WhatsApp accused Moscow of trying to block millions of Russians from accessing secure communication after calls on the messaging app were restricted, as Russia promotes home-grown social media platforms and seeks greater control over the country's internet space.

Russian authorities have long engaged in a deliberate and multipronged effort to rein in the internet. View on euronews

"What has been building up for the Ukrainians is fundamentally a manpower issue," a former senior Pentagon adviser told Newsweek.

For most of his quarter-century rule, President Vladimir Putin visited places like Paris, London, Vienna and New York