Russia's decision to <a href="http://cmsuat.wionews.com/world/russia-to-expel-60-american-diplomats-close-consulate-in-st-petersburg-foreign-minister-lavrov-127144">expel 60 American diplomats and order closer to the US Consulate</a> in St Petersburg marks a further deterioration in bilateral ties, the White House said today.

"Russia's action today to expel American diplomats marks a further deterioration in the US-Russia relationship," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said, hours after Russia in a retaliatory action asked 60 American diplomats to leave the country within seven days and shut down the St Petersburg Consulate within 48 hours.

"The expulsion of undeclared Russian intelligence officers by the United States and more than two dozen partner nations and NATO allies earlier this week was an appropriate response to the Russian attack on the soil of the United Kingdom," Sanders said.

The Trump administration had earlier ordered the expulsion of 60 Russian diplomats and shutter the country's consulate general in Seattle.

She said the Russian response was "not unanticipated", and the US will "deal" with it.

Russia has expelled 60 US diplomats and closed the St Petersburg consulate in a tit-for-tat response to US action over a spy poisoning case in the UK.

Russia's decision to expel 60 American diplomats and order closer to the US Consulate in St Petersburg marks a further deterioration in bilateral ties, the White House said today. "Russia's action today to expel American diplomats marks a further deterioration in the US-Russia relationship," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said, hours after Russia in a retaliatory action asked 60 American diplomats to leave the country within seven days and shut down the St Petersburg Consulate within 48 hours. "The expulsion of undeclared Russian intelligence officers by the United States and more than two dozen partner nations and NATO allies earlier this week was an appropriate response to the Russian attack on the soil of the United Kingdom," Sanders said. The Trump administration had earlier ordered the expulsion of 60 Russian diplomats and shutter the country's consulate general in Seattle. She said the Russian response was "not unanticipated", and the US will "deal" with it.

Russian action to expel 60 US diplomats marks further deterioration in bilateral ties: White House

After the US and <a href="http://cmsuat.wionews.com/world/poisoned-former-russian-spy-skripals-daughter-is-no-longer-critical-hospital-127116">EU expelled over 100 diplomats</a>, Russia said today it will expel 60 American diplomats and close the consulate in Saint Petersburg as tensions between Russia and the West continued over the poisoning of an ex-spy in the UK.

The Russian move confirmed a tit-for-tat response after the Trump administration announced last week it has expelled 60 Russian diplomats and decided to shutdown the consulate in Seattle.

Russian ambassador Sergey Lavrov said that the US ambassador had been informed of "retaliatory measures".

"They include the expulsion of the equivalent number of diplomats and our decision to withdraw permission for the functioning of the US consulate general in Saint Petersburg," Lavrov said.

"The measures would be reciprocal ... They include expulsion of the equivalent number of diplomats and they include our decision to withdraw our agreement to allow the United States' general consulate to operate in St. Petersburg," Lavrov added.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova had earlier said the charges against Russia that it was behind poisoning of an ex-spy in Salisbury, UK was "politically motivated".

"We have answered all the questions raised by UK," the Russian foreign minister had said at a press conference in Moscow.

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Russian ambassador Sergey Lavrov said that the US ambassador had been informed of "retaliatory measures".

After the US and EU expelled over 100 diplomats, Russia said today it will expel 60 American diplomats and close the consulate in Saint Petersburg as tensions between Russia and the West continued over the poisoning of an ex-spy in the UK. The Russian move confirmed a tit-for-tat response after the Trump administration announced last week it has expelled 60 Russian diplomats and decided to shutdown the consulate in Seattle. Russian ambassador Sergey Lavrov said that the US ambassador had been informed of "retaliatory measures". "They include the expulsion of the equivalent number of diplomats and our decision to withdraw permission for the functioning of the US consulate general in Saint Petersburg," Lavrov said. "The measures would be reciprocal ... They include expulsion of the equivalent number of diplomats and they include our decision to withdraw our agreement to allow the United States' general consulate to operate in St. Petersburg," Lavrov added. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova had earlier said the charges against Russia that it was behind poisoning of an ex-spy in Salisbury, UK was "politically motivated". "We have answered all the questions raised by UK," the Russian foreign minister had said at a press conference in Moscow.

Russia to expel 60 American diplomats, close consulate in St. Petersburg: Foreign minister Lavrov

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Microsoft’s Indian-born CEO Satya Nadella, US President Donald Trump, newly re-elected Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping are among the contenders this year for TIME magazine’s list of 100 most influential people who have made an impact on the contemporary world.

For more than a decade, the TIME 100 annual list has featured some of the world’s most significant artists, leaders, scientists, activists and entrepreneurs. The list will be announced next month.

While the editors at TIME will make the final judgement call on who makes the list, the publication has asked readers to vote online on who they believe are the most influential people of the year.

This year’s list of contenders includes Modi, who has been featured regularly in the previous years among the probables for the most influential people by the reputable news magazine.

Modi had been named among the contenders last year as well as in 2016.

He was named by the TIME editors among the 100 most influential people in the world in 2015, with former US President Barack Obama writing a profile for him for the magazine.

Others on the list this year are North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Pakistani-American actor Kumail Nanjiani, Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump, son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Amazon chief Jeff Bezos, members of the British Royal family – Prince William and his wife Duchess of Cambridge Catherine, Prince Henry and his fiancee Meghan Markle and former President of the US Barack Obama.

Student activists — from “Dreamers” fighting for immigration reform to the students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School advocating for school safety and gun control — are also in the running for this year’s TIME 100.

The list also includes Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Pope Francis, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, French President Emmanuel Macron, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, Founder of the #MeToo movement Tarana Burke, actor Dwayne Johnson, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX Elon Musk, Special counsel Robert Mueller, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Former FBI Director James Comey, President of South Korea Moon Jae-in.

For more than a decade, the TIME 100 annual list has featured some of the world's most significant artists, leaders, scientists, activists and entrepreneurs.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Microsoft’s Indian-born CEO Satya Nadella, US President Donald Trump, newly re-elected Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping are among the contenders this year for TIME magazine’s list of 100 most influential people who have made an impact on the contemporary world. For more than a decade, the TIME 100 annual list has featured some of the world’s most significant artists, leaders, scientists, activists and entrepreneurs. The list will be announced next month. While the editors at TIME will make the final judgement call on who makes the list, the publication has asked readers to vote online on who they believe are the most influential people of the year. This year’s list of contenders includes Modi, who has been featured regularly in the previous years among the probables for the most influential people by the reputable news magazine. Modi had been named among the contenders last year as well as in 2016. He was named by the TIME editors among the 100 most influential people in the world in 2015, with former US President Barack Obama writing a profile for him for the magazine. Others on the list this year are North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Pakistani-American actor Kumail Nanjiani, Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump, son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Amazon chief Jeff Bezos, members of the British Royal family – Prince William and his wife Duchess of Cambridge Catherine, Prince Henry and his fiancee Meghan Markle and former President of the US Barack Obama. Student activists — from “Dreamers” fighting for immigration reform to the students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School advocating for school safety and gun control — are also in the running for this year’s TIME 100. The list also includes Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Pope Francis, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, French President Emmanuel Macron, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, Founder of the #MeToo movement Tarana Burke, actor Dwayne Johnson, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX Elon Musk, Special counsel Robert Mueller, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Former FBI Director James Comey, President of South Korea Moon Jae-in.

TIME's 100 most influential list: Modi, Putin, Trump among contenders

The United States and its European allies have expelled more than 100 Russian diplomats over the nerve agent attack on UK soil.

Many nations have shown solidarity after Theresa May last week accused Russia of being responsible and ordered 23 of its diplomats to leave the country.

EU leaders agreed last week it was highly likely Russia was behind the nerve-agent poisoning.

British Prime Minister Theresa May said the show of solidarity gave a strong message.

"We welcome today's actions by our allies, which clearly demonstrate that we all stand shoulder to shoulder in sending the strongest signal to Russia that it cannot continue to flout international law," a statement from Mrs May's office said.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said the "extraordinary international response by our allies stands in history as the largest collective expulsion of Russian intelligence officers ever".

The US action is also the biggest move against Russia since the Cold War era and the hostilities with the then Soviet Union.

The Russian foreign ministry said the moves demonstrated a continuation of a "confrontational path".

"It goes without saying that this unfriendly act by this group of countries will not go without notice and we will react to it," its statement said.

Why are they doing it?

President of the European Council Donald Tusk said 14 EU states had decided to expel Russian diplomats as a direct result of a meeting, held last week, about the Salisbury poisoning.

"Additional measures, including further expulsions within this common EU framework, are not to be excluded in the coming days and weeks," he said.

The US state department said in a statement: "On March 4, Russia used a military-grade nerve agent to attempt to murder a British citizen and his daughter in Salisbury.

"This attack on our Ally the United Kingdom put countless innocent lives at risk and resulted in serious injury to three people, including a police officer."

It called the attack an "outrageous violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention and breach of international law".

The US is expelling 48 envoys at the Russian embassy in Washington and 12 more at the UN in New York. It will also order the closure of the Russian consulate in Seattle.

Here is a list of the countries and the number of Russians expelled.

- US, Canada -

The United States expelled 60 alleged "spies" posted around the country and at the Russian mission to the United Nations.

It also closed the Russian consulate in Seattle over alleged spying at the nearby Kitsap submarine base and Boeing.

The retaliation against Moscow was taken "in response to Russia's use of a military-grade chemical weapon on the soil of the United Kingdom," White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said.

Canada ousted four diplomats, calling the nerve agent attack "a despicable, heinous and reckless act".

- European Union -

Sixteen EU states have joined Britain in expelling Russian diplomats following a European Council decision last week to react to Moscow within a common framework.

"Additional measures including further expulsions are not to be excluded in the coming days and weeks," EU President Donald Tusk said.

Britain itself has already kicked out 23 Russian diplomats, with Moscow retaliating with a tit-for-tat move.

Croatia: One diplomat

Czech Republic: Three diplomats

Denmark: Two diplomats

Estonia: One diplomat

France: Four diplomats

Finland: One diplomat

Germany: Four diplomats

Hungary: One diplomat

Italy: Two diplomats

Latvia: One diplomat

Lithuania: Three diplomats

Netherlands: Two diplomats

Norway: One diplomat

Poland: Four diplomats

Romania: One diplomat

Spain: Two diplomats

Sweden: One diplomat

- Outside EU -

Albania: Two diplomats

Norway: One diplomat

Ukraine: 13 diplomats

President Petro Poroshenko called for even more action to be taken.

"The next step is to increase the price that Moscow has to pay for its international crimes, including the strengthening of personal, financial and economic sanctions," he said.

The alleged poisoning triggered a diplomatic row between London and Moscow with tit-for-tat expulsions of diplomats on both sides.

The United States and its European allies have expelled more than 100 Russian diplomats over the nerve agent attack on UK soil. Many nations have shown solidarity after Theresa May last week accused Russia of being responsible and ordered 23 of its diplomats to leave the country. EU leaders agreed last week it was highly likely Russia was behind the nerve-agent poisoning. British Prime Minister Theresa May said the show of solidarity gave a strong message. "We welcome today's actions by our allies, which clearly demonstrate that we all stand shoulder to shoulder in sending the strongest signal to Russia that it cannot continue to flout international law," a statement from Mrs May's office said. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said the "extraordinary international response by our allies stands in history as the largest collective expulsion of Russian intelligence officers ever". The US action is also the biggest move against Russia since the Cold War era and the hostilities with the then Soviet Union. The Russian foreign ministry said the moves demonstrated a continuation of a "confrontational path". "It goes without saying that this unfriendly act by this group of countries will not go without notice and we will react to it," its statement said. Why are they doing it? President of the European Council Donald Tusk said 14 EU states had decided to expel Russian diplomats as a direct result of a meeting, held last week, about the Salisbury poisoning. "Additional measures, including further expulsions within this common EU framework, are not to be excluded in the coming days and weeks," he said. The US state department said in a statement: "On March 4, Russia used a military-grade nerve agent to attempt to murder a British citizen and his daughter in Salisbury. "This attack on our Ally the United Kingdom put countless innocent lives at risk and resulted in serious injury to three people, including a police officer." It called the attack an "outrageous violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention and breach of international law". The US is expelling 48 envoys at the Russian embassy in Washington and 12 more at the UN in New York. It will also order the closure of the Russian consulate in Seattle. Here is a list of the countries and the number of Russians expelled. - US, Canada - The United States expelled 60 alleged "spies" posted around the country and at the Russian mission to the United Nations. It also closed the Russian consulate in Seattle over alleged spying at the nearby Kitsap submarine base and Boeing. The retaliation against Moscow was taken "in response to Russia's use of a military-grade chemical weapon on the soil of the United Kingdom," White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said. Canada ousted four diplomats, calling the nerve agent attack "a despicable, heinous and reckless act". - European Union - Sixteen EU states have joined Britain in expelling Russian diplomats following a European Council decision last week to react to Moscow within a common framework. "Additional measures including further expulsions are not to be excluded in the coming days and weeks," EU President Donald Tusk said. Britain itself has already kicked out 23 Russian diplomats, with Moscow retaliating with a tit-for-tat move. Croatia: One diplomat Czech Republic: Three diplomats Denmark: Two diplomats Estonia: One diplomat France: Four diplomats Finland: One diplomat Germany: Four diplomats Hungary: One diplomat Italy: Two diplomats Latvia: One diplomat Lithuania: Three diplomats Netherlands: Two diplomats Norway: One diplomat Poland: Four diplomats Romania: One diplomat Spain: Two diplomats Sweden: One diplomat - Outside EU - Albania: Two diplomats Norway: One diplomat Ukraine: 13 diplomats President Petro Poroshenko called for even more action to be taken. "The next step is to increase the price that Moscow has to pay for its international crimes, including the strengthening of personal, financial and economic sanctions," he said.

Attack on ex-spy in UK: US, Europe expel over 100 diplomats, Putin expected to react soon

Russian President Vladimir Putin will try to bolster Russia&#39;s image through hosting the World Cup in a similar way to how Adolf Hitler used the Olympics when it was held in Nazi Germany, Britain&#39;s foreign minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday.

Russia is hosting the World Cup in June and July this year, and Johnson agreed with a lawmaker who said Putin would use the tournament to improve Russia&#39;s image, comparing it to when Hitler&#39;s Germany hosted 1936 Olympics.

&quot;Your characterisation of what is going to happen in Moscow in the World Cup, in all the venues - yes, I think the comparison with 1936 is certainly right,&quot; Johnson replied during a question and answer session with lawmakers.

Russia is hosting the World Cup in June and July this year

Russian President Vladimir Putin will try to bolster Russia's image through hosting the World Cup in a similar way to how Adolf Hitler used the Olympics when it was held in Nazi Germany, Britain's foreign minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday. Russia is hosting the World Cup in June and July this year, and Johnson agreed with a lawmaker who said Putin would use the tournament to improve Russia's image, comparing it to when Hitler's Germany hosted 1936 Olympics. "Your characterisation of what is going to happen in Moscow in the World Cup, in all the venues - yes, I think the comparison with 1936 is certainly right," Johnson replied during a question and answer session with lawmakers.

Putin will try to bolster Russia's image through World Cup like Hitler: Boris Johnson

U.S. President Donald Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, an administration official told Reuters without elaborating.

The White House planned to release a statement on their conversation on Tuesday, the official said.

Putin was re-elected on Sunday as Russia's president, extending his tenure for another six years.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Tuesday he hoped Putin's win would lead to a thaw in U.S.-Russia relations, the RIA news agency reported.

Ryabkov was cited as saying he hoped the victory would persuade some American politicians to stop isolating Russia and said Moscow was open to dialogue with Washington.

The European Union's chief executive, Jean-Claude Juncker, published a letter of congratulations to Putin on Tuesday, saying Russia and Europe should "re-establish a cooperative pan-European security order."

With East-West ties at post-Cold War lows, Juncker's congratulatory letter followed the latest expression of concern about Russia from EU foreign ministers on Monday over the nerve

agent attack on a former Russian double agent on British soil. Russia denies involvement.

The White House planned to release a statement on their conversation on Tuesday, the official said

U.S. President Donald Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, an administration official told Reuters without elaborating. The White House planned to release a statement on their conversation on Tuesday, the official said. Putin was re-elected on Sunday as Russia's president, extending his tenure for another six years. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Tuesday he hoped Putin's win would lead to a thaw in U.S.-Russia relations, the RIA news agency reported. Ryabkov was cited as saying he hoped the victory would persuade some American politicians to stop isolating Russia and said Moscow was open to dialogue with Washington. The European Union's chief executive, Jean-Claude Juncker, published a letter of congratulations to Putin on Tuesday, saying Russia and Europe should "re-establish a cooperative pan-European security order." With East-West ties at post-Cold War lows, Juncker's congratulatory letter followed the latest expression of concern about Russia from EU foreign ministers on Monday over the nerve agent attack on a former Russian double agent on British soil. Russia denies involvement.

Trump speaks with Putin after re-election victory in Russia

The Kremlin said on Monday that London would either have to back up its assertions that Russia was behind the poisoning of a former spy and his daughter in Britain with evidence or apologise &quot;sooner or later.&quot;

Earlier, Kremlin said that UK&#39;s accusations that Putin ordered the Salisbury nerve agent attack were &ldquo;shocking and unforgivable&rdquo;.

Britain had accused Russia of being responsible for the use of a Soviet-era nerve agent called Novichok which was used to poison Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a conference call with reporters that Britain&#39;s allegations were &quot;difficult to explain... groundless and slanderous&quot;.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had said repeatedly that Moscow would retaliate soon for the expulsion of 23 Russian diplomats by Theresa May.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, Peskov repeated denials that Russia had ordered the attack on Sergei Skripal, a former Russian double agent, and his daughter, Yulia, in Salisbury.&nbsp;

&ldquo;Any references to our president is nothing other than shocking and unforgivable from the point of view of diplomatic behaviour,&rdquo; he said.

President Vladimir Putin on Sunday rubbished claims that Russia poisoned a former spy in Britain, on the eve of international chemical weapons experts heading to Britain to probe the attack.

&quot;It&#39;s complete drivel, rubbish, nonsense that somebody in Russia would allow themselves to do such a thing ahead of elections and the World Cup,&quot; Putin told supporters after winning a fourth term as president.

&quot;We have destroyed all chemical weapons,&quot; he added, rejecting Britain&#39;s claim that only Moscow could be behind the nerve agent attack on former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.

Putin said Russia is &quot;ready to take part in the investigation&quot;, although earlier on Sunday British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson accused the Russians of &quot;smug sarcasm and denial&quot; in response to the accusations.

Earlier, Kremlin said that UK's accusations that Putin ordered the Salisbury nerve agent attack were 'shocking and unforgivable'

The Kremlin said on Monday that London would either have to back up its assertions that Russia was behind the poisoning of a former spy and his daughter in Britain with evidence or apologise "sooner or later." Earlier, Kremlin said that UK's accusations that Putin ordered the Salisbury nerve agent attack were “shocking and unforgivable”. Britain had accused Russia of being responsible for the use of a Soviet-era nerve agent called Novichok which was used to poison Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a conference call with reporters that Britain's allegations were "difficult to explain... groundless and slanderous". Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had said repeatedly that Moscow would retaliate soon for the expulsion of 23 Russian diplomats by Theresa May. Speaking to reporters on Friday, Peskov repeated denials that Russia had ordered the attack on Sergei Skripal, a former Russian double agent, and his daughter, Yulia, in Salisbury. “Any references to our president is nothing other than shocking and unforgivable from the point of view of diplomatic behaviour,” he said. President Vladimir Putin on Sunday rubbished claims that Russia poisoned a former spy in Britain, on the eve of international chemical weapons experts heading to Britain to probe the attack. "It's complete drivel, rubbish, nonsense that somebody in Russia would allow themselves to do such a thing ahead of elections and the World Cup," Putin told supporters after winning a fourth term as president. "We have destroyed all chemical weapons," he added, rejecting Britain's claim that only Moscow could be behind the nerve agent attack on former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia. Putin said Russia is "ready to take part in the investigation", although earlier on Sunday British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson accused the Russians of "smug sarcasm and denial" in response to the accusations.

Kremlin asks UK for evidence on spy attack allegations

Russia will remain a &quot;difficult partner&quot; after President Vladimir Putin&#39;s re-election but will be needed to help resolve international tensions, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Monday, questioning the vote&#39;s fairness.&nbsp;

&quot;The result of the election in Russia did not surprise us any more than the circumstances of this election,&quot; Maas told reporters in Brussels before talks with his European Union counterparts.

&quot;We certainly cannot talk in all respects about a fair political contest as we know it,&quot; he said.

It was &quot;unacceptable&quot; that the Russian election also took place in Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine four years ago in breach of international law, the minister said.&nbsp;

&quot;In this respect, we assume that Russia will remain a difficult partner,&quot; Maas added.

&quot;But Russia is also needed when it comes to resolving the major international conflicts and that is why we want to remain in dialogue,&quot; the minister said.

Russia is a key player in Ukraine, but also in the civil war in Syria and in the nuclear standoff on the Korean peninsula.

&quot;We also expect Russia to make constructive contributions, more so than has been the case in the recent past,&quot; he said.

Maas said the ministers will discuss the situation in the Ukraine where the EU accuses Moscow of supporting a rebellion in the east.

The foreign ministers&#39; meeting will focus on British allegations that Russia used a nerve agent to poison a former Russian spy in Britain, charges Moscow denies.&nbsp;

'The result of the election in Russia did not surprise us any more than the circumstances of this election,' German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said

Russia will remain a "difficult partner" after President Vladimir Putin's re-election but will be needed to help resolve international tensions, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Monday, questioning the vote's fairness. "The result of the election in Russia did not surprise us any more than the circumstances of this election," Maas told reporters in Brussels before talks with his European Union counterparts. "We certainly cannot talk in all respects about a fair political contest as we know it," he said. It was "unacceptable" that the Russian election also took place in Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine four years ago in breach of international law, the minister said. "In this respect, we assume that Russia will remain a difficult partner," Maas added. "But Russia is also needed when it comes to resolving the major international conflicts and that is why we want to remain in dialogue," the minister said. Russia is a key player in Ukraine, but also in the civil war in Syria and in the nuclear standoff on the Korean peninsula. "We also expect Russia to make constructive contributions, more so than has been the case in the recent past," he said. Maas said the ministers will discuss the situation in the Ukraine where the EU accuses Moscow of supporting a rebellion in the east. The foreign ministers' meeting will focus on British allegations that Russia used a nerve agent to poison a former Russian spy in Britain, charges Moscow denies.

Russia will remain 'difficult partner' after Putin re-election: Germany

Vladimir Putin won Russia&#39;s presidential election on Sunday with 76.67 per cent of the vote, according to an official exit poll, with the opposition reporting ballot stuffing and other cases of alleged fraud.

Putin, who has ruled Russia for almost two decades, stood against seven other candidates, but his most vocal critic Alexei Navalny was barred from the ballot for legal reasons and the final outcome was never in doubt.

The Kremlin was hoping for high voter numbers to give greater legitimacy to Putin&#39;s historic fourth term as Russia faces increasing isolation on the world stage over a spy poisoning in Britain and a fresh round of US sanctions.

About 107 million Russians were eligible to cast ballots and the central election commission said turnout was 60 per cent, after the authorities used both the carrot and the stick to boost participation.

Selfie competitions, giveaways, food festivals and children&#39;s entertainers were laid on at polling booths in a bid to create a festive atmosphere around the election.

But employees of state and private companies reported coming under pressure to vote, while students were threatened with problems in their exams or even expulsion if they did not take part, according to the opposition-leaning Novaya Gazeta newspaper.

The exit poll by state-owned pollster VTsIOM at 1,200 voting stations around Russia projected that Putin had won 76.67&nbsp;per cent of the vote, up from 64 per cent six years ago.

Communist candidate Pavel Grudinin performed better than expected, with 11.2 per cent according to the exit poll, but the results of all other candidates including former reality TV host Ksenia Sobchak were forecast to be in single figures.

Putin&#39;s thumping victory will extend his total time in office to nearly a quarter of a century, until 2024, by which time he will be 71. Only Soviet dictator Josef Stalin ruled for longer.

Putin has promised to use his new term to beef up Russia&#39;s defences against the West and to raise living standards.

Navalny -- who called on his supporters to boycott the &quot;fake&quot; vote and sent over 33,000 observers across the country to see how official turnout figures differed from those of monitors -- said there had been &quot;unprecedented violations&quot;.

His lawyer Ivan Zhdanov said the actual national turnout at 1700 GMT, when polls closed in Moscow, was 55 per cent, according to data collected by monitors.

Navalny&#39;s opposition movement and the non-governmental election monitor Golos reported ballot stuffing, repeat voting and Putin supporters being bussed into polling stations en masse.&nbsp;

One election commission worker in the republic of Dagestan, which traditionally registers extremely high official turnout figures, told AFP around 50 men entered the station where he was working and physically assaulted an observer before stuffing a ballot box.

But the electoral commission dismissed most concerns, saying monitors sometimes misinterpret what they see.

Since first being elected president in 2000, Putin has stamped his total authority on the world&#39;s biggest country, muzzling opposition, putting television under state control and reasserting Moscow&#39;s standing abroad.&nbsp;

The 65-year-old former KGB officer used an otherwise lacklustre presidential campaign to emphasise Russia&#39;s role as a major world power, boasting of its &quot;invincible&quot; new nuclear weapons in a pre-election speech.

Casting his ballot in Moscow, Putin said he would be pleased with any result giving him the right to continue as president.

&quot;I am sure the programme I am offering is the right one,&quot; said the man who is already Russia&#39;s longest-serving leader since Stalin.

Most people who spoke to AFP said they voted for Putin, praising him for restoring stability and national pride after the humiliating collapse of the USSR.

&quot;Of course I&#39;m for Putin, he&#39;s a leader,&quot; said Olga Matyunina, a 65-year-old retired economist.

&quot;After he brought Crimea back, he became a hero to me.&quot;

Sunday marks four years since Putin signed a treaty declaring Crimea to be part of Russia in a move that triggered a pro-Kremlin insurgency in east Ukraine, a conflict that has claimed over 10,000 lives.

Ahead of the vote, a new crisis broke out with the West as Britain implicated Putin in the poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal with a Soviet-designed nerve agent.

In response, London expelled 23 Russian diplomats, prompting a tit-for-tat move by Moscow. Also this week, Washington hit Russia with sanctions for trying to influence the 2016 US election.&nbsp;

Putin&#39;s previous Kremlin term was marked by a crackdown on the opposition after huge protests, the Ukraine conflict, military intervention in Syria and the introduction of Western sanctions that contributed to a fall in living standards.

The president has said he will use his fourth term to address a litany of domestic problems including widespread poverty and poor healthcare.

Ahead of the election, state-run pollsters had predicted Putin would take about 70 perc ent of the vote, with the independent Levada Centre -- branded a &quot;foreign agent&quot; -- barred from releasing any polls.

&quot;Another six years of slavery,&quot; said a piece of paper made up to look like a ballot which was spotted on a Moscow street -- in an apparent reference to Putin&#39;s next term.&nbsp;

Election officials flew to far-flung regions to collect votes from indigenous herders, while cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov -- the only Russian currently aboard the International Space Station -- cast his ballot by proxy.

&nbsp;

The exit poll from 1,200 polling stations around Russia gave second place to Communist candidate Pavel Grudinin with 11.2 per cent

Vladimir Putin won Russia's presidential election on Sunday with 76.67 per cent of the vote, according to an official exit poll, with the opposition reporting ballot stuffing and other cases of alleged fraud. Putin, who has ruled Russia for almost two decades, stood against seven other candidates, but his most vocal critic Alexei Navalny was barred from the ballot for legal reasons and the final outcome was never in doubt. The Kremlin was hoping for high voter numbers to give greater legitimacy to Putin's historic fourth term as Russia faces increasing isolation on the world stage over a spy poisoning in Britain and a fresh round of US sanctions. About 107 million Russians were eligible to cast ballots and the central election commission said turnout was 60 per cent, after the authorities used both the carrot and the stick to boost participation. Selfie competitions, giveaways, food festivals and children's entertainers were laid on at polling booths in a bid to create a festive atmosphere around the election. But employees of state and private companies reported coming under pressure to vote, while students were threatened with problems in their exams or even expulsion if they did not take part, according to the opposition-leaning Novaya Gazeta newspaper. The exit poll by state-owned pollster VTsIOM at 1,200 voting stations around Russia projected that Putin had won 76.67 per cent of the vote, up from 64 per cent six years ago. Communist candidate Pavel Grudinin performed better than expected, with 11.2 per cent according to the exit poll, but the results of all other candidates including former reality TV host Ksenia Sobchak were forecast to be in single figures. Putin's thumping victory will extend his total time in office to nearly a quarter of a century, until 2024, by which time he will be 71. Only Soviet dictator Josef Stalin ruled for longer. Putin has promised to use his new term to beef up Russia's defences against the West and to raise living standards. Navalny -- who called on his supporters to boycott the "fake" vote and sent over 33,000 observers across the country to see how official turnout figures differed from those of monitors -- said there had been "unprecedented violations". His lawyer Ivan Zhdanov said the actual national turnout at 1700 GMT, when polls closed in Moscow, was 55 per cent, according to data collected by monitors. Navalny's opposition movement and the non-governmental election monitor Golos reported ballot stuffing, repeat voting and Putin supporters being bussed into polling stations en masse. One election commission worker in the republic of Dagestan, which traditionally registers extremely high official turnout figures, told AFP around 50 men entered the station where he was working and physically assaulted an observer before stuffing a ballot box. But the electoral commission dismissed most concerns, saying monitors sometimes misinterpret what they see. Since first being elected president in 2000, Putin has stamped his total authority on the world's biggest country, muzzling opposition, putting television under state control and reasserting Moscow's standing abroad. The 65-year-old former KGB officer used an otherwise lacklustre presidential campaign to emphasise Russia's role as a major world power, boasting of its "invincible" new nuclear weapons in a pre-election speech. Casting his ballot in Moscow, Putin said he would be pleased with any result giving him the right to continue as president. "I am sure the programme I am offering is the right one," said the man who is already Russia's longest-serving leader since Stalin. Most people who spoke to AFP said they voted for Putin, praising him for restoring stability and national pride after the humiliating collapse of the USSR. "Of course I'm for Putin, he's a leader," said Olga Matyunina, a 65-year-old retired economist. "After he brought Crimea back, he became a hero to me." Sunday marks four years since Putin signed a treaty declaring Crimea to be part of Russia in a move that triggered a pro-Kremlin insurgency in east Ukraine, a conflict that has claimed over 10,000 lives. Ahead of the vote, a new crisis broke out with the West as Britain implicated Putin in the poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal with a Soviet-designed nerve agent. In response, London expelled 23 Russian diplomats, prompting a tit-for-tat move by Moscow. Also this week, Washington hit Russia with sanctions for trying to influence the 2016 US election. Putin's previous Kremlin term was marked by a crackdown on the opposition after huge protests, the Ukraine conflict, military intervention in Syria and the introduction of Western sanctions that contributed to a fall in living standards. The president has said he will use his fourth term to address a litany of domestic problems including widespread poverty and poor healthcare. Ahead of the election, state-run pollsters had predicted Putin would take about 70 perc ent of the vote, with the independent Levada Centre -- branded a "foreign agent" -- barred from releasing any polls. "Another six years of slavery," said a piece of paper made up to look like a ballot which was spotted on a Moscow street -- in an apparent reference to Putin's next term. Election officials flew to far-flung regions to collect votes from indigenous herders, while cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov -- the only Russian currently aboard the International Space Station -- cast his ballot by proxy.

Russia elections: Putin wins fourth term with 76.67% of vote

A KGB officer turned world leader, Vladimir Putin <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/putin-wins-fourth-term-with-739-of-vote-36284" target="_blank">stamped his total authority on Russia</a>, silencing opposition and reasserting Moscow`s lost might abroad while building a strongman image through macho stunts.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/vladimir-putin-a-brief-profile-of-the-russian-president-728" target="_blank">Vladimir Putin: A brief profile of the Russian president</a>

Putin, 65, who extended his long rule to 2024 in Russia`s presidential election on Sunday, has reimposed the Kremlin`s grip on society since taking power 18 years ago after a lawless but relatively free decade following the demise of the USSR.

On the international stage, he dealt with three US presidents, thrusting Moscow into a new rivalry with the West by snatching Crimea from Ukraine and launching a pivotal intervention in Syria.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/russian-president-vladimir-putin-in-10-dates-35556" target="_blank">10 key dates in Vladimir Putin&#39;s political journey</a>

Named the world`s most powerful person by Forbes for the past four years running, the judo black belt carefully nurtured his image as a powerful leader with photo opportunities showing him riding topless on horseback in the Siberian wilderness and darting an endangered tiger.

Supporters laud him as a saviour who restored pride and traditional values to a humiliated nation.

To foes, however, Putin has dragged his homeland further from democracy, presided over a seizure of the state by a new elite of former secret police cronies and stoked nationalism in a bid to restore Moscow`s lost empire.

Putin was born into a working-class family in Leningrad -- now Saint Petersburg -- on October 7, 1952, and cut his teeth in the city`s rough-and-tumble neighbourhoods.

&quot;The Leningrad streets taught me one thing: if a fight is unavoidable, you have to hit first,&quot; Putin said in 2015.

He fulfilled a childhood dream by joining the KGB intelligence service, getting posted in 1985-1990 to Dresden in what was then East Germany when Soviet power was crumbling.

His political rise began after he returned to work at Saint Petersburg city hall under his mentor, liberal mayor Anatoly Sobchak.&nbsp;

Two decades later, Sobchak`s daughter Ksenia is challenging Putin in the election -- a move that has divided Russia`s already deeply split liberal opposition.

By 1996, he was called to Moscow to work in the Kremlin under Russia`s first democratically elected president Boris Yeltsin, who in 1998 made little-known Putin head of the KGB`s successor, the FSB.

Battling health and drinking problems, frail Yeltsin in August 1999 named Putin prime minister and his popularity shot up as he oversaw the launch of a second war to crush rebels in the Chechnya region.&nbsp;

When Yeltsin sensationally resigned on New Year`s Eve 1999, Putin suddenly took over as president of the biggest country on Earth.

Buoyed by an influx of petrodollars that saw living standards soar, the Kremlin under Putin forged its own &quot;sovereign democracy&quot; in which the trappings of pluralism -- such as political opposition and civil society -- were subverted.

He has guarded his private life jealously and once famously told journalists to keep their &quot;snotty noses&quot; out of his business.&nbsp;

After three decades of marriage, he divorced his wife Lyudmila in 2013 but rumours of new romance -- including with a former Olympic gymnast -- have not been confirmed.

In line with the constitution, when Putin ended his second term in 2008, he handed power to protege Dmitry Medvedev and moved to become prime minister -- but few doubted who was really in charge.&nbsp;

In 2012, he returned as president in the face of huge street protests.

While the demonstrations petered out after a police crackdown, the spectre of unrest spurred tough new measures to eradicate dissent.Putin, who once decried the collapse of the USSR as the &quot;greatest geopolitical catastrophe&quot; of the 20th century, has ferociously defended Moscow`s sphere of influence and also challenged perceived US hegemony.

When crowds in Ukraine ousted Russia-backed leader Viktor Yanukovych in February 2014, the Kremlin faced losing its dominance over a key neighbour.

Within days, Putin ordered special forces to seize the strategic Crimea peninsula and -- after a hasty referendum rejected internationally -- in March 2014 signed off on the region`s annexation.&nbsp;

The redrawing of Russia`s border sparked the worst standoff with the West since the Cold War and unleashed a wave of nationalism at home that saw Putin`s popularity soar.&nbsp;

Soon the Kremlin was accused of masterminding a rebellion in east Ukraine that turned into a festering conflict that has cost more than 10,000 lives.

Despite sanctions pushing his economy into recession, Putin also launched a bombing campaign in Syria to support leader Bashar al-Assad in 2015. It is widely seen as the key factor that tipped the war in Assad`s favour.

Putin was then accused of spreading his tentacles much further and Moscow`s old foe -- the United States -- found itself in the crosshairs.&nbsp;

After Donald Trump`s shock election win, US intelligence accused Putin of ordering a hacking and influence campaign to get Trump to the White House.

&quot;Those that lose always look to blame someone else,&quot; Putin retorted.&nbsp;

Putin, 65, who extended his long rule to 2024 in Russia`s presidential election on Sunday, has reimposed the Kremlin`s grip on society since taking power 18 years ago after a lawless but relatively free decade following the demise of the USSR

A KGB officer turned world leader, Vladimir Putin stamped his total authority on Russia, silencing opposition and reasserting Moscow`s lost might abroad while building a strongman image through macho stunts. Also read: Vladimir Putin: A brief profile of the Russian president Putin, 65, who extended his long rule to 2024 in Russia`s presidential election on Sunday, has reimposed the Kremlin`s grip on society since taking power 18 years ago after a lawless but relatively free decade following the demise of the USSR. On the international stage, he dealt with three US presidents, thrusting Moscow into a new rivalry with the West by snatching Crimea from Ukraine and launching a pivotal intervention in Syria. Also read: 10 key dates in Vladimir Putin's political journey Named the world`s most powerful person by Forbes for the past four years running, the judo black belt carefully nurtured his image as a powerful leader with photo opportunities showing him riding topless on horseback in the Siberian wilderness and darting an endangered tiger. Supporters laud him as a saviour who restored pride and traditional values to a humiliated nation. To foes, however, Putin has dragged his homeland further from democracy, presided over a seizure of the state by a new elite of former secret police cronies and stoked nationalism in a bid to restore Moscow`s lost empire. Putin was born into a working-class family in Leningrad -- now Saint Petersburg -- on October 7, 1952, and cut his teeth in the city`s rough-and-tumble neighbourhoods. "The Leningrad streets taught me one thing: if a fight is unavoidable, you have to hit first," Putin said in 2015. He fulfilled a childhood dream by joining the KGB intelligence service, getting posted in 1985-1990 to Dresden in what was then East Germany when Soviet power was crumbling. His political rise began after he returned to work at Saint Petersburg city hall under his mentor, liberal mayor Anatoly Sobchak. Two decades later, Sobchak`s daughter Ksenia is challenging Putin in the election -- a move that has divided Russia`s already deeply split liberal opposition. By 1996, he was called to Moscow to work in the Kremlin under Russia`s first democratically elected president Boris Yeltsin, who in 1998 made little-known Putin head of the KGB`s successor, the FSB. Battling health and drinking problems, frail Yeltsin in August 1999 named Putin prime minister and his popularity shot up as he oversaw the launch of a second war to crush rebels in the Chechnya region. When Yeltsin sensationally resigned on New Year`s Eve 1999, Putin suddenly took over as president of the biggest country on Earth. Buoyed by an influx of petrodollars that saw living standards soar, the Kremlin under Putin forged its own "sovereign democracy" in which the trappings of pluralism -- such as political opposition and civil society -- were subverted. He has guarded his private life jealously and once famously told journalists to keep their "snotty noses" out of his business. After three decades of marriage, he divorced his wife Lyudmila in 2013 but rumours of new romance -- including with a former Olympic gymnast -- have not been confirmed. In line with the constitution, when Putin ended his second term in 2008, he handed power to protege Dmitry Medvedev and moved to become prime minister -- but few doubted who was really in charge. In 2012, he returned as president in the face of huge street protests. While the demonstrations petered out after a police crackdown, the spectre of unrest spurred tough new measures to eradicate dissent.Putin, who once decried the collapse of the USSR as the "greatest geopolitical catastrophe" of the 20th century, has ferociously defended Moscow`s sphere of influence and also challenged perceived US hegemony. When crowds in Ukraine ousted Russia-backed leader Viktor Yanukovych in February 2014, the Kremlin faced losing its dominance over a key neighbour. Within days, Putin ordered special forces to seize the strategic Crimea peninsula and -- after a hasty referendum rejected internationally -- in March 2014 signed off on the region`s annexation. The redrawing of Russia`s border sparked the worst standoff with the West since the Cold War and unleashed a wave of nationalism at home that saw Putin`s popularity soar. Soon the Kremlin was accused of masterminding a rebellion in east Ukraine that turned into a festering conflict that has cost more than 10,000 lives. Despite sanctions pushing his economy into recession, Putin also launched a bombing campaign in Syria to support leader Bashar al-Assad in 2015. It is widely seen as the key factor that tipped the war in Assad`s favour. Putin was then accused of spreading his tentacles much further and Moscow`s old foe -- the United States -- found itself in the crosshairs. After Donald Trump`s shock election win, US intelligence accused Putin of ordering a hacking and influence campaign to get Trump to the White House. "Those that lose always look to blame someone else," Putin retorted.

Vladimir Putin: Russia's post-Soviet tsar

In power for almost two decades, Vladimir Putin predictably won a fourth Kremlin term in <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/putin-wins-fourth-term-with-739-of-vote-36284" target="_blank">Russia&#39;s presidential election</a> on Sunday, extending his long rule for another six years.

With no successor and no political competition, what are the possible scenarios when his term ends in 2024?

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/vladimir-putin-russias-post-soviet-tsar-36287" target="_blank">Vladimir Putin &mdash; Russia&#39;s post-Soviet tsar</a>

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/putin-wins-fourth-term-with-739-of-vote-36284" target="_blank">Putin wins&nbsp;</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/putin-wins-fourth-term-with-739-of-vote-36284" target="_blank">fourth</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/putin-wins-fourth-term-with-739-of-vote-36284" target="_blank">&nbsp;term with 76.67% of&nbsp;</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/putin-wins-fourth-term-with-739-of-vote-36284" target="_blank">vote</a>

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/vladimir-putin-a-brief-profile-of-the-russian-president-728" target="_blank">Vladimir Putin: A brief profile of the Russian president</a>

Leaving power&nbsp;

Without constitutional reform, Putin will not be able to run for the fifth time -- Russian law forbids serving more than two consecutive terms.

Putin, who will turn 72 in 2024, could decide to leave the Kremlin after 24 years in power, making way for a successor.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/russian-president-vladimir-putin-in-10-dates-35556" target="_blank">10 key dates in Vladimir Putin&#39;s political journey</a>

Russian politics is currently dominated by infighting between rival clans of technocrats and the &quot;siloviki&quot; -- representatives of the security services and the army.&nbsp;

&quot;There is already a fight for influence,&quot; said independent analyst Nikolai Petrov. &quot;Nobody will wait passively, each group will try to promote its interests,&quot; he added.&nbsp;

In a recent interview with American TV channel NBC, Putin said he has been thinking of a potential successor since 2000.

&quot;There is no harm in thinking about it but at the end of the day it will be the Russian people who decide.&quot;&nbsp;

But in making sure no one can compete with him, no political personality is currently popular enough to succeed Putin. Many analysts say Putin leaving power in six years is unlikely.&nbsp;

Switching roles&nbsp;

One way Putin could continue ruling Russia after 2024 is to stay in power in a different role.&nbsp;

The Russian strongman could revisit his move from 2008, which saw him put forward Dmitry Medvedev as president while he himself became prime minister before returning to the Kremlin in 2012.&nbsp;

&quot;Putin may prepare the regime for a transfer of power. But not from Putin to another president but from Putin to Putin in some other role,&quot; said Petrov.&nbsp;

But memories of mass protests in Moscow when Putin switched back with Medvedev and returned to the Kremlin may put the Russian leader off this option.&nbsp;

Putin&#39;s age also makes this scenario problematic. In 2030, the next time Putin is constitutionally allowed to run for another term, he will be 78.&nbsp;

President for life&nbsp;

Putin could choose to follow China&#39;s Xi Jinping in abolishing presidential term limits, thus allowing him to remain president for life.&nbsp;

&quot;I don&#39;t think he will refuse power in 2024 even if he has had enough, he is (already) visibly tired,&quot; said political analyst Dmitry Oreshkin.&nbsp;

&quot;He can&#39;t leave because he does not believe that anyone will protect him,&quot; he added, saying that Putin has built a system in which everything depends on who is at the top.&nbsp;

So far, Putin has ruled out ruling Russia for life.&nbsp;

&quot;I never changed the constitution, especially for it to benefit me and I do not have this kind of intention today,&quot; he told NBC in March.&nbsp;

Oreshkin said Putin does not want to be remembered for changing the constitution and that if he were to remain president for life, it would be done &quot;more elegantly&quot; than in China.

Vladimir Putin, who will turn 72 in 2024, could decide to leave the Kremlin after 24 years in power, making way for a successor

In power for almost two decades, Vladimir Putin predictably won a fourth Kremlin term in Russia's presidential election on Sunday, extending his long rule for another six years. With no successor and no political competition, what are the possible scenarios when his term ends in 2024? Also read: Vladimir Putin — Russia's post-Soviet tsar Also read: Putin wins fourth term with 76.67% of vote Also read: Vladimir Putin: A brief profile of the Russian president Leaving power Without constitutional reform, Putin will not be able to run for the fifth time -- Russian law forbids serving more than two consecutive terms. Putin, who will turn 72 in 2024, could decide to leave the Kremlin after 24 years in power, making way for a successor. Also read: 10 key dates in Vladimir Putin's political journey Russian politics is currently dominated by infighting between rival clans of technocrats and the "siloviki" -- representatives of the security services and the army. "There is already a fight for influence," said independent analyst Nikolai Petrov. "Nobody will wait passively, each group will try to promote its interests," he added. In a recent interview with American TV channel NBC, Putin said he has been thinking of a potential successor since 2000. "There is no harm in thinking about it but at the end of the day it will be the Russian people who decide." But in making sure no one can compete with him, no political personality is currently popular enough to succeed Putin. Many analysts say Putin leaving power in six years is unlikely. Switching roles One way Putin could continue ruling Russia after 2024 is to stay in power in a different role. The Russian strongman could revisit his move from 2008, which saw him put forward Dmitry Medvedev as president while he himself became prime minister before returning to the Kremlin in 2012. "Putin may prepare the regime for a transfer of power. But not from Putin to another president but from Putin to Putin in some other role," said Petrov. But memories of mass protests in Moscow when Putin switched back with Medvedev and returned to the Kremlin may put the Russian leader off this option. Putin's age also makes this scenario problematic. In 2030, the next time Putin is constitutionally allowed to run for another term, he will be 78. President for life Putin could choose to follow China's Xi Jinping in abolishing presidential term limits, thus allowing him to remain president for life. "I don't think he will refuse power in 2024 even if he has had enough, he is (already) visibly tired," said political analyst Dmitry Oreshkin. "He can't leave because he does not believe that anyone will protect him," he added, saying that Putin has built a system in which everything depends on who is at the top. So far, Putin has ruled out ruling Russia for life. "I never changed the constitution, especially for it to benefit me and I do not have this kind of intention today," he told NBC in March. Oreshkin said Putin does not want to be remembered for changing the constitution and that if he were to remain president for life, it would be done "more elegantly" than in China.

Russia's Putin wins yet another term but what happens in 2024?

As president Putin was re-elected after <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/russia-will-remain-difficult-partner-after-putin-re-election-germany-36364">winning the polls by a landslide</a>, the European Union(EU) said Russia should&nbsp;investigate the &quot;violations and shortcomings&quot;.

EU&#39;s latest <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/putins-focus-domestic-policy-issues-strengthening-russias-defence-36404">salvo on Russia came even as </a>France and Germany reached out to the Russian leader after he won the polls handsomely.

&quot;We expect Russia to address the violations and shortcomings reported by the OSCE/ODIHR EOM (observers), as they run against Russia&#39;s OSCE commitments and other international obligations,&quot; the EU said in a statement.

However, the principal members of EU - France and Germany - sent out congratulatory messages to Putin with President Macron wishing Putin on his success and his efforts to &quot;modernise&quot; Russia.

Macron though urged Russia to address the &quot;unacceptable&quot; assassination attempt on ex-spy in Britain.

&quot;The president offered Russia and the Russian people, in the name of France, his wishes for success in the political, democratic, economic and social modernisation of the country,&quot; a statement from Macron&#39;s office said.

&quot;He stressed his commitment to a constructive dialogue between Russia, France and Europe,&quot; the statement added.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel&#39;s spokesman said the German leader will congratulate Putin, but the message will also raise &quot;challenges&quot; in their relations.

&quot;Nevertheless, the continuous contact with Russia&#39;s leadership is very important to us,&quot; the spokesman added.

German foreign minister Heiko Maast was more direct asserting that Russia will remain a &quot;difficult partner&quot;, adding, &quot;It was &quot;unacceptable&quot; that the election also took place in Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine four years ago in breach of international law.&quot;

 
<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7JuQPj8Q-4U" width="560"></iframe> 
&nbsp;

&nbsp;

EU's latest salvo on Russia came even as France and Germany reached out to the Russian leader

As president Putin was re-elected after winning the polls by a landslide, the European Union(EU) said Russia should investigate the "violations and shortcomings". EU's latest salvo on Russia came even as France and Germany reached out to the Russian leader after he won the polls handsomely. "We expect Russia to address the violations and shortcomings reported by the OSCE/ODIHR EOM (observers), as they run against Russia's OSCE commitments and other international obligations," the EU said in a statement. However, the principal members of EU - France and Germany - sent out congratulatory messages to Putin with President Macron wishing Putin on his success and his efforts to "modernise" Russia. Macron though urged Russia to address the "unacceptable" assassination attempt on ex-spy in Britain. "The president offered Russia and the Russian people, in the name of France, his wishes for success in the political, democratic, economic and social modernisation of the country," a statement from Macron's office said. "He stressed his commitment to a constructive dialogue between Russia, France and Europe," the statement added. German Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman said the German leader will congratulate Putin, but the message will also raise "challenges" in their relations. "Nevertheless, the continuous contact with Russia's leadership is very important to us," the spokesman added. German foreign minister Heiko Maast was more direct asserting that Russia will remain a "difficult partner", adding, "It was "unacceptable" that the election also took place in Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine four years ago in breach of international law."

Russia should address 'violations' in presidential polls: European Union

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/vladimir-putin-wins-another-term-but-what-happens-in-2024-36289" target="_blank">Russia&#39;s Putin wins yet another term but what happens in 2024?</a>

In power for almost two decades, Vladimir Putin predictably won a fourth Kremlin term in&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/putin-wins-fourth-term-with-739-of-vote-36284" target="_blank">Russia&#39;s presidential election</a>&nbsp;on Sunday, extending his long rule for another six years.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/ysr-congress-tdp-to-pitch-for-no-trust-vote-against-government-today-36300" target="_blank">YSR Congress, TDP to pitch for </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/ysr-congress-tdp-to-pitch-for-no-trust-vote-against-government-today-36300" target="_blank">no-trust</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/ysr-congress-tdp-to-pitch-for-no-trust-vote-against-government-today-36300" target="_blank"> vote against </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/ysr-congress-tdp-to-pitch-for-no-trust-vote-against-government-today-36300" target="_blank">government</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/ysr-congress-tdp-to-pitch-for-no-trust-vote-against-government-today-36300" target="_blank"> today</a>

The YSR Congress and the Telugu Desam Party will pitch for taking up their notices of no-confidence motion against the Modi government when the Lok Sabha meets today amid no signs of a let-up in the deadlock in its proceedings.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/kim-jong-un-has-given-his-word-on-denuclearisation-south-korea-36295" target="_blank">Kim Jong-un &#39;has given his word&#39; on denuclearisation: South Korea</a>

North Korea&#39;s Kim Jong-un has &quot;given his word&quot; that he is committed to denuclearisation, South Korea&#39;s foreign minister Kang Kyung-wha was quoted as saying on Sunday.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/ola-uber-on-strike-today-demand-better-earnings-36298" target="_blank">Ola, Uber on strike today, demand better earnings</a>

App-based&nbsp;cabs Ola and Uber will begin with a strike&nbsp;in Mumbai on Monday for an indefinite period. The strike has been called by Maharashtra Navnirman Vahtuk Sena, the&nbsp;transport wing of Raj Thackeray led MNS.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/president-donald-trump-sharpens-attacks-on-russia-probe-36285" target="_blank">US President Donald Trump sharpens attacks on Russia probe</a>

President Donald Trump Sunday intensified his attacks on Robert Mueller&#39;s Russia investigation as biased against him, but stopped just short of targeting the special counsel &mdash; whose ouster lawmakers warned would cross a &quot;massive red line.&quot;

&nbsp;

Russia's Putin wins yet another term but what happens in 2024? In power for almost two decades, Vladimir Putin predictably won a fourth Kremlin term in Russia's presidential election on Sunday, extending his long rule for another six years. YSR Congress, TDP to pitch for no-trust vote against government today The YSR Congress and the Telugu Desam Party will pitch for taking up their notices of no-confidence motion against the Modi government when the Lok Sabha meets today amid no signs of a let-up in the deadlock in its proceedings. Kim Jong-un 'has given his word' on denuclearisation: South Korea North Korea's Kim Jong-un has "given his word" that he is committed to denuclearisation, South Korea's foreign minister Kang Kyung-wha was quoted as saying on Sunday. Ola, Uber on strike today, demand better earnings App-based cabs Ola and Uber will begin with a strike in Mumbai on Monday for an indefinite period. The strike has been called by Maharashtra Navnirman Vahtuk Sena, the transport wing of Raj Thackeray led MNS. US President Donald Trump sharpens attacks on Russia probe President Donald Trump Sunday intensified his attacks on Robert Mueller's Russia investigation as biased against him, but stopped just short of targeting the special counsel — whose ouster lawmakers warned would cross a "massive red line."

WION Morning News Brief, March 19, 2018

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/cbi-files-chargesheet-against-ex-canara-bank-cmd-rk-dubey-36382">CBI files </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/cbi-files-chargesheet-against-ex-canara-bank-cmd-rk-dubey-36382">chargesheet</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/cbi-files-chargesheet-against-ex-canara-bank-cmd-rk-dubey-36382"> against ex-Canara Bank CMD RK Dubey in 68 crore loan default case</a>

The&nbsp;Central Bureau of Investigation(CBI) has chargesheeted&nbsp;Canara Bank ex-CMD R K Dubey who was the executive director&nbsp;in Rs 68 crore alleged loan default by the&nbsp;company.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/nidahas-trophy-heres-why-rohit-sharma-did-not-watch-dinesh-karthiks-last-ball-six-36381">Nidahas Trophy: Here&#39;s why Rohit Sharma did not watch Dinesh Karthik&#39;s last-ball six</a>

Dinesh Karthik clinched an almost next to impossible win for India after he smashed a last-ball six to seal the Nidahas Trophy title on Sunday. The wicketkeeper-batsman played a thrilling knock of 29 runs of just 8 balls, with the last ball becoming a lifetime memory for Karthik and the rest of the world.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/madhuri-dixit-steps-into-sridevis-role-in-abhishek-vermans-next-36376">Madhuri Dixit steps into Sridevi&#39;s role in Abhishek Verman&#39;s next</a>

Janhvi Kapoor, Sridevi&#39;s daughter has confirmed that Madhuri Dixit will play the role initially offered to her mother by Dharma Productions.&nbsp; Reports suggest Sridevi was initially offered to work opposite Sanjay Dutt. Janhvi said, &quot;Abhishek Varman&#39;s next film was very close to my mom&#39;s heart. Dad, Khushi and I are thankful to Madhuriji for now being part of the beautiful film.&quot;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-to-be-industrial-hub-of-south-asia-after-cpec-project-ahsan-iqbal-36377">Pakistan to be &#39;industrial hub&#39; of South Asia after CPEC project: Ahsan Iqbal</a>

Pakistan Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal has said that Pakistan would be the &#39;industrial hub&#39; of the entire South Asian region soon, after the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project is built.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/russia-will-remain-difficult-partner-after-putin-re-election-germany-36364">Russia will remain &#39;difficult partner&#39; after Putin re-election: Germany</a>

Russia will remain a &quot;difficult partner&quot; after President Vladimir Putin&#39;s re-election but will be needed to help resolve international tensions, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Monday, questioning the vote&#39;s fairness.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

CBI files chargesheet against ex-Canara Bank CMD RK Dubey in 68 crore loan default case The Central Bureau of Investigation(CBI) has chargesheeted Canara Bank ex-CMD R K Dubey who was the executive director in Rs 68 crore alleged loan default by the company. Nidahas Trophy: Here's why Rohit Sharma did not watch Dinesh Karthik's last-ball six Dinesh Karthik clinched an almost next to impossible win for India after he smashed a last-ball six to seal the Nidahas Trophy title on Sunday. The wicketkeeper-batsman played a thrilling knock of 29 runs of just 8 balls, with the last ball becoming a lifetime memory for Karthik and the rest of the world. Madhuri Dixit steps into Sridevi's role in Abhishek Verman's next Janhvi Kapoor, Sridevi's daughter has confirmed that Madhuri Dixit will play the role initially offered to her mother by Dharma Productions. Reports suggest Sridevi was initially offered to work opposite Sanjay Dutt. Janhvi said, "Abhishek Varman's next film was very close to my mom's heart. Dad, Khushi and I are thankful to Madhuriji for now being part of the beautiful film." Pakistan to be 'industrial hub' of South Asia after CPEC project: Ahsan Iqbal Pakistan Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal has said that Pakistan would be the 'industrial hub' of the entire South Asian region soon, after the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project is built. Russia will remain 'difficult partner' after Putin re-election: Germany Russia will remain a "difficult partner" after President Vladimir Putin's re-election but will be needed to help resolve international tensions, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Monday, questioning the vote's fairness.

WION Evening News Brief, March 19, 2018

Russians were voting Sunday in an election set to hand President Vladimir Putin a fourth Kremlin term but slammed by the opposition as a sham as tensions with Britain escalated over the poisoning of a former Russian double agent.&nbsp;

With the vast country stretching across 11 time zones, polls opened in the Russian far east at 2000 GMT on Saturday and will close in Kaliningrad, the country&#39;s exclave on the EU border, at 1800 GMT on Sunday.&nbsp;

Putin&#39;s main challenger Alexei Navalny has been barred from taking part in the poll for legal reasons, and the result of the election is in little doubt, with overall turnout likely to provide the only element of surprise.

A total of 107 million Russians are eligible to cast their votes in Sunday&#39;s election in the world&#39;s biggest country, but some analysts say that after 18 years of leadership -- both as president and prime minister -- Putin fatigue may be spreading, with many Russians are expected to skip the polls.

The Kremlin needs a high turnout to give greater legitimacy to a new mandate for Putin, who is already Russia&#39;s longest-serving leader since Joseph Stalin.

By 0700 GMT, turnout stood at 16.55 percent, compared with 6.53 percent at the same hour during the 2012 vote, said Central Electoral Commission head Ella Pamfilova.

Many of those who cast their ballots voted for Putin, praising him for lifting the country out of the post-Soviet quagmire.

&quot;Of course I&#39;m for Putin, he&#39;s a leader,&quot; said Olga Matyunina, a 65-year-old retired economist.

&quot;After he brought Crimea back, he became a hero to me. Last election I didn&#39;t vote for Putin, I don&#39;t even remember who I voted for.&quot;

At many polling stations the atmosphere was festive, with patriotic songs blasting out of speakers outside and cheap food available to voters.

Casting his ballot in Moscow, Putin said he would be pleased with &quot;any&quot; result that gave him the right to continue serving as president.

&quot;I am sure the programme I am offering is the right one,&quot; he said.

Navalny, 41, has denounced the election as a sham and urged Russians to boycott the vote.&nbsp;

He has deployed more than 30,000 observers to monitor the polls and on Sunday, his team -- which calls the vote &quot;a staged procedure to re-appoint Putin&quot; -- began publishing a rolling list of violations from polling stations.

&quot;Those who said that &#39;there would be fewer falsifications during these elections because Putin has already won over everyone&#39; have made a mistake,&quot; he said.

Navalny, who faces a 30-day jail sentence, had been expected to spend election day behind bars but remained free Sunday.

&quot;I will not go to vote. What for?&quot; said Boris Limarev, a 39-year-old manager, as he walked his dog near a polling station in southwest Saint Petersburg.&nbsp;

&quot;It&#39;s clear to everyone who will be elected.&quot;

&quot;And the rest of the candidates are clowns,&quot; interjected his wife Anna, 35.

&quot;Another six years of slavery,&quot; said a piece of paper made up to look like a ballot which was attached to a porch on a central Moscow street -- in an apparent reference to Putin&#39;s next term in office.&nbsp;

Ahead of the poll, a new crisis broke out with the West as Britain implicated Putin in the poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal with a Soviet-designed nerve agent.

In response, London expelled 23 Russian diplomats, prompting Moscow to respond in kind. Also this week, Washington hit Russia with sanctions for trying to influence the 2016 US election.&nbsp;

Since first being elected president in 2000, Putin has stamped his total authority on Russia muzzling opposition, putting television under state control and reasserting Moscow&#39;s posture abroad.&nbsp;

He has sought to use the campaign to emphasise Russia&#39;s role as a major world power, boasting of its &quot;invincible&quot; new nuclear weapons in a key pre-election speech.

His previous Kremlin term has been marked by a crackdown on the opposition after huge protests, the annexation of Crimea, support for an insurgency in east Ukraine, a military intervention in Syria and the introduction of Western sanctions that contributed to a fall in living standards.

But the 65-year-old former KGB officer is certain to extend his term to 2024 despite a litany of domestic problems such as widespread poverty and poor healthcare following a lacklustre campaign.

In Saint Petersburg Antonina Kurchatova said she voted for Putin but was just hoping things would not get worse.

&quot;I very much like his foreign policy. He&#39;s doing everything right. But as far as the economy is concerned, everything is terrible,&quot; the 40-year-old told AFP.

State-run pollsters predict Putin will take just under 70 percent of the vote, with the independent Levada Centre -- branded a &quot;foreign agent&quot; -- barred from releasing any research related to the election.

Sunday marks four years since Putin signed a treaty declaring Crimea to be a part of Russia in a move that triggered the outbreak of a pro-Kremlin insurgency in east Ukraine, in a conflict that has claimed more than 10,000 lives.

Kiev has said Russians living in Ukraine would not be able to vote as access to Moscow&#39;s diplomatic missions would be blocked.

Putin is standing against a motley crew of seven Kremlin-approved challengers, including millionaire communist Pavel Grudinin and former reality TV host Ksenia Sobchak, but none are polling more than eight percent.&nbsp;

Overall turnout is expected to be between 63 and 67 percent, according to state-controlled pollsters.

Authorities have pulled out all the stops to ensure a huge turnout, offering food discount vouchers and prizes for the best selfies taken at polling stations after a sexually-charged online campaign.

While the result of the vote was a foregone conclusion, the next six years would be anything but predictable, said Tatyana Stanovaya, an analyst with Moscow&#39;s Center for Political Technologies.&nbsp;

&quot;No one can tell now just how emotional and radical Putin&#39;s actions will be under increasing geopolitical pressure,&quot; she told AFP, adding the role of the military and the security service would increase.&nbsp;

&quot;The regime is inclined to become more closed and tough.&quot;

With the vast country stretching across 11 time zones, polls opened in the Russian far east at 2000 GMT on Saturday and will close in Kaliningrad, the country's exclave on the EU border, at 1800 GMT on Sunday

Russians were voting Sunday in an election set to hand President Vladimir Putin a fourth Kremlin term but slammed by the opposition as a sham as tensions with Britain escalated over the poisoning of a former Russian double agent. With the vast country stretching across 11 time zones, polls opened in the Russian far east at 2000 GMT on Saturday and will close in Kaliningrad, the country's exclave on the EU border, at 1800 GMT on Sunday. Putin's main challenger Alexei Navalny has been barred from taking part in the poll for legal reasons, and the result of the election is in little doubt, with overall turnout likely to provide the only element of surprise. A total of 107 million Russians are eligible to cast their votes in Sunday's election in the world's biggest country, but some analysts say that after 18 years of leadership -- both as president and prime minister -- Putin fatigue may be spreading, with many Russians are expected to skip the polls. The Kremlin needs a high turnout to give greater legitimacy to a new mandate for Putin, who is already Russia's longest-serving leader since Joseph Stalin. By 0700 GMT, turnout stood at 16.55 percent, compared with 6.53 percent at the same hour during the 2012 vote, said Central Electoral Commission head Ella Pamfilova. Many of those who cast their ballots voted for Putin, praising him for lifting the country out of the post-Soviet quagmire. "Of course I'm for Putin, he's a leader," said Olga Matyunina, a 65-year-old retired economist. "After he brought Crimea back, he became a hero to me. Last election I didn't vote for Putin, I don't even remember who I voted for." At many polling stations the atmosphere was festive, with patriotic songs blasting out of speakers outside and cheap food available to voters. Casting his ballot in Moscow, Putin said he would be pleased with "any" result that gave him the right to continue serving as president. "I am sure the programme I am offering is the right one," he said. Navalny, 41, has denounced the election as a sham and urged Russians to boycott the vote. He has deployed more than 30,000 observers to monitor the polls and on Sunday, his team -- which calls the vote "a staged procedure to re-appoint Putin" -- began publishing a rolling list of violations from polling stations. "Those who said that 'there would be fewer falsifications during these elections because Putin has already won over everyone' have made a mistake," he said. Navalny, who faces a 30-day jail sentence, had been expected to spend election day behind bars but remained free Sunday. "I will not go to vote. What for?" said Boris Limarev, a 39-year-old manager, as he walked his dog near a polling station in southwest Saint Petersburg. "It's clear to everyone who will be elected." "And the rest of the candidates are clowns," interjected his wife Anna, 35. "Another six years of slavery," said a piece of paper made up to look like a ballot which was attached to a porch on a central Moscow street -- in an apparent reference to Putin's next term in office. Ahead of the poll, a new crisis broke out with the West as Britain implicated Putin in the poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal with a Soviet-designed nerve agent. In response, London expelled 23 Russian diplomats, prompting Moscow to respond in kind. Also this week, Washington hit Russia with sanctions for trying to influence the 2016 US election. Since first being elected president in 2000, Putin has stamped his total authority on Russia muzzling opposition, putting television under state control and reasserting Moscow's posture abroad. He has sought to use the campaign to emphasise Russia's role as a major world power, boasting of its "invincible" new nuclear weapons in a key pre-election speech. His previous Kremlin term has been marked by a crackdown on the opposition after huge protests, the annexation of Crimea, support for an insurgency in east Ukraine, a military intervention in Syria and the introduction of Western sanctions that contributed to a fall in living standards. But the 65-year-old former KGB officer is certain to extend his term to 2024 despite a litany of domestic problems such as widespread poverty and poor healthcare following a lacklustre campaign. In Saint Petersburg Antonina Kurchatova said she voted for Putin but was just hoping things would not get worse. "I very much like his foreign policy. He's doing everything right. But as far as the economy is concerned, everything is terrible," the 40-year-old told AFP. State-run pollsters predict Putin will take just under 70 percent of the vote, with the independent Levada Centre -- branded a "foreign agent" -- barred from releasing any research related to the election. Sunday marks four years since Putin signed a treaty declaring Crimea to be a part of Russia in a move that triggered the outbreak of a pro-Kremlin insurgency in east Ukraine, in a conflict that has claimed more than 10,000 lives. Kiev has said Russians living in Ukraine would not be able to vote as access to Moscow's diplomatic missions would be blocked. Putin is standing against a motley crew of seven Kremlin-approved challengers, including millionaire communist Pavel Grudinin and former reality TV host Ksenia Sobchak, but none are polling more than eight percent. Overall turnout is expected to be between 63 and 67 percent, according to state-controlled pollsters. Authorities have pulled out all the stops to ensure a huge turnout, offering food discount vouchers and prizes for the best selfies taken at polling stations after a sexually-charged online campaign. While the result of the vote was a foregone conclusion, the next six years would be anything but predictable, said Tatyana Stanovaya, an analyst with Moscow's Center for Political Technologies. "No one can tell now just how emotional and radical Putin's actions will be under increasing geopolitical pressure," she told AFP, adding the role of the military and the security service would increase. "The regime is inclined to become more closed and tough."

Putin eyes fourth term in polls as opposition cries foul

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny said voter turnout in the presidential election on Sunday (March 18) was lower than in 2012.

Citing data collected by activists monitoring the polls, Navalny contradicted the Russian Central Election Commission only hours ago announced some regions had exceeded turnout numbers recorded for 2012.

Opponents of Russian President Vladimir Putin alleged that voters were being compelled to show up at polling stations in a Kremlin drive to ensure Putin&#39;s likely win is not tarnished by a low turnout

Navalny, who is barred from running in the race, said his supporters monitoring the vote reported people being bussed to polling stations by their employers making the morning turnout the highest in Russian history.

In the lead up to the vote Kremlin officials privately acknowledged some voters were reluctant to show up and vote, even if they support Putin, because they believe his victory is already a foregone conclusion.

Talking to journalists in his observers&#39; headquarters on Sunday, Navalny said he was pleased so many had chosen to not vote in an election he had urged his supporters to boycott. Navalny said a decision on whether or not to hold a mass rally protesting the election will be made by Sunday evening.

Opinion polls give Putin, the incumbent, support of around 70 percent, or nearly 10 times the backing of his nearest challenger.

Another term will take him to nearly a quarter century in power - a longevity among Kremlin leaders second only to Soviet dictator Josef Stalin.

Citing data collected by activists monitoring the polls, Navalny contradicted the Russian Central Election Commission only hours ago announced some regions had exceeded turnout numbers recorded for 2012

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny said voter turnout in the presidential election on Sunday (March 18) was lower than in 2012. Citing data collected by activists monitoring the polls, Navalny contradicted the Russian Central Election Commission only hours ago announced some regions had exceeded turnout numbers recorded for 2012. Opponents of Russian President Vladimir Putin alleged that voters were being compelled to show up at polling stations in a Kremlin drive to ensure Putin's likely win is not tarnished by a low turnout Navalny, who is barred from running in the race, said his supporters monitoring the vote reported people being bussed to polling stations by their employers making the morning turnout the highest in Russian history. In the lead up to the vote Kremlin officials privately acknowledged some voters were reluctant to show up and vote, even if they support Putin, because they believe his victory is already a foregone conclusion. Talking to journalists in his observers' headquarters on Sunday, Navalny said he was pleased so many had chosen to not vote in an election he had urged his supporters to boycott. Navalny said a decision on whether or not to hold a mass rally protesting the election will be made by Sunday evening. Opinion polls give Putin, the incumbent, support of around 70 percent, or nearly 10 times the backing of his nearest challenger. Another term will take him to nearly a quarter century in power - a longevity among Kremlin leaders second only to Soviet dictator Josef Stalin.

Turnout lower than 2012 election despite Kremlin efforts - Navalny

Vladimir Putin, who is set to extend his long rule to 2024 in Russia&#39;s presidential election on Sunday, has stamped his total authority in Russia, silencing opposition and reasserting Moscow`s lost might abroad.&nbsp;

The 65-year-old former KGB officer has reimposed the Kremlin&#39;s grip over society since taking power 18 years ago after a lawless but relatively free decade following the demise of the USSR.

On the international stage, he has outlasted three US presidents to become one of the globe&#39;s undisputed strongmen, thrusting Moscow into a new rivalry with the West by snatching Crimea from Ukraine and launching a pivotal intervention in Syria.&nbsp;

Named the world&#39;s most powerful person by Forbes for the past four years running, the judo black belt has built a macho man image helped by publicity stunts that included riding topless on horseback through the Siberian wilderness and darting an endangered tiger.

Bolstered by a slavish state media, he is projected to take around 70 percent of the vote by official pollsters, despite producing no programme and refusing to take part in televised debates.

Supporters laud him as a saviour who restored pride and traditional values to a humiliated nation.

To foes, however, Putin has dragged his homeland further from democracy, has presided over a seizure of the state by a new elite of former secret police cronies and has stoked nationalism in a bid to restore Moscow&#39;s lost empire. Putin was born into a working-class family in Leningrad -- now Saint Petersburg -- on October 7, 1952 and cut his teeth in the city&#39;s rough-and-tumble neighbourhoods.

&quot;The Leningrad streets taught me one thing: if a fight is unavoidable, you have to hit first,&quot; Putin said in 2015.

He fulfilled a childhood dream by joining the KGB intelligence service, getting posted in 1985-1990 to Dresden in what was then East Germany when Soviet power was crumbling.

His political rise began after he returned to work at Saint Petersburg city hall under his mentor, liberal mayor Anatoly Sobchak.&nbsp;

Two decades later, Sobchak&#39;s daughter Ksenia is challenging Putin in the election -- a move that has divided Russia&#39;s already deeply split liberal opposition.

By 1996, he was called to Moscow to work in the Kremlin under Russia&#39;s first democratically elected president Boris Yeltsin, who in 1998 made little-known Putin head of the KGB&#39;s successor, the FSB.

Battling health and drinking problems, frail Yeltsin in August 1999 named Putin prime minister and his popularity shot up as he oversaw the launch of a second war to crush rebels in the Chechnya region.&nbsp;

When Yeltsin sensationally resigned on New Year&#39;s Eve 1999, Putin suddenly took over as president of the biggest country on earth. Buoyed by an influx of petrodollars that saw living standards soar, the Kremlin under Putin forged its own &quot;sovereign democracy&quot; in which the trappings of pluralism -- such as political opposition and civil society -- were subverted.

He has guarded his private life jealously and once famously told journalists to keep their &quot;snotty noses&quot; out of his business.&nbsp;

After three decades of marriage, he divorced his wife Lyudmila in 2013 but rumours of new romance -- including with a former Olympic gymnast -- have not been confirmed.

In line with the constitution, when Putin ended his second term in 2008, he handed power to protege Dmitry Medvedev and moved to become prime minister -- but few doubted who was really in charge.&nbsp;

In 2012, he returned as president in the face of huge street protests.

While the demonstrations petered out after a police crackdown, the spectre of unrest spurred tough new measures to eradicate dissent. Putin, who once decried the collapse of the USSR as the &quot;greatest geopolitical catastrophe&quot; of the 20th century, has ferociously defended Moscow&#39;s sphere of influence and also challenged perceived US hegemony.

When crowds in Ukraine ousted Russian-backed leader Viktor Yanukovych in February 2014, the Kremlin faced losing its dominance over a key neighbour.

Within days, Putin ordered special forces to seize the strategic Crimea peninsula and -- after a hasty referendum rejected internationally -- in March 2014 signed off on the region&#39;s annexation.&nbsp;

The redrawing of Russia&#39;s border sparked the worst standoff with the West since the Cold War and unleashed a wave of nationalism at home that saw Putin&#39;s popularity soar.&nbsp;

Soon the Kremlin was accused of masterminding a rebellion in east Ukraine that turned into a festering conflict that has cost more than 10,000 lives.

Despite sanctions pushing his economy into recession, Putin also launched a bombing campaign in Syria to support leader Bashar al-Assad in 2015. It is widely seen as the key factor that tipped the war in Assad&#39;s favour.

Putin was then accused of spreading his tentacles much further and Moscow&#39;s old foe -- the United States -- found itself in the crosshairs.&nbsp;

After Donald Trump&#39;s shock election win, US intelligence accused Putin of ordering a hacking and influence campaign to get Trump to the White House. &quot;Those that lose always look to blame someone else,&quot; Putin retorted.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

In 2012, Putin returned as president in the face of huge street protests.

Vladimir Putin, who is set to extend his long rule to 2024 in Russia's presidential election on Sunday, has stamped his total authority in Russia, silencing opposition and reasserting Moscow`s lost might abroad. The 65-year-old former KGB officer has reimposed the Kremlin's grip over society since taking power 18 years ago after a lawless but relatively free decade following the demise of the USSR. On the international stage, he has outlasted three US presidents to become one of the globe's undisputed strongmen, thrusting Moscow into a new rivalry with the West by snatching Crimea from Ukraine and launching a pivotal intervention in Syria. Named the world's most powerful person by Forbes for the past four years running, the judo black belt has built a macho man image helped by publicity stunts that included riding topless on horseback through the Siberian wilderness and darting an endangered tiger. Bolstered by a slavish state media, he is projected to take around 70 percent of the vote by official pollsters, despite producing no programme and refusing to take part in televised debates. Supporters laud him as a saviour who restored pride and traditional values to a humiliated nation. To foes, however, Putin has dragged his homeland further from democracy, has presided over a seizure of the state by a new elite of former secret police cronies and has stoked nationalism in a bid to restore Moscow's lost empire. Putin was born into a working-class family in Leningrad -- now Saint Petersburg -- on October 7, 1952 and cut his teeth in the city's rough-and-tumble neighbourhoods. "The Leningrad streets taught me one thing: if a fight is unavoidable, you have to hit first," Putin said in 2015. He fulfilled a childhood dream by joining the KGB intelligence service, getting posted in 1985-1990 to Dresden in what was then East Germany when Soviet power was crumbling. His political rise began after he returned to work at Saint Petersburg city hall under his mentor, liberal mayor Anatoly Sobchak. Two decades later, Sobchak's daughter Ksenia is challenging Putin in the election -- a move that has divided Russia's already deeply split liberal opposition. By 1996, he was called to Moscow to work in the Kremlin under Russia's first democratically elected president Boris Yeltsin, who in 1998 made little-known Putin head of the KGB's successor, the FSB. Battling health and drinking problems, frail Yeltsin in August 1999 named Putin prime minister and his popularity shot up as he oversaw the launch of a second war to crush rebels in the Chechnya region. When Yeltsin sensationally resigned on New Year's Eve 1999, Putin suddenly took over as president of the biggest country on earth. Buoyed by an influx of petrodollars that saw living standards soar, the Kremlin under Putin forged its own "sovereign democracy" in which the trappings of pluralism -- such as political opposition and civil society -- were subverted. He has guarded his private life jealously and once famously told journalists to keep their "snotty noses" out of his business. After three decades of marriage, he divorced his wife Lyudmila in 2013 but rumours of new romance -- including with a former Olympic gymnast -- have not been confirmed. In line with the constitution, when Putin ended his second term in 2008, he handed power to protege Dmitry Medvedev and moved to become prime minister -- but few doubted who was really in charge. In 2012, he returned as president in the face of huge street protests. While the demonstrations petered out after a police crackdown, the spectre of unrest spurred tough new measures to eradicate dissent. Putin, who once decried the collapse of the USSR as the "greatest geopolitical catastrophe" of the 20th century, has ferociously defended Moscow's sphere of influence and also challenged perceived US hegemony. When crowds in Ukraine ousted Russian-backed leader Viktor Yanukovych in February 2014, the Kremlin faced losing its dominance over a key neighbour. Within days, Putin ordered special forces to seize the strategic Crimea peninsula and -- after a hasty referendum rejected internationally -- in March 2014 signed off on the region's annexation. The redrawing of Russia's border sparked the worst standoff with the West since the Cold War and unleashed a wave of nationalism at home that saw Putin's popularity soar. Soon the Kremlin was accused of masterminding a rebellion in east Ukraine that turned into a festering conflict that has cost more than 10,000 lives. Despite sanctions pushing his economy into recession, Putin also launched a bombing campaign in Syria to support leader Bashar al-Assad in 2015. It is widely seen as the key factor that tipped the war in Assad's favour. Putin was then accused of spreading his tentacles much further and Moscow's old foe -- the United States -- found itself in the crosshairs. After Donald Trump's shock election win, US intelligence accused Putin of ordering a hacking and influence campaign to get Trump to the White House. "Those that lose always look to blame someone else," Putin retorted.

Putin: Russia's post-Soviet tsar

With current President Vladimir Putin widely expected to win, the biggest headache for his campaign was the possibility many voters, including Putin supporters, would not bother to come to the poll stations as they feel&nbsp;the outcome is a foregone conclusion.

Putin opponents alleged employers with close ties to the state were ordering staff to go and vote and send back evidence.&nbsp;

As many as 54.69 per cent&nbsp;of voters have cast their ballots in Kolyma, beating the record of the 2012 election. &quot;The most active voters are in the Severo-Evensky District, where the voter turnout reached&nbsp;73 per cent,&quot; the regional election commission said.

&quot;The turnout this year is higher than in 2012. That is evidenced by the data as of 10:00 a.m. [07:00 GMT] and the noon ... Today we have already received 250 reports about violations. About a half of them were not confirmed and turned out to be fake,&quot; co-chair of the Russia Elects observers&#39; movement Elena Babchenkova said on Sunday, adding that the voter turnout this year was higher than in 2012.

As of 3 p.m. local time (07 a.m. Moscow Time) the voter turnout in the Sakhalin Region reached 48.34 per cent. &quot;The most active voters are in the Kuril Islands, in Iturup where 67.24 per cent&nbsp;voted some 5 hours before the ballot stations&rsquo; closure. Some 47.21 per cent&nbsp;voters cast their votes in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.&quot;

Babchenkova pointed out that in some cases fake news was disseminated deliberately and added that all the incidents were solved at the site without requests to the Central Election Commission.

Observers monitoring Russia&#39;s presidential election online on Sunday cried foul and shared videos with alleged violations in different parts of the country.

Social media were filled with extracts of the official online streams from the polling stations, in which the actions of voters raise suspicion of ballot stuffing.

The presidential election is set to give Vladimir Putin a runaway victory, the only possible blemish for the Kremlin being if large numbers of voters do not bother taking part because the result is so predictable.

Opinion polls give Putin, the incumbent, support of around 70 per cent, or nearly 10 times the backing of his nearest challenger. Another term will take him to nearly a quarter century in power - a longevity among Kremlin leaders second only to Soviet dictator Josef Stalin.

As many as 54.69% of voters have cast their ballots in Kolyma, beating the record of the 2012 election

With current President Vladimir Putin widely expected to win, the biggest headache for his campaign was the possibility many voters, including Putin supporters, would not bother to come to the poll stations as they feel the outcome is a foregone conclusion. Putin opponents alleged employers with close ties to the state were ordering staff to go and vote and send back evidence. As many as 54.69 per cent of voters have cast their ballots in Kolyma, beating the record of the 2012 election. "The most active voters are in the Severo-Evensky District, where the voter turnout reached 73 per cent," the regional election commission said. "The turnout this year is higher than in 2012. That is evidenced by the data as of 10:00 a.m. [07:00 GMT] and the noon ... Today we have already received 250 reports about violations. About a half of them were not confirmed and turned out to be fake," co-chair of the Russia Elects observers' movement Elena Babchenkova said on Sunday, adding that the voter turnout this year was higher than in 2012. As of 3 p.m. local time (07 a.m. Moscow Time) the voter turnout in the Sakhalin Region reached 48.34 per cent. "The most active voters are in the Kuril Islands, in Iturup where 67.24 per cent voted some 5 hours before the ballot stations’ closure. Some 47.21 per cent voters cast their votes in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk." Babchenkova pointed out that in some cases fake news was disseminated deliberately and added that all the incidents were solved at the site without requests to the Central Election Commission. Observers monitoring Russia's presidential election online on Sunday cried foul and shared videos with alleged violations in different parts of the country. Social media were filled with extracts of the official online streams from the polling stations, in which the actions of voters raise suspicion of ballot stuffing. The presidential election is set to give Vladimir Putin a runaway victory, the only possible blemish for the Kremlin being if large numbers of voters do not bother taking part because the result is so predictable. Opinion polls give Putin, the incumbent, support of around 70 per cent, or nearly 10 times the backing of his nearest challenger. Another term will take him to nearly a quarter century in power - a longevity among Kremlin leaders second only to Soviet dictator Josef Stalin.

Russian Presidential Election: Many Putin supporters not turning out as outcome is foregone conclusion

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Recalling the two warring sides of the epic Mahabharat, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said the BJP, like the Kauravas, fought for power, while his party, on the lines of the Pandavas, battled for truth.

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Russians were voting Sunday in an election set to hand President Vladimir Putin a fourth Kremlin term but slammed by the opposition as a sham as tensions with Britain escalated over the poisoning of a former Russian double agent.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/smriti-irani-slams-rahul-gandhi-over-remarks-on-gst-36248">Smriti Irani slams Rahul Gandhi over remarks on GST</a>

Union Minister of Textiles and Information and Broadcasting Smriti Irani on Sunday lashed out at Congress president Rahul Gandhi for terming Goods and Services Tax (GST) the second highest in the world and one of the most complex taxes.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/gudi-padwa-2018-mumbais-saree-clad-biker-women-take-to-streets-36244">Mumbai: Saree-clad biker women take to streets to celebrate Gudi Padwa</a>

As the country celebrates the spring festival of Gudi Padwa, Mumbai witnessed a colourful parade of women bikers clad in traditional Marathi attire to commemorate the new year for Marathi Hindus.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-5-stars-who-fought-with-serious-illnesses-like-irrfan-khan-and-are-now-perfectly-fine-36247">5 stars who fought with serious illnesses like Irrfan Khan and are now perfectly fine</a>

Ever since news of Irrfan Khan suffering from a rare disease has come to fore, the Indian entertainment industry has been in a state of shock. Announcing to the world with a Twitter post, Irrfan who is suffering from NeuroEndocrine Tumour has started the dialogue about health and fitness yet again. This sad news follows the sudden death of Bollywood actress Sridevi who was not only a versatile heroine but a glamour icon.

BJP like Kauravas, Congress like Pandavas: Rahul Gandhi Recalling the two warring sides of the epic Mahabharat, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said the BJP, like the Kauravas, fought for power, while his party, on the lines of the Pandavas, battled for truth. Putin eyes fourth term in polls as opposition cries foul Russians were voting Sunday in an election set to hand President Vladimir Putin a fourth Kremlin term but slammed by the opposition as a sham as tensions with Britain escalated over the poisoning of a former Russian double agent. Smriti Irani slams Rahul Gandhi over remarks on GST Union Minister of Textiles and Information and Broadcasting Smriti Irani on Sunday lashed out at Congress president Rahul Gandhi for terming Goods and Services Tax (GST) the second highest in the world and one of the most complex taxes. Mumbai: Saree-clad biker women take to streets to celebrate Gudi Padwa As the country celebrates the spring festival of Gudi Padwa, Mumbai witnessed a colourful parade of women bikers clad in traditional Marathi attire to commemorate the new year for Marathi Hindus. 5 stars who fought with serious illnesses like Irrfan Khan and are now perfectly fine Ever since news of Irrfan Khan suffering from a rare disease has come to fore, the Indian entertainment industry has been in a state of shock. Announcing to the world with a Twitter post, Irrfan who is suffering from NeuroEndocrine Tumour has started the dialogue about health and fitness yet again. This sad news follows the sudden death of Bollywood actress Sridevi who was not only a versatile heroine but a glamour icon.

WION Evening News Brief, March 18, 2018

Britain provoked Russia&#39;s wrath on Friday by directly implicating Vladimir Putin in the poisoning<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/russia-vows-to-respond-to-britain-over-spy-attack-any-minute-36060"> attack on an ex-double agent</a>, with the Kremlin saying the claims were &quot;shocking and unforgivable&quot;.

The war of words between Moscow and London over the nerve agent attack on a former Russian spy escalated as Britain&#39;s Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said his government&#39;s &quot;quarrel&quot; was with Putin rather than the Russian people.

&quot;We think it overwhelmingly likely that it was his decision to direct the use of a nerve agent on the streets of the UK, on the streets of Europe, for the first time since the Second World War,&quot; Johnson said in London.

Putin&#39;s spokesman Dmitry Peskov responded saying Johnson&#39;s claims violated all rules of diplomatic protocol.

Linking Putin to the attack on Sergei Skripal, who moved to Britain in a 2010 spy swap, &quot;is nothing but shocking and unforgivable behaviour from the point of view of diplomacy&quot;, Peskov told Russian news agencies.

The crisis has unravelled in the thick of Russia&#39;s presidential campaign, with Putin expected to win a fourth Kremlin term on Sunday.

In a rare joint statement, the leaders of Britain, France, Germany and the United States on Thursday condemned the attack on Skripal and his daughter Yulia -- both in a critical but stable condition in hospital -- as an &quot;assault on UK sovereignty&quot;.

They said there &quot;no plausible alternative explanation&quot; for the use of the Soviet-designed nerve agent other than Russian responsibility.

Police officer Nick Bailey, who initially attended to the Skripals, was also in hospital in a critical state, though conscious, but his health has improved and he is now in a stable condition, England&#39;s health service said Friday.

Alexander Yakovenko, Russia&#39;s ambassador to Britain, told Channel 4 television that Britain&#39;s response to the attack was a &quot;gross provocation&quot;.

He branded the British investigation &quot;untransparent and secret&quot;, adding that there was &quot;no proof&quot; that Skripal was gravely ill.

Moscow opens probes&nbsp; 
 
The Kremlin has vehemently denied it had a hand in the poisoning of its former spy in the English city of Salisbury on March 4.&nbsp;

London&#39;s key allies have closed ranks against Putin after British Prime Minister Theresa May announced the expulsion of 23 Russian diplomats and suspended high-level contacts, among other measures.

On Friday, Russia said it could hit back at Britain at &quot;any minute&quot; with its own raft of punitive measures.

The Kremlin has indicated it would expel British diplomats in a riposte to London&#39;s move as well as adopt other measures that would &quot;most suit Moscow&#39;s interests&quot;.

&quot;All the steps will be well thought out,&quot; Peskov said.

Meanwhile the Investigative Committee, which reports to Putin, opened a probe into the &quot;attempted premeditated murder&quot; of Skripal&#39;s daughter, a Russian national, which it said had been &quot;carried out in a way that was dangerous to the public&quot;.

At the same time a separate probe was opened into the mysterious death of Nikolai Glushkov, a Russian exile who was found dead at his London home this week.

London&#39;s Metropolitan Police later announced their own murder investigation, saying Glushkov had suffered compression of the neck.

Scepticism in Russia&nbsp;

Putin has barely weighed in on the row, telling a BBC reporter this week: &quot;Sort things out from your side and then we will discuss this with you.&quot;

Russia insists it had no motive to target Skripal with what Britain says was a highly potent Soviet-designed nerve agent called Novichok, in the first such attack in Europe since World War II.

Skripal had taken his daughter, who was on a visit from Moscow, out for lunch before they both collapsed on a bench.

Many Russians remain sceptical that the state was responsible and some analysts have not ruled out the involvement of ordinary criminals or rogue agents.

The incident revived memories of the fate of Alexander Litvinenko, a Russian dissident who died of Polonium radiation poisoning in a 2006 attack in Britain that London blamed on Moscow.

EU president Donald Tusk said Friday that the bloc would discuss the attack at a Brussels summit next week, adding it would send a &quot;clear message&quot;.

&nbsp;&#39;We don&#39;t want Cold War&#39; 
 
Vil Mirzayanov, a Soviet-era chemist who helped create Novichok but later revealed the existence of Moscow&#39;s classified programme, said terrorists could not produce it.&nbsp;

&quot;To create its components one needs powerful labs and very experienced personnel which only exist in several countries,&quot; the now US-based whistleblower told opposition newspaper Novaya Gazeta.

Britain on Friday said that it had invited the chemical weapons watchdog OPCW to take a sample of the poison for analysis, under Article 8 of the Chemical Weapons Convention.

May warned more measures could follow against Russia, noting that the US-led NATO alliance and the UN Security Council had discussed the attack.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Friday the alliance did not want a return to Cold War hostilities with Russia while expressing support for Britain&#39;s stance.

&quot;We don&#39;t want a new Cold War,&quot; he told BBC radio.

Britain provoked Russia's wrath on Friday by directly implicating Vladimir Putin in the poisoning attack on an ex-double agent

Britain provoked Russia's wrath on Friday by directly implicating Vladimir Putin in the poisoning attack on an ex-double agent, with the Kremlin saying the claims were "shocking and unforgivable". The war of words between Moscow and London over the nerve agent attack on a former Russian spy escalated as Britain's Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said his government's "quarrel" was with Putin rather than the Russian people. "We think it overwhelmingly likely that it was his decision to direct the use of a nerve agent on the streets of the UK, on the streets of Europe, for the first time since the Second World War," Johnson said in London. Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov responded saying Johnson's claims violated all rules of diplomatic protocol. Linking Putin to the attack on Sergei Skripal, who moved to Britain in a 2010 spy swap, "is nothing but shocking and unforgivable behaviour from the point of view of diplomacy", Peskov told Russian news agencies. The crisis has unravelled in the thick of Russia's presidential campaign, with Putin expected to win a fourth Kremlin term on Sunday. In a rare joint statement, the leaders of Britain, France, Germany and the United States on Thursday condemned the attack on Skripal and his daughter Yulia -- both in a critical but stable condition in hospital -- as an "assault on UK sovereignty". They said there "no plausible alternative explanation" for the use of the Soviet-designed nerve agent other than Russian responsibility. Police officer Nick Bailey, who initially attended to the Skripals, was also in hospital in a critical state, though conscious, but his health has improved and he is now in a stable condition, England's health service said Friday. Alexander Yakovenko, Russia's ambassador to Britain, told Channel 4 television that Britain's response to the attack was a "gross provocation". He branded the British investigation "untransparent and secret", adding that there was "no proof" that Skripal was gravely ill. Moscow opens probes The Kremlin has vehemently denied it had a hand in the poisoning of its former spy in the English city of Salisbury on March 4. London's key allies have closed ranks against Putin after British Prime Minister Theresa May announced the expulsion of 23 Russian diplomats and suspended high-level contacts, among other measures. On Friday, Russia said it could hit back at Britain at "any minute" with its own raft of punitive measures. The Kremlin has indicated it would expel British diplomats in a riposte to London's move as well as adopt other measures that would "most suit Moscow's interests". "All the steps will be well thought out," Peskov said. Meanwhile the Investigative Committee, which reports to Putin, opened a probe into the "attempted premeditated murder" of Skripal's daughter, a Russian national, which it said had been "carried out in a way that was dangerous to the public". At the same time a separate probe was opened into the mysterious death of Nikolai Glushkov, a Russian exile who was found dead at his London home this week. London's Metropolitan Police later announced their own murder investigation, saying Glushkov had suffered compression of the neck. Scepticism in Russia Putin has barely weighed in on the row, telling a BBC reporter this week: "Sort things out from your side and then we will discuss this with you." Russia insists it had no motive to target Skripal with what Britain says was a highly potent Soviet-designed nerve agent called Novichok, in the first such attack in Europe since World War II. Skripal had taken his daughter, who was on a visit from Moscow, out for lunch before they both collapsed on a bench. Many Russians remain sceptical that the state was responsible and some analysts have not ruled out the involvement of ordinary criminals or rogue agents. The incident revived memories of the fate of Alexander Litvinenko, a Russian dissident who died of Polonium radiation poisoning in a 2006 attack in Britain that London blamed on Moscow. EU president Donald Tusk said Friday that the bloc would discuss the attack at a Brussels summit next week, adding it would send a "clear message". 'We don't want Cold War' Vil Mirzayanov, a Soviet-era chemist who helped create Novichok but later revealed the existence of Moscow's classified programme, said terrorists could not produce it. "To create its components one needs powerful labs and very experienced personnel which only exist in several countries," the now US-based whistleblower told opposition newspaper Novaya Gazeta. Britain on Friday said that it had invited the chemical weapons watchdog OPCW to take a sample of the poison for analysis, under Article 8 of the Chemical Weapons Convention. May warned more measures could follow against Russia, noting that the US-led NATO alliance and the UN Security Council had discussed the attack. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Friday the alliance did not want a return to Cold War hostilities with Russia while expressing support for Britain's stance. "We don't want a new Cold War," he told BBC radio.

Kremlin furious as Britain blames Putin for ex-spy attack

Moscow vowed Friday to hit back at Britain with its own raft of punitive measures &quot;any minute&quot; after the West blamed Russia directly for a nerve agent attack on a former double agent.

President Vladimir Putin&#39;s spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Friday said Russia&#39;s sanctions could come &quot;any minute&quot; even though he declined to say whether Moscow would deliver its response before Sunday&#39;s presidential election.

&quot;All the steps will be well thought out,&quot; he told reporters.

In a rare joint statement, the leaders of Britain, France, Germany and the US on Thursday condemned the attack on former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia as an &quot;assault on UK sovereignty&quot;.

Moscow has vehemently denied it had a hand in the poisoning of its former spy in the cathedral city of Salisbury in early March.

Britain&#39;s key allies closed ranks against Putin after British Prime Minister Theresa May announced the expulsion of 23 Russian diplomats and suspended high-level contacts, among other measures.

Russia said earlier this week it would expel British diplomats in response to London&#39;s move as well as adopt other measures that the Kremlin said would &quot;most suit Moscow&#39;s interests.&quot;

&quot;Of course we will,&quot; Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told journalists when asked whether Moscow will respond in kind.&nbsp;

He did not provide further details.

The crisis unravelled in the thick of a presidential election as Putin is expected to win a fourth Kremlin term on Sunday.

The president barely weighed in on the row, just telling a BBC reporter earlier this week: &quot;Sort things out from your side and then we will discuss this with you.&quot;

Russia insists it had no motive to target Skripal with what Britain says was a highly potent Soviet-designed nerve agent called Novichok, the first such attack in Europe since World War II.

Many Russians remain sceptical that the state was involved in an attack on British soil and some analysts didn&#39;t rule out the involvement of common criminals or rogue agents.

The official military newspaper Krasnaya Zvezda (Red Star) quoted the former head of Russia&#39;s GRU military intelligence, Fyodor Ladygin, who denied his officers had been involved.

&quot;We don&#39;t care about the fate of a traitor,&quot; said Colonel General Ladygin.

&quot;For an intelligence officer, a traitor dies immediately - he absolutely ceases to exist in memory. For a traitor, oblivion is death.&quot;

The attack on the Skripals revived memories of the fate of Alexander Litvinenko, a Russian dissident who died of Polonium poisoning in a 2006 attack in the UK that London blamed on Moscow.

But the leaders of Britain, France, Germany and the United States said Thursday there was &quot;no plausible alternative explanation&quot; for the use of the Soviet-designed nerve agent.

In a joint statement, they demanded Moscow &quot;address all questions&quot; related to the attack against Skripal, which they said amounted to a &quot;breach of international law&quot;.

Skripal moved to Britain in a 2010 spy swap and had taken his daughter, who was on a visit, out for lunch before they both collapsed on a bench in the street on March 4.

The Daily Telegraph reported late Thursday that intelligence agencies now believe the nerve agent used on the pair was planted in the daughter&#39;s suitcase before she left Moscow.

May warned more measures could follow, noting that the US-led NATO alliance and the UN Security Council had discussed the attack, while it was also expected to be on the agenda of the European Union summit next week.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Friday the alliance did not want a return to Cold War hostilities with Russia while expressing support for Britain&#39;s stance.

He said the targeting of Skripal fit a &quot;pattern of reckless behaviour&quot; to which the US-led military alliance had responded, but insisted political dialogue must also continue.

&quot;We don&#39;t want a new Cold War, we don&#39;t want a new arms race, Russia is our neighbour, therefore, we have to continue to strive for an improved better relationship with Russia,&quot; he told BBC radio.

NATO chief Stoltenberg said this week the attack must have &quot;consequences&quot; but noted that Britain had not invoked the alliance&#39;s Article 5 mutual defence clause. 
&nbsp;

"All the steps will be well thought out," said Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov

Moscow vowed Friday to hit back at Britain with its own raft of punitive measures "any minute" after the West blamed Russia directly for a nerve agent attack on a former double agent. President Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Friday said Russia's sanctions could come "any minute" even though he declined to say whether Moscow would deliver its response before Sunday's presidential election. "All the steps will be well thought out," he told reporters. In a rare joint statement, the leaders of Britain, France, Germany and the US on Thursday condemned the attack on former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia as an "assault on UK sovereignty". Moscow has vehemently denied it had a hand in the poisoning of its former spy in the cathedral city of Salisbury in early March. Britain's key allies closed ranks against Putin after British Prime Minister Theresa May announced the expulsion of 23 Russian diplomats and suspended high-level contacts, among other measures. Russia said earlier this week it would expel British diplomats in response to London's move as well as adopt other measures that the Kremlin said would "most suit Moscow's interests." "Of course we will," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told journalists when asked whether Moscow will respond in kind. He did not provide further details. The crisis unravelled in the thick of a presidential election as Putin is expected to win a fourth Kremlin term on Sunday. The president barely weighed in on the row, just telling a BBC reporter earlier this week: "Sort things out from your side and then we will discuss this with you." Russia insists it had no motive to target Skripal with what Britain says was a highly potent Soviet-designed nerve agent called Novichok, the first such attack in Europe since World War II. Many Russians remain sceptical that the state was involved in an attack on British soil and some analysts didn't rule out the involvement of common criminals or rogue agents. The official military newspaper Krasnaya Zvezda (Red Star) quoted the former head of Russia's GRU military intelligence, Fyodor Ladygin, who denied his officers had been involved. "We don't care about the fate of a traitor," said Colonel General Ladygin. "For an intelligence officer, a traitor dies immediately - he absolutely ceases to exist in memory. For a traitor, oblivion is death." The attack on the Skripals revived memories of the fate of Alexander Litvinenko, a Russian dissident who died of Polonium poisoning in a 2006 attack in the UK that London blamed on Moscow. But the leaders of Britain, France, Germany and the United States said Thursday there was "no plausible alternative explanation" for the use of the Soviet-designed nerve agent. In a joint statement, they demanded Moscow "address all questions" related to the attack against Skripal, which they said amounted to a "breach of international law". Skripal moved to Britain in a 2010 spy swap and had taken his daughter, who was on a visit, out for lunch before they both collapsed on a bench in the street on March 4. The Daily Telegraph reported late Thursday that intelligence agencies now believe the nerve agent used on the pair was planted in the daughter's suitcase before she left Moscow. May warned more measures could follow, noting that the US-led NATO alliance and the UN Security Council had discussed the attack, while it was also expected to be on the agenda of the European Union summit next week. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Friday the alliance did not want a return to Cold War hostilities with Russia while expressing support for Britain's stance. He said the targeting of Skripal fit a "pattern of reckless behaviour" to which the US-led military alliance had responded, but insisted political dialogue must also continue. "We don't want a new Cold War, we don't want a new arms race, Russia is our neighbour, therefore, we have to continue to strive for an improved better relationship with Russia," he told BBC radio. NATO chief Stoltenberg said this week the attack must have "consequences" but noted that Britain had not invoked the alliance's Article 5 mutual defence clause.

Russia vows to respond to Britain over spy attack 'any minute'

Russia today rejected Britain&#39;s demand that Moscow provide an explanation over the poisoning of an ex-double agent and said London should provide Moscow with access to the nerve agent.

&quot;Before giving ultimatums it&#39;s better to honour your own obligations on international law,&quot; Lavrov told reporters, referring to the Chemical Weapons Convention.

Russia&#39;s top diplomat said that Britain should have sent Moscow an official request about the substance used on its soil.

Lavrov said Russia had not received such a request and also demanded to be given access to the Russian-made nerve agent used to poison former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.

&quot;Through an official note we had demanded access to this substance,&quot; Lavrov said, adding that Russia also asked to be informed about the investigation. &quot;Our requests have been denied.&quot;

&quot;If the procedures stipulated by the convention will be implemented I assure you that Russia will fulfil its obligations,&quot; Lavrov said.

He insisted that Moscow was not to blame for the poisoning of the former agent said it was ready to cooperate with London.

&quot;Russia is not guilty. Russia is ready to cooperate according to the Chemical Weapons Convention, if Britain takes the trouble and condescends to carry out its international obligations according to the same document,&quot; Lavrov told a press conference.

Separately, a spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry, Maria Zakharova, said the ministry had summoned the British ambassador, Laurie Bristow, amid the escalating poisoning row.(AFP)

&nbsp;

'Before giving ultimatums it's better to honour your own obligations on international law,' Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters

Russia today rejected Britain's demand that Moscow provide an explanation over the poisoning of an ex-double agent and said London should provide Moscow with access to the nerve agent. "Before giving ultimatums it's better to honour your own obligations on international law," Lavrov told reporters, referring to the Chemical Weapons Convention. Russia's top diplomat said that Britain should have sent Moscow an official request about the substance used on its soil. Lavrov said Russia had not received such a request and also demanded to be given access to the Russian-made nerve agent used to poison former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia. "Through an official note we had demanded access to this substance," Lavrov said, adding that Russia also asked to be informed about the investigation. "Our requests have been denied." "If the procedures stipulated by the convention will be implemented I assure you that Russia will fulfil its obligations," Lavrov said. He insisted that Moscow was not to blame for the poisoning of the former agent said it was ready to cooperate with London. "Russia is not guilty. Russia is ready to cooperate according to the Chemical Weapons Convention, if Britain takes the trouble and condescends to carry out its international obligations according to the same document," Lavrov told a press conference. Separately, a spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry, Maria Zakharova, said the ministry had summoned the British ambassador, Laurie Bristow, amid the escalating poisoning row.(AFP)

Ex-Russian spy's poisoning in UK: Russia rejects Britain's ultimatum, wants access to nerve agent

President Vladimir Putin faces a midnight deadline to explain to Britain how a nerve agent developed by the Soviet Union was used to strike down a former Russian double agent who passed secrets to British intelligence.

Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33, have been in hospital in a critical condition since March 4 when they were found unconscious on a bench outside a shopping centre in the southern English cathedral city of Salisbury.

Prime Minister Theresa May said it was &quot;highly likely&quot; Moscow was to blame after Britain identified the substance as part of the Novichok group of nerve agents which were developed by the Soviet military during the 1970s and 1980s.

&quot;It is now clear that Mr Skripal and his daughter were poisoned with a military-grade nerve agent of a type developed by Russia,&quot; May said.&nbsp;

&quot;Either this was a direct act by the Russian state against our country. Or the Russian government lost control of this potentially catastrophically damaging nerve agent and allowed it to get into the hands of others.&quot;

May gave Putin, who faces a presidential election on March 18, until end of Tuesday to explain what happened or face what she said were &quot;much more extensive&quot; measures against the $1.5 trillion Russian economy.

The Russian ambassador, Alexander Yakovenko, was summoned to the Foreign Office and given until the end of Tuesday to provide an explanation. Russia has denied any role in the attack on Skripal and his daughter.

US&nbsp;Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the United States had &quot;full confidence&quot; in Britain&#39;s assessment that Russia was likely responsible. US&nbsp;President Donald Trump has not yet publicly commented on the attack.

Earlier, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said the United States stood by Britain, calling it America&#39;s &quot;closest ally,&quot; but she stopped short of blaming Russia for the attack.&nbsp;

The European Union also said it would stand by Britain, which is due to leave the bloc in just over a year&#39;s time. May spoke to French President Emmanuel Macron, who Downing Street said condemned the attack and offered his solidarity with Britain.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the use of any nerve agent was horrendous and completely unacceptable.

Nerve agent&nbsp;

Russia said May&#39;s allegations were politically motivated.

&quot;It is a circus show in the British parliament,&quot; the TASS news agency quoted Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova as saying. &quot;The conclusion is obvious: It&#39;s another political information campaign, based on a provocation.&quot;

May said Russia had shown a pattern of aggression including the annexation of Crimea and the murder of former KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko, who died in 2006 after drinking green tea laced with radioactive polonium-210.&nbsp;

A British public inquiry found the killing of Litvinenko had probably been approved by Putin and carried out by two Russians, Dmitry Kovtun and Andrei Lugovoy - a former KGB bodyguard who later became a member of the Russian parliament.

Both denied responsibility, as did Moscow.

Putin, who took over as Kremlin chief from Boris Yeltsin on the last day of 1999, has denied allegations that Russia meddled in the 2016 US&nbsp;presidential election and says the West has repeatedly tried to undermine Russian interests.

Skripal betrayed dozens of Russian agents to British intelligence before his arrest in Moscow in 2004. He was sentenced to 13 years in prison in 2006, and in 2010 was given refuge in Britain after being exchanged for Russian spies.&nbsp;

Since emerging from the John le Carre world of high espionage and betrayal, Skripal lived modestly in Salisbury and kept out of the spotlight until he was found unconscious on Sunday.

Novichok agents are believed to be five to 10 times more lethal than the more commonly known VX and Sarin. They cause a slowing of the heart and restriction of the airways, leading to death by asphyxiation, University of Reading pharmacology professor Gary Stephens said.

Russian state television said Skripal had been recruited by the British when working as Russia&#39;s military attache in Spain and that he had handed over 20,000 pages of secret documents to MI6, Britain&#39;s foreign spy service.

A British policeman who was one of the first to attend to the stricken spy was also affected by the nerve agent. He is now conscious in a serious but stable condition, police said. 
&nbsp;

Russia said May's allegations were politically motivated

President Vladimir Putin faces a midnight deadline to explain to Britain how a nerve agent developed by the Soviet Union was used to strike down a former Russian double agent who passed secrets to British intelligence. Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33, have been in hospital in a critical condition since March 4 when they were found unconscious on a bench outside a shopping centre in the southern English cathedral city of Salisbury. Prime Minister Theresa May said it was "highly likely" Moscow was to blame after Britain identified the substance as part of the Novichok group of nerve agents which were developed by the Soviet military during the 1970s and 1980s. "It is now clear that Mr Skripal and his daughter were poisoned with a military-grade nerve agent of a type developed by Russia," May said. "Either this was a direct act by the Russian state against our country. Or the Russian government lost control of this potentially catastrophically damaging nerve agent and allowed it to get into the hands of others." May gave Putin, who faces a presidential election on March 18, until end of Tuesday to explain what happened or face what she said were "much more extensive" measures against the $1.5 trillion Russian economy. The Russian ambassador, Alexander Yakovenko, was summoned to the Foreign Office and given until the end of Tuesday to provide an explanation. Russia has denied any role in the attack on Skripal and his daughter. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the United States had "full confidence" in Britain's assessment that Russia was likely responsible. US President Donald Trump has not yet publicly commented on the attack. Earlier, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said the United States stood by Britain, calling it America's "closest ally," but she stopped short of blaming Russia for the attack. The European Union also said it would stand by Britain, which is due to leave the bloc in just over a year's time. May spoke to French President Emmanuel Macron, who Downing Street said condemned the attack and offered his solidarity with Britain. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the use of any nerve agent was horrendous and completely unacceptable. Nerve agent Russia said May's allegations were politically motivated. "It is a circus show in the British parliament," the TASS news agency quoted Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova as saying. "The conclusion is obvious: It's another political information campaign, based on a provocation." May said Russia had shown a pattern of aggression including the annexation of Crimea and the murder of former KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko, who died in 2006 after drinking green tea laced with radioactive polonium-210. A British public inquiry found the killing of Litvinenko had probably been approved by Putin and carried out by two Russians, Dmitry Kovtun and Andrei Lugovoy - a former KGB bodyguard who later became a member of the Russian parliament. Both denied responsibility, as did Moscow. Putin, who took over as Kremlin chief from Boris Yeltsin on the last day of 1999, has denied allegations that Russia meddled in the 2016 US presidential election and says the West has repeatedly tried to undermine Russian interests. Skripal betrayed dozens of Russian agents to British intelligence before his arrest in Moscow in 2004. He was sentenced to 13 years in prison in 2006, and in 2010 was given refuge in Britain after being exchanged for Russian spies. Since emerging from the John le Carre world of high espionage and betrayal, Skripal lived modestly in Salisbury and kept out of the spotlight until he was found unconscious on Sunday. Novichok agents are believed to be five to 10 times more lethal than the more commonly known VX and Sarin. They cause a slowing of the heart and restriction of the airways, leading to death by asphyxiation, University of Reading pharmacology professor Gary Stephens said. Russian state television said Skripal had been recruited by the British when working as Russia's military attache in Spain and that he had handed over 20,000 pages of secret documents to MI6, Britain's foreign spy service. A British policeman who was one of the first to attend to the stricken spy was also affected by the nerve agent. He is now conscious in a serious but stable condition, police said.

Putin faces midnight deadline to explain nerve attack on former spy to UK

Soon after Vladimir Putin is re-elected on Sunday, his thoughts will turn to the question that is likely to dominate his next term as Russia&rsquo;s president: what will he do when it ends?&nbsp;

Putin&rsquo;s victory in the presidential election is not in doubt as his ratings are high and he has the state machinery behind him, but how long the man who has dominated Russia for nearly 18 years wants to stay power is uncertain.

The constitution limits the president to two successive terms, obliging him to step down at the end of his mandate &mdash; as he did in 2008 after serving two four-year terms.

His mandate will not expire until 2024 but the problem needs immediate attention because the uncertainty about his long-term future is a source of instability in a fractious ruling elite that only he can keep in check.

&ldquo;The Russian political scene is entering a new phase,&rdquo; said Gleb Pavlovsky, a former Kremlin adviser who is now critical of the country&rsquo;s leadership.&ldquo;Most discussion within the ruling elite focuses not on the next stage of the Putin era but on what will constitute the post-Putin era.&rdquo;

Vygaudas Usackas, the European Union&rsquo;s ambassador to Russia until last October, says the stakes are high.

&ldquo;This is a risky moment for the system,&rdquo; said Usackas, who is now director of the Institute of Europe at Lithuania&rsquo;s Kaunas University of Technology.

Putin has at least three main options. He could take a leaf out of Chinese President Xi Jinping&rsquo;s book and seek an end to term limits, hand over to a place-holder for a term and then return, or anoint a successor and bow out of public life.

Each choice carries risks and Putin may have other options up his sleeve. A former spy, he is secretive and likes to pull surprises. But the uncertainty about his plans is potentially more destabilizing than anything for the ruling elite, the political, security and business leaders around Putin.&nbsp;

Two sources close to the Kremlin said there was, as yet, no plan for when Putin&rsquo;s term ends. The matter is so sensitive that they agreed to talk only on condition of anonymity.

Russia&rsquo;s ruling system, while projecting an image of unity, is divided along many lines &mdash; between security hawks and economic liberals, between people with personal vendettas, and between competing for business interests.

Putin holds the disparate interests together, so any hint of a vacuum at the centre of the system is risky.

PUTIN FOREVER

Putin is so entrenched within Russia&rsquo;s ruling system that many of its members can imagine no other leader. Many in-state companies and major banks say they anticipate no real change at the top when Putin&rsquo;s next term ends.

&ldquo;There are no discussions in the corridors about the succession. It&rsquo;s as if people know that he (Putin) will be around forever,&rdquo; said a source in a government ministry.

If Putin wants the constitution changed to allow a third successive term, he will need two-thirds support in the lower house of parliament, three-quarters in the upper chamber and approval in two-thirds of regional legislatures.&nbsp;

All are institutions where Kremlin allies are the overwhelming majority but Putin has said will not change the constitution to stay in power. 
&nbsp; 
If he did so, he would risk a backlash from voters who might see it as Russia turning its back on democracy. He also avoided the temptation to tinker with the constitution to extend his rule in 2008, when he last faced term limits.

Instead, he stepped aside and let a loyal lieutenant, Dmitry Medvedev, run for president, certain he would win with the Kremlin&rsquo;s backing. Putin, who became prime minister for four years, secure re-election when Medvedev&rsquo;s term ended in 2012, and Medvedev has been prime minister since then.

Putin controlled the country from the wings between 2008 and 2012 and might see a similar move as an option now. Medvedev&rsquo;s ratings are much lower than Putin&rsquo;s but the ruling elite could accept him as a tried-and-tested proxy for Putin.

&ldquo;Only Medvedev,&rdquo; a source in government circles told Reuters when asked who could be president after Putin.&ldquo;Everyone is afraid of change.&rdquo;&nbsp;

FATIGUE

Age, though, might now get in the way of Putin.&nbsp;

He is in robust physical shape but will be 71 when his fourth term ends. If he again stepped aside for a full term, he would be 77 on his return &mdash; the presidential term was extended to six years in 2008 during Medvedev&rsquo;s presidency.

One of the sources close to the Kremlin said Putin does sometimes feel extremely tired, but largely through exasperation at officials&rsquo; incompetence and bureaucratic sloth.

During a meeting with Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko in 2016, Putin was caught on an open microphone confiding to his ally:&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t get enough sleep. The day before yesterday I slept for four hours, last night I got five hours.&rdquo;

Putin might also be loath to rule in his late seventies as he has portrayed himself as a healthy and energetic leader since replacing the ailing Boris Yeltsin and providing the vitality lacked by most leaders in the dying days of the Soviet Union.

He will soon have ruled longer than Soviet Communist leader Leonid Brezhnev, whose 18-year rule from 1964 to 1982 is primarily associated with stagnation, though dictator Josef Stalin ruled the Soviet Union for three decades.

To enjoy a restful retirement, Putin would need to anoint a fully fledged successor who can hold on to power in his or her own right and also protect the interests of the ruling elite.

Kremlin insiders say Putin has selected no heir apparent, and that any names being circulated are the product of speculation, not knowledge of Putin&rsquo;s thinking.

The names include Igor Sechin, head of state oil firm Rosneft; Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu; Igor Dyumin, a former Putin bodyguard who became a regional governor, and Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin.&nbsp;

Anointing a successor also entails dangers for Putin as doing so too soon would risk him becoming a lame duck, allegiances shifting from him to the heir apparent and new turf wars being set off in the ruling elite.

Above all, Putin will want to ensure any successor can hold on to power, will protect him and will not dismantle the system built around him.

Handing over to an heir, while eventually inevitable, will therefore also be Putin&rsquo;s riskiest path.

&ldquo;The longer he stays in power, the harder it will be to exit,&rdquo; said Andrei Kolesnikov, senior fellow at the Carnegie Moscow Center, a think tank.&ldquo;How can he abandon such a complicated system, which is essentially his personal project?&rdquo;&nbsp;

The constitution limits the president to two successive terms, obliging him to step down at the end of his mandate — as he did in 2008 after serving two four-year terms

Soon after Vladimir Putin is re-elected on Sunday, his thoughts will turn to the question that is likely to dominate his next term as Russia’s president: what will he do when it ends? Putin’s victory in the presidential election is not in doubt as his ratings are high and he has the state machinery behind him, but how long the man who has dominated Russia for nearly 18 years wants to stay power is uncertain. The constitution limits the president to two successive terms, obliging him to step down at the end of his mandate — as he did in 2008 after serving two four-year terms. His mandate will not expire until 2024 but the problem needs immediate attention because the uncertainty about his long-term future is a source of instability in a fractious ruling elite that only he can keep in check. “The Russian political scene is entering a new phase,” said Gleb Pavlovsky, a former Kremlin adviser who is now critical of the country’s leadership.“Most discussion within the ruling elite focuses not on the next stage of the Putin era but on what will constitute the post-Putin era.” Vygaudas Usackas, the European Union’s ambassador to Russia until last October, says the stakes are high. “This is a risky moment for the system,” said Usackas, who is now director of the Institute of Europe at Lithuania’s Kaunas University of Technology. Putin has at least three main options. He could take a leaf out of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s book and seek an end to term limits, hand over to a place-holder for a term and then return, or anoint a successor and bow out of public life. Each choice carries risks and Putin may have other options up his sleeve. A former spy, he is secretive and likes to pull surprises. But the uncertainty about his plans is potentially more destabilizing than anything for the ruling elite, the political, security and business leaders around Putin. Two sources close to the Kremlin said there was, as yet, no plan for when Putin’s term ends. The matter is so sensitive that they agreed to talk only on condition of anonymity. Russia’s ruling system, while projecting an image of unity, is divided along many lines — between security hawks and economic liberals, between people with personal vendettas, and between competing for business interests. Putin holds the disparate interests together, so any hint of a vacuum at the centre of the system is risky. PUTIN FOREVER Putin is so entrenched within Russia’s ruling system that many of its members can imagine no other leader. Many in-state companies and major banks say they anticipate no real change at the top when Putin’s next term ends. “There are no discussions in the corridors about the succession. It’s as if people know that he (Putin) will be around forever,” said a source in a government ministry. If Putin wants the constitution changed to allow a third successive term, he will need two-thirds support in the lower house of parliament, three-quarters in the upper chamber and approval in two-thirds of regional legislatures. All are institutions where Kremlin allies are the overwhelming majority but Putin has said will not change the constitution to stay in power. If he did so, he would risk a backlash from voters who might see it as Russia turning its back on democracy. He also avoided the temptation to tinker with the constitution to extend his rule in 2008, when he last faced term limits. Instead, he stepped aside and let a loyal lieutenant, Dmitry Medvedev, run for president, certain he would win with the Kremlin’s backing. Putin, who became prime minister for four years, secure re-election when Medvedev’s term ended in 2012, and Medvedev has been prime minister since then. Putin controlled the country from the wings between 2008 and 2012 and might see a similar move as an option now. Medvedev’s ratings are much lower than Putin’s but the ruling elite could accept him as a tried-and-tested proxy for Putin. “Only Medvedev,” a source in government circles told Reuters when asked who could be president after Putin.“Everyone is afraid of change.” FATIGUE Age, though, might now get in the way of Putin. He is in robust physical shape but will be 71 when his fourth term ends. If he again stepped aside for a full term, he would be 77 on his return — the presidential term was extended to six years in 2008 during Medvedev’s presidency. One of the sources close to the Kremlin said Putin does sometimes feel extremely tired, but largely through exasperation at officials’ incompetence and bureaucratic sloth. During a meeting with Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko in 2016, Putin was caught on an open microphone confiding to his ally:“I don’t get enough sleep. The day before yesterday I slept for four hours, last night I got five hours.” Putin might also be loath to rule in his late seventies as he has portrayed himself as a healthy and energetic leader since replacing the ailing Boris Yeltsin and providing the vitality lacked by most leaders in the dying days of the Soviet Union. He will soon have ruled longer than Soviet Communist leader Leonid Brezhnev, whose 18-year rule from 1964 to 1982 is primarily associated with stagnation, though dictator Josef Stalin ruled the Soviet Union for three decades. To enjoy a restful retirement, Putin would need to anoint a fully fledged successor who can hold on to power in his or her own right and also protect the interests of the ruling elite. Kremlin insiders say Putin has selected no heir apparent, and that any names being circulated are the product of speculation, not knowledge of Putin’s thinking. The names include Igor Sechin, head of state oil firm Rosneft; Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu; Igor Dyumin, a former Putin bodyguard who became a regional governor, and Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin. Anointing a successor also entails dangers for Putin as doing so too soon would risk him becoming a lame duck, allegiances shifting from him to the heir apparent and new turf wars being set off in the ruling elite. Above all, Putin will want to ensure any successor can hold on to power, will protect him and will not dismantle the system built around him. Handing over to an heir, while eventually inevitable, will therefore also be Putin’s riskiest path. “The longer he stays in power, the harder it will be to exit,” said Andrei Kolesnikov, senior fellow at the Carnegie Moscow Center, a think tank.“How can he abandon such a complicated system, which is essentially his personal project?”

Vladimir Putin has Russia guessing before election: How long will he hold on to power?

Russian President Vladimir Putin is facing condemnation over his recent remark where he suggested the involvement of Russian Jews in the 2016 US presidential elections. Putin suggested the 2016 US presidential polls have been likely manipulated by the Russian Jews.

Putin made these remarks during a television interview on Saturday. During the interview, he also stated the possibility of anyone in the country to have been behind the 2016 US Presidential Elections manipulation except the Russian government.&nbsp;

&quot;Maybe they&#39;re not even Russians. Maybe they&#39;re Ukrainian, Tatars, Jews - just with Russian citizenship,&quot; Putin stated during the interview.&nbsp;

&quot;Maybe they have dual citizenship, or maybe a green card. Maybe it was the Americans who paid them for this work. How do you know? I don&#39;t know,&quot; the Russian President added.&nbsp;

Putin has been facing severe backlash for his comments. The American Jewish Committee on Sunday called Putin&#39;s statements similar to &quot;the Protocols of the Elders of Zion&quot;.

Members of Israel&#39;s parliament have also thrown flak at Putin&#39;s comments.

&quot;We are quite familiar with the oldies &#39;Maybe Jews run the world, maybe Jews use blood for their rituals, maybe Jews had slaughtered Jews in Poland&#39;. Now comes the latest hit &#39;maybe Jews meddled in US elections&#39;. Our government has to condemn strongly this statement #putin #jews,&quot; Ksenia Svetlova, a Zionist Union lawmaker tweeted.&nbsp;

(With inputs from ANI)&nbsp;

Members of Israel's parliament have also thrown flak at Putin's comments

Russian President Vladimir Putin is facing condemnation over his recent remark where he suggested the involvement of Russian Jews in the 2016 US presidential elections. Putin suggested the 2016 US presidential polls have been likely manipulated by the Russian Jews. Putin made these remarks during a television interview on Saturday. During the interview, he also stated the possibility of anyone in the country to have been behind the 2016 US Presidential Elections manipulation except the Russian government. "Maybe they're not even Russians. Maybe they're Ukrainian, Tatars, Jews - just with Russian citizenship," Putin stated during the interview. "Maybe they have dual citizenship, or maybe a green card. Maybe it was the Americans who paid them for this work. How do you know? I don't know," the Russian President added. Putin has been facing severe backlash for his comments. The American Jewish Committee on Sunday called Putin's statements similar to "the Protocols of the Elders of Zion". Members of Israel's parliament have also thrown flak at Putin's comments. "We are quite familiar with the oldies 'Maybe Jews run the world, maybe Jews use blood for their rituals, maybe Jews had slaughtered Jews in Poland'. Now comes the latest hit 'maybe Jews meddled in US elections'. Our government has to condemn strongly this statement #putin #jews," Ksenia Svetlova, a Zionist Union lawmaker tweeted. (With inputs from ANI)

Putin says Russian Jews manipulated 2016 US Presidential polls, faces backlash

Russia said Sunday it successfully launched a hypersonic missile which President Vladimir Putin called &quot;an ideal weapon&quot; as he unveiled a new array of next-generation arms earlier this month.

The high-precision Kinzhal (Dagger) missile was launched from a MiG-31 supersonic interceptor jet that took off from an airfield in the South Military District in Russia&#39;s southwest, the defence ministry said.

&quot;The launch went according to plan, the hypersonic missile hit its target,&quot; the ministry added.

The ministry released video footage showing two pilots gearing up for a flight and then running towards a jet with a large missile slung beneath its underbelly.&nbsp;

Set to rousing, patriotic music, the video then shows a missile detaching from the airborne plane and gliding across the dark sky, leaving a fiery trail behind.

The Kinzhal missile was one of an array of new weapons Putin unveiled in his state-of-the-nation address earlier this month, ahead of a presidential election on March 18 that he is all but guaranteed to win.

Putin said the missile flies at 10 times the speed of the sound and can overcome air-defence systems.&nbsp;

The missile has been deployed in the Southern Military District since December 1, he added.

Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said on Facebook that work had also been done to modernise the &quot;unique&quot; MiG-31 supersonic jet that will carry the missile.&nbsp;

Since the start of the year, more than 250 sorties have been carried out by the aircraft to perfect the work of the missile systems, the defence ministry said.

The high-precision Kinzhal (Dagger) missile was launched from a MiG-31 supersonic interceptor jet that took off from an airfield in the South Military District in Russia's southwest

Russia said Sunday it successfully launched a hypersonic missile which President Vladimir Putin called "an ideal weapon" as he unveiled a new array of next-generation arms earlier this month. The high-precision Kinzhal (Dagger) missile was launched from a MiG-31 supersonic interceptor jet that took off from an airfield in the South Military District in Russia's southwest, the defence ministry said. "The launch went according to plan, the hypersonic missile hit its target," the ministry added. The ministry released video footage showing two pilots gearing up for a flight and then running towards a jet with a large missile slung beneath its underbelly. Set to rousing, patriotic music, the video then shows a missile detaching from the airborne plane and gliding across the dark sky, leaving a fiery trail behind. The Kinzhal missile was one of an array of new weapons Putin unveiled in his state-of-the-nation address earlier this month, ahead of a presidential election on March 18 that he is all but guaranteed to win. Putin said the missile flies at 10 times the speed of the sound and can overcome air-defence systems. The missile has been deployed in the Southern Military District since December 1, he added. Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said on Facebook that work had also been done to modernise the "unique" MiG-31 supersonic jet that will carry the missile. Since the start of the year, more than 250 sorties have been carried out by the aircraft to perfect the work of the missile systems, the defence ministry said.

Russia test-fires 'ideal' hypersonic missile

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday that he had no plans to change the constitution to stay in the Kremlin beyond 2024.

Asked by the US television network NBC whether he would follow in the footsteps of China&#39;s Xi Jinping, Putin insisted he had no such intentions.

&quot;I never changed the constitution, I did not do it to suit myself and I have no such plans to do so today,&quot; he said in an interview whose transcript was released by the Kremlin on Saturday.

Putin also rejected suggestions that he could not quit power because it would put him in danger, saying he heard &quot;a lot of ravings on this subject&quot;.

&quot;Why do you think after me power in Russia will be necessarily taken over by people who are ready to destroy everything that I have done over the past years?&quot; Putin said.

He said though he had been thinking about his potential successor, ultimately the decision would be taken by the Russian people.

&quot;It never hurts to think but at the end of the day it will be the Russian people who will decide that,&quot; he said.

The Russian president, who is accused by critics of having ambitions to stay in power indefinitely, is expected to be reelected for a fourth term in an upcoming ballot.

Putin, who was first elected president in 2000 and is running for a fourth term in the March 18 polls, has always prided himself on respecting the constitution, which bars him from serving more than two presidential terms in a row.

Putin&#39;s top critic Alexei Navalny has been barred from contesting the poll because of a criminal conviction his supporters call punishment for challenging the strongman.

Putin declined to say whether he could pardon Navalny.

&quot;Any man can be pardoned if he deserves this,&quot; said Putin.

The Russian president, who never called Navalny by his name in public, referred to the 41-year-old opposition politician as &quot;certain political forces&quot;.

&quot;What do I like in principle? It&#39;s that they expose problems and this is good, indeed it&#39;s right,&quot; Putin said.

&quot;But it&#39;s not enough for the country&#39;s positive development. Absolutely not enough. Because concentrating one&#39;s attention on problems, it&#39;s not only insufficient, it&#39;s even dangerous because it could lead to certain destruction and we need creation.&quot;

Asked by the US television network NBC whether he would follow in the footsteps of China's Xi Jinping, Putin insisted he had no such intentions

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday that he had no plans to change the constitution to stay in the Kremlin beyond 2024. Asked by the US television network NBC whether he would follow in the footsteps of China's Xi Jinping, Putin insisted he had no such intentions. "I never changed the constitution, I did not do it to suit myself and I have no such plans to do so today," he said in an interview whose transcript was released by the Kremlin on Saturday. Putin also rejected suggestions that he could not quit power because it would put him in danger, saying he heard "a lot of ravings on this subject". "Why do you think after me power in Russia will be necessarily taken over by people who are ready to destroy everything that I have done over the past years?" Putin said. He said though he had been thinking about his potential successor, ultimately the decision would be taken by the Russian people. "It never hurts to think but at the end of the day it will be the Russian people who will decide that," he said. The Russian president, who is accused by critics of having ambitions to stay in power indefinitely, is expected to be reelected for a fourth term in an upcoming ballot. Putin, who was first elected president in 2000 and is running for a fourth term in the March 18 polls, has always prided himself on respecting the constitution, which bars him from serving more than two presidential terms in a row. Putin's top critic Alexei Navalny has been barred from contesting the poll because of a criminal conviction his supporters call punishment for challenging the strongman. Putin declined to say whether he could pardon Navalny. "Any man can be pardoned if he deserves this," said Putin. The Russian president, who never called Navalny by his name in public, referred to the 41-year-old opposition politician as "certain political forces". "What do I like in principle? It's that they expose problems and this is good, indeed it's right," Putin said. "But it's not enough for the country's positive development. Absolutely not enough. Because concentrating one's attention on problems, it's not only insufficient, it's even dangerous because it could lead to certain destruction and we need creation."

No plans to do so: Putin on changing constitution to cling to power

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday praised female bosses and their &quot;typically feminine traits&quot; during a visit to a pastry factory ahead of International Women&#39;s Day.&nbsp;

March 8 is a public holiday in Russia but is mainly celebrated by giving flowers and chocolates to women rather than stressing the need for gender equality.

&quot;To be a major shareholder... or the head of a business, you have to have particular qualities,&quot; said Putin as he met with female entrepreneurs in the city of Samara on the Volga river.

&quot; I think that women do have these qualities, and even certain advantages,&quot; said the president, who cultivates a macho image and is often photographed topless and playing sports.&nbsp;

&quot;Men are, as they say, tougher. But if these leadership qualities are combined with typically feminine traits, then the result is often much superior to the assertiveness of strong men.&quot;

Russia&#39;s last female leader was Catherine the Great, who died in 1796, and the only woman standing in a presidential election this month, Ksenia Sobchak, has around one percent of the projected vote.

Communist candidate Pavel Grudinin has pulled out of televised presidential debates, which Putin has refused to take part in, but briefly returned Wednesday to wish Sobchak the best on the upcoming holiday.&nbsp;

He apologised to the former reality TV host and socialite &quot;on behalf of all men&quot; for the insults she suffered during a previous debate, at which an ultra-nationalist candidate called her a &quot;whore&quot;.&nbsp;

Grudinin then handed Sobchak a bouquet of flowers and left the stage.

Moscow Metro said it had set up temporary beauty salons in one of the capital&#39;s major underground stations to offer free make-up and styling to female passengers.

A group of feminist activists were detained on International Women&#39;s Day last year after protesting near the Kremlin with banners calling for an end to male rule.

March 8 is a public holiday in Russia but is mainly celebrated by giving flowers and chocolates to women than stressing the need for gender equality

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday praised female bosses and their "typically feminine traits" during a visit to a pastry factory ahead of International Women's Day. March 8 is a public holiday in Russia but is mainly celebrated by giving flowers and chocolates to women rather than stressing the need for gender equality. "To be a major shareholder... or the head of a business, you have to have particular qualities," said Putin as he met with female entrepreneurs in the city of Samara on the Volga river. " I think that women do have these qualities, and even certain advantages," said the president, who cultivates a macho image and is often photographed topless and playing sports. "Men are, as they say, tougher. But if these leadership qualities are combined with typically feminine traits, then the result is often much superior to the assertiveness of strong men." Russia's last female leader was Catherine the Great, who died in 1796, and the only woman standing in a presidential election this month, Ksenia Sobchak, has around one percent of the projected vote. Communist candidate Pavel Grudinin has pulled out of televised presidential debates, which Putin has refused to take part in, but briefly returned Wednesday to wish Sobchak the best on the upcoming holiday. He apologised to the former reality TV host and socialite "on behalf of all men" for the insults she suffered during a previous debate, at which an ultra-nationalist candidate called her a "whore". Grudinin then handed Sobchak a bouquet of flowers and left the stage. Moscow Metro said it had set up temporary beauty salons in one of the capital's major underground stations to offer free make-up and styling to female passengers. A group of feminist activists were detained on International Women's Day last year after protesting near the Kremlin with banners calling for an end to male rule.

Russian President Vladimir Putin hails 'advantages' of female bosses ahead of women's day

The Kremlin on Friday rejected US allegation that Russia violated its treaty obligations. The Trump administration had previously accused the Putin regime to have been developing destabilising weapons system for nearly a decade.&nbsp;

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders on Thursday noted the same shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced an array of new nuclear weapons.

Putin announced that the new weapons system could hit almost any point in the world and is capable of evading a US-built missile shield.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Russian spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied any breach of international arms control pacts by Russia.&nbsp;

&quot;Russia does not plan to get dragged into any arms race,&quot; said Peskov.&nbsp;

(With inputs from Reuters)&nbsp;

Russian spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied any breach of international arms control pacts by Russia

The Kremlin on Friday rejected US allegation that Russia violated its treaty obligations. The Trump administration had previously accused the Putin regime to have been developing destabilising weapons system for nearly a decade. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders on Thursday noted the same shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced an array of new nuclear weapons. Putin announced that the new weapons system could hit almost any point in the world and is capable of evading a US-built missile shield. Meanwhile, Russian spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied any breach of international arms control pacts by Russia. "Russia does not plan to get dragged into any arms race," said Peskov. (With inputs from Reuters)

Russia does not plan to get dragged into any arms race: Spokesperson

Russian President <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-releases-putin-list-of-russians-eligible-for-sanctions-31216">Vladimir Putin in an array of video clips</a> unveiled a new range of nuclear weapons including intercontinental ballistic missile, a small nuclear warhead that could be attached to cruise missiles, underwater nuclear drones, a supersonic weapon and a laser weapon.

&quot;I can say that <a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/in-pics-unveiling-ceremony-of-statue-of-mikhail-kalashnikov-the-russian-inventor-of-the-fabled-ak-47-assault-rifle-466">Russia has developed an unmanned submarine</a> that can operate at great depth,&quot; the Russian president said, adding ominously,&quot;it can travel transcontinental distance, with a speed many folds faster than conventional submarines, the most advanced torpedoes, and all types of ships, even the fastest.&quot;

&quot;This is absolutely fantastic,&quot; he declared excitedly.

The Russian president who will be fighting the next presidential elections due to be held in a few days in which he is widely expected to win drew huge cheers as he presented the next generation weapons to the Russian public.

&quot;Unmanned submarines can be armed with conventional and nuclear warheads, this allows them to strike a wide range of targets,&quot; Putin said.

&quot;Low attitude, difficult to notice cruise missile carrying a nuclear warhead, with a virtually unlimited range and an unpredictable trajectory and capability to bypass interception lines, it&#39;s invincible to all existing and prospective air defence and missile defence systems,&quot; he told the crowd as he displayed the images on a video screen.

The presentation made on a giant screen in central Moscow was not just a display of Russian military capability but a virtual vision of Putin&#39;s Russia projecting himself as a &quot;strong man&quot;.&nbsp;

&quot;The most important stage of development of modern arms systems is the creation of a high-precision, supersonic missile aerospace system that has no equivalents in the world.&quot;

&quot;Its tests have been successfully concluded,&quot; he added.

The Russian leader also voiced concerns about a new US&nbsp;nuclear doctrine, saying that Russia&#39;s own doctrine was defensive and only envisaged the use of nuclear weapons in response to an attack.

Russia has repeatedly said it is keen to hold talks with the United States about the &quot;balance&quot;&nbsp;of strategic nuclear power.

The Russian president who will be fighting the next presidential elections due to be held in a few days in which he is widely expected to win

Russian President Vladimir Putin in an array of video clips unveiled a new range of nuclear weapons including intercontinental ballistic missile, a small nuclear warhead that could be attached to cruise missiles, underwater nuclear drones, a supersonic weapon and a laser weapon. "I can say that Russia has developed an unmanned submarine that can operate at great depth," the Russian president said, adding ominously,"it can travel transcontinental distance, with a speed many folds faster than conventional submarines, the most advanced torpedoes, and all types of ships, even the fastest." "This is absolutely fantastic," he declared excitedly. The Russian president who will be fighting the next presidential elections due to be held in a few days in which he is widely expected to win drew huge cheers as he presented the next generation weapons to the Russian public. "Unmanned submarines can be armed with conventional and nuclear warheads, this allows them to strike a wide range of targets," Putin said. "Low attitude, difficult to notice cruise missile carrying a nuclear warhead, with a virtually unlimited range and an unpredictable trajectory and capability to bypass interception lines, it's invincible to all existing and prospective air defence and missile defence systems," he told the crowd as he displayed the images on a video screen. The presentation made on a giant screen in central Moscow was not just a display of Russian military capability but a virtual vision of Putin's Russia projecting himself as a "strong man". "The most important stage of development of modern arms systems is the creation of a high-precision, supersonic missile aerospace system that has no equivalents in the world." "Its tests have been successfully concluded," he added. The Russian leader also voiced concerns about a new US nuclear doctrine, saying that Russia's own doctrine was defensive and only envisaged the use of nuclear weapons in response to an attack. Russia has repeatedly said it is keen to hold talks with the United States about the "balance" of strategic nuclear power.

Watch: Putin makes stunning presentation on Russia's missile & nuclear capability

According to a Danish newspaper, a whistleblower had warned Denmark&#39;s biggest bank in 2013 against Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russia&#39;s spy agency using its Estonian bank branch for money laundering.

Denmark&#39;s Berlingske daily said today that the Danske Bank leadership knew &quot;of far more serious conditions than previously stated.&quot;

Danske Bank is reported to have shut down 20 Russian customer accounts in 2013. The move was followed by a whistleblower&#39;s report alleging its Estonian branch to possibly had been involved in illegal activities.

The clients&#39; identities were kept secret at the time. Danske Bank did not comment on the matter.&nbsp;

Denmark's Berlingske daily said today that the Danske Bank leadership knew 'of far more serious conditions than previously stated'

According to a Danish newspaper, a whistleblower had warned Denmark's biggest bank in 2013 against Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russia's spy agency using its Estonian bank branch for money laundering. Denmark's Berlingske daily said today that the Danske Bank leadership knew "of far more serious conditions than previously stated." Danske Bank is reported to have shut down 20 Russian customer accounts in 2013. The move was followed by a whistleblower's report alleging its Estonian branch to possibly had been involved in illegal activities. The clients' identities were kept secret at the time. Danske Bank did not comment on the matter.

Report alleges Putin's family using Estonian bank for money laundering

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