You're reading: Irish Times: Putin nominated for highest Russian honour

As the European Union voted in tough sanctions this week aimed at coercing the Kremlin to back down in Ukraine, a group of journalists in Russia’s remote far east had another matter in mind. In an appeal published in a Russian state newspaper they called on lawmakers to award Vladimir Putin the title “hero of Russia”, the nation’s highest honour, for his decision to take over Ukraine’s Crimea.

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