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Putin Widens Effort to Control Russia’s Internet

The introduction of a state-approved messaging app has raised fears that Russia could be preparing to block WhatsApp and Telegram.

© Dimitar Dilkoff/Agence France-Presse — Getty Image

A new state-sanctioned messenger service, MAX, will come preinstalled by law on all new smartphones sold in Russia starting in September.
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Putin Blames Frustration Over Ukraine Talks on ‘Inflated Expectations’

The Russian president didn’t directly respond to President Trump’s ultimatum that Moscow halt its offensive by the end of next week or face financial penalties.

© David Guttenfelder/The New York Times

Ukrainian firefighters in the courtyard of a tuberculosis hospital after a Russian bomb struck its roof in Kharkiv, Ukraine, in July.
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Kremlin Offers Little Reaction to Trump’s Shorter Deadline for Peace in Ukraine

Mr. Trump said on Monday that he would give Russia about 10 to 12 days to end the war before implementing a new round of penalties against Moscow. The Kremlin offered little reaction.

© Mikhail Metzel/Sputnik

President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia in a handout photo from the state agency Sputnik.
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In Russia, Corruption Cases Follow Battlefield Failures

Officials in three of the five Russian regions bordering Ukraine have been accused of embezzling funds for border defenses.

© Shamil Zhumatov/Reuters

A region administration building in Kursk, Russia, in March. Officials in several regions bordering Ukraine have been arrested and accused by prosecutors of embezzling funds meant for border fortifications.
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Russia Appears Unfazed by Trump’s Ukraine War Ultimatum

Russian officials and commentators have shown little indication that Moscow is about to change course under new pressure.

© Mohd Rasfan/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Sergei Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister, center, in Malaysia this month. He said Moscow wanted to understand what was behind Mr. Trump’s remarks.
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