Free Republic

Russian President Vladimir Putin is facing calls to resign from deputies from 18 Russian municipalities over his handling of the war in Ukraine. “We, the municipal deputies of Russia, believe that the actions of Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin are harming the future of Russia and its citizens,” said the petition, which is circulating on Twitter. “We demand that Vladimir Putin steps down from the post of president of the Russian Federation!” The petition was initially signed by 18 officials representing municipalities in Moscow, St. Petersburg and the city of Kolpino. This latest push aimed at forcing the Kremlin strongman out of...

PM Mishustin would become acting president and elections would be held, but experts say the substance of a post-Putin Russia is tough to predict. In recent months, the health of Russian President Vladimir Putin has been the subject of much speculation, with claims that he has cancer, Parkinson’s, or has even survived an assassination attempt. But so far, no doctor’s note has been produced. “He can stay in power for 10 years or more if he wants, it really depends on the circumstances,” political analyst Tatiana Stanovaya told Al Jazeera. “I wouldn’t really pay too much attention to the problem...

FLORENCE – “Unity of Europe is a paramount concern, as dividing us is one of the main objectives of the war waged by Russia,” declared French President Emmanuel Macron earlier this month. Macron, who has billed himself as Europe’s top leader since the departure of former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, has sought to maintain internal coherence and cohesion within the European Union (EU) while also maintaining functional communication channels with Russia amid the raging war in Ukraine. After closing ranks and displaying remarkable unity in face of Russia’s aggression earlier this year, however, cracks are beginning to appear within the...