https://t.me/nopaywall 7 декабря 2017 г. Thomas Grove, Sara Germano. The Russian president disparages action as ‘totally scripted and politically motivated’. MOSCOW—Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday struck out at the International Olympic Committee’s move to ban Russia from the 2018 Winter Olympics, as questions persisted about which Russian athletes, if any, will compete. The IOC executive board on Tuesday elected to ban Russia following an investigation which found evidence of a state-supported…

https://t.me/nopaywall 12 декабря 2017 г. Nathan Hodge. Visit marks a step in Russia’s effort to shape outcomes once the conflict ends. MOSCOW—Russian President Vladimir Putin paid a surprise visit to a military air base in Syria, in an effort to showcase his country’s rising clout in the Middle East months ahead of a presidential election. Mr. Putin landed Monday at Hmeimim air base, a military outpost in Syria’s Latakia province that has been the main launching point for Russian warplanes backing the forces…