Vladimir Putin

Kremlin Bids for High Finance
Outgoing Russian President Vladimir Putin last week signaled his determination to see Russia become a financial powerhouse. 'I am sure that Russia should become one of the main financial centers in the world,' he said.

Putin Sworn in As Pm - and Russia's Real Ruler
Vladimir Putin was today confirmed as Russia's new prime minister by the country's lower house of parliament in a move that formalizes his power-sharing role with the new president Dmitry Medvedev

Putin Ever Present As Medvedev Becomes President
Duma expected to confirm outgoing leader as PM as his successor promises to fight corruption

Putin Tightens Grip on Power With Pm and Party Chairman Roles
Move entrenches Putin's position as dominant figure in Russian politics - despite the fact he steps down as president on May 7

Putin Bolsters Post-presidency Powers With Party Role
Russian leader agrees to lead the United Russia party after he steps down and becomes prime minister next month

Only One Lame Duck Here
Vladimir Putin runs rings around the American president again at Black Sea summit

The Route of Riches in Putin's Moscow
When Vladimir Putin drives to work every morning from his presidential bungalow he doesn't pass the poor, the needy or the hungry. Instead, he passes Gucci, Armani, and Prada.

Putin, the Kremlin Power Struggle and the $40bn Fortune
An unprecedented battle is taking place inside the Kremlin in advance of Vladimir Putin's departure from office, the Guardian has learned, with claims that the president presides over a secret multi billion-dollar fortune

Medvedev Boosts Putin's Bid to Retain Power
Vladimir Putin's bid to retain power after his term as president expires was bolstered when his preferred successor, Dmitry Medvedev, said he wanted Putin to become prime minister

Putin Anoints Medvedev As Successor
President Vladimir Putin ends months of speculation by naming Dmitry Medvedev as his favored candidate to win Russia's presidential elections

Putin Anoints Deputy Prime Minister As Heir to Presidency
· Dmitry Medvedev named ruling party candidate· President intends to keep control of security services

Putin Backs Medvedev for Presidency
Russian president backs first deputy prime minister to replace him when he steps down from office

A Managed Election
Leader: Vladimir Putin yesterday came under a hail of fire abroad for rigging the weekend's parliamentary elections

Russian Election Unfair and Biased Towards Putin, Observers Say
Report decries violation of international standards· President insists result reflects voters' trust in him

Putin Win: It's Not Fair, Say Observers
International observers highlight flaws including the 'unprecedented' abuse of office by president Vladimir Putin

Election Monitors Accuse Putin of Manipulating Victory
European election monitors have accused the Kremlin of manipulating the Russian parliamentary elections in which Vladimir Putin's party secured a landslide victory

Putin Cements Power in Russian Election
United Russia party wins nearly two-thirds of lower house vote after campaign for president to remain as 'national leader

Putin Heading for Landslide Election Victory
President Putin appeared to be heading for a landslide victory in Russia's parliamentary elections tonight amid widespread reports that millions of citizens were coerced into voting for his party, United Russia

Leading Questions After Putin's Huge Victory
President keeps everyone guessing as he ponders ways to keep grip on power

Intimidation and Dirty Tricks Help Putin to Massive Landslide
President Vladimir Putin appeared to be heading for a landslide victory in Russia's parliamentary elections last night amid widespread reports that millions of citizens were coerced into voting for his party, United Russia

The Shadow of Stalin That Hangs Over Mr Putin
Leader: Britain has little choice but to deal with Russia. But we must be under no illusions about the sort of state and the sort of man we are dealing with

Russia – The Pivotal Nation
With a disciple of Putin as ‘president’ in Moscow, America will gradually opt for isolationism, and then Russia will enforce alliances against Europe, and Israel.

Fraud, Intimidation and Bribery As Putin Prepares for Victory
The Kremlin is planning to rig the results of Russia's parliamentary elections on Sunday by forcing millions of public sector workers across the country to vote, the Guardian has learned

Putin Says Us is Behind Poll Experts' Boycott
President Vladimir Putin yesterday launched another venomous attack on the United States, accusing the state department of being behind a decision by international experts not to monitor Russia's parliamentary elections on Sunday

Anti-Putin Protesters Arrested
Scores of demonstrators were detained and some beaten yesterday in Russia as riot police broke up a protest over the Kremlin's lurch toward authoritarianism under President Vladimir Putin

Putin Decries Western Meddling
President Vladimir Putin today accused the west of meddling in Russia's forthcoming elections and said that the country's opposition was conspiring to grab power via an orange-style revolution.

Putinism Could Be the Next Russian Export
Simon Tisdall: Russia's parliamentary elections on December 2 pose the first big test for the system of 'managed democracy' pioneered by Vladimir Putin

Communists Set to Gain From Putin's Squeeze on Democrats
Restrictive new electoral rules could mean only two parties in the new Duma

Putin: I Have a Moral Right to Continue Wielding Influence
Vladimir Putin yesterday gave his strongest hint yet that he intends to stay in power in Russia after his term as president expires in next year, declaring that he had a 'moral right' to maintain influence.

Putin Dictating Agenda to Eu, Thinktank Report Says
Europe has lost the plot in trying to cope with a resurgent Russia under President Vladimir Putin, who is dictating the agenda in his dealings with European capitals, according to a study published yesterday.

Anger As Putin Restricts Election Observers
'Unprecedented' curbs follow criticism by OSCE · Fears that Kremlin will manipulate duma vote

Russians Were Ordered to Attend Putin Rallies
Documents show bosses forcing staff to show up· Prosecutors look at apparent breach of law

Putin: Us Risks New Cuban Missile Crisis
Bush 'aping Soviet Union with missile shield' plan · Tactic may scare off EU states from hosting bases

Putin Goes Live on Tv Phone-in to Escalate Nuclear War of Words
President tells of new generation of weapons· 'Grandiose' plan to combat US missile shield

Putin's Tough Talking
Russia's president has warned the US against not to use force against Iran, in the latest example of blunt talking from the tough-guy former KGB man.

Putin Warns Us Against Military Action on Iran
The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, has warned the US not to use force against Iran in the current nuclear dispute.

Threat to Kill Putin During Trip to Iran
Security agencies say they uncovered bomb plot· Tehran insists allegations are invention of 'enemies'

We Will Dump Nuclear Treaty, Putin Warns
Missiles deal 'must cover China and India'· Threat issued at talks with Rice and Gates

Putin Warns Us Over Missile 'shield' Plan
Vladimir Putin today warned the US against rushing to implement plans for a missile "shield" in eastern Europe.

Keeping a Lid on Putin's Resurgent Russia
Simon Tisdall: Russia's latest outburst of passive-aggressive paranoia, aimed at Britain in particular, may reflect a realization in the Kremlin that western resistance to its perceived bullying of neighbors, disdain for civil and human rights, and cut-throat energy policy is growing after years of blind eyes, held noses and wishful thinking.

Putin Wants to Go on and On, and the Voters Agree
Opposition fears outgoing president may engineer 30-year rule as nation won over by economic stability and peace in Caucasus.

How Putin Could Be Heading for a Fall
The US general in charge of Norad, the North American aerospace defense command, unwittingly gave a clue this week as to why Vladimir Putin is so popular.

Barred From Another Term As President, Putin Charts Way Back to Power - As Prime Minister
Balance between two top posts likely to change· Presidential comeback expected in 2012

Putin's Legacy is a Russia That Doesn't Have to Curry Favour With the West
Jonathan Steele: Regardless of the next leader, a change has been effected that means the country is independent and respected again.

Going, But Unlikely to Be Forgotten - After the Presidency, Putin Wants New Role in Public Life
· Seeking third term would 'tinker with democracy'· Sharp criticism for White House's foreign policy

Putin Names Long-term Ally As New Pm
· President makes surprise move ahead of elections · Choice of Zubkov a bid to keep power, say critics

Putin Dissolves Government Ahead of Elections
Russian president, Vladimir Putin, appoints little-known ally Viktor Zubkov as the country's prime minister.

From Russia With $3 Billion. Another Putin Opponent May Have Fled to London
· Wanted oligarch gives investigators the slip· 'Unprecedented bullying' by state revealed in letter

Russia Steps Up Military Expansion
Vladimir Putin announced ambitious plans to revive Russia's military power and restore its role as the world's leading producer of military aircraft yesterday.

Putin Flexes His Military Muscles
The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, announced ambitious plans today to revive Russia's military power and restore its role as the world's leading producer of military aircraft.

Putin Revives Long-range Bomber Patrols
The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, yesterday announced Russia had resumed long-range flights of strategic bombers capable of striking targets deep inside the United States with nuclear weapons.

Putin Revives Long-range Bomber Patrols
The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, yesterday announced Russia had resumed long-range flights of strategic bombers capable of striking targets deep inside the United States with nuclear weapons.

Putin's Politics Put Partners on Edge
World briefing: Vladimir Putin's belligerent stance towards the US, Britain and the west is beginning to strain ties with fellow members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, whose main interest is survival, not confrontation, writes Simon Tisdall.

Putin Calls for 'common Sense' in Diplomatic Spat
Russian president moves to stop further escalation of the diplomatic row with Britain over the murder of the dissident Alexander Litvinenko.

Putin Hits Back at Uk By Expelling Diplomats
Tit-for-tat response is denounced as 'completely unjustifiable' by Britain.

Slow Progress at Bush-putin Talks
The New England summit between presidents George Bush and Vladimir Putin ended today without any significant breakthrough on the divisive issues that have brought relations between the two to the lowest point since the Cold War.

Angling for a Truce at the 'lobster Summit'
It was the perfect catch. President George Bush and his father took president Vladimir Putin, out to sea for a 90-minute fishing trip today in the hope of improving US-Russian relations.

Russia Charges Berezovsky With Plotting Against Putin
Exiled tycoon is charged on the basis of an interview he gave to the Guardian calling for a violent revolution in Russia.

Friendly Words But No Deal By Bush and Putin
First foreign leader to stay at family retreat in Maine - Discussions on Iran and new US missile system

Putin and Bush Hold Rapid Meeting to Mend Relations
President George Bush last night welcomed his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, to his summer retreat in Kennebunkport, Maine, at the start of an encounter of less than 24 hours designed to patch up deteriorating relations between the two powers.

The Rise of a Sinister Russo-Turkish Axis
With Vladimir Putin’s visit to Turkey tomorrow, a new stage of bipartisan – and eventually bilateral – cooperation will be launched.

Putin Changes Tack and Allows Moscow Protest to Go Ahead
Police stand by as thousands gather - Kremlin claims coming elections will be fair

Putin Surprises Us With Missile Suggestion
Vladimir Putin sprang a diplomatic surprise yesterday in his dispute with America over the siting of a US missile defence system in Europe, suggesting instead that it could be placed in the former Soviet republic of Azerbaijan.

Missed Opportunity Turns Ugly
World Briefing: Since marching unexpectedly on to the world stage in 2000, Vladimir Putin has by turns baffled, encouraged and outraged Russia's international interlocutors. By Simon Tisdall

Bush Flies Into Missile Storm With Putin
Europe tour may anger Kremlin before G8 summit - Moscow comments are unhelpful, says Nato

Bush and Putin to Face Off Over Missiles
President George Bush flew to Europe to confront Vladimir Putin today over US plans to base a new missile defence system in former Russian satellite countries.

Putin to Get Full Bush Hospitality
The US president has invited Vladimir Putin to the Bush family compound at Kennebunkport in Maine, in an attempt to resolve the row over a planned missile defence system in eastern Europe.

Putin to Visit Bush Family Home
President George Bush has invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to his family summer compound at Kennebunkport in Maine, in an attempt to resolve the row over the US plan to base a new missile defense system in eastern Europe.

Putin Denounces Us Plan for Missile Shield
Bush endangering peace in central Europe, EU told - Russian minister repeats retaliation warning

Accused of Murder, Safe in Russia: Putin Refuses to Extradite Suspect
Diplomatic standoff after Crown Prosecution Service decides that Moscow businessman should face charges

Putin Riles West By Barring Opposition Protesters
Kasparov and journalists made to miss flight - Merkel says authorities restricting free speech

Putin Raises Stakes in Row Over Us Missile Shield
Russia today stepped up its row with the US over its plans to build a new missile defence shield in Europe by announcing that it was considering withdrawing from a Soviet-era weapons treaty.

Putin Threatens to Scrap Weapons Treaty in Row Over Us Missiles
President calls defence shield plan a direct threat - Nato seeks clarification of Russian intentions

Riot Police Crush Anti-putin Rally
Protesters in St Petersburg beaten and arrested - Opposition coalition aims to 'save democracy'

Protesters Turn on Putin
2,000 demonstrators defy Kremlin to march in Moscow's streets as opposition leader Garry Kasparov is arrested.

Who Will Putin Anoint As Successor?
It is the question that keeps Russia's ruling class awake at night: who will take over when Vladimir Putin steps down as president next year?

Back to the Future With Putin
The first of three reports looking at the changing political map of Russia and how it is using its growing financial muscle both at home and abroad. Today: the president's return to the era of authoritarianism.

Putin Accused Over Death of Litvinenko
State-sponsored terrorism blamed for murder - Family and friends launch new justice foundation

Russia's Scientists Shun Putin's Embrace
Prestigious academy defies Kremlin takeover - Thousands vote against rule by bureaucrats

We Want to Stay in Russia, Bp Boss Tells Putin
Browne and Hayward hold key meeting in Kremlin - Assets of bankrupt Yukos to be auctioned next week

Supreme Court Ban on Liberal Party Wipes Out Opposition to Putin
Republicans accused of violating electoral law - Protest rally planned amid fears of a police state

Kremlin Chiefs Get Own Lane in Tunnel to Beat Moscow Jams
His presidential convoy is already a common sight. But Moscow drivers forced to wait while Vladimir Putin whizzes past received more bad news yesterday when it emerged that the Russian president is to get his own fast lane in a tunnel that is meant to relieve traffic congestion.

Putin Hands Chechnya Control to Militia Leader
Kadyrov takes over after president is sacked - Former rebel transforms capital in personality cult

Putin Nudges Ivanov Forward As Likely Heir
The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, last night promoted his close ally Sergei Ivanov to the position of first deputy prime minister in his clearest hint yet that he regards Mr Ivanov as his most likely successor.

Putin Hits at Us for Triggering Arms Race
Russian leader launches an assault on America in a sign of growing Kremlin self-confidence.

Putin's £2bn Bid to Make Bleak Eastern Island a Holiday Resort
Vladimir Putin plans to spend nearly £2bn reviving the economic fortunes of a forgotten and crumbling Pacific island where Russian soldiers starved to death.

Angry Merkel Attacks Putin Over Latest Pipeline Closure
Russian pricing row with Belarus alarms EU - Dispute hastens effort to safeguard energy supplies

The Rise and Rise of Putin Power
World Briefing: As Russia's fortunes have risen on a tide of oil and gas, Vladimir Putin has become increasingly assertive, even abrasive, in his international dealings, writes Simon Tisdall.

Putin Tells Energy Firm to Lift Investment 900% As Gas Shortages Loom
Russian power group says prices being kept too low - EU concerned supplies to west will be squeezed

Former Kgb Officer Was Poisoned Because He Was Enemy of Putin, Say Friends
Scotland Yard investigates incident in sushi bar - Defector believed he was pursued by secret agents

Spain Launches Crackdown on Municipal Graft After Putin Cuts Up Rough at Dinnertime
Spain's ruling Socialists are to propose a zero tolerance pact on municipal corruption just days after Russia's Vladimir Putin used a wave of Spanish town hall scandals to rebut accusations that he was not living up to European standards of democracy.

The Informal Summit Between European Leaders and Vladimir Putin
EU leaders meet Vladimir Putin at an informal summit in chilly Finland today - and with energy security and Russia's behaviour in former Soviet states under scrutiny, diplomats are nervous. Nicholas Watt reports from Lahti.

Reporters Sans Frontieres Say Putin Should Be Stripped of Legion of Honour
The French government was today urged to strip the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, of one of France's highest awards, the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour. By Julia Day.

Russia: Putin Praises Sexual Prowess of Israeli President
Vladimir Putin's international image was tainted today after it emerged he had let slip another of his infamous remarks - this time praising the president of Israel for alleged sex offences.

EU Clash on Warning to Putin Over Gas Supplies
· Compromise after France and Germany disagree · Foreign investments must be secure, Russia told

Russian Leader in Dock Over Sex Case Remarks
Vladimir Putin's international image has been tainted after it emerged he had let slip another of his infamous remarks - this time praising the president of Israel for alleged sex offences.

Putin Blames Georgia for Caucasus Unrest
· Tbilisi accused of 'moving towards bloodshed' · Russian leader angry over criticism at EU summit

Reporter's 'disgusting' Killing Damaged Russia, Says Putin
· Mourners and diplomats pay tribute to journalist · President visits old KGB stamping ground

Putin Promises to Hunt Down Journalist's Killers
President Vladimir Putin yesterday broke his silence over the murder of the journalist Anna Politkovskaya. In a conversation with the US president, George Bush, Mr Putin vowed that 'all necessary efforts will be made for an objective investigation into the tragic death'.

Putin Silent As Fiercest Critic is Murdered
· Reporter was investigating torture in Chechnya · Protesters blame Kremlin for apartment shooting

Assassin's Bullet Kills Fiery Critic of Putin
The woman who exposed the Kremlin's dirty war in Chechnya is found dead near her Moscow flat.

Putin Accuses Georgia of Provocation
Russia's diplomatic row with Georgia today escalated following an outspoken attack on the Georgian government by Vladimir Putin.

Russia Deserves More Than Stability From Putin's Last Year
The chaotic capitalism of the Yeltsin era has been banished, but other disturbing trends are now gaining momentum. By Jonathan Steele

Kremlin Sees Need for Opposition Party - So It Plans to Create One
Political fixers at the Kremlin think they have found a solution to the failing fortunes of the party that was engineered to support President Vladimir Putin: create another one that pretends to be an opponent.

Putin Plan to Shut Out Us Oil Giants
Kremlin will favour Norwegian firms to develop Barents Sea field after differences with Bush scupper Russia's bid to join WTO

Confident Putin Homes in on Western Leaders' Domestic Woes
Little had been left to chance by the Kremlin, including the weather. But even the seeding of the clouds could not prevent an awesome hailstorm from battering the Konstantinovsky Palace where Russia's showcase G8 summit was held yesterday.

Putin: Don't Lecture Me About Democracy
Vladimir Putin delivered a barbed retort to George Bush's muted criticism of Russia's democratic record yesterday when he told reporters at a joint press conference that he did not want to head a democracy like Iraq's.

Putin Urges Speed in Iran Nuclear Talks
The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, today said he wanted Iran to respond quickly to international proposals concerning the country's nuclear programme, but refused to discuss sanctions.

Putin Woos Western Critics With Webcast
· Charm offensive comes ahead of G8 summit · President calls Bush his friend and praises US

Putin Kisses Boy On A Stomach
Putin then lifted the boy’s shirt and kissed him on his stomach. The Russian president then patted the boy on the head and walked off through a crowd of astonished tourists. Exclusive report by Vipin Agnihotri

Putin Counters Washington's Claims Ahead of G8 Summit
The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, struck an uncompromising tone yesterday in the run-up to next month's G8 summit, demanding "equality and respect" from the United States.

Putin's Shadow Falls Over Finland
Like other small countries with large, bolshie neighbours, Finland tries hard not to give offence. So when Heidi Hautala, a Green MP and former environment minister, blasted declining democratic standards in Vladimir Putin's Russia, the sense of shock in Helsinki was palpable. By Simon Tisdall

Russians Want Putin to Serve Third Term
· Rule change to allow four more years backed by 59% · President thought to be against, but idea persists

Putin Revives Energy Row With Us But Promises to Help Fight Terrorism
· Russian leader rejects blackmail accusations · President denies gas cut off to intimidate Europe

Putin Faces Energy Shootout
Worried that the lights could go out, EU chiefs will press President Vladimir Putin today to agree new rules on future Russian oil and gas supplies, pricing and investment.

Putin Lashes Out at 'wolf-like' America
· Response to Cheney attack feeds war of words · US 'eats and listens to no one', warns president

Putin Hits Out at Washington As Iran Dispute Intensifies
The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, today compared the US to a wolf who 'eats without listening' as a public spat between the two countries on the best way to deal with Iran intensified.

LSE Chief Delivers Warning to Putin
The head of the London Stock Exchange rebuked the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, for barring a large foreign investor from Russia, it emerged today.

Putin Diverts New Oil Pipeline From Lake Baikal After Protests
Vladimir Putin backed down in the face of popular protest yesterday and ordered that an oil pipeline be diverted from Lake Baikal, the world's largest mass of fresh water.

Putin Starts Russian Reclamation
Russia is seeking to reclaim millions of pounds worth of property and assets it lost control over during the collapse of the Soviet Union, in an attempt by the Putin administration to rebuild the international image of the Russian state.

How Spin the Bottle Sealed Macho Putin's First Kiss
He may not seem particularly frivolous nowadays, but as a teenager Vladimir Putin stole his first kiss during a New Year's Eve game of spin the bottle, the blushing recipient revealed yesterday.

Clumsy British Spies Are Better Than Crafty Ones, Says Putin
The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, says that four British diplomats accused of espionage in Moscow should not be expelled, as their replacements might be cleverer than they are and harder to catch.

Merkel Challenges Putin on Human Rights
Relations between Germany and Russia moved into a cooler phase yesterday when Angela Merkel used her inaugural trip to Moscow to raise the previously taboo subject of human rights abuses.

Fresh Rise in Gas Bills Feared As Ukraine Rejects Putin Deal
The prospect of a further increase in British gas bills grew last night as Ukraine and Russia failed to reach agreement over a crucial gas pricing deal.

White House Man Rejects Putin's Offer of Oil Firm Job
One of George Bush's closest friends and former cabinet members has publicly rejected an offer made by the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, for him to head one of Russia's largest state oil companies.

Moscow Voters to Give Verdict on Putin Reforms
Moscow goes to the polls tomorrow for local elections seen as a crucial test within the country's growing middle class for President Vladimir Putin's authoritarian style of "managed democracy".

Should Putin Get Respect in Exchange for Oil?
Many Russians accept a loss of democracy as long as they prosper. Should we give Putin respect in exchange for gas and oil?

Putin Reshuffle Gives Clues to Choice of Heir
· Defence minister Ivanov promoted to deputy PM · Decision helps quell rumours of third term

Vladimir Putin: Friend or Foe of Democracy?
Putin, a former KGB official of 30 years, appears to have a hidden agenda. One inimicable to Western interests.

Putin Climbs Down Over Governors' Appointments
President Vladimir Putin yesterday climbed down over one of his most contentious reforms - that he would personally appoint the governors of Russia's regions.

Putin Rejects Third Term and Leaves Legacy of Uncertainty
· President says he will not violate constitution · MPs fearing change try to prolong tenure

Putin: Un Must Coordinate Anti-terror Fight
The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, today said the UN needed to move away from settling disputes between member states towards coordinating a global fight against terrorism.

Putin Still Bitter Over Orange Revolution
President Putin last night denied there was any cooling of Russia's relations with European governments despite the EU's role in helping the pro-Moscow candidate's defeat in the Ukrainian election.

We Can't Guarantee Security, Putin Tells Beslan Mothers
President Vladimir Putin yesterday admitted that Russia could not completely protect its citizens from terrorism. His remarks came before a meeting with three mothers of child victims of the Beslan siege, in which 331 hostages died a year ago today.

Putin Angry Over Poland Muggings
Vladimir Putin reacted angrily yesterday to news that three teenage sons of Russian diplomats serving in Warsaw had been beaten and robbed of their mobile phones in a park in the Polish capital.

Putin Vows to Bolster Border
President Vladimir Putin yesterday pledged to strengthen Russia's southern borders after at least 14 people died when militants opened fire on a minibus in Chechnya.

Putin Critic Investigated
Prosecutors in Moscow announced last night that they had opened a criminal investigation into the former Russian prime minister Mikhail Kasyanov for illegal acquisition of property.

Ex-Soviet States Need Help Too, Putin Tells Blair
Vladimir Putin warned Tony Blair yesterday that former Soviet states such as Georgia and Tajikistan needed as much help as Africa if they were not to become a battlefield.

Putin Offers Backing for Uk's G8 Agenda
The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, today offered his support for the British G8 agenda on Africa and climate change.

At Home With the Putins
She is the normally taciturn wife of the Russian president, but in a rare interview with the country's state newspaper, Ludmila Putin spills the beans on everything from eating habits to Vladimir's golden rules about women. Nick Paton Walsh reports.

Bush Offers Support to Putin's Critics
US president takes advantage of Victory Day in Moscow to meet advocates of 'civil society' and democracy.

Putin urges unity after summit flop
Vladimir Putin's three-day celebrations to mark victory in Europe were mired in conflict yesterday when key leaders either boycotted or dismissed a summit of former Soviet states.

Putin Bangs Drum for Russia's Civilising Mission
President Vladimir Putin yesterday said he would crack down heavily on any attempts to instigate a popular revolution in Russia.

Wave of Protest Challenges Putin
Demands grow in oil-rich area for sacking of its leader.

Putin Aide Wants Super-regions to Prevent Break-up of Russia
President Vladimir Putin's chief of staff warned yesterday that Russia could break up into several different countries and proposed the creation of "super-regions" to be headed by Kremlin appointees.

Another Hole Gapes in Putin's Post-soviet Vision
Ian Traynor: The revolutions rolling through Russia's backyard shifted thousands of miles yesterday from the borders of the European Union to the Chinese frontier as Kyrgyzstan fell.

World Briefing
Simon Tisdall: Gary Kasparov's decision to retire from chess and devote his talents to opposing Vladimir Putin reflects broader, increasingly vocal discontent over the president's perceived descent into authoritarianism.

What the West Condemns in Putin, It Condoned in Yeltsin
Jonathan Steele: Privatisation and welfare cuts are being rammed through by diktat.

Out in the Cold
They don't like Mikhail Gorbachev in Russia, but on the world stage he is still a hero. Twenty years after perestroika, Sophie Arie finds its architect troubled by America's plans for the Arab world and standing up for Vladimir Putin.

Baltic States Agonise Over Putin's Invitation
Russia and the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are locked in a diplomatic row over festivities to mark the end of the second world war.

Bush Pushes Putin on Democracy
The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, said today there was "no turning back" from a democratic course for his country after his US counterpart, George Bush, voiced concern about Russian democracy.

Next Stop Bratislava and a Testing Time With His Pal Putin
Simon Tisdall: George Bush's new politics of conciliation will face its biggest test tomorrow when the US leader meets Russia's insecure and recalcitrant president, Vladimir Putin, in Bratislava.

Putin Defends Iran and Eyes Up Nuclear Fuel Deal
President Vladimir Putin openly defied Washington yesterday by announcing a visit to Iran less than a week before a summit with President Bush.

Moscow Brought to Halt With Cuts Protest
Vladimir Putin came under additional pressure to sack the ministers who engineered his unpopular benefits reforms when Moscow was brought to a standstill at the weekend by the largest demonstrations held during his presidency.

Benefit-cut Protests Put Putin Under Pressure
Vladimir Putin was under additional pressure to sack the ministers who engineered his unpopular benefits reforms when Moscow was brought to a standstill at the weekend by the largest demonstrations held during his presidency.

Protests Hit Putin's Poll Ratings
President Vladimir Putin's opinion poll ratings have fallen to an all-time low after weeks of protests over the Kremlin's plans to change benefits paid to pensioners and disabled people.

Abbas Visits Moscow for Putin Talks
The Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas, was today holding talks with the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, at the Kremlin as he attempted to win Moscow's support prior to peace talks with Israel.

Putin Cuts the Wings of Liberal Adviser
Vladimir Putin's most outspoken adviser has been stripped of one of his more prominent roles after criticising the Kremlin's policies, including its handling of the elections in Ukraine.

Putin Raps Liberal Adviser
Vladimir Putin's most outspoken adviser has been stripped of one of his more prominent roles after criticising the Kremlin's policies, including its handling of the elections in Ukraine.

Chinese Puzzle in Auction of Yukos
Vladimir Putin defended the controversial sale of Yukos's core producing asset yesterday and said the new owners were individuals who had been active in the energy sector for 'many years'.

Putin Says He Will Bow to Poll in Ukraine
Russia's president gives strongest hint so far that he will accept Ukraine's pro-western presidential candidate, Viktor Yushchenko, if he wins the country's repeated run-off election.

Putin Backs New Ukraine Poll
Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, threw his weight behind holding totally new elections in Ukraine yesterday, rejecting the idea favoured by the EU of a quick repeat of the fraud-ridden runoff vote that has pitched the country into crisis.

Oil Powers Putin's Ambitions
Plans by the Moscow-based company Gazprom to provide 10% of Britain's natural gas requirements by 2010 underline Russia's growing international importance as an energy supplier.

Ukraine Vote on Hold After Court Ruling
The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, yesterday accused the US and the European Union of encouraging 'mayhem' on the streets of Ukraine, and warned them against interfering further in the current election crisis.

Russia Develops Nuclear System to Evade Defence
Vladimir Putin announced yesterday that Russia was developing a nuclear missile system that he claimed was unrivalled in the world.

Putin Offers Peace Terms to Oligarchs
President Vladimir Putin tried yesterday to put an end to fears of a further state clampdown on big business but demanded that firms pay more towards poverty reduction and social projects.

Simon Tisdall: World Briefing
Vladimir Putin is not averse to voicing his opinions on other countries' elections. He recently endorsed George Bush's re-election bid. And when it comes to Ukraine, there is little doubt where he stands.

Putin's Kiev Visit 'timed to Influence Ukraine Poll'
President's remarks helpful to pro-Moscow candidate, but aides deny any attempt to help ally.

Putin Backs Bush Victory
Vladimir Putin waded into the American election campaign in support of George Bush yesterday, declaring that if the president lost, it would lead to the 'spread of terrorism' around the world.

Putin Attack Suspect 'badly Beaten'
The man arrested last week for allegedly trying to kill President Vladimir Putin with a car bomb was interrogated by 150 police officers before he died. Police said he died of a heart attack. The Observer can reveal that the body of Alexander Pumane, 38, from St Petersburg, was so badly...

Bush Rebukes Move By Putin to Limit Russian Democracy
A row between Russia and America over Moscow's response to the Beslan tragedy escalated yesterday when George Bush voiced concern that a sweeping Kremlin security overhaul "could undermine democracy". Hours after Russia warned Washington not to meddle in its internal affairs, Mr Bush...

Putin Tightens Grip on Regions and Mps
President Vladimir Putin made constitutional changes yesterday designed to increase his personal control of the regions and parliament, saying the government needed "strengthening" because it had failed at Beslan in its fight against terrorism. He told regional governors, cabinet...

Putin Puts £6m Price on Rebels' Heads
Russia targets men it blames for school massacre and warns it will strike terrorist targets 'anywhere in the world'.

Angry Putin Rejects Public Beslan Inquiry
The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, last night refused to order a public inquiry into how the Beslan school was captured by gunmen and then ended with such a high death toll, and told the Guardian that people who call for talks with Chechen leaders have no conscience. "Why don't you...

Putin's Warning As Terror Deaths Top 360
As the death toll in the siege of Beslan's School Number One climbed to 330 - 156 of them children - President Vladimir Putin warned yesterday that terrorists had declared 'a full-scale war' on Russia.

Putin Awaits Verdict of Volatile Public
Experts fear for future of human rights.

Putin Flies Into Chechnya
Vladimir Putin made a rare visit to Chechnya yesterday to support its pro-Moscow administration by laying a wreath at the grave of Akhmad Kadyrov, the Chechen president assassinated in May. The visit, Mr Putin's second since the killing and the third of his presidency, was an attempt to...

Riled Putin Shakes Up Top Brass
President Vladimir Putin fired three of Russia's top generals and a senior state security official yesterday after suffering a series of humiliating setbacks in Chechnya. The main casualty of the shake-up was the chief of general staff, General Anatoly Kvashnin. His post as...

Tsarist Race Reborn As Putin Rides for Glory
The Kremlin has reintroduced one of tsarist Russia's most elaborate and elitist traditions - the imperial races. At the weekend, President Vladimir Putin for the first time invited his regional governors and heads of former Soviet states to race for the Prize of the President of Russia,...

Dilemma for Putin Over Yukos £2bn Tax Bill
A Russian court yesterday turned down an appeal from Yukos and said it must pay a £2bn tax bill, giving bailiffs the right to seize the oil group's property. The company claims it has the funds to pay the bill, levied for alleged illegal use of offshore tax havens in 2000, but that...

Business Banks on Pushkin to Woo Putin
A rare handwritten manuscript by Alexander Pushkin has been returned to St Petersburg courtesy of one of the country's big businessmen in an apparent bid to highlight his patriotism to the Kremlin. President Vladimir Putin handed over the one-page manuscript for "In the hills of Georgia"...

Hacker Offers to Shut Putin's Website
In the spirit of the free market computer hackers in Russia have put their services up for sale, offering to "take out" any website for a price. Several hackers have posted a menu of services on the internet. The most popular is a Direct Denial of Service (DDoS) attack, in which a website...

Putin Pulls Punches on Oligarchs
Vladimir Putin yesterday used his annual keynote policy speech to demand that Russia's energy conglomerates seek "greater transparency" with the state.

Scientists Hand Putin Weapon to Kill Kyoto Treaty
Leading Russian scientists told President Vladimir Putin that the Kyoto emissions treaty discriminates against Russia, would damage its economy and would not significantly reduce global warming, increasing the chance that the Kremlin will refuse to ratify the agreement.

Putin Orders More Police for Chechnya
The Russian president paid a lightning visit to the capital of war-torn Chechnya, announcing the Kremlin would increase the republic's police force by more than a thousand men.

Hitman Kills Putin's Ex-bankruptcy Boss
A leading business figure has been assassinated on a busy street in central Moscow, the second such victim of a contract hit in a fortnight. Georgy Tal, 48, who once headed the government's controversial bankruptcy agency, was shot outside his office on Wednesday morning. A...

Sculptor's Take on Russian President
Tsereteli has depicted Mr Putin in a judo gi with bug-like eyes. His work inspires amusement, bewilderment and horror. But Zurab Tsereteli, the Georgian sculptor whose works are dotted across Moscow, may have gone too far. He has been photographed with an unfinished statue of his latest study: Vladimir Putin.

Putin Hikes His Pay to Fight Corruption
President hopes huge rises for politicians and bureaucrats will mean they take fewer bribes.

Putin Adviser Calls Kyoto Protocol a 'death Treaty'
Russia fears greenhouse gas limits would hold back economy.

Putin Appointee Escapes Car Bomb
A suicide bomber drove a car packed with 100kg of TNT into the car of the Ingushetian president injuring him slightly.

Buoyant Georgian President Charms Putin Into U-turn
A Kremlin change in attitude was vital to taming a rebel provincial warlord in the run-up to elections.

Threat to Putin's Mastery of Russia
Oil dependence and inequality threaten Putin's mastery of Russia. Vladimir Putin's unexpected decision yesterday to sack his prime minister, Mikhail Kasyanov, a hold-out from the Yeltsin era and a defender of the imprisoned oligarch, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, is a clear image-boosting move.

EU Prepares Sanctions Against Moscow
The EU is warning Russia that it may impose hard-hitting sanctions unless it drops its belligerent attitude towards the east European countries joining the union in May. Jack Straw and fellow foreign ministers are planning to tell Vladimir Putin that Moscow's already rocky relations with...

Putin Opponent Cries Foul Over Media Onslaught
President's main foe accuses the Kremlin of orchestrating dirty tricks campaign.

I Was Kidnapped, Says Putin Election Rival
Rybkin claims he was drugged during mystery absence.

Putin Plays Down Top Businessman's Arrest
The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, today sought to minimise the political significance of the recent arrest, at gunpoint, of one of the country's top businessmen. Mr Putin, who was travelling to Rome for a Russia-EU summit, argued that the arrest of Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the former...

Behind the official line
For a president whose daily antics lead and fill news bulletins on all the (state-controlled) television channels, Vladimir Putin is surprisingly media shy.

Moscow plots escape from Putin's long and deadly war
The war in Chechnya has been called Putin's war. It began in August 1999 - following Vladimir Putin's appointment as Russian prime minister - after Chechen Islamists invaded nearby Dagestan.

EU Alarmed As Putin Backtracks on Kyoto
President Vladimir Putin refused yesterday to commit Russia to ratifying the Kyoto treaty designed to cut global warming, backtracking on previous pledges and causing alarm in the EU and among environmental groups. Opening a conference on climate change in Moscow, Mr Putin said Russia's...

Terror reigns as Putin tries to force peace on Chechnya
Russian troops broke into the Bela refugee camp near the border of Chechnya last week and cut gas, water and electricity supplies. The aim was to make the camp, which holds 1,200 people, uninhabitable in the coming winter. Three women who tried to stop the soldiers were pistol-whipped, putting them in hospital.

US Anger at Putin Over Iran
President George Bush plans to take Vladimir Putin to task for Russia's alleged aid to Iran's nuclear weapons programme during a planned meeting at Camp David.

Putin fails to bring out voters
One of Russia's most important regional elections - a key test of President Vladimir Putin's popularity and approach to democracy - was mired by voter indifference yesterday. Some 70% of the electorate stayed at home, and a 10th of those who voted spoiled their ballot papers.

Putin greets Bush Sr to bolster US visit
Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, laid on an especially warm welcome at his favourite holiday spot of Sochi yesterday for a man many Russians think is really driving American policy - George Bush Sr.

Blow to fair elections in Chechnya
Hopes of a fair presidential election in Chechnya next month were dashed yesterday as a candidate opposing Moscow's choice to lead the war-torn republic dropped out when Vladimir Putin offered him a high-ranking job.

Asylum Granted to Putin Adversary
Boris Berezovsky, the Russian billionaire and now implacable enemy of the man he helped into office, Vladimir Putin, has been granted political asylum by Britain. Yesterday he received a letter from the Home Office granting him refugee status - weeks before Bow Street magistrates are due...

Putin puts 'Soviet' bar on poll coverage
The Kremlin has introduced a draconian election law which threatens the media with closure if they give details of candidates' personal lives or analyse their policies.

Putin ready to reel in corrupt sushi industry
President threatens further crackdown on lucrative trade. Gennady knows about temptation. His ship, the Alexei Kosonogov, could in one trip carry enough fish from his home port on the southern coast of the Russian island Sakhalin, across to neighbouring Japan, to net him enough money to retire.

Smashy and Nicey pull the strings to support Putin
One is the friendly face of law and order, never missing an opportunity to sport a sharp, tailored suit on TV and reassure Russians that they can sleep safely at night.

St Petersburg races to halt floods
It is the jewel in Russia's tsarist crown, the country's cultural capital and President Vladimir Putin's hometown, where he likes to entertain world leaders. But St Petersburg last week began frantically building flood defences to keep out the rising tides that threaten to envelop up to a third of the historic city within a few years.

Putin in warning on bombers
The two women believed to have blown themselves up at a Russian rock concert on Saturday belonged to a group of 36 Chechen female suicide bombers trained by separatists, Russian media reported yesterday.

Putin oversees clampdown after Moscow blasts
Russia yesterday began beefing up security measures around the capital after Saturday's suicide bombings, as President Putin cancelled an overseas trip to try to deal with the fear gripping the city's 10 million inhabitants.

Putin Urges Decisive Un Role in Iraq
Vladimir Putin yesterday urged the prime minister to let the United Nations take the lead role in quickly forming a new Iraqi government as one way to ease the growing resentment among Iraqis over the US and British occupation. After a brief meeting with Tony Blair on the last full day of...

Price-fixing Row Over Bp's Russian Oil Deal
British firm risks becoming embroiled in litigation with new partner. A £4.2bn Russian deal scheduled to be signed today in the presence of Tony Blair and Vladimir Putin could land BP in a multi-million pound lawsuit, according to legal documents seen by the Guardian.

Pipes and Protest Greet Putin in Edinburgh
If Vladimir Putin noticed the building site next to the Queen's home in Edinburgh yesterday, no one was telling. Had it been finished and uncontroversial, a visit to the new Holyrood parliament building might have formed the centrepiece of the Russian president's trip to Scotland...

Putin pulls plug on last critical TV channel
Cash-starved Russian independent station taken off air during ad break 'for the benefit of the audience', Kremlin says.

Putin's Brief Encounter With Blair Seen As Snub
The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, will get only half an hour of private 'face time' with Tony Blair during a three-day state visit to Britain next week.

Putin Sweeps the Chechen War Under His Red Carpet
Russia's neo-liberal reforms have left most citizens worse off. The royal carpet will be out next week for Vladimir Putin, the enigmatic moderniser with a KGB past, on the first state visit by a Russian leader to Britain for a century. But two new images colour the message of peace and partnership he hopes to project.

Chechens weigh up amnesty
Up to 200 Russian soldiers will benefit from an amnesty, backed by President Vladimir Putin, for crimes committed in Chechnya, a senior military official said yesterday.

Putin and Bush heal rift on Iraq in midst of festivities
Russian president Vladimir Putin yesterday capped 48 hours of festive pomp and ceremony, designed to portray the world's leaders as reunited after the Iraq war, with a relaxed and largely positive pre-G8 summit meeting with his American counterpart George Bush.

Chechnya deal is praised during East-West love-in
Tony Blair yesterday delivered a glowing endorsement of President Vladimir Putin's much-criticised policy in war-torn Chechnya, as part of efforts to heal the rift with the Kremlin over Iraq.

We Are Not With You and We Don't Believe You
Tony Blair's first public attempt to heal the diplomatic wounds of the Iraq war suffered a humiliating rebuff yesterday when Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, refused to lift UN sanctions and mocked the possibility that weapons of mass destruction existed in Iraq.

Putin asked to help free aid worker
Médicins sans Frontières called on President Vladimir Putin yesterday to intervene in the case of a kidnapped Dutch aid worker, accusing the Kremlin of "a lack of political will" to help free him.

Putin puts KGB muscle back into security arm
President Vladimir Putin justified his reputation as an authoritarian former KGB officer yesterday by giving the Russian security service new powers reminiscent of its Soviet predecessor.

Chirac Promises to Use Veto But Putin Faces Dilemma
France and Russia confirmed last night that they would use their right of veto against the proposed new resolution tabled in the UN security council by Britain, the US and Spain. In his first televised address to the nation since the start of the crisis, President Jacques Chirac said that...

Chirac enlists Putin in UN fight
The French president, Jacques Chirac, eager to shore up international support for France's increasingly hardline opposition to a US-led attack on Iraq, was so anxious to meet his Russian opposite number Vladimir Putin yesterday that he drove out to the airport to meet him.

Putin threat to $8 trillion gene treasure
One of the world's greatest genetic resources, which survived the Second World War siege of Leningrad in which many of its scientists died, is to be thrown out of its home and risk destruction in order to make room for the luxurious tastes of President Vladimir Putin and his administration.

Sloping off? Putin skis as Muscovites freeze
Over the Russian festive season, three things are certain: a foot of snow will fall, people will freeze to death in the streets and the president will go skiing.

Campaign chief sacked as Moscow seeks Chechen talks
President Vladimir Putin dismissed the commander of his forces in Chechnya yesterday. At the same time the Kremlin resisted parliament's call for a state of emergency in the republic, insisting that life was returning to normal.

Ian Black: Inside Europe
Vladimir Putin did not really seem to be out to win friends at last week's EU-Russia summit. The good news from Brussels was that a serious obstacle to the imminent enlargement of the union was overcome by the deal done on the Baltic enclave of Kaliningrad:

Get Circumcised, Angry Putin Tells Reporter
President Vladimir Putin has suggested that anyone who wants to criticise Russia's campaign in Chechnya should join the rebels in their Islamist holy war, adding that they could enhance their prospects of being accepted into the ranks by travelling to Moscow to be circumcised. Visibly...

Putin accepts deal with EU over Baltic enclave
Vladimir Putin struck a deal with the European Union on the Baltic enclave of Kaliningrad last night, removing a serious obstacle to the biggest ever enlargement of the European Union in 2004.

Putin Used a Chemical Too Volatile to Control
The Russian government may claim its use of fentanyl, a heroin-like chemical 100 times more potent than morphine, was unavoidable in the circumstances of the Moscow hostage crisis. But that does not excuse the authorities' failure to prepare the emergency services for what their advisers...

Putin Asserts Authority As Russia Mourns
Sorrow is mixed with resignation at fate of hostages but voices are raised against continuing conflict in Chechnya.

Putin rejects criticism over theatre raid
The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, today said he would not "give in to any blackmail" amid rising criticism of the Moscow theatre raid's rising death toll.

'Putin must talk peace or risk spilling the blood of more innocents'
"At 11.30am on October 25 I first spoke to the gunmen on a mobile phone, who confirmed we could meet. I went in with a 70-year-old doctor, Leonid Roshal. I was scared. I shouted my name, but there was no response. The doctor, who had been in before, told me where we should go.

Putin's new human mask slips in trial of strength
The ghost of the Kursk submarine disaster has come back to haunt President Vladimir Putin, as he watches public support for his handling of the Chechen theatre siege threaten to unravel.

Putin should not ape Bush
The bloody conclusion of the Moscow hostage crisis vividly illustrates the difficulties confronting those guiding the war on terrorism. President Vladimir Putin was presented with a group of hostage-takers who seized hundreds of theatregoers.

Questions mount for Putin
President Vladimir Putin was coming under mounting pressure last night to explain his forces' use of incapacitating gas in the Moscow theatre, as the death toll rose to about 140 in the bloody denouement to the hostage crisis.

Kremlin faces cruel dilemma
President Vladimir Putin is trapped in a dilemma whereby every option available to him is certain to result in political humiliation or in bloodshed.

War comes home to haunt Putin
Vladimir Putin's war on Chechnya started with bombs in Moscow. More than three years on, it has come full circle with the bold and brazen hostage crisis in the heart of Russia, 20 minutes from the Kremlin.

Talk the walk
Tony Blair and Vladimir Putin put world peace at risk yesterday by staging a highly contrived and potentially perilous photo-opportunity for the television bulletins.

Putin Demands Proof Over Iraqi Weapons
Blair dossier on weapons of mass destruction scorned as sceptical leader calls for return of inspectors.

Support Us on Iraq, Putin Urged
A conciliatory Tony Blair last night flew into Moscow determined to win President Vladimir Putin's backing for the US-led campaign against Iraq.

Birthday gift for Putin casts autocratic shadow
He models his rule on the powerful Russian tsar of the 17th century, Peter the Great. His doting subjects have already lavished him with a regal palace in St Petersburg, and a billion-dollar ski-slope in Sochi. And they have cited him as the inspiration behind a spy thriller, an opera featuring Monica Lewinsky, a raunchy pop song, a kebab house - and a tomato.

Putin Calls for Political Solution to Iraq Crisis
Over the past year, in innumerable one-day clashes, England and India have extolled each other as ever-improving sides. English defeats have been routinely explained away. India? Got to be World Cup favourites. We're doing well to compete. That comforting perception was tested to the...

Privatiser Putin Begins to Win War Against Russia's Mafia
Three of the City's most eminent grandees, Sir Peter Walters, Sir William Purves and American James Harmon, assemble at the Sheraton Park Tower hotel in London this morning for their first board meeting together. They will not be discussing BP, HSBC or any other of the top British firms with which...

Ski-mad Putin sees investors flock to £1bn resort in his own backyard
Brezhnev built himself an idyllic retreat in Yalta, while Stalin preferred to escape to the southern climes of Kholodnaya Richka. And now Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to transform some of the most beautiful areas in Russia into a billion pound ski resort, conveniently located at the back door to his presidential dacha in Sochi.

Putin Threatens to Invade Georgia
Ultimatum demands purge of Chechens holed up in Caucasus. President Vladimir Putin has told world leaders that Russian forces might invade or bomb Georgia unless the authorities there acted promptly to "destroy" Chechen "terrorists" holed up in the Caucasus mountains, the Kremlin said yesterday.

Chirac and Putin voice sympathy, Iraq cites God's will
French president Jacques Chirac told a ceremony at the heavily guarded residence of the US ambassador: "The French people stand with all their hearts at the side of the American people." On September 11 "liberty and fraternity were wounded. Today, France remembers.

Putin targets Stoli boss in the battle for vodka billions
The ubiquitous Russian export and favourite tipple of Boris Yeltsin is at the centre of a bitter war between government and big business as President Vladimir Putin tries to wrest control of Stolichnaya vodka back to the state.

Putin turns 007 in new thriller novel
Vladimir Putin is an unlikely hero for an action thriller, but the one-time spy who failed to shine in his one KGB posting in Berlin has a new image to contend with - as Russia's answer to 007.

Lukashenko Left Out in the Cold
June 20: Only a few years ago the president of Belarus dreamed of leading a new Slavic union; now Vladimir Putin jokingly offers to let his country become Russia's 90th region, writes Ian Traynor.

Skinhead leader rails against Putin
Alexander Ivanov-Sukharevsky is considered the leader of Russia's skinheads - brutal extremists who have killed and attacked foreigners across the country.

Putin Strikes Optimistic Note in Kashmir Feud
India and Pakistan will not resort to force, says Russian president.

Nato Summit Gives Putin a Say, But No Membership
George Bush and Vladimir Putin will meet in Italy today to sign an epoch-making agreement which will give Russia a say alongside Nato and bury the cold war for ever.

Bush and Putin deal to scrap warheads
President George Bush and President Vladimir Putin yesterday signed a treaty scrapping two-thirds of their long-range nuclear warheads.

Bush and Putin Sign Historic Anti-nuclear Treaty
• Largest ever missile cuts agreed
• Bush welcomes 'new era'
• Russia stands by Iran relations

Bush's Love of Pootie-poot Putin
At a historic summit in Moscow this week, President George Bush will mark what he claims is the final putting to rest of the cold war, by shaking hands with his new best friend, Pootie-Poot. That, according to today's issue of Time magazine, is the president's nickname for the Russian...

Moscow Dispatch: Putin and the West
President Putin has taken big risks aligning Russia with Nato and the west, but the signs are that his people support him, writes Ian Traynor.

Bush-Putin missile deal raises questions for Britain
The agreement between the US and Russia to collaborate on missile defence pulls the rug from under the opponents of George Bush's expensive and technically unproved Son of Star Wars project, analysts said yesterday.

Will it be third time lucky for canny Putin?
Nato deal President aims to succeed where Gorbachev and Yeltsin failed, and forge a lasting alliance with the west.

Bush and Putin Agree to Cut Warheads
Russia and the US announced a deal yesterday to cut their nuclear arsenals by two-thirds within a decade. The pact - made on terms dictated almost entirely by Washington, save for enabling the Kremlin to brag that it has forced the Bush administration to make its first international...

Putin Tactics Echo Communist Era
Determined to maintain President Putin's booming popularity the Kremlin is channelling criticism of policy away from him and on to his government, writes Ian Traynor

Nato Invites Putin to Seal New Relationship
Nato's new relationship with Russia will be sealed in Rome next month, its secretary general, Lord Robertson, announced yesterday. President Vladimir Putin will be invited to sign an agreement giving Moscow a seat alongside the 19 Nato members to formulate joint policies on peacekeeping,...

Former Ally Links Putin to Moscow Blasts
The Russian former media mogul Boris Berezovsky launched his strongest attack yesterday on his one-time friend and now president, Vladimir Putin, accusing him of being linked to the terrorist bombings of apartment buildings that killed about 300 Russians in September 1999. Mr Berezovsky,...

Putin Makes a Virtue of Necessity
The Russian president is not being the US lackey he appears on the issue of American troops in Georgia, says Ian Traynor.

Putin Leads Russian Olympic Protest
President supports Russia's perceived victimisation, as the controversies in Salt Lake City threaten to rub salt into old political wounds.

Putin presses US to sign treaty on nuclear cuts
The Kremlin called on Washington yesterday to join it in a new arms control treaty, committing the two countries to a radical reduction of nuclear warheads. President Vladimir Putin told the US secretary of state, Colin Powell, in the Kremlin that they should conclude the treaty when...