Russia News
Explore in-depth coverage of Russia’s war in Ukraine, its global influence, and how American policymakers respond. The Daily Signal provides news and perspective on this critical issue.
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opinion
Under New Persecution, Faith Groups in Russia Turn to Human Rights Court
Russia and the European Court of Human Rights have not always enjoyed an easy relationship. Though the court dates back to 1959, Russia only accepted its jurisdiction 37 years later in 1996. Even so, according to the court’s records, Russia has continuously ranked as the second-most notorious human rights offender over the years. With its… -
news
US Fighter Pilots on the Front Lines of Russia’s Spy Games
TALLINN, Estonia—The night of Friday, Feb. 10, was frigid and snowy in Estonia’s capital city. The kind of winter weather one expects in this Baltic country, which lies at roughly the same geographic latitude as southern Alaska. Inside the lobby bar of Tallinn’s Swissotel, however, the temperature was warm and the atmosphere bustled with people… -
news
‘No Evidence’ of Trump-Russia Collusion Amid Moscow’s Election Meddling, House Panel Finds
Russia directed cyberattacks against U.S. political institutions in 2015 and 2016, but there is “no evidence of collusion, coordination, or conspiracy between the Trump campaign and the Russians,” the House intelligence committee has concluded. Findings and recommendations can improve “security and integrity” in midterm elections, @DevinNunes says. For the past 14 months, the House Permanent… -
opinion
Russia’s Use of Nerve Agent Calls for Unified Western Response
Last week, according to experts at the United Kingdom’s premier defense laboratory, the world witnessed the debut of a new and extraordinarily deadly weapon—the chemical agent known as “Novichok.” According to British Prime Minister Theresa May, Novichok was used in the March 4 assassination attempt on former Russian intelligence officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter… -
news
4 Things to Know About Mueller’s Indictment of 13 Russians
A federal grand jury Friday indicted 13 Russians and three Russian companies on charges of conspiring to interfere with America’s 2016 election. “It’s time we stop the outlandish partisan attacks, wild and false allegations, and far-fetched theories, which only serve to further the agendas of bad actors, like Russia,” @RealDonaldTrump says. Special counsel Robert Mueller’s… -
news
Stronger Law on Foreign Agents Eyed Amid Russia’s Links to Green Groups
Congress appears ready to crack down on individuals and groups who work on behalf of Russia and other foreign nations but don’t fully disclose those ties. Legislation toughening requirements and closing loopholes in the 80-year-old Foreign Agents Registration Act is advancing in response to growing concerns that some advocacy groups and lobbyists have been permitted… -
news
Trump: Russia Probe a ‘Democrat Hoax,’ Hillary Probe ‘Rigged’
Supposed Russian collusion with his 2016 campaign is a “Democrat hoax,” President Donald Trump said Friday, and the FBI’s probe of his vanquished opponent Hillary Clinton’s email scandal was “rigged.” Talking to reporters before boarding Marine One outside the White House, Trump said most Democrats aren’t claiming proof exists that he colluded with Russian officials…. -
opinion
In Cold War Flashback, Russia Designates VOA, Radio Free Europe as Foreign Agents
The Russian Duma is engaging in tit-for-tat with the U.S. government by designating American government-funded broadcasters Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty as foreign agents. In late November, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed into law a measure rushed through the Duma to push back against the United States. As a result, reporters working… -
opinion
Russia Has Repeatedly Flouted This Missile Treaty. It’s Time to Scrap It.
Thirty years ago Friday, the United States and the Soviet Union signed the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. The treaty was unprecedented. For the first time in the history of nuclear arms control, it actually eliminated an entire class of nuclear-armed ballistic missiles with ranges between 500 to 5,500 kilometers. But the good news didn’t last…. -
opinion
‘Deconfliction’ Agreement With Russia in Syria Undermines US Interests in the Region
“I think he has done really a great job of outsmarting our country,” Donald Trump told Larry King in 2013. He was referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin and his policy in Syria. Long before he became president, Trump saw the pitfalls of U.S. policy toward Syria that entrapped the Obama administration. But now, even… -
news
Russia Practices for Nuclear War With Triad Missile Launches
Russia flexed its muscles with multiple ballistic and cruise missile launches Thursday, putting strategic nuclear forces to the test, according to the Russian defense ministry. In nuclear triad drills, the Russian military launched missiles from land, sea, and air. A unit of the Strategic Missile Force launched a Topol intercontinental ballistic missile from a road-mobile… -
news
How Russian Propaganda Threatens Stability of Neighbors
Russia spreads misinformation in all forms of media, including via Facebook and other popular social media sites, and that hurts the stability of its neighbors and other countries, citizens of several such nations said at a forum in Washington. Government officials and a journalist from four countries neighboring Russia—Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, and Ukraine—said they have… -
opinion
Russia Will Not Win a Diplomatic Tit-for-Tat With the US
The recent U.S.-Russian tit-for-tat—the expulsion of diplomats and the closing of consulates—appears to be resulting in more parity of representation between the two global powers. That is no bad thing. According to the White House, the United States and Russia now have three diplomatic facilities in each other’s countries and a like number of diplomats… -
opinion
Russian Actions in Belarus Are Cause for Concern
Russian actions in Belarus, an Eastern European country slightly smaller than the state of Kansas, are causing concern among neighboring countries. Russia is planning massive joint military exercises next month in both Belarus and Russia, and is even constructing a nuclear reactor in the country, close to the Belarus-Lithuania border. A former Soviet nation, Belarus… -
opinion
The Other Russia Story We Need to Talk About Is Adoption
The Russian government uses orphans as political pawns. The story of thousands of innocent Russian children in need of adoption has been lost amid the daily flood of news about Russia and the hyped-up debate over whether “adoption” is some kind of code for “sanctions” when it comes to high-level Russian-American meetings. We shouldn’t miss… -
news
Trump Reluctantly Signs Russia Sanctions Bill
President Donald Trump signed a sweeping sanctions bill Wednesday that is intended to punish Russia for interfering in the 2016 presidential election. In doing so, Trump criticized the legislation as “seriously flawed—particularly because it encroaches on the executive branch’s authority to negotiate.” “Congress could not even negotiate a health care bill after seven years of talking…. -
opinion
Nord Stream 2 Pipeline Would Embolden Russia, Put European Stability at Risk
The proposed Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline, which will run alongside the existing Nord Stream pipeline under the Baltic Sea in northern Europe, would directly connect Russia and Germany by bypassing several other European countries. This pipeline would only make Europe more dependent on Russian gas and more vulnerable to Moscow’s energy blackmail. The… -
opinion
Yes, the Left Really Is a Greater Threat to the West Than Russia
Bret Stephens devoted his New York Times column last week to admonishing me for my tweet from two weeks ago and critiquing my follow-up column last week explaining the tweet. The tweet reads, “The news media in the West pose a far greater danger to Western civilization than Russia does.” The news media in the… -
opinion
Returning Seized Compounds to Russia Would Be a Mistake
In May, media reports indicated the Trump administration was considering returning two compounds—one in Maryland and one in New York—to Russia. Those compounds were seized by the Obama administration last December in response to Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election. Last week, in an interview with CNN, a senior White House official again raised…