Putin
Anti-war challenger barred from running against Putin in election
Former TV journalist Yekaterina Duntsova planned to run on a platform of opposition to the war in Ukraine.
Senior Russian General had knowledge of Wagner mutiny in advance - NYT
The New York Times is reporting a senior Russian General had prior knowledge of the attempted mutiny against Vladimir Putin by the Wagner group. It reports that US officials briefed on intelligence on… Audio
RNZ investigating Kremlin-friendly story edits
RNZ is investigating how online stories about the war in Ukraine, supplied by an international news agency, were edited to align with the Russian view of events. A staff member has been stood down… Audio
Andrey Kurkov: One year on from the invasion of Ukraine
The solidarity Ukrainians are showing each other in the wake of Russia's attack has made for a kinder society, says Ukrainian writer Andrey Kurkov. Audio
Putin orders mobilisation of reservists - ratchets up
Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the partial mobilisation of reservists in Russia.This means 300-thousand military reservists, mostly young men, will be called up to bolster Russia's… Audio
How a basketball superstar became a pawn in Putin's war
How is Vladimir Putin using the case of a jailed American basketball superstar to his advantage, amid the ongoing war in Ukraine? Audio
Bill Browder: the man high on Putin’s hit list
For the last 12 years Bill Browder has been firmly in the sights of Russian president Vladimir Putin. Initially a supporter of Putin, Browder's company Hermitage Capital Management was the largest… Audio
Julian Walker: who is the man dubbed ‘Putin’s brain’?
Most people would not have heard of Aleksandr Dugin, the Russian philosopher and geopolitical strategist who is sometimes referred to as Putin's brain. Julian Walker is the co-host of the podcast… Audio
The Weekend Panel with Bernard Hickey and Ruth Money
Joining us on the Panel this morning are Bernard Hickey and Ruth Money. Among other issues, they discuss the situation in Ukraine, National moving ahead of Labour in the polls, and the rising price of… Audio
Historic emergency session of the UN condemns Russian 'aggression'
Meanwhile a special meeting of the UN General Assembly has voted to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine by a margin of 141 votes to five. Kathryn speaks with the Guardian's world affairs editor… Audio
Ukraine-Russia war: Bombardment continues, BBC's Lyse Doucet
The UN General Assembly has overwhelmingly condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine, with even countries usually sympathetic to Russia abstaining. It's day seven of the Russian siege and several major… Audio
Alexei Navalny vs Vladimir Putin
Alexei Navalny has been outspoken in his criticism of the Russian government for years. The former real estate lawyer became a shareholder activist and anti-corruption campaigner before running for… Audio
Masha Gessen: Surviving Autocracy
Within 48 hours of Donald Trump's 2016 victory, Masha Gessen's essay Autocracy: Rules for Survival had gone viral. A staff writer at The New Yorker, Gessen's Soviet childhood and two decades covering… Audio
Peter Pomerantsev: 'when information is a weapon, everyone is at war'
How can we build up a more truthful picture of the world in the era of fake news, trolls, Trump and Putin? This is the question at the heart of Peter Pomerantsev's new book This is Not Propaganda… Audio
Randy Newman to tour NZ for the first time
Randy Newman has won almost everything there is to win over the course of his storied musical career, but has never toured New Zealand before. He'll add that to his list of accomplishments when he… Audio
Europe Correspondent Seamus Kearney -Brexit standoff
Neither side seems to be budging in the Brexit standoff between the EU and Britain's new Prime Minister, as the pound continues to take a hit at the uncertainty over Boris Johnson's 'do or die'… Audio
G20 Summit: Rifts laid bare as world leaders meet
World leaders have sat down for the opening session of their annual G20 summit, with any number of disputes and disagreements on the table.
Putin 'decorated' second Salisbury poisoning suspect
The second suspect in the Salisbury poisoning case was a highly-decorated Russian military intelligence officer, an investigative website says.
Putin hits out at poisoned 'scumbag' spy
Russian President Vladimir Putin has labelled poisoned ex-Russian spy Sergei Skripal a "traitor" and a "scumbag".
Trump: Tapes and Putin
A second meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russia's Vladimir Putin has been postponed until next year. Meanwhile CNN has released audio of Trump and his lawyer Michael Cohen. Audio