Putin is putting his bromance with Xi on full display — but China has reason to be wary

Tech Insider
Putin and Xi
Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) is greeted by a ceremonial guard and received a red-carpet welcome in Beijing, China on May 16, 2024.

Kremlin via Anadolu via Getty Images

Neither Russia nor China wants the Ukraine war to end, but for different reasons

Tech Insider : Politics, Economy
Vladimir Putin shaking hands with Xi Jinping for a photo in front of Russian and Chinese flags.
Russian President Vladimir Putin meeting China's leader, Xi Jinping, in Beijing on Thursday.

Kremlin/Handout/Reuters

Russia's defense ministry is now helmed by an economist, showing Putin's 'nerds' are performing better than his 'jocks': analyst

Tech Insider : Politics, Economy, Politics
Russia's President Vladimir Putin.
Russia's President Vladimir Putin.

Mikhail Klimentyev/Pool/AFP/Getty Images

Putin's latest political move shows Russia's wartime economy is here to stay

Tech Insider : Economy, Economy
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Andrey Belousov in 2017.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Andrey Belousov in 2017.

Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images

Putin axes defense minister, replaces him with an economist

Tech Insider : Politics
Former Russian defense minister Sergei Shoigu (left) and his replacement Andrey Belousov (right).
Former Russian defense minister Sergei Shoigu (left) and his replacement Andrey Belousov (right).

Sergei Bobylyov/Pool/AFP via Getty Images; Vyacheslav Prokofyev/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

Vladimir Putin once made Italy's prime minister throw up by shooting a deer, carving out its heart, and offering it to the man raw: report

Tech Insider : Politics
The late Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi (left) and Russian leader Vladimir Putin (right).
The late Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi (left) and Russian leader Vladimir Putin (right).

Marco Ravagli/Future Publishing via Getty Images; Contributor via Getty Images

Russia may not start an all-out war with NATO, but already has plans to destroy it from within

Tech Insider
Nato exercises
Romanian Army Piranha IIIH MRV is seen in action during a military high-intensity training session of Anaconda 23 at Nowa Deba training ground, on May 6, 2023, in Nowa Deba, Poland.

Anadolu via Getty Images

A Russian zoo said it sent peacocks to the front to 'inspire' troops. It deleted its post after people used it to mock Putin.

Tech Insider
A solider in a skull mask and holding a gun holds two illustrations of peacocks while standing beside a cage with a peacock in it.
A video shared by the zoo shows a soldier thanking them for the peacocks.

VK/Lipetsk Zoo

Iran's economy is a total mess after decades of sanctions — and offers a warning to Putin's Russia

Tech Insider : Economy, Economy
Iran missiles
A billboard depicting Iranian ballistic missiles in Tehran.

AFP/Getty Images

Alexey Navalny's death wasn't directly ordered by Putin, WSJ reports

Tech Insider
Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny (left) and Russian President Vladimir Putin (right).
Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny (left) and Russian President Vladimir Putin (right).

Alexander Nemenov/AFP via Getty Images; Contributor via Getty Images

Subscribe to vladimir-putin