Contents tagged with Kremlin

  • Kremlin threatens to slow down access to YouTube

    Foreign Internet platforms continue to allow posting banned content in Russia. This includes Facebook and YouTube, said Russian media watchdog, Roskomnadzor.

    Roskomnadzor warned that these internet platforms would face sanctions similar to those applied to Twitter, namely partial slowdown of user access using equipment installed by internet providers under the "sovereign Internet" law.

    As for Twitter, it will not be blocked, despite the fact that the deadline for removing ”illegal content”, …

  • Kremlin dissociates itself from Kadyrov's words about ‘disorder’ in Jerusalem

    The statement of the head of the Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov that the Israeli authorities should apologize to the Arab population for the situation in East Jerusalem does not reflect the official position of Russia, said the press secretary of the Russian President, Dmitry Peskov.

    "You know that the foreign policy position of the Russian Federation is formulated by the President," Peskov said.

    According to him, Kadyrov's statement cannot be considered an official position of Moscow.

    "We …

  • Kremlin vows to quickly find a replacement for SWIFT

    Russia will quickly find a replacement for the SWIFT payment system if it is needed, said Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

    According to him, if SWIFT “turns to be unreliable”, an alternative to the international system of interbank payments will appear immediately.

    "We live in such a developed world that alternatives, or by-pass substitutes for this system will be found very quickly. It is impossible to limit Russia in anything," Peskov said on the program "Big Game" on the …

  • Russia expels 10 U.S. diplomats

    The Russian Foreign Ministry reported that it handed a note to the Deputy Chief of the U.S Diplomatic Mission, Bart Gorman, declaring persona non grata 10 employees of the U.S. diplomatic mission, whose expulsion was announced last week.

    "On April 21, Bart Gorman, deputy head of the U.S. diplomatic mission in the Russian Federation, was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry, and was presented with a note declaring 10 employees of the U.S. Embassy in Moscow persona non grata. These persons …

  • Kremlin: Russia prepares to part ways with Visa and Mastercard

    Russia is "hedging its risks" in the event of a disconnection from international payment systems, including Visa and Mastercard, said Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

    According to him, such a scenario "cannot be ruled out" given the "unfriendly and sometimes even hostile behavior" of Western countries.

    "Restrictions on Russia are used by a number of countries that as such an illegal from the international law point of view deterrent for Russia," Peskov said.

    He added that the …

  • Russia prepares for yet another round of ‘terrible sanctions’

    The U.S. has reached out to Russia in connection with the situation in southeastern Ukraine, said Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov.

    The contacts took place "at a high level" and the U.S. side "expressed concern” about “Moscow’s actions”, Ryabkov said.

    The Pentagon estimated that 4,000 troops and equipment were transferred to the border with Ukraine.

    "We are carrying out on our territory, on Russian territory, those steps that we consider necessary," Ryabkov reiterated the …

  • Russian government websites inaccessible after Kremlin attempts to slow down traffic to Twitter

    From March 10, the speed of the internet traffic to Twitter will be slowed down for Russian users, announced the Russian media watchdog, Roskomnadzor. According to Roskomnadzor the "slowdown in the speed of service" was a measure intended to force Twitter to comply with Russian law and protect Russians from "influence of illegal content."

    In the first stage, access to Twitter will be slowed down from half of computers in Russia and from all mobile devices. Roskomnadzor threatened that if …

  • Kremlin: Russia prepares for new U.S. ‘radical sanctions’

    The Kremlin considers the possibility that the U.S. could impose new sanctions against Russia, said Russian Presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov at a press briefing.

    "We understand that the second part of sanctions will be announced by Washington based on the mechanisms in place," Peskov said.

    Peskov stressed that, although the possible radical sanctions have only been reported by the media, Moscow is still "working out different scenarios on how to better protect the interests of the …

  • Kremlin: Russia is ready to sever relations with the EU due to sanctions

    It is possible that Russia would sever relations with the European Union if it imposes sanctions which would hurt the Russian economy, said Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in an interview with the talk show “Solovyov LIVE”.

    "We believe that we are ready. If we see again, as we have already felt more than once, that in some areas sanctions are imposed, which create risks for our economy, including in the most sensitive areas...," he said.

    Lavrov specified that the Kremlin does not want …

  • Kremlin: European Union’s plan to stage ‘public flogging’ of Russia failed

    The purpose of the visit of the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrel, to Moscow was to stage a "public flogging" of Russia, said Russian Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson Maria Zakharova, RIA Novosti reports.

    In her opinion, the leadership of the European Union planned such a scenario for Borrell's visit in advance, but it did not work.

    "I will tell you a secret about our Western partners: when they do not succeed in flogging, they start to tantrum. …