv: 'Vladimir, stop it!'

US President Donald Trump on Thursday expressed his displeasure over the Russian attack on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv. "Vladimir, stop it!" Trump wrote on his own social media platform Truth Social. "Let's make the peace deal!"

Trump says he is "not happy" with the attacks on Kyiv, which left nine dead and 63 wounded. The US president calls the attacks "unnecessary" and "very poorly timed".

Rutte after talks with Trump: the ball is in Russia's court for the ceasefire
NATO chief Mark Rutte had a conversation with US President Donald Trump on Thursday about the war in Ukraine. The former Dutch prime minister said afterwards that Russia should take steps in the negotiations about the war and not Ukraine.

"There is now something on the table that the Ukrainians are really cooperating with. I think the ball is now clearly in the Russians' court," Rutte told reporters at the White House. He also said that both the United States and its European allies see Russia as a continuing threat to NATO. According to him, the US remains committed to the alliance.

Zelensky hopes for results after short consultation with Trump


Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hopes for results after a brief meeting with US President Donald Trump in Vatican City.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hopes for results after a brief meeting with US President Donald Trump in Vatican City. Both leaders were there for the funeral of Pope Francis. According to Zelensky, an unconditional ceasefire was discussed between Russia and Ukraine, he announced on social media. He calls it a 'highly symbolic meeting that can become historic, if we achieve joint results'.

Trump believes Zelensky should accept a US peace deal as soon as possible. But Zelensky fears he will have to give up too much to the Russians. The meeting lasted 15 minutes and took place in St. Peter's Basilica. A photo showed the two leaders, who met in person for the first time since their historic row in Washington in February, sitting opposite each other. The White House called the meeting very productive.

Well I said all the time Putin is playing games.

Trump says he fears Putin ‘doesn’t want to stop the war’ after Zelenskyy meeting
US president admits to concern Russian counterpart is ‘tapping me along’ and ponders new approach to Moscow

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...-very-productive-ceasefire-talks-in-rome

Trump will give more weapons and sanctions if Putin is taking advantage of him. At least that would I do.

International • 15:08 • Modified at 15:08
'US peace plan is intended as a reverse Kissinger policy'
Author : BNR Web Editors
Trump's attempts to reach an agreement between Ukraine and Russia should be seen in the context of a 'reverse Kissinger policy'. This is what professor of international politics David Criekemans of the University of Antwerp says in the BNR podcast Boekestijn en De Wijk. Where Kissinger managed to pull China out of the Soviet Union's sphere of influence in 1972, Trump now wants to separate Russia from China.

That idea is not realistic, says Criekemans. 'But I think we are always looking for rationality, where it is not present. Trump wants to realize it, but it is not feasible.'

Peace plan
What is known about the American 'peace plan' should be seen in that light, he says. The Americans propose, among other things, that Russia should be allowed to keep all the territory it has conquered, that Ukraine should not be allowed to become a member of NATO, that there should be no American security guarantees for Ukraine, without concessions being requested from the Russian side.

Ukraine can still go quite far in maintaining the status quo on the ground. That has to do with the very effective fortifications, says Rob de Wijk.

According to Criekemans, this one-sided approach stems from Trump's idea that this is the fastest way 'to get rid of the annoying problem of Ukraine and focus on real geopolitics.' By this, Criekemans means China. 'That is the real danger according to Trump and his entourage and it is their intention to separate Russia from its Chinese partner.'

'Trump is sitting there at the table with real estate guy Steve Witkoff. He is sitting there like Alice in Wonderland'
Rob de Wijk
At the same time, there seems little reason to believe that Russia will ever join the Western camp against China. 'America wants to set up economic projects with Russia to control the geopolitical game, but that seems to me an illusion.'

Meanwhile, the Americans seem to be outflanked on all sides by the Russians at the negotiating table, Rob de Wijk also sees. 'Russian negotiators are seasoned. They are incredibly skilled at throwing up smokescreens and manipulating their opponents, in this case Trump. And he is sitting there at the table with a real estate guy, Steve Witkoff. He is sitting there like Alice in Wonderland.'

Read also
Low oil price could have dramatic consequences for Russian economy

The Russian objective in the negotiations seems clear: to stall. But it is also questionable whether that is in Russian interests. If the US withdraws from the negotiations because Trump loses interest, it is certainly not certain that Russia will emerge from the war as the big winner.

Russian overstretch
'Ukraine can still go quite far in maintaining the status quo on the ground. That has to do with the very effective fortifications. Russia cannot continue to attack forever. At some point it stops,' De Wijk outlines.

And it is also not impossible that a long-running conflict will cost Russia its head. 'If things go wrong in Russia, it will be because of 'overstretch'. That the Russian defense industry is withdrawing so many resources from the civilian economy that at some point the whole thing simply collapses. That is what ultimately happened in the Cold War. It is quite possible that Russia is now organizing its own downfall. But you can't plan for that.'

Ukraine wil not become a member of NATO, but the Russians can do nothing to stop them becoming a strong partner. Australia is one of NATO's partners in the Indo-Pacific region, together with Japan, the Republic of Korea and New Zealand.

Put pressure on those oligarchs and you can really isolate the Kremlin !
The war is bad for business and those guys are a legitimate target on their super yachts.

International • Apr 30 21:57 • Modified on Apr 30 22:10
One in four Russian billionaires fled Russia
Author : BNR Web Editors
Dozens of wealthy Russians fled Russia after the invasion of Ukraine, The Moscow Times reports. Some packed their bags before the war, when Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized the independence of the self-proclaimed people's republics of Donetsk and Luhansk on February 21. Among the refugees were also Putin's confidants.

Of the 200 Russian businessmen on the famous Forbes list, 49 chose to flee the country, according to an analysis of border crossing data. Some of the billionaire refugees chose to flee after attending the now infamous Kremlin meeting. Putin informed the Russian economic top about his plans this evening.

Read also
Russian banks hit by huge number of defaulters
Putin called on businessmen and heads of state companies this evening to "show solidarity" and "understand what is happening." One in four billionaires ignored Putin's call and chose to flee the country.

Friends of Putin
Among the emigrants were some of Putin's closest associates and confidants. For example, Boris Rotenberg, the younger brother of Putin's childhood friend and longtime ally Arkady Rotenberg, flew to France.

Mikhail Shelkov, deputy chairman of the board of VSMPO-AVISMA, a major supplier of titanium to the Russian defense industry, also chose to leave a day later. Viktor Vekselberg, known as the CEO of the oil company Renova Group, immediately left for Turkey.

Read also
Malta must stop selling controversial 'golden passport'
Nearly a third of the billionaire refugees went to the United Arab Emirates, with five travelling to Switzerland, five to Turkey, four to France and three to Cyprus.

I think it is a good deal even without security guarantees the Americans will be into it for a long term at least for 10 years to get the minerals, oil and gas out of the ground.

International • May 1, 5:16 PM • Modified on May 1, 5:16 PM
'The Russians didn't expect this either'
Author : Bram van Eijndhoven
The long-awaited minerals deal between Ukraine and the US has finally been concluded, although much remains unclear about the precise terms. 'What does seem certain is that it is without American security guarantees', says defence specialist Patrick Bolder of the Hague Centre for Strategic Studies. 'Then you would say: why is Ukraine signing up for this?'

You have to hear this
The Russians didn't expect this either

6 min 2 sec
However, anyone who looks more closely at the deal will probably conclude that Ukraine is not doing badly at all, according to Bolder. According to the defense specialist, American President Trump seems to be giving Ukraine, not Russia, a 'gift' for the first time. 'The signing of the deal was accompanied by the words that this is in the spirit of a long-term and just peace in Ukraine. That is a sound we have not heard from the Trump administration before.'

Read also
Minerals deal is important signal to Putin, 'Ukraine played it very well'
The agreement does not provide any security guarantees, but according to Trump, the Russians will not dare to attack Ukraine if American companies are active there. A rather thin guarantee, but also not illogical reasoning, according to Bolder.

Chat with Zelensky
The commodity deal explicitly does not make a direct connection with the war, nor does it mention territorial concessions. According to Bolder, Trump was yearning for an international deal after the economic malaise he plunged the world into with his trade war. 'That's why he was so happy to agree to this. He's on tenterhooks, and he has to show something positive again after yesterday's bad economic figures.'

Read also
Russia saw dozens of billionaires flee the country after invasion of Ukraine
Certainly also important in the realization of the deal was the fifteen-minute meeting with Zelensky in Rome at the funeral of the Pope. 'Then Trump also left with the idea that Putin might be stringing him along, that is also what Zelensky told him. And that he needs to show more decisiveness,' according to Bolder.

Trump in Russia
The mineral deal has done little to improve Trump's reputation in Russia, Bolder knows. Until a few days ago, he was presented on Russian state television as the great leader of the West with whom you could do business, but now he is suddenly being compared to Hitler. 'The Russians did not expect this either, were shocked by it and have to adjust their narrative again.'

Vance Does Not Expect War in Ukraine to End 'Soon'
The war in Ukraine is “not going to end anytime soon,” US Vice President JD Vance said in an interview with Fox News on Thursday.

"It is now up to the Russians and Ukrainians, now that both sides know what their peace terms are. It is up to them to come to an agreement and end this brutal, brutal conflict," he said.

Vladimir Putin gives a tour of his apartment.

The video footage, shared on Telegram by Russian journalist Pavel Zarubin and likely to be part of a longer broadcast scheduled to air on Russian TV later this month, shows a smiling president giving Zarubin and his camera crew a tour. “This is an apartment, yes. As you can see, it’s not far (from Putin’s Kremlin offices, ed.).”


As Putin turns to the camera, he invites his guests in. Then we see gilded walls, large mirrors with gold frames, gold chandeliers and exotic plants. A portrait of Russian Tsar Alexander III stands prominently on the table. A white grand piano stands by the window, although Putin admits with a heavy heart that he rarely has time for it. The apartment also has a library, two bedrooms and even a small 'home church'.

Putin also stated that he held formal negotiations with Chinese President Xi Jinping in this apartment (in March 2023). “We had a working lunch first, and then I invited the president, as a friend, to continue the talks here,” he said at the time. “We sat by the fireplace, drank tea and calmly talked about everything.”

There has been uncertainty for years about the properties the Russian president owns. Although he officially only owns a small apartment in St. Petersburg, it has been revealed in recent years that Putin does indeed own several very expensive accommodations. For example, he is said to be the owner (via front men) of a gigantic castle, a ski resort, several vineyards and country houses.

Putin says succession is always on his mind
Vladimir Putin has said that is always thinking about the succession, and suggested that there could be an contest between several candidates.

Putin served as president from 1999 to 2008, then as prime minister until 2012, and then again as president from 2012 to the present.

He is the longest serving Kremlin chief since Josef Stalin.

"I always think about it," Putin said when asked if he thought about the succession in a film by Russia's state television about Putin's quarter of a century as Russia's leader entitled Russia, Kremlin, Putin, 25 years.

"Ultimately, the choice is for the people, for the Russian people.

"I think that there should be a person, or rather several people, so that the people have a choice."

There is no clear successor to Putin though under the Russian constitution, if the president was unable to fulfil his duties, then the prime minister - currently Mikhail Mishustin - would assume presidential powers.

nternational • 15:05 • Modified at 15:31
Largest ever drone attack on Russia paralyses air traffic, chaos at airports
Author : Mark van Harreveld
Ukraine has launched the largest drone attack ever on Russia, forcing the closure of several major Russian airports and causing widespread chaos, The Moscow Times reports. Russia's Defense Ministry said it destroyed 524 Ukrainian drones across the country overnight, marking the largest wave of drone attacks since Russia invaded Ukraine. The Russian military also reported destroying several missiles.

During the airstrike, civil aviation authorities temporarily suspended flights at Moscow's Domodedovo, Vnukovo and Zhukovsky airports and in the cities of Nizhny Novgorod, Kirov, Yaroslavl, Kazan and others, warning of possible cancellations. "The restrictions were imposed to ensure the safety of civil aircraft flights," said Artyom Korenyako, a spokesman for Russia's Federal Aviation Administration.

Thousands of passengers stranded
Major airlines including Aeroflot, Pobeda and S7 told passengers to expect disruptions as they canceled hundreds of flights for Tuesday and Wednesday. S7 promised to give full refunds to passengers with canceled flights or swap tickets for other flights if seats are available.

In Siberia, transport authorities said more than 4,000 passengers were stranded at airports in 10 cities, with many of the disruptions caused by flights arriving late due to air restrictions at Moscow airports.

The Russian Association of Tour Operators said later on Wednesday that at least 60,000 passengers had experienced flight delays and cancellations as of Wednesday afternoon. "Due to the peculiarities of airlines' planning, these delays and cancellations will not be the end: planes that did not arrive at their destinations on time will also be late for other flights," business daily Kommersant quoted the organization as saying.

Xi Jinping
The closures are an ugly blow to the organization of the May 9 celebrations on Red Square, when Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected in Moscow for talks with President Vladimir Putin and to attend Victory Day. According to the banned news agency Agentstvo, foreign officials often fly into Vnukovo Airport during official visits to Russia.

Read also
'Kremlin preparing false flag attack on home soil'
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said air defense forces destroyed eight drones on Tuesday night and nine early Wednesday morning, marking the third consecutive day of attacks on the capital.

According to Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Ukrainian Center for Countering Disinformation, the overnight attacks targeted the Kubinka air base in the Moscow region and the Shaykovka airport in the Kaluga region. Meanwhile, in Kiev, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said two people were killed in Russian drone strikes on the Ukrainian capital.

I believe the brutal warlord is very sick.

The Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has reportedly asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to relieve him of his duties amid growing speculations about his health and political future.

Rumors of Kadyrov’s poor health have been circulating for years. On May 5, Novaya Gazeta Europe reported he was preparing to hand over power and had named his teenage son Adam as his likely successor.

The outlet previously reported in 2024 that Kadyrov had suffered from pancreatic necrosis for more than five years, a condition with a high death rate.

NOS News
•
today, 13:33
Agreement on special 'Russia tribunal', possibly in the Netherlands

European Union correspondent

A special 'Russia Tribunal' will be set up to prosecute those responsible for the most serious violent crimes in Ukraine. The Netherlands would like to host the court to be set up. The so-called 'aggression tribunal' is also expected to be on President Putin's wish list.

From Lviv came the message that there is political agreement on what mandate the tribunal should get. In the west of Ukraine, many EU foreign ministers met, as did the British minister. The Netherlands sent the ambassador.

Europe Day
The establishment of such a tribunal has been prepared for two years. It is no coincidence that today the clear signal came from Europe and Ukraine that Russian crimes must not go unpunished and that justice is of the utmost importance.

The European Union celebrates 'Europe Day' every year on 9 May, the day of the Schuman Declaration from 1950, which is seen as the basis of European cooperation. Robert Schuman was the French Foreign Minister and said in the declaration: "World peace can only be maintained by the efforts of all positive forces which can protect it from the dangers that threaten it."

Diplomatic counteroffensive
Europe Day falls on the same day as the most important holiday in the country from which that danger comes. Russia is celebrating Genoa Day , the day of victory over Nazi Germany, with large military parades today. Putin is not only showing off his military might: it is also a diplomatic offensive. According to the president, the fact that dozens of international leaders are in the stands in the Russian capital for the first time in years shows that he is not as isolated on the world stage as is said.

The country that Putin invaded, Ukraine, then organized a diplomatic counteroffensive. While tanks rolled across Red Square in Moscow, foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas and the newly appointed German foreign minister, among others, went to the cemetery in Lviv. Thousands of dead are buried there and more space has to be made regularly because old fields are full of fallen soldiers.

Then signatures were put under the document showing that there is a political agreement for the establishment of the 'Russia Tribunal'. Next week President Zelensky will formally ask the Council of Europe to establish it. Ukraine has been investigating Russian crimes since the beginning of the large-scale invasion, according to the prosecutor's office there are already more than 150,000.

Prosecute those responsible
The tribunal would be able to try suspects in their absence, EU officials said, and would focus on a “top 20” of people responsible for the most serious crimes. Putin and his ministers cannot be prosecuted while they are in office. But former Russian Defense Minister Shoigu, a minister during the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, could be held accountable, according to senior EU officials.

The Hague already has the International Criminal Court (ICC), which is supposed to deal with war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and aggression against another country. But the latter crime, which could include the Russian invasion of Ukraine, is rarely prosecuted. Moreover, Russia does not recognize the ICC.

Not entirely in agreement
That is why dozens of countries have been working on the special tribunal in recent times, including all EU countries except Hungary and Slovakia. The US government was also one of the advocates of the new court. But under President Trump, the United States withdrew its support for it last month .

And as much as the EU wants to emphasize that it fully supports Ukraine, the 27 countries are not completely united. Prime Minister Fico of EU member Slovakia is on Red Square in Moscow, as are Serbian President Vucic and the President of the Serbian Republic Dodik, part of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina are both EU candidates. Foreign policy chief Kallas yesterday urged the leaders once again not to go. "Those who really support peace cannot stand next to Putin, but should be in Ukraine, not in Moscow."

Earlier she said "that something like that would not be taken lightly" and it was suggested that there would be consequences, but it is unclear what they would be. Fico, Vucic and Dodik certainly did not care. For Putin their arrival is extra important, because it shows Western division.