Russia "boosted security and scrambled to finish" an $800M stadium as it "banks on the eight-nation Confederations Cup to gauge its readiness to host the World Cup next year," according to Antonov & Isayev of REUTERS. Russia will showcase four of its 12 World Cup venues, including the "scandal-plagued" St. Petersburg Stadium, in a two-week tournament kicking off June 17. The tournament, held in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Sochi and Kazan, is also meant to ensure the 2018 World Cup in President Vladimir Putin's Russia "runs smoothly as he faces political isolation over the conflicts in Ukraine and Syria." Since clashes between Russian and English fans "tarnished" Euro 2016 in France, Putin "approved legislation that toughens punishments for violence at sporting events as part of a broader crackdown on hooliganism." A decree signed by Putin last month "sparked outrage" among Kremlin critics after it "imposed tighter restrictions on public gatherings and limited the use of air space and waterways over a 42-day period covering the Confederations Cup." The decree also "requires that foreigners be registered with Russian authorities within one day of their arrival in the country." The limits on public gatherings, which will "also be in force" during the World Cup, mean that all rallies, pickets and protests unrelated to football in the host cities' regions "can take place only at times and locations approved by the authorities" (REUTERS, 6/7).
