Alexei Navalny

Police detained more than 4,800 people across Russia and blocked off the center of Moscow on Jan. 31in a massive clampdown on protests demanding the release of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny.

Russian police detained over 250 protesters on Jan. 31 as activists took to the streets across the country demanding the release of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny.

US President Joe Biden has had his first call with Vladimir Putin, the White House and Kremlin said.

Mr Biden raised concerns about the arrest of opposition figure Alexei Navalny while pressing the Russian president on his nation's involvement in a massive cyber espionage campaign and bounties on American troops in Afghanistan, US officials said.

President Joe Biden signalled a tougher U.S. stance on Russia on Jan. 26 in his first phone call with President Vladimir Putin, raising concerns over human rights and "aggression" against Ukraine, but welcoming cooperation on a new nuclear weapons accord.

EU foreign ministers are to consider how to react following the jailing of Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny and mass detentions at demonstrations across the country.

Three Baltic states are calling for sharper EU sanctions on Moscow, but most member states seem minded to wait a little longer before resorting to more restrictive measures ahead of Monday's talks.

Foreign Affairs Minister Bogdan Aurescu recalled Monday in Brussels that Romania has condemned the arrest of Russian opponent Alexei Navalny and noted the repression of the latter's support demonstrations on Russian territory, stressing that freedom of assembly and freedom of expression cannot be annulled.

Bulgaria's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ekaterina Zaharieva is leaving for Brussels to take part in the first for 2021 meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council, the press office of the Foreign Ministry reported.

The Kremlin on Jan. 24 accused the United States of interfering in Russia's domestic affairs and downplayed the scale of the weekend's protests when tens of thousands rallied in support of jailed opposition politician Alexei Navalny.

Police clashed violently with protesters in Moscow and arrested more than 2,500 demonstrators in cities across the country on Jan. 23 as Russians took to the streets to denounce Kremlin rule and demand the release of opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

However, the Russian police announced that about 4.000 demonstrators had gathered, Russian news agency TASS reports.
TASS writes that police officers on the ground continue to warn that the rally is illegal, while arresting the most active participants.