Faceless painting worth £750k ruined after ‘bored’ security guard draws eyes on it
“The person who drew the eyes on the figures in the painting of Anna Leporskaya has been identified: This is an employee of a private firm that…
Hubristic Macron may be heading for another fall
In what mirror universe can you call “a success” a Macron diplomatic trip to Moscow ending up with Vladimir Putin, at the post-discussions press conference, threatening Europe…
Macron is offering Ukraine a poisoned peace plan
On the plane to Moscow, French President Emmanuel Macron revealed to several journalists that the idea of “Finlandising” Ukraine would be one among others on the table…
Europe is staring energy blackouts and rationing in the face
Nonetheless, Putin can see the writing on the wall; Europe’s rush to decarbonise threatens eventually to cut him out of the mix in any case. As it…
Latvian chess master ‘sexually harassed underage female players’ for over a decade
One of the women alleged to have received the vulgar letters is Valentina Gunina, currently ranked as the world’s ninth strongest female chess player. “There was a…
Weaponising the dollar against Russia will backfire – especially if it works
Troops will be sent to patrol the frozen steppes. Resistance fighters will be armed to the teeth. Air support and intelligence will be made available to support…
Jailed dissidents and luxury houses: how Vladimir Putin has kept Crimea in his grip after annexation
Real estate prices in Crimea shot up by 50 percent in dollar terms in the year after the annexation. Prices skyrocketed even further in 2020 as the…
Russia’s military build-up proves it is preparing to invade Ukraine, says Liz Truss
Liz Truss, the foreign secretary, said on Sunday it had become clear that Russia’s denials about invading Ukraine were false, as Washington warned Moscow’s army had nearly…
Emmanuel Macron says his negotiations with Putin ‘likely to prevent war’ in Ukraine
Emmanuel Macron, the French president, has claimed that his negotiations with Russia are likely to avoid a military conflict, ahead of his visit to Moscow this week….
‘We never thought war would touch us’: On Ukraine’s border with Belarus as the tanks and missiles keep arriving
Conscious of how several border guard posts were shelled, overrun and wiped out during the war in Donbas in 2014, a mobile reserve stands ready to respond…
Nato must boost Eastern Europe troops if Russians stay in Belarus, warn Baltics
Alexander Litvenienko, the dictator of Belarus, has turned to Moscow after being hit by EU sanctions. Edgars Rinkēvičs, the foreign minister of Latvia, which borders Belarus, said…
Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping pledge to take on the West in new alliance
But the deal is by no means one way. The statement included a number of phrases likely added by the Chinese that echo official Beijing propaganda almost…
The West should spark an economic revolution in Ukraine
The contrast with other former Soviet states, or satellites, is painful. Polish GDP per capita has risen from $1,700 in 1990 to $15,650. Estonia had grown from…
How Vladimir Putin turned Russia’s dilapidated military into a modern, lethal machine
Russia spent two-thirds of its £44.1 billion military budget last year on purchasing and modernising military gear, and it lists 900,000 troops as its active military personnel,…
Russia and China pledge to take on the West in new alliance
But the deal is by no means one way. The statement included a number of phrases likely added by the Chinese that echo official Beijing propaganda almost…
PM puts Putin call on hold as Macron seizes initiative on Ukraine
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman insisted there had been no “settled time” for the call and that they were still hoping to arrange a time with the…
The West must keep the pressure up
Boris Johnson may be finding support thin on the ground at home but in one place he was guaranteed a warm welcome yesterday: Ukraine. The Prime Minister…
Ukraine crisis: US is warmongering, says China in fiery skirmish at UN
The UN session was the start of another week of high-level diplomacy, although discussions between the US, Nato and Russia have so far failed to ease the…
Boris Johnson puts Vladimir Putin on hold, allowing France to seize diplomatic initiative
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman insisted there had been no “settled time” for the call and that they were still hoping to arrange a time with the…
Britain cannot remain a military power while spending so little on defence
As a percentage of GDP we spend about 2pc, which happens to be the NATO target. Mind you, with the exception of America, the UK and France,…
We must face down the clear and present threat posed by Russia
The United Kingdom is proud to be stepping up to take the lead in defence of freedom and democracy through credible deterrence and diplomacy. Even at the…
The seeds of the Ukraine crisis: in the early 1990s, the direction of Europe hung in the balance
At the same time, a bitter policy battle was brewing in Washington over whether America’s interests were best served by pursuing close co-operation with Moscow, with economic…
Stalin’s Library by Geoffrey Roberts review: an air-brushing of a book-loving monster
If most people were asked to name “a serious intellectual” of the 20th century who also “had a high degree of emotional intelligence”, it might be a…
UK could hit Russian oligarchs with sanctions to deter Ukraine invasion
Russian oligarchs helping Vladimir Putin could be hit with asset freezes and travel bans in a toughening of sanctions laws to deter an invasion of Ukraine. Liz…
Why Vladimir Putin fears a stable and prosperous Ukraine
Lure of the EU Despite the deep historical and cultural links between Russia and Ukraine, the latter has been moving closer to the EU both politically and…