Putin Declares Easter Ceasefire in Ukraine War
The Kremlin has announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered an “Easter ceasefire” in the war in Ukraine, declaring a temporary halt in hostilities lasting around 36 hours
HOT: » Which party would you vote for (if you could) in the upcoming snap vote in Bulgaria on April 19?
"We are not silent slaves", read a banner held by the protesters in Moscow on Saturday. Photo from RIA Novost
The some 120 000 protesters who rallied in Moscow on Saturday against the alleged mass electoral fraud at the December 4 parliamentary elections have no leaders, according to the ruling United Russia party, who spoke Sunday.
"The protest has absolutely no leaders as they do not recognize each other. What can we talk about, if they cannot even agree on how to call their protest movement?" said Vladimir Burmatov, a member of the United Russia faction in the lower house of parliament and deputy chairman of the State Duma committee for education, as cited by RIA Novosti.
RIA Novosti reminds that the rally, which was held in downtown Moscow on Saturday for the second time in two weeks, was better organized and was attended by new strong figures, such as the former Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin and anti-corruption whistleblower Alexei Navalny.
The protest on downtown Moscow's Sakharov Avenue on Saturday pressed demands for new parliamentary elections and wholesale liberalizing reform in Russia, turning the temperature up on Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and his plans to return to the Kremlin.
Moscow police put the number of protesters within the space authorized for the rally at about 30,000 while opposition figures said 120,000 came to protest.
Kudrin who addressed the rally on Saturday called on its participants to pursue their demands for political change in an organized way and stay away from "revolution".
He called for the creation of a working group to work out proposals and enter dialogue with the authorities. In his opinion, new rallies are only required if the demands of Saturday's rally are not implemented.
In the meantime, Andrei Isayev, first deputy secretary of the United Russia General Council Presidium, said that the Russian authorities' recent proposals to reform the political system in Russia would cause the wave of protests in Russia to subside.
"It seems to me that many people have received answers to their questions both in the question and answer session held by Vladimir Putin with the nation and the state of the nation address by Dmitry Medvedev," Isayev said in a statement posted on the United Russia website.
Isayev said the authorities were ready for dialog with society and were prepared to implement political reforms.
The ruling United Russia party, led by Putin, won the December 4 State Duma elections, gaining nearly 50%, a sharp drop from over 64% it enjoyed at the previous election in 2007.
Independent observers and critics said the election to the lower house had been slanted in favor of United Russia and cited incidents of apparent ballot stuffing. Thousands took to the streets to protest the results. The authorities denied that major irregularities occurred, but admitted minor violations, pledging that they will all be investigated, RIA Novosti reminds.
The Kremlin has announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered an “Easter ceasefire” in the war in Ukraine, declaring a temporary halt in hostilities lasting around 36 hours
A group of Members of the European Parliament has raised concerns over the potential leakage of confidential EU information to Russia, urging stronger safeguards within the European Parliament
Moldovan President Maia Sandu has formally enacted legislation withdrawing the country from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), marking a decisive step in Chisinau’s gradual disengagement from Russian-led structures
The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) has carried out a series of coordinated investigative actions across several countries, including Bulgaria and Romania, as part of a probe into suspected large-scale fraud involving EU funds
A fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran has coincided with escalating tensions over the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran has moved to tighten control over one of the world’s most critical maritime routes
US President Donald Trump has sharply criticized NATO allies over what he described as their unwillingness to support Washington during the war with Iran, following a two-hour meeting with Secretary-General Mark Rutte at the White House
Aniventure Comic Con Returns to Bulgaria with Star Guest Christopher Judge!
Global Fuel Shock: Oil Jumps Over 40% Since Iran War Began