If Cuba was the Kremlin’s closest ally in Latin America during the Cold War, now it’s Venezuela, whose vast oil wealth gives Russia direct influence over an OPEC member.
Protest
Young Russian Musicians Struggle Under Government Scrutiny
“We have a lot in common with people our age around the world,” said Nikolai Kostylev. “I’m more like some guy my age in Mexico than my neighbor who’s two generations older.”
Russians Honor Victims Of Stalin’s Purges Outside Moscow Security Headquarters
“It’s important to remember so what happened then can never repeat itself,” said Yekaterina Ivanova, 34. “That’s why I’ve come with my child, so she can understand from her earliest years how important it is.”
Ukrainian Film Director Stages Hunger Strike In Russian Jail During World Cup
“Oleg Sentsov is clearly serving those 20 years for political reasons — for resisting Russia’s occupation of Crimea.”
Russia Welcomes 2018 World Cup, Clamping Down On Dissent And Hooligans
“All the soccer hooligans in Russia aren’t waiting for the World Cup to start – they’re waiting for it to end, so they can go back to their normal lives.”
Banned From Election, Putin Foe Navalny Pursues Politics By Other Means
“I want to live in a normal country and refuse to accept any talk about Russia being doomed to being a bad, poor or servile country,” Alexei Navalny said in an interview.
Putin’s Man In Crimea: We’ve ‘Returned To Russia Forever’
“Crimea returned to Russia forever,” said Sergei Aksyonov. “Anyone who advocates resistance is advocating bloodshed; we can’t accept that and will react.”
In Moscow’s Local Elections, Opponents Of Putin Find A Glimmer Of Hope
“There’s a huge demand among young people to go into politics, and there’s an understanding of how to do it.”
Far From Moscow, Thousands Turn Out To Protest Putin In Siberia’s Capital
“I believed that Putin would make things better,” Galina Vorivoda, 62, said. “But it didn’t work out. He made things better only for a few people.”
Banned From Russian TV, A Putin Critic Gets His Message Out On YouTube
Navalny at 20:18 is part-Jon Stewart in its righteous skewering of the powers that be, but also part-Vladimir Putin in its know-it-all approach to that which ails Russia.
