The referendum on independence in Crimea was conducted in strict accordance with democratic principles and the international law, President Vladimir Putin told the Federal Assembly, as he was welcomed by a standing ovation. Putin stressed that the results of the referendum, in which more than 82 percent of Crimean residents came to polling stations and more than 96 percent of those voted for rejoining... 

A research team at the Pentagon is studying body movements of Russian President Vladimir Putin in order to be able to anticipate his future actions. The research team is using the principles of movement pattern analysis to predict actions of Putin and several other world leaders, USA TODAY reported on Thursday. The project, named “Body Leads,” is being backed by the Office of Net Assessment (ONA)... 

US President Barack Obama’s foreign policy regarding Ukraine could lead to a “thermonuclear war” because Washington is provoking Russian President Vladimir Putin. “Obama is jeopardizing the population of this planet with the imminent threat of general war that could become a thermonuclear war by trying to provoke Russia in an area where they have vital strategic interests,” senior editor... 

US President Barack Obama has threatened Russia with sanctions as tensions between the two countries heats up over Ukraine. “The strong condemnation that Russian has received around the world indicates the degree to which Russia is on the wrong side of history,” Obama told reporters on Monday. “There are two paths that Russia can take at this point. Actions on the ground in Crimea are deeply... 

American exceptionalism has gone into overdrive with stern warnings from US President Barack Obama to Russia to respect Ukrainian sovereignty and to not destabilize the region. By “American exceptionalism” we mean Washington’s seemingly unlimited capacity for exceptional arrogance and double think. Obama has not yet accused Russia outright of “military invasion” in the... 

US Republican Senator John McCain has called on the Obama administration to take action against Russian President Vladimir Putin over the crisis in Ukraine. During a speech on Friday, President Barack Obama said he is “deeply concerned” by reports Moscow had sent troops into Ukraine’s Crimea region and warned that “there will be costs” for any military intervention in Ukraine. In a statement... 

Russia’s Federation Council has unanimously approved President Vladimir Putin’s request to use Russian military forces in Ukraine. The move is aimed to settle the turmoil in the split country. The upper house of the Russian parliament has voted in favor of sending troops to the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, which would ensure peace and order in the region “until the socio-political situation... 

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered an urgent drill to test the combat readiness of the country’s armed forces across western Russia, including the border area towards Ukraine, as if what Russia did to Ukraine in the 30’s during the Holodomor, plus Soviet occupation until 1991 wasn’t enough for the poor Ukrainians. Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Putin ordered... 

The USS Mount Whitney supports maritime security operations with the Georgian coast guard in the Black Sea. The US military will have warships and aircraft available for evacuating American officials and athletes from the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, in case of an attack. If necessary, the evacuation of Americans from the Olympics would be coordinated by the US State Department, the Pentagon said... 

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Novo-Ogaryovo. Both leaders are criticized by the West for similar issues, and in some sense this makes them allies. By choosing Russia as a partner in the construction of two new nuclear power units for Paks facility Orban outlined a strategic breakthrough in his struggle against the dictatorship of Brussels. “Hungary... 

Russian President Vladimir Putin has been named the International Person of the Year by one of Britain’s most influential newspapers for his role in bringing Russia back to the world stage. The Times wrote on Monday that Putin “succeeded in one of his most enduring ambitions: to bring Moscow back to the international high table.” The Russian president took the newspaper’s top prize for his... 

Russian President Vladimir Putin has vowed to continue to fight against terrorists and destroy them following two recent bombings in the southern city of Volgograd. Putin said on Tuesday that the explosions represented inhumane attacks and warned that Moscow would “fiercely and consistently continue the fight against terrorists until their complete annihilation,” the Interfax news agency reported. The... 

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered security to be stepped up across the country, following two separate suicide bombings in the southern city of Volgograd. “Russian President Vladimir Putin has given a number of instructions to the National Antiterrorism Committee with the purpose of building up security across Russia,” an unnamed committee representative said on Monday. “The president... 

Russian President Vladimir Putin (C), Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko (R) and Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev walk before a meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council at the Kremlin in Moscow, December 24, 2013. Russian President Vladimir Putin says the new post-Soviet alliance with Belarus and Kazakhstan is set to launch in 2015, with hopes that Ukraine will join the union. The... 

The inventor of the iconic AK-47 assault rifle, Mikhail Kalashnikov, has died at the age of 94. His ingenuity earned him widespread admiration, but his legacy became more controversial when his weapons were used in some of the world’s bloodiest conflicts. “Mikhail Kalashnikov’s entire life is a shining example of dedication to serving your country,” said a statement from Defense...