Russia – War Watch

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Trump-led abuses amid ‘democratic recession’ put human rights in peril, HRW report says
ByKaren McVeigh February 4, 2026

Rights group says growing authoritarianism and abuses in US, Russia and China threaten global rules-based orderThe world is in a “democratic recession” with almost three-quarters of the global population now living under autocratic rulers – levels not …

Read More Trump-led abuses amid ‘democratic recession’ put human rights in peril, HRW report says
al-Shara, Ahmed (Abu Mohammad al-Jolani) (1982- ) | Assad, Bashar al- | International Relations | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Military Bases and Installations | Putin, Vladimir V | Russia | Syria

Putin, Still Harboring Assad, Welcomes New Syrian Leader to Moscow Again
ByPaul Sonne January 28, 2026January 28, 2026

This is the second time that President Vladimir V. Putin has hosted President Ahmed al-Sharaa since the fall of the Russia-backed Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad.

Read More Putin, Still Harboring Assad, Welcomes New Syrian Leader to Moscow Again
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How Trump Flexes Power in White House Meetings With Zelensky and Others
ByLuke Broadwater January 20, 2026January 20, 2026

With cameras rolling, President Trump met with more than 40 international leaders in his first year back in office.

Read More How Trump Flexes Power in White House Meetings With Zelensky and Others
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Kremlin says Putin has been invited to join Trump’s Gaza ‘board of peace’
ByJulian Borger, senior international correspondent January 19, 2026January 19, 2026

Dmitry Peskov says Russia is seeking to ‘clarify all the nuances’ of Washington’s apparent offer before respondingThe Kremlin has announced that Vladimir Putin has been invited to join Donald Trump’s “board of peace”, set up last week with the intentio…

Read More Kremlin says Putin has been invited to join Trump’s Gaza ‘board of peace’
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What the Assads did next – podcast
By January 15, 2026

What kind of life is the deposed former president of Syria and his family living in Russia? With Pjotr Sauer and Will ChristouWith sprawling mansions, heavily armed guards and high walls, Rublyovka is considered the most prestigious place to be in Russ…

Read More What the Assads did next – podcast
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Today an illegal coup in Venezuela, but where next? Donald Trump talks peace but he is a man of war | Simon Tisdall
BySimon Tisdall January 3, 2026

The world will be anxious, and rightly so. For a man so bent on a peace prize, Trump appears to revel in conflictThe overthrow and reported capture by invading US forces of Nicolas Maduro, Venezuela’s hardline socialist president, will send a shiver of…

Read More Today an illegal coup in Venezuela, but where next? Donald Trump talks peace but he is a man of war | Simon Tisdall
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The best of the long read in 2025
ByMiddle East and north Africa | The Guardian December 23, 2025

Our 20 favourite pieces of in-depth reporting, essays and profiles from the yearVictor Pelevin made his name in 90s Russia with scathing satires of authoritarianism. But while his literary peers have faced censorship and fled the country, he still sell…

Read More The best of the long read in 2025
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Assad, Ousted Syrian Ruler, Leads Life of Luxury in Russia
ByErika Solomon, Christiaan Triebert, Haley Willis and Ahmad Mhidi December 22, 2025December 24, 2025

Bashar al-Assad’s long, brutal reign ended swiftly, but he and his close circle have had a soft landing in Russia.

Read More Assad, Ousted Syrian Ruler, Leads Life of Luxury in Russia
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Childbirth under attack: how women and babies became targets in conflicts around the world
ByLiz Cookman, Tom Levitt, Hoda Osman and Zeinab Mohammed Salih December 22, 2025

Guardian investigation reveals at least 119 direct attacks on hospitals and delivery wards since start of wars in Ukraine, Gaza and SudanThirty women were sheltering in the Saudi maternity hospital in El Fasher, Sudan, on 28 October when the massacre b…

Read More Childbirth under attack: how women and babies became targets in conflicts around the world
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Assad family live in Russian luxury as Bashar ‘brushes up on ophthalmology’
ByWilliam Christou and Pjotr Sauer December 15, 2025

Family friend, sources in Russia and Syria, and leaked data help give rare insight into life of dictator’s reclusive householdIn 2011, a group of teenage boys spray-painted a warning on to a wall in their school playground: “It’s your turn, Doctor.” Th…

Read More Assad family live in Russian luxury as Bashar ‘brushes up on ophthalmology’