The Russian Foreign Ministry has launched one of the most extraordinary tirades in the history of online diplomacy, using its Twitter feed to lambast the US Ambassador to the country as “unprofessional” in a barrage of furious tweets.

Tens of thousands thronged the streets of Georgia's capital yesterday to show their opposition to President Mikhail Saakashvili in the largest anti-government demonstration in three years.

Alexei Navalny warns of more action in the face of huge fines for demonstrators

Russia's President, Vladimir Putin, signalled his support yesterday for a controversial bill that would increase fines 200-fold for those taking part in unsanctioned protests.

42-year-old who backed President's crackdown on dissenters during TV phone-in gets his reward

Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced a new Cabinet, warning that it will have to fulfil its duties in a difficult global economic climate.

Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin carved up Europe at Yalta. Reagan and Gorbachev almost gave up their nukes at Reykjavik. Some summits make history. The personal chemistry between leaders can produce extraordinary and unpredictable outcomes. They also produce great pictures: the walks in the woods and the fireside chats.

A gem of a psychological thriller that revolves around betrayal and defection in the summer of 1951

Russian president Vladimir Putin today gave a senior government post to a tank factory worker who had offered to come to Moscow with fellow laborers to disperse opposition protests.

You might have the impression that only one president was inaugurated this week: François Hollande, France's first Socialist head of state since Mitterrand. In fact, there were two. Vladimir Putin swore the oath of office a third time. One reason why he received such short shrift abroad was the all-encompassing euro crisis. But there was also the assumption that Putin III will be no different from Putins I and II – part of the myth according to which nothing in Russia ever changes, or if it does, for the worse.

From Banksy and Putin to two men who ran across America

Russia's President Vladimir Putin will skip a planned visit to the United States this month for a key global summit and a much-anticipated meeting with President Barack Obama, the Kremlin confirmed today, as he faced pressure from protests and opposition criticism at home.

The job swap within Russia's ruling "tandem" was completed yesterday, as Dmitry Medvedev became Prime Minister, a day after Vladimir Putin switched from that job to return to the presidency.

Police today broke up a demonstration by hundreds of opposition activists who had spent the night outside the presidential administration offices to protest Vladimir Putin's return as Russia's president.