Latest news on Russia and the war in Ukraine

Newly re-inaugurated Russian President Vladimir Putin has told officials that Russia would not shut off dialogue with the West but said Western allies had to “make their choice.”

Speaking in his inaugural address after being sworn in for his fifth term in office, which will keep him in power until 2030, Putin said Russia wants relations with other countries and said talks on “strategic stability” were possible, but on “equal terms,” he said, in comments reported and translated by Reuters.

Putin said Russia’s state system should also be resilient to threats and challenges.

— Holly Ellyatt

Vladimir Putin is about to be inaugurated for a fifth term in office that will run until 2030. The inauguration will be followed by the resignation of Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin’s government.

The Cabinet’s resignation is not unusual as it’s mandated by the Russian Constitution, but it’ll be interesting to see which officials remain in post, and who’s promoted or demoted.

“This largely formal step will be used to reshuffle the cabinet, with PM Mishustin widely expected to continue in his role,” Andrius Tursa, Central and Eastern Europe advisor at risk consultancy Teneo, said in a note Tuesday.

“The new cabinet is expected to be approved by both chambers of parliament and president within around two weeks,” he said.

“One immediate priority for the Mishustin 2.0 cabinet will likely be tax changes corresponding to Putin’s calls for ‘a more equitable distribution of the tax burden towards those with higher personal and corporate incomes.’ Putin is expected to head to China on his first foreign trip later this month,” Tursa noted.

— Holly Ellyatt

China’s ambassador to Russia told Russian media Tuesday that Moscow should be included in a forthcoming Ukraine peace summit to be held in Switzerland.

Ambassador Zhang Hanhui told RIA Novosti that Beijing supports the peace conference, set to be held on June 15-16, but said Russia should be involved. Russia has not been invited to the conference, its Swiss organizers said, but Moscow has already said it would not participate anyway. It has said a peace conference without it is pointless.

“China supports the timely convening of an international peace conference, approved by the Russian and Ukrainian sides, with equal participation of all parties and fair discussion of all options for peace,” Zhang was reported by RIA Novosti as saying.

China has tried, somewhat half-heartedly, to position itself as a mediator in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, although it is widely seen as more ideologically and geopolitically allied with Moscow, with the countries’ respective leaders describing themselves as firm partners and friends.

Beijing put forward its own 12-point peace plan last year but it was criticized for lacking substance, and China has not promoted its proposals.

The Chinese ambassador to Russia told RIA that Beijing is “ready to continue to play our own role and bring China’s wisdom and strength to advance a political solution to the Ukrainian crisis.”

— Holly Ellyatt

A U.S. soldier who was detained in Russia on charges of criminal misconduct was arrested by a Vladivostok court on theft charges, Russia’s RIA state news agency reported on Tuesday.

Citing the court’s press office, RIA said that the soldier, whom the court identified as Gordon Black, is to be detained until July 2.

“The Pervomaisky District Court in Vladivostok arrested the American soldier Gordon Black … under the ‘Theft’ article (of Russia’s criminal code),” RIA cited the court’s spokeswoman as saying.

The U.S. Army, which said on Monday it had been informed about the detention, has not officially named the soldier. A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the soldier had been based in South Korea. Another U.S. official said the soldier was accused of stealing from a woman.

The Russian daily Izvestia, quoting an unnamed source, said the South Korea-based Army sergeant met a woman from Russia’s far eastern port of Vladivostok on the Internet.

Izvestia said the couple lived together for a time and that he stole 200,000 roubles ($2,196) from her. Reuters could not independently verify the Izvestia report.

— Reuters

Western nations are boycotting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s inauguration ceremony Tuesday in light of Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, with the U.S., Canada and the U.K. among those refusing to send officials to the ceremony.

Putin is set to serve another six years in office following his March election win with around 87% of the vote, but Western countries described the vote as neither free nor fair. The inauguration comes as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues into its 27th month.

“We will not have a representative at his inauguration,” U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters Monday.

“We certainly did not consider those elections as free and fair, but he is the president of Russia and he is going to continue in that capacity,” Miller said.

Most EU nations are also not expected to send officials to the ceremony, although France, Slovakia and Hungary are expecting to send representatives, Reuters reported. The news agency cited an unnamed EU spokesperson as saying the bloc’s ambassador to Russia would not attend the ceremony.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Moscow does not conduct elections or inaugurations “in order to be appreciated, loved or hated by the West.”

— Holly Ellyatt

Vladimir Putin is set to be sworn in as Russia’s president for the fifth time in his political career.

Putin’s allies have heaped praise on the “strongman” leader ahead of the inauguration ceremony in the Kremlin on Tuesday, saying society is consolidated around the president, who first took office 24 years ago.

State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin was among the Russian officials heaping praise on the president ahead of the inauguration ceremony at noon Moscow time (10 a.m. London time), saying “Putin saved the country.”

“He revived it, restored state capacity, and ensured social and economic development. Putin is Russia’s advantage. The consolidation of society around our President will continue to lead the country to new victories,” he said on Telegram.

The Russian government led by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin will resign on Tuesday and a government reshuffle is expected to take place in the coming days and weeks.

Close followers of Russian politics will be looking to see which allies — several of whom have been in ministerial posts for many years — Putin keeps close and who is promoted or demoted.

— Holly Ellyatt