French President Emmanuel Macron characterized statements made by Russian President Vladimir Putin in a telephone conversation with him as “ridiculous” and “indeed baroque and threatening, which is nothing new.” Putin suggested that the French secret services had been involved in the ISIS terrorist attack in Moscow. This was an apparently a coordinated effort because Russian Defense Minister General of the Army Sergei Shoigu reportedly said the same thing to French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu. Moreover, the Russian suggestion of French involvement was made after President Putin had finally admitted that the Crocus City Hall concert terrorist attack had been made by “radical Islamists.”
Between Alexei Navalny’s death and the anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine, Russia is in transition. The public may be going along with the war, but the country’s space for expression is shrinking.
Kremlin s anti-trans law leaves many Russians asking, Who s next? csmonitor.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from csmonitor.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The Kremlin’s ban on gender-affirming care signals an acceleration of Russia’s authoritarian drift, with treatment of trans people as a signal to distinguish Russia from the West.