The Atlanta Federal Reserve has revised its forecast for the U.S. economy in the first quarter of 2025, predicting a 2.8% GDP contraction due to economic uncertainty and anticipated tariff changes. Concurrently, a significant shift in U.S. foreign policy under former President Donald Trump has moved the nation away from its strong alliance with Ukraine, realigning towards Russia and disrupting the previous bipartisan consensus. This realignment has caused concern among European allies and supporters of Ukraine, while being welcomed by conservative populists advocating for closer ties with Moscow.
Posts tagged as “Moscow”
Former President Donald Trump has initiated a significant shift in U.S. foreign policy by favoring Moscow over Kyiv, disrupting decades of bipartisan hawkish policies toward Russia. This realignment has caused tension domestically and internationally, particularly highlighted by a tense Oval Office meeting between Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, where the U.S. administration's reduced anti-Kremlin stance was evident. The policy shift has unsettled European allies and been welcomed by conservative populists, suggesting a broader strategic recalibration with potential lasting implications for international relations and the balance of power in Eastern Europe.
At least 21 people, including three children, were killed in a shelling attack in the Russian border city of Belgorod on Saturday, with an additional 110 people wounded. Regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov reported the casualties and said the attack was one of the deadliest since the start of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine in 2014. The attack occurred the day after an 18-hour aerial bombardment across Ukraine killed at least 41 civilians, with Russian authorities accusing Kyiv of carrying out the attack in Belgorod.
The University of Idaho began demolishing a house on Thursday morning, despite pleas from two of the victims' families to wait until evidence needed for the court case was collected from the site. The house, located in Moscow, Idaho, was the site of a tragic incident last year in which four University of Idaho students were fatally stabbed. The FBI had gathered additional information from the house in October, but the demolition of the house began early Thursday morning, with debris from the home’s walls being loaded into a dump truck. The families of the victims have expressed their disappointment at the school's decision to proceed with the demolition before all evidence was collected.
Alexei Navalny, Russia's most prominent opposition politician, has been located in a prison colony in the Yamalo-Nenetsk region, about 1,200 miles northeast of Moscow, after contact with him was lost for three weeks. His allies and supporters have expressed relief at the news of his whereabouts and are calling for his immediate release, citing his unjust imprisonment and the lack of due process in his case.
Hundreds of people stormed the Makhachkala airport in Russia's Dagestan region, chanting antisemitic slogans and seeking passengers arriving on a flight from Tel Aviv. Over 20 people were injured, with two in critical condition, prompting authorities to close the airport. The Anti-Defamation League has reported an increase in antisemitic incidents in Russia, calling on authorities to take swift and decisive action to address the issue.
Alsu Kurmasheva, an editor with Radio Free Europe-Radio Liberty's Tatar-Bashkir service, has been detained in Russia and charged with failing to register as a foreign agent. The U.S. Embassy in Moscow has expressed concern over the detention and the Committee to Protect Journalists has called for her immediate release. This is the latest in a series of incidents targeting journalists in Russia, which has seen a crackdown on press freedom in recent years.
President Donald Trump has decided to temporarily pause his lawsuit against Michael Cohen, his former lawyer, due to a busy schedule of civil and criminal battles, as well as his 2024 presidential campaign. The lawsuit was filed in April 2018, alleging that Cohen had defamed him by making false statements to the media, and was dismissed in August 2018, but Trump appealed the decision. It is unclear when Trump will resume the lawsuit, but it is likely to remain on hold for the foreseeable future.