Putin calls sports ban a political decision

"Putin's People", a new book by journalist Catherine Belton, is a forensic examination of the Russian president's inner circle and how their shared experiences in the dying days of the Soviet Union have shaped the modern-day Russian state. The book, filled with insider accounts of Putin's rise to the top, has been described as "fearless". The author speaks to FRANCE 24.

The Russian president has congratulated Joe Biden on his victory over Donald Trump, weeks after many other world leaders. The Kremlin called for "collaboration" between superpowers to solve global security challenges.

Russian intelligence services have made the headlines recently: The FSB embarrassed itself in the Navalny poisoning case and the SVR is suspected to be behind cyberattacks in the US. Will heads roll now?

Meanwhile, an ally of Alexei Navalny has called for new protests across Russia to demand the release of the jailed dissident. And the Kremlin has accused US tech companies of interfering in Moscow's internal affairs.

US President Joe Biden has raised concerns over the jailing of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny in his first phone call with Vladimir Putin. All G7 foreign ministers condemned Navalny's arrest as "politically motivated."

Russia's ambassador in the US is set to return to Moscow for urgent consultations. The embassy in Washington warned that relations with US President Joe Biden's administration were on the brink of collapse.

Vladimir Putin is trying to force the United States and the EU to put pressure on Ukraine's government. The Russian strongman's experiences since 2014 make him think he just might succeed, DW's Konstantin Eggert writes.

Russia does not want to burn any bridges, but its response to threats would be "asymmetrical, quick, and tough," President Vladimir Putin said in an annual address.

The talks about a new ceasefire in Ukraine are already "at the finish line," said President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. A meeting with Vladimir Putin was also on the cards.

The two leaders, at odds with the West over recent political maneuvers, have enjoyed a boat trip near Sochi. Last week, a plane was forced to land in Minsk to arrest a blogger critical of the Lukashenko regime.

Russian President Vladimir Putin questions the point of meeting with Ukraine's leader, claiming Volodymyr Zelensky's country is effectively run by leaders in Washington and European capitals.

Russia continues to court far-right parties in Europe as a means to destabilise more liberal Western democracies: That is the premise of a new book, “Russia and the Western Far Right - Tango Noir,” written by Anton Shekhovtsov. He joined us to discuss the book and his decision to put a photo of Russian President Vladimir Putin with France’s far-right leader Marine Le Pen on the cover.