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In the past few days, Russian President Vladimir Putin has been at the center of escalating global tensions, particularly over the Iran war. According to Geo News on March 9, Putin held a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump, urging him to end the conflict swiftly with specific proposals, while also discussing Ukraine tensions, Venezuela's situation, and global oil markets per Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov. Times of India reported on March 11 that Putin spoke directly with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian after shelling damaged Russia's consulate in Isfahan, calling for an immediate halt to hostilities to protect diplomatic missions and regional stability. Democracy Now headlines from March 10 noted Putin offering Russia as an oil and gas supplier to Europe amid Strait of Hormuz disruptions from the war.

Domestically, Putin is tightening digital control amid military strains. Human Rights Watch reported on March 12 that authorities escalated censorship, gradually restricting Telegram since February 10 for non-compliance, pushing users to the state surveillance app MAX, now pre-installed on devices with 77.5 million users. The Moscow Times confirmed on March 10 that Russia's antitrust agency banned ads on Telegram, Meta platforms, and YouTube, citing extremism and data issues, while Putin last week called Telegram a danger to troops relying on it in Ukraine. Caliber.az quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on March 11 warning Russia is rapidly losing media influence in neighboring countries due to hostile networks, urging MAX to dominate. Atlantic Council analysis highlighted Starlink cuts and Telegram slowdowns crippling Russian army comms in Ukraine, sparking pro-war blogger backlash as Putin prioritizes a sovereign internet.

No major public appearances or verified social media mentions surfaced, with Radio Free Europe noting few since New Year. These moves signal Putin's focus on regime stability over battlefield woes, per ISW's March 10 assessment of his exaggerated advance claims despite Ukrainian gains.

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