Russia Pushes a State-Controlled ‘Super App’ by Sabotaging Its Rivals NYT | Top Stories Paul Sonne and Alina Lobzina 21 October 2025 at 17:06 As the Kremlin throttles WhatsApp and Telegram, the new MAX messaging app is moving Russia closer to a restricted internet without foreign technology. © Alexander Nemenov/Agence France-Presse — Getty ImagesAn employee checking her phone at a currency exchange in Moscow in February. For years, President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia has railed against foreign tech companies for their unwillingness to bend fully to Kremlin rules.
These Leaders Once Snubbed Putin. Now They’re Glad-Handing Him. NYT | China Paul Sonne 3 September 2025 at 04:07 Eurasian leaders eagerly met the Russian leader at a summit this week, as President Trump has helped ease his isolation over the war in Ukraine.