Kavkaz

President Vladimir Putin signed a law on Friday suspending Russia’s participation in a key post-Cold War arms treaty, a move which could allow it to deploy more forces close to western Europe.

Inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) are set on Thursday to finish sealing uranium fuel that Russia intends to send to Iran’s first atomic power station, a Russian nuclear official said.

Former world chess champion Anatoly Karpov was turned away when he tried to visit and offer moral support to his old rival, Garry Kasparov, currently in detention for his role in an anti-Kremlin protest Saturday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has told foreign diplomats that his country is on a clear democratic path with human rights and freedom as priorities. Putin addressed about 200 ambassadors in the first such meeting of his presidency.

Anyone listening to Russian President Vladimir Putin beseeching people to vote for his United Russia party might think Sunday’s parliamentary election would be a tight race.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused Washington on Thursday of threatening the future of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) by rejecting reform of its election monitoring arm.

Former world chess champion Garry Kasparov said on Thursday Russia risked becoming a dictatorship, as he left jail after serving a five-day sentence for organizing an illegal opposition protest.

When does a legitimate Russian political protest become an illegal gathering? Answer: When a second person joins in to spoil it.

Chances of a breakthrough appear slim when Iran’s main nuclear negotiator meets Europe’s top diplomat on Friday in a last effort to avert tougher sanctions over Tehran’s disputed atomic program.

A senior Russian envoy has been trying to broker a deal between Israel and Syria on the future of the Golan Heights, an Israeli newspaper said on Thursday.