Published on 17 Dec 2017 On December 14, 2017, Russia's President Putin held the annual "Great Press Conference", in which over 1600 representatives of local and foreign media were able to ask questions. The conference lasted 3 hours and 40 minutes. Despite his achievements since 2000, he is usually ridiculed by two opposition opponents – Ksenia Sobchak and Alexei Navalny. The two don’t hold any significant weight in terms of competition – but they are loud in sources of Western mainstream media. Both Sobchak and Navalny criticise Russia’s acquisition of Crimea, for which 97% of Crimeans voted in favour during the 2014 referendum; as well as Russia’s involvement in the war in Syria, despite being legitimately invited by the Assad government. Serious competition comes only from the Communist Party (KPRF) and Russia’s third most popular political party after United Russia and KPRF, LDPR – led by the eccentric Vladimir Zhirinovsky. Former TV presenter Sobchak, in an interview with CNN, said that she supports anti-Russian sanctions, and that she would hold a new referendum in the Crimea to decide the fate of the peninsula. In this outtake, she considers NATO's missiles at the Russian border no threat either. Some have questioned whether Sobchak is even aware of which country’s presidency she’s running for – Russia, Ukraine, or the US? As for Alexei Navalny - he obtained special training as part of his Yale University education, equipped to organise and carry out “colour revolution" operations with guaranteed funding. History shows that not one "maidan" has ever resolved the problems that its respective country was concerned with - not in Yugoslavia, not in Tunisia, nor Ukraine. Alexei Navalny and his team are agents of US influence and intelligence service collaborators. Navalny holds a Yale University Maurice Greenberg fellowship, who in 2005, was forced to leave his position at AIG Insurance as a result of a corruption investigation by the New York City prosecutor's office, which had revealed accounting fraud. The Council on Foreign Relations came to Greenberg's defence, as well as Mr Henry Kissinger himself. Greenberg was able to avoid a jail term while AIG paid $1.64 billion in fines. The investigation similarly revealed various offshore schemes, which were used for the siphoning of money overseas. Greenberg's lawyer was able to access the AIG office on the Bermuda Islands and destroyed around 80 boxes of documents. These are the 'businessmen' who have the audacity to teach international politics and relations with Russia at Ivy League schools, funding Russia's "fighters against corruption."

Published on 2 Mar 2018 In 2002, the United States unilaterally and without consultation, withdrew from the landmark Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty. President George W. Bush noted that the treaty is “now behind us,” describing the ABM Treaty as a Cold War relic. Signed in 1972, the ABM Treaty barred both the US and the USSR from deploying national defenses against long-range ballistic missiles. The treaty was based on the premise that if either superpower constructed a strategic defense, the other would build up its offensive nuclear forces to offset the defense. The superpowers would therefore quickly be put on a path toward a never-ending offensive-defensive arms race, as each tried to balance its counterpart’s actions. Until Bush Jr took office, the Treaty was referred to as a “cornerstone of strategic stability” because it facilitated later agreements, reducing U.S. and Russian strategic nuclear arsenals. The US, assuming that a weakened Russia will never again be in a position to counter US hegemonic power, proceeded to encroach on Russia’s borders through its manipulation of NATO objectives. Today, there is no instrument in international law that prevents the possibility of mutually assured destruction. Putin has been sending out warnings for over 10 years – all of which fell on deaf ears. Last year – he appealed to international journalists at the St Petersburg Economic Forum, to deliver the message of imminent danger to their respective news outlets. “I don’t know how to get through to you anymore” – he said. The video is linked at the end of this video. Nevertheless, NATO continues to encroach on Russia’s doorstep, utilising wording such as “strategic defense” when it is in fact “offensive offense”, in light of all prior agreements. At this year’s annual address to the Federal Assembly, Putin showcased a number of new Russian technologies, in the nuclear sphere, that according to him, have no analogues in the world. “Nobody was willing to listen to us then – but they should listen now.” - he said.

Published on 13 Aug 2017 Video begins at 1:55. In the 1990s, after the collapse of the USSR – a number of individuals decided that that which once belonged to all, they could take for themselves. Whatever they called it - free market, venture capitalism or privatisation – ordinary people called it theft and opportunism. The early oligarchs not only obtained that which wasn’t theirs for pennies, they also attempted to sell state enterprises as well as state secrets (in the military sphere) others. Khodorkovsky famously left the country after being pardoned from his prison sentence, from where to this day he funds opposition NGOs. Deripaska still lives in Russia but generally stays out of politics. There was also the shady figure of Berezovsky who is known to have personally funded Chechen rebels during the Chechen wars. Berezovsky is said to have committed suicide in his London mansion in 2013.

Published on 11 Aug 2016 The Mothers’ Assistance Programme has been active in Russia since 2007 and can be accessed by any family that has two or more children to raise. Either mother or father can apply, and in the case of the child being adopted, or from another marriage – the applicant parent does not need to be a Russian citizen. The Programme can be utilized toward almost any cost to do with raising children; from funding toward mortgages, rental costs, the child’s education to any level (up to the age of 23), and medical costs. After the collapse of the USSR, Russia experienced one of the worst demographic crises in the developed world – death rates outstripped birth rates in their millions, and the only balancing factor was labour migration from former Soviet republics. Almost 5 million multi-child families are utilising the Programme, with over 90% of payouts going toward housing.