UpFront

Is Vladimir Putin a dictator?

We speak to Putin critic Garry Kasparov, and ask the Philippine president’s spokesman about the country’s “war on drugs”

On this week’s UpFront, we speak to Russian activist and Putin critic Garry Kasparov about why he says Russian President Vladimir Putin is a dictator.

In the Reality Check, we look at corruption allegations against Brazilian politicians pushing for suspended President Dilma Rousseff’s impeachment. And, in a special interview, we ask the spokesman for the Philippine President, Ernesto Abella, about Rodrigo Duterte’s so-called war on drugs.

Kasparov: West should provide Ukraine with ‘lethal weapons’

Tensions between Russia and Ukraine heightened this week after Russian President Vladimir Putin accused his neighbour of plotting “terrorist attacks” in annexed Crimea.

Ukraine denied the allegation and called it Russian “provocation”, while Putin warned he would respond.

So, as Ukraine places its armed forces on combat alert and Russia threatens to ramp up its presence in Crimea, what should be the next step for the West?

In this week’s Headliner, we speak to Russian activist and Putin critic Garry Kasparov, who says the West needs to take a tougher stance on Russia and support Ukraine with weapons.

Reality Check: Brazil’s Dilma impeachment: A case study in hypocrisy?

This week Brazil moved one step closer to removing Dilma Rousseff from office after the Senate voted to indict the suspended president over charges of violating fiscal laws.

The move means the Senate will go ahead with Rousseff’s trial, which is expected to begin at the end of August. Rousseff calls the ongoing impeachment proceedings a “coup”.

Critics of Rousseff’s impeachment argue that many of those voting on whether to remove the suspended president, including those strongly pushing for the impeachment, need also to be examined as they face serious corruption violations.

In this week’s Reality Check, Mehdi Hasan looks at how deep corruption runs in the Brazilian political system.

Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war: Do human rights matter?

“I don’t care about human rights,” Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte declared this week after vowing to continue his “shoot to kill” order against drug dealers.

More than 700 people have already been killed since Duterte, who is nicknamed “The Punisher”, took office in June. The controversial president also threatened to declare martial law if the courts interfered with the country’s “war on drugs”.

In this week’s Arena, Mehdi Hasan asks Duterte’s spokesman Ernesto Abella about the president’s controversial policies.

“This would not be happening if it had been addressed a few years back,” Abella tells Mehdi Hasan.

“All these things that are happening right now are simply a cleaning-up that [should have been done] years back,” the spokesman adds.

Follow UpFront on Twitter @AJUpFront and Facebook.