Vadimir Putin pulled up to a hotel in central Moscow earlier in May in a Russian-made SUV, dressed casually in jeans and a light jacket. Carrying a bouquet of flowers, he walked unhurriedly into the lobby and embraced his former schoolteacher Vera Gurevich, who kissed him on both cheeks.
He then helped Gurevich into his car and drove her to dinner at the Kremlin.
It came just a day after several western media outlets, citing a European intelligence report, claimed Putin had spent weeks hiding in an underground bunker, gripped by fears of assassination or even a coup.
The televised meeting was carefully crafted to reinforce a very different image of the Russian leader, one which he has refined over 25 years in power: the approachable, confident president, a man of the people casually dropping in on an old teacher.
International Glance
US authorities have temporarily banned green-card holders from entering the country if they have traveled to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Uganda or South Sudan in the last 21 days.
France has banned Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir from entering French territory, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Saturday, citing what he described as the minister’s “unacceptable actions” toward French and European citizens aboard the Global Sumud flotilla.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said continued support for Ukraine is central to the alliance’s security, as ministers discussed Kyiv’s battlefield needs and Russia’s attacks on civilians. He said Ukraine’s front line is stabilizing, praised Kyiv’s innovation in drone warfare, and said allies must keep support “substantial,” “predictable” and “sustainable.” Rutte also confirmed President Volodymyr Zelensky had been invited to NATO’s Ankara summit.
For decades, the Open Society Foundations have worked to advance justice and human rights in Africa, the Middle East and trouble spots around the world. But the OSF’s latest major investment is aimed at a crisis closer to home.
US intelligence assessed that Ukraine recaptured around 400 square kilometers of territory after Ukrainian officials disabled thousands of Starlink terminals used illegally by Russian forces. Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine’s Minister of Digital Transformation, said the Starlink shutdown, together with middle-strike drones, helped shift battlefield momentum in Ukraine’s favor.





























