Navalny, Aleksei A
Looming Question for Putin Opponents: Can You Change Russia From Jail?
Shortly after Russia shocked the world by attacking Ukraine on Feb. 24, Ilya V. Yashin, a local Moscow councilman and prominent opposition figure, decided it was time to see a dentist. The Kremlin was in the process of criminalizing criticism of the war, and Mr. Yashin, a very vocal critic, had decided to stay in […]
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How the Ex-Chancellor Gerhard Schröder Became Putin’s Man in Germany
But it was more than that, Mr. Schröder said. “I had been chancellor. I couldn’t go back to being a lawyer dealing with rental contracts. I needed a project,” he said. “Something I knew how to do and where I could serve German interests.” When Mr. Putin called Mr. Schröder on his cellphone the night […]
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Putin’s War in Ukraine Shatters an Illusion in Russia
The last time I was in Russia, the summer of 2015, I came face to face with a contradiction. What if a place was unfree, but also happy? How long could it stay that way? Moscow had blossomed into a beautiful, European city, full of meticulously planted parks, bike lanes and parking spaces. Income for […]
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U.K. vs. Oligarchs: ‘The Gloves Are Now Off’
In a report in December on corrupt money in Britain, Chatham House, a research institute on foreign affairs, cited the Russian financier Dmitry Leus, who it said was “a supporter of St George’s Hospital, runs a children’s charity, supports a sports club in London, and is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.” “He […]
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‘The Exiles’ and ‘Nanny’ Win Top Prizes at Sundance
The horror/drama “Nanny” from the first-time feature filmmaker Nikyatu Jusu nabbed the U.S. Grand Jury prize at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, which was primarily virtual for the second year in a row. The film about a Senegalese nanny working for a privileged family in New York City generated strong reviews and is still looking […]
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After Time in U.S. Prisons, Maria Butina Now Sits in Russia’s Parliament
MOSCOW — When Russia’s lower house of Parliament, or Duma, assembled last month for the first time following elections in September, one of its newest members was a name more familiar in the United States than in her home country. Maria V. Butina made headlines across America when she was convicted three years ago of […]
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