Putin defends radical reform plan
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Russia's President Putin defends controversial reform plans in a TV interview to Russia's main networks.
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Description: Critics suggest Russian President Vladimir Putin&#39;s decision to roll back democratic reforms in his country is an excuse to tighten his grip on power under the guise of fighting terrorism.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin announces a radical overhaul of state bodies in response to recent attacks.
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Russia rejected on Wednesday U.S. criticism of sweeping political changes proposed by President Vladimir Putin, saying this was a matter strictly for Moscow to decide.
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&quot;There will be no turnabout in the country&#39;s life,&quot; said Mr Putin, who has come under intense international criticism for strengthening his political control after a wave of terrorist attacks.
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Vladimir Putin, due to step down as  Russian president next year, backs the idea of allowing his  successors to serve longer terms in the Kremlin but insists  their stay should not be open-ended.
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President Vladimir Putin criticized Washington's plans for an anti-missile system in Central Europe and said on Thursday Russia would come up with a "highly effective" response.
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Russia&#39;s lower house of parliament gave tentative backing Friday to a key electoral reform proposed by President Vladimir Putin following a series of recent terror attacks that have killed hundreds and stunned Russians.
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MOSCOW, Jun 7 (IPS) - Russian President Vladimir Putin is prepared to  reaffirm his disagreement with Washington's view of Russian  democracy, reiterate objections to the proposed U.S. missile  shield in Eastern Europe and give more meaningful explanations on  the rules of the international community at the Group of Eight  (G8) summit under way in Germany this week, analysts say.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin Thursday strongly defended the takeover by state oil firm Rosneft of stricken oil major YUKOS&#39;s key production unit, Yuganskneftegaz
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President Vladimir Putin on Thursday rejected Western criticism he is using his energy policies as a weapon, denounced the deployment of U.S. anti-missile systems in eastern Europe, and said he didn't believe in conspiracy theories in the poisoning death of a former KGB officer.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday he had no plans to grab more power or change the constitution when reforming Russia's government structure.
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President Vladimir Putin on Thursday reiterated his refusal to negotiate with Chechen separatists, warning critics against applying what he called a double standard in the definition of terrorism.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday compared the U.S. proposal to build a missile defense shield in Eastern Europe to the Cuban missile crisis
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President Vladimir Putin&#39;s move earlier this week to enhance his own power in response to a wave of terrorism does not take on the real problem: the corrupt and unreformed security
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Russian President Vladimir Putin called for a &quot;radical renewal&quot; of government structures and operations in the north Caucasus in order to fight terror.
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Russia's foreign minister on Wednesday defended sweeping political changes announced by President Vladimir Putin earlier this week, telling the United States and other critics that the plans ar