Russia to refrain from underhand tactics in former Soviet states ...
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MOSCOW, Dec 24  - Russia will not use its influence behind the scenes in the former Soviet republics, President Vladimir Putin said Friday, ahead of a key election in Ukraine.
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Russia is &quot;seriously&quot; preparing to carry out preventive anti-terror strikes, President Vladimir Putin said Friday, as he denounced calls for talks with Chechen rebel leaders as similar to appeasing Hitler in 1938.
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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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Russia must decide if it wants positive relations with the West, a Downing Street spokesman said Monday after President Vladimir Putin warned of a new Cold War-style arms race.
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President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that Russia would not allow itself to be drawn into what he called a new arms race.
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Russia outlined on Thursday a series of  steps it had taken to fight kidnapping in Chechnya, a day after  Amnesty International said authorities were letting murder and  kidnap go unpunished in the turbulent republic.
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President Vladimir Putin warned Georgia not to provoke or blackmail Russia on Wednesday as Moscow ignored international appeals to drop economic sanctions against its southern neighbor.
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Russia on Wednesday curtly rejected U.S. criticism of sweeping political changes proposed by President Vladimir Putin, telling Washington to stay out of its business.
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President Vladimir Putin says he will fight terror by consolidating security agencies and further tightening political control over the country. But his tough tactics risk alienating the public support he needs, and allies abroad seem to be ignoring his pleas to crack down on Chechen separatists.
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MOSCOW - Russia has the right to carry out pre-emptive strikes on militant bases abroad, Russia&#39;s defense minister said Sunday, citing the school hostage crisis.
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BESLAN, Russia  - Russia ruled out for now using  force to free hundreds of children, parents and teachers being  held under threat of death for a second day on Thursday by  armed men at a school near rebel Chechnya.
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"If Russia prevents the council from dealing with this issue ... the process will not stop there. The process then will move outside the council"  By EDITH M. LEDERER The Associated Press Updated 07/18/07 - 5:36 PM Russia rejected the final version of a U.S.-European Union draft resolution on Kosovo's future status Wednesday, setting the stage for a vote ... via The Herald
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President Vladimir Putin told Russia's state security service on Wednesday to raise its guard against outside attempts to meddle in a March election which is expected to bring to power his hand-picked successor.
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Russia toughened security measures  Saturday and vowed to prevent any recurrence of twin air  crashes in which investigators were pursuing leads linked to  terrorism ahead of elections in volatile Chechnya.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin said he was concerned about attempts at handling political issues in the former Soviet Union by illegal means.
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Russia says it wants to restore normal ties with the UK after tit-for-tat expulsions of diplomats.
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Russian officials hope to prevent reprisals as 40-day mourning period ends for victims of the school siege. By Fred Weir | Correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor.