Section: The Guardian (The United Kingdom)
Elton John to Vladimir Putin: meet me to discuss ‘ridiculous’ anti-gay prejudice
Singer blasts Russian president after meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart, Petro Poroshenko, during conference on LGBT rights in KievElton John has said he wants to hold talks with Vladimir Putin over what he called the Russian president’s “ridiculous” stance on gay rights.The singer extended the offer of talks after speaking at a...
Donald Trump gives Ukraine gathering the benefit of his wisdom by video link
The Republican presidential hopeful suggests setting up ‘a safe zone some place in Syria’ and tells political leaders his feeling for Ukraine is ‘very, very strong’US presidential candidate Donald Trump made a bizarre appearance via video link to a major gathering of European politicians in Kiev on Friday, in which he promised to...
Russia building major military base near Ukrainian border
According to documents on the Russian government’s website, nine barracks for 3,500 soldiers are being built near the village of SolotiRussia has started building a huge military base housing ammunition depots and barracks for several thousand soldiers near the Ukrainian border, a project that suggests the Kremlin is digging in for a...
Let Putin be your fitness inspiration hero
Need an excuse to get off the sofa? Look no further than ‘Putinspiration’ – exercise motivation tips with a political twist “Fitspiration” is the Instagram hashtag de jour, with six million posts showing flat abs or toned arms coupled with captions like “the harder the struggle the more glorious the triumph” and “earn your selfie”.“Fitspo”,...
What spawned Russia’s ‘troll army’? Experts on ‘The Red Web’ answer your questions
What is a Putinbot, and how do they affect political debate? Post your questions for Andrei Soldatov and Irina Borogan on how the propaganda war plays out online 4.39pm BSTReports on the workings of Russian ‘troll factories’ – formerly only on the radar of journalists critical of the regime – have become commonplace in recent months....
Mohsen Makhmalbaf voices support for imprisoned fellow director Oleg Sentsov
Iranian film-maker Makhmalbaf endorses international outcry over 20-year jail sentence imposed on Ukrainian director convicted of terrorismThe Iranian film-maker Mohsen Makhmalbaf has added his voice to international protests over the plight of Oleg Sentsov, the Ukrainian director serving a 20-year jail sentence after being convicted on terrorism...
Ukraine’s government bears more responsibility for ongoing conflict than the far-right
The question of autonomy in the Donbass has fractured the fragile coalition, but the government must start thinking of solutions – not point fingers at paramilitariesViolence erupted outside the parliament building in Kiev this week during protests against constitutional changes which could grant more autonomy to pro-Russian separatists in...
Banned cluster bombs ‘used in Syria, Ukraine, Yemen, Sudan, Libya’
Cluster Munition Coalition report finds bombs that kill and maim large numbers of civilians remain in widespread useIslamic State (Isis), Syrian government forces, both sides in the conflict in eastern Ukraine and Saudi jets attacking targets in Yemen have all used cluster bombs and rockets banned by international treaty, according to an...
Ukraine needs radical reforms not Soviet bans
As the country celebrates anniversary of independence from USSR, Jaroslav Gritsak argues that an independent judiciary is more important than the removal of statuesWhat is my reaction to Ukraine’s attempt to break ties with its Soviet past by banning communist symbols? Well, I do not have one. In common with much of the country, such...
Kiev’s week of violence is a crisis of its own making | Andrey Kurkov
Theories abound about the violence that has flared again in Kiev. But despite profiting from it, Russia is very unlikely to have perpetrated itA “day of fury” was proclaimed on Monday by the Ukrainian nationalist party Svoboda (Freedom). The fury ended with a grenade being thrown into lines of soldiers guarding the Kiev parliament building, where...
