❗️Unidentified extremists carried out a terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall in Moscow. Early reports indicate 130 killed and wounded. Security Forces are at the scene.
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The Russian presidential election has come to a close with Putin receiving 87% of the vote, and a record-breaking 77% voter turnout.
Last night we had the opportunity to follow the results at a special election night gathering of lawmakers, experts, journalists, war correspondents, bloggers, and TV personalities.
The common theme throughout all the on camera speeches and off the record conversations was one of unprecedented consolidation around Vladimir Putin, who is now viewed not only as a wartime president, but also as a key force behind the reshaping of the global order.
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We're currently in Moscow; if you have any questions about contemporary life in Russia, let us know in the comments and we'll try to answer based on our on-the-ground experience!
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VIDEO: Controversial left-wing American Caleb Maupin addresses Vladimir Putin during a panel on the final day of the World Youth Festival
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On the sidelines of the World Youth Festival, attendees perform traditional dances and sing patriotic songs about their home countries.
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At the entrance to the main exhibition hall of the World Youth Festival in Sochi, organizers have prepared an exhibit on the history of NATO. On display are various items from the war in Ukraine and informational plaques.
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“The frontline [in Ukraine] is crumbling, left, right and center,” says a British-South African combat medic in an emotional plea to Western governments.
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❗️Pentagon: Ukraine’s entire defense is at risk of collapse.
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In 2021, Biden said that he warned Putin of “devastating consequences” for Russia in the event of Navalny’s death.
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❗️Jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has died, according to prison authorities.
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A mixed review: Putin praises Tucker Carlson for patience but voices disappointment over a lack of tough questions during their interview.
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Putin says he prefers Biden to Trump.
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Ukraine sinks Caesar Kunikov large landing ship, dealing another blow to the battered Russian Black Sea fleet.
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Finland’s new president: The path to peace goes through the battlefield, and the West must do “whatever it takes” to help Ukraine.
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Stoltenberg: Europe must shift to wartime weapons production to supply Ukraine, refill own stocks, and brace for decades of confrontation with Russia.
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ISW: Financial, economic, and military indicators suggest that Russia is actively preparing for a large-scale conventional conflict with NATO.
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The Russian presidential election kicked off today. Voters can cast their ballots in person or online (though online voting isn’t available in every region) through March 17th.
According to Russia’s latest polling data, Putin is projected to win 78% of the vote, with a voter turnout expected to be around 83%.
Based on the conversations we’ve had, Russians tend to view this election as an extraordinary vote of confidence for Vladimir Putin during a time of war and global restructuring, rather than a routine domestic political procedure.
Despite the absence of any real alternative candidate, most Russians we spoke to still plan to participate in the vote to demonstrate their support for President Putin.
In one conversation, an interesting parallel was drawn with Franklin D. Roosevelt’s unprecedented third and fourth terms in 1940 and 1944, respectively. At a time of great peril and uncertainty, Americans sacrificed political tradition and stuck with one leader to guide them through the storm of World War II.
While Russia doesn’t have a longstanding tradition of democratic political transition, it does have a popular saying — one shouldn’t change horses in midstream. Thus, President Putin’s continued leadership seems assured, at least until 2030.
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Here are our main takeaways from one week of festivities, panel discussions, and networking at the 2024 World Youth Festival in Sochi, Russia.
Some 20,000 participants from approximately 180 countries attended this year’s World Youth Festival. The message that Russia sought to convey to these participants and the world was that despite western sanctions, Russia has not been cut off from the world and continues to attract foreign visitors.
Most foreign participants were from the global south, while a handful of western countries were represented by noticeably smaller delegations. Based on our conversations and observations, western delegations tended to be comprised of people from political extremes, left and right. The American delegation was split between Americans with Russian roots and Communists.
The World Youth Festival was as much for World Youth as it was for Russian Youth, with delegations from all regions of the Russian Federation, including Crimea, Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporozhye, and Kherson. Russians were very eager to interact with us. In general, the young Russians we met had favorable views of America, notwithstanding frequent questions about LGBTQ and similar political issues in the US. American culture is still ubiquitous, even in Russia. We recall two young Russians from Siberia telling us how much they love America and that they want to study at American universities.
Reminders of the ongoing war in Ukraine were limited to maps showing Russia with its new territories, Z symbols worn by some Russian attendees, and panels featuring the new governor of Zaporozhye and veterans from the Donbass. Russians were much more open to talking about the war than foreigners, who thought that doing so was taboo. Overall, the Russians we met tended to be apolitical or self-described patriots.
We enjoyed our time in Sochi. We came away with the same impression as others who have recently come to Russia, namely that normal life continues largely unaffected.
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During a panel discussion on multipolarity at the World Youth Festival, a group of American participants attacked U.S. sanctions and asked Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov what he expects from the upcoming U.S. presidential elections.
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Among the many transport options available in Sochi, World Youth Festival participants can order self-driving Yandex Taxis free of charge.
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The Russian American Daily team is in Russia this week, attending the World Youth Festival in Sochi alongside 20,000 other participants from 180 countries.
While here, we hope to gauge public opinion on current events shaping the world and gain insight into Russian life under sanctions.
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❗️Avdiivka, which has been a major stronghold for Ukraine since 2014, falls to Russia amid reports of widespread disarray and despair in the Ukranian forces.
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Navalny’s wife takes the stage at the Munich Security Conference and calls on the West to unite in defeating Putin’s “evil regime.”
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Video recording of a Feb. 15 court hearing shows a cheerful and seemingly healthy Navalny just hours before his death.
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NYT: NATO is viewed as an outdated burden by a significant segment of the American public, signifying a rejection of the post-WWII security architecture led by the U.S.
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Tucker Carlson expresses amazement over the beauty and cleanliness of the Moscow metro.
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President Putin says he didn’t fully enjoy the interview with Tucker Carlson because it lacked tough questions.
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❗️Reuters: Putin approached the U.S. via intermediaries with a proposal to freeze the war in Ukraine at the current lines, but the offer was rejected.
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German Chancellor Scholz accuses Putin of lies and imperial ambitions, calling his interview with Tucker Carlson “ridiculous.”
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Trump says he would encourage a Russian attack on delinquent NATO members and not come to their defense.
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