Tag: EU

Russian MP says Europe’s outrage over U.S. phone tapping will not last long

Europe, EU, Spies, Spy Allegations, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Alexei Pushkov file photo

MOSCOW. Nov 7 (Interfax) – State Duma Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Alexei Pushkov believes that the scandal sparked by revelations that U.S. special services monitored European leaders’ phone conversations will soon fizzle out because the European leadership is dependent on Washington. “The administration of [U.S. President Barack] Obama does not seem to be particularly troubled by Europe’s anger over this […]

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Yanukovych Defends Ukraine EU Trade Pact as Competitiveness Lags

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Europe, EU, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
EU Map

(Bloomberg – bloomberg.com – James M. Gomez & Kateryna Choursina – November 6, 2013) Ukraine needs a free trade agreement with the European Union to help the eastern European nation kickstart the economy and regain competitiveness on global markets, President Viktor Yanukovych said. “By choosing to get closer to the European Union, we are making a pragmatic choice for optimal […]

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Interfax: Ukraine will have no political weight in association with EU – Kremlin advisor

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
EU Map

KHARKIV. Nov 1 (Interfax) – Ukraine will have no political clout in the association with the European Union, while the Eurasian Economic Union guarantees absolute equality of its members, says Russian presidential adviser Sergei Glazyev. “Our Customs Union is being set up according to the same rules as the European Union,” Glazyev said. “Both they and we work in compliance […]

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Kremlin Denies Snowden Is Breaking Terms of Russian Asylum

Germany, Spies, Spy Allegations, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Edward Snowden file photo

MOSCOW, November 2 (RIA Novosti) ­ Fugitive US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden will not be permitted to break the conditions of his asylum status in Russia by harming the US, a Russian newspaper quoted President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman as saying Saturday. The Kommersant daily quoted a source in the US White House as saying that Snowden’s activities in Moscow were […]

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Ukraine’s Final Declaration of Independence

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
File Photo of Ukrainians with Ukrainian Flag in Public Square Near Tower with Golden Dome

(RIA Novosti – Fyodor Lukyanov, Editor-in-Chief of the Russia in Global Affairs journal, authoritative source of expertise on Russian foreign policy and global developments – November 1, 2013) Over the 22 years of Ukraine’s independence, people have grown used to its endless maneuvering. Ukraine began by proclaiming the goal of European integration, which was common to the logic of Eastern European […]

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Interfax: Medvedev: Ukraine association agreement with EU spells end to ‘exclusive’ Russia relations

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
EU Map

MOSCOW. Nov 1 (Interfax) – Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has advised Ukraine to look to Brussels to raise standby loans in future. “They constantly turn to us for credits, for example,” Medvedev is quoted by Reuters as saying. “In the end, if they have such advanced relations with Brussels … let them get credits from Brussels,” he said. Russia has […]

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Business New Europe: Tough words from the IMF for Kyiv, but EU getting ready to pay the bill

Europe, EU, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Russian Naval Vessel in Ukrainian Port

(Business New Europe – bne.eu – November 1, 2013) The IMF issued a tough statement yesterday listing all the things that the Ukraine will have to do before it gets access to a new and desperately needed Stand By Agreement. But despite the tough talk, the IMF’s statement was all posturing. The EU and the IMF are in emergency talks, […]

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Medvedev: New influential alliances must be monitored

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade
Dmitry Medvedev file photo

GORKI. Oct 29 (Interfax) – Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has urged the government to analyze the emerging alliances, such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the free trade zone between Ukraine and the European Union which, he said, could impact Russia’s economic interests. “While tacking issues related to the World Trade Organization one cannot disregard other processes in the global economy. […]

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Can Ukraine afford a divorce from Russia?

Europe, EU, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Russian Naval Vessel in Ukrainian Port

(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Fyodor Lukyanov, special to RBTH – October 29, 2013) Fyodor Lukyanov is a political scientist and editor-in-chief of the journal Russia in Global Affairs. Relations between Russia and Ukraine are about to cross the Rubicon. That is how many interpret the Association Agreement Kiev intends to sign next month with Brussels. The deal […]

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A tug-of-war over Ukraine

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Europe, EU, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
File Photo of Ukrainians with Ukrainian Flag in Public Square Near Tower with Golden Dome

(Business New Europe – bne.eu – Mike Collier in Riga, Ben Aris in Moscow – October 30, 2013) The EU’s summit in Vilnius on November 28-29 has been billed as a “game changer” for relations between the EU and the countries to its east, including Russia. The surprising thing is that for once it is not the Lithuanians themselves who […]

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Putin Has Last Crack at Yanukovych’s EU Dream

CIS, Customs Union, Eurasian Union, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Europe, EU, Foreign Policy, Security, Visas, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
File Photo of Ukrainians with Ukrainian Flag in Public Square Near Tower with Golden Dome

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Alexander Panin – October 25, 2013) Turkey is interested in joining the Customs Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan, and India also wants closer ties with the organization, President Vladimir Putin said at the EurAsian Economic Community summit in Minsk on Thursday. But some political analysts saw the summit in Minsk, which for the first […]

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Putin: Ukraine cannot be simultaneously EU associated member, Customs Union member

CIS, Customs Union, Eurasian Union, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Europe, EU, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
EU Map

MINSK. Oct 25 (Interfax) – Russian President Vladimir Putin has stressed once again that Ukraine cannot be simultaneously an EU associated member and a Belarusian-Kazakh-Russian Customs Union member. Speaking to journalists in Minsk on Friday, Putin pointed out that the association agreement between Ukraine and the EU says that all possible integration associations Ukraine would wish to join in the […]

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Interfax: 53% of Ukrainians are pro-EU, have doubts about association deal in November

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Europe, EU, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Russian Naval Vessel in Ukrainian Port

(Interfax – KYIV, October 17, 2013) Some 53% of Ukrainians support entry into the European Union, 35% do not and 12% cannot make up their mind, according to the Rating sociological group, which held its poll on September 26 – October 6, 2013. In the opinion of 47% of the respondents, Ukraine will gain more from a free trade zone […]

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Interfax: European politicians yet to realize shale gas production unprofitable – expert

Oil, Gas, Energy
File Photo of Blue Flame from Natural Gas

(Interfax – VERONA, Italy, October 18, 2013) Many European politicians do not realize that their countries would not benefit from producing shale gas, the head of contract structuring and pricing at LLC Gazprom Export, Sergei Komlev believes. “I think that there is no full understanding of this problem in Europe, particularly an understanding of the production costs of this issue. […]

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RIA Novosti: Russia to Push for Visa-Free Regime Deal With EU in 2014 – Official

Europe, EU, Foreign Policy, Security, Visas
Truck at Russian Border Crossing

(RIA Novosti – MOSCOW, October 17, 2013) Russia wants to begin drafting a deal on visa-free travel with the EU early next year, a senior Russian diplomat said in an interview published Thursday. That deal, however, requires the EU to make a “political decision to begin negotiations on drafting the agreement,” Deputy Foreign Minister Alexei Meshkov told RIA Novosti. The […]

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Medvedev doesn’t see Ukraine’s association with EU as dramatic or fatal

Europe, EU, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
File Photo of Ukrainians with Ukrainian Flag in Public Square Near Tower with Golden Dome

(Interfax – KALUGA. October 15, 2013) Moscow does not consider Kyiv’s choice in favor of association with the European Union to be fatal or dramatic, although this would pose certain difficulties for the Belarusian-Kazakh-Russian Customs Union’s and Russia’s market, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said. “Do we think that this is a dramatic or fatal choice? Of course we don’t […]

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Putin Builds North Korea Rail to Circumvent Suez Canal

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Far East, Siberia, APEC, Middle East, North Africa, North Korea, Transportation
North Korea Map and Flag

(Bloomberg – bloomberg.com – Ekaterina Shatalova and Nicholas Brautlecht – October 15, 2013) Vladimir Putin is inching closer to his goal of turning Russia into a major transit route for trade between eastern Asia and Europe by prying open North Korea, a nuclear-capable dictatorship isolated for half a century. Russia last month completed the first land link that North Korea’s […]

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RIA Novosti: Russia Has No Plans to Talk Ukraine Out of EU Bid – Government

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Europe, EU, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Russian Naval Vessel in Ukrainian Port

(RIA Novosti – MOSCOW, October 15, 2013) ­ Moscow has no plans to dissuade Kiev from signing a free-trade deal with the European Union, a Russian government spokesman said ahead of Tuesday’s meeting between Russian and Ukrainian premiers. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev will meet with his Ukrainian counterpart Mykola Azarov in Kaluga, a city some 150 kilometers (93 miles) […]

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Putin Leads Assault on Ukraine Favoring EU Over Russian Ties

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Europe, EU, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Russian Naval Vessel in Ukrainian Port

(Bloomberg – bloomberg.com – Stepan Kravchenko & Daryna Krasnolutska – October 11, 2013) Russia is mounting a last-ditch offensive to torpedo Ukraine’s shift toward Europe as President Vladimir Putin seeks to salvage his dream of a common economic space in the former Soviet Union. As Ukraine pursues an accord on European Union integration, Russia has disrupted regional trade and sent […]

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Human rights council will ask prosecutor general to drop piracy charge against Arctic Sunrise crew – Fedotov

Arctic, Corruption, Law, Police, Courts, Crime, Environment, Human Rights, International Law, Oil, Gas, Energy, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections
Polar Map Showing Permafrost Areas, Adapted From NOAA.gov Graphic

(Interfax – MOSCOW, October 10, 2013) The piracy charges, based on which the crew of the Greenpeace icebreaker Arctic Sunrise was arrested, are ungrounded and should be reconsidered, Mikhail Fedotov, the head of the presidential human rights council, said. “I hope this decision will be reconsidered. In any case, we will turn to the prosecutor general. He has potential for […]

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An Old Game With New Rules In Russia’s Backyard

Armenia, CIS, Customs Union, Eurasian Union, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Europe, EU, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Map of European Portion of Former Soviet Union

(RFE/RL – rferl.org – Brian Whitmore – September 27, 2013) A former Soviet republic has its sights set on moving closer to Europe, a move staunchly opposed by Moscow. With the Kremlin’s tacit support, one of its majority ethnic-Russian cities votes to secede, sparking fears of violent conflict. Officials in Moscow vow to defend the rights of its smaller neighbor’s […]

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World Bank: Russian Energy Strength is Economic Weakness

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Oil, Gas, Energy
Oil Well file photo

(OilPrice.com – Daniel J. Graeber – September 26, 2013 – article also appeared at http://oilprice.com/Finance/the-Economy/World-Bank-Russian-Energy-Strength-is-Economic-Weakness.html; a version of the article also appeared in The Christian Science Monitor as “Is Russia’s economy running out of gas?” at http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/Energy-Voices/2013/0926/Is-Russia-s-economy-running-out-of-gas) The head of the World Bank in Russia said Wednesday he was alarmed by the slowdown in the Russian economy.  The bank said the […]

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TRANSCRIPT (continued): [Putin at] meeting of the Valdai International Discussion Club (transcript concluded)

China, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Europe, EU, Far East, Siberia, APEC, Foreign Policy, Security, Visas, Politics, Government, Protests, Elections, Syria, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of Vladimir Putin at Valdai Club 2013 Meeting, Adapted from Screenshot of Valdai Club Video at youtube.com

(Kremlin.ru – Novgorod Region, September 19, 2013) [Complete transcript here http://eng.kremlin.ru/transcripts/6007] VLADIMIR PUTIN: And one more question for our American friend and colleague. What will the United States do about the budget deficit, the debt that has reached an incredible size? It is the largest debt in the United States’ post-war history. How will the situation unfold moving forward? This […]

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Wealthy Russians Hear London Calling and Answer

Britain, UK, United Kingdom, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Europe, EU
File Photo of British Parliament Building Including Saint Stephen's Tower Containing Big Ben

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Des Brown – September 25, 2013) “Meet the Russians,” a reality entertainment show produced by Fox TV, will start broadcasting in Britain on Sept. 25. It estimates there are 300,000 Russians now resident in London, and it intends to look at a cross section of the most flamboyant ones. “Prepare to enter a jaw-dropping world […]

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Merkel’s Re-Election Called Good for Russia

Europe, EU
Angela Merkel file photo

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Yekaterina Kravtsova – September 24, 2013) The victory of German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative party in the country’s general elections Sunday is expected to secure the stability of Russian-German relations for the next four years, despite German’s recent criticism of human rights in Russia. Taking 41.5 percent of the vote, Merkel’s conservative bloc  consisting of […]

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Red lights flashing for Ukraine as it sprints toward arms of EU

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Europe, EU, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Map of Western CIS/FSU and European Environs

(Business New Europe – bne.eu – Ben Aris in Moscow – September 24, 2013) The drama in Ukraine is startling to look like a Hollywood B movie storyline. Hero wearing tattered clothes, bloodied and battered, staggers towards the sanctuary of the waiting plane/car/spaceship as the pack of ravenous dogs/savages/aliens pursue him with glitter of revenge in their eyes. Except in […]

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Ukraine can’t be ‘here and there’ at the same time – Medvedev on Ukraine’s integration

CIS, Customs Union, Eurasian Union, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Europe, EU, Foreign Policy, Security, Visas, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Map of Western CIS/FSU and European Environs

(Interfax – MOSCOW, September 19, 2013) Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has reiterated that Ukraine cannot combine its associated membership in the European Union with integration in the Customs Union. During a meeting with the participants in the 15th General Assembly of the Organization of Asia- Pacific News Agencies (OANA), he said such statements by the Ukrainian administration on its […]

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The West Just Doesn’t Get Putin

Russia & the West, Syria, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of Vladimir Putin Sitting at Desk

(Bloomberg – bloomberg.com – Dmitri Trenin, Director, Carnegie Moscow Center – September 13, 2013) U.S. reactions to President Vladimir Putin’s op-ed article in the New York Times this week, from outrage to ridicule, show just how badly much of the Western policy elite are misinterpreting Russia. This is largely the product of dashed and unrealistic expectations that many in the […]

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EU, Customs Union norms incompatible, Ukraine faces political choice – Shuvalov

CIS, Customs Union, Eurasian Union, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Europe, EU, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
File Photo of Ukrainians with Ukrainian Flag in Public Square Near Tower with Golden Dome

(Interfax – GORKI, September 9, 2013) A group of lawyers has arrived at the conclusion that the normative bases of the European Union and Customs Union are incompatible, and that if Ukraine joins the EU free trade zone it will not be able to take on Customs Union obligations, Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov has said. “The conclusion […]

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Russia subject to 74 trade restrictions in 17 countries – Economic Ministry

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Europe, EU
EU Map

(Interfax – MOSCOW, September 9, 2013) Russia was subject to 74 trade restrictions imposed by 17 countries as of September 1. These included 40 anti-dumping duties, Deputy Economic Development Minister Alexei Likhachev told reporters. Likhachev said anti-dumping proceedings in the EU against Russian goods were particularly noteworthy as the EU disregards the price of gas in Russia and uses its […]

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Russian envoy sees EU ‘nuancing’ its position on Syria

Europe, EU, Middle East, North Africa, Syria
Syria Map

(Interfax – Brussels, August 30 2013) Everything that the European Union has said so far in connection with the situation in Syria has been fairly tidily formulated and focused on the need for a political resolution of the Syrian crisis, believes Vladimir Chizhov, Russia’s permanent representative at the European Union. He told Interfax in Brussels on Friday (30 August) that […]

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Ukraine to Seek Free Trade With EU Despite Russian Pressure

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Europe, EU, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
File Photo of Ukrainians with Ukrainian Flag in Public Square Near Tower with Golden Dome

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Anatoly Medetsky – August 29, 2013) Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov on Wednesday signaled that his country would not back out of its push toward free trade with the European Union despite Russian pressure. Azarov’s statements at a meeting of his Cabinet follow a brief spell of sweeping checks for Ukrainian imports in Russia, which […]

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Ukraine-EU Deal to Entail Protective Measures – Putin

Europe, EU, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Map of Western CIS/FSU and European Environs

(RIA Novosti – ROSTOV-ON-DON, August 23, 2013) The Moscow-led Customs Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan may have to use protective measures should Ukraine sign an association agreement with the European Union, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said. “If our neighbors [Ukraine] resort to a substantial liberalization of their customs regime with the EU, goods that are not bad in […]

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Russia and Ukraine on the Verge of a Decisive Choice

Europe, EU, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
Russian Naval Vessel in Ukrainian Port

(RIA Novosti – August 22, 2013 – Fyodor Lukyanov, Editor-in-Chief of the Russia in Global Affairs journal, authoritative source of expertise on Russian foreign policy and global developments) Russian-Ukrainian relations are again at the center of attention. Nothing has happened between Moscow and Kiev in the three years since the signing of the Kharkiv agreement, under which Ukraine extended Russia’s […]

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Russia willing to assist EU countries in overcoming economic crisis – Lavrov

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Europe, EU
EU Map

(Interfax – MOSCOW, Aug 13, 2013) Russia expects the EU countries to be able to overcome symptoms of crises in their economies and is willing to provide its assistance in this during its presidency of the G20, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said. “We genuinely hope our European partners emerge from the period of stagnation as soon as possible. We […]

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Russians like EU more than USA – poll

Europe, EU, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
EU Map

(Interfax – August 2, 2013) The Russians’ attitude toward the USA is gradually getting worse, Russian Interfax news agency reported on 2 August, quoting a poll carried out by Levada Centre sociologists in July. Compared with 2010, positive views of the USA have dropped from 60 per cent to 53 per cent, and negative views grown from 27 per cent […]

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ECHR judgment on first Yukos case should lead to its review – Fedotov

Europe, EU, Human Rights, YUKOS, Khodorkovsky
European Court of Human Rights Building file photo

(Interfax – MOSCOW, July 30, 2013) The latest judgment of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on the first Yukos case should lead to its review, head of the Russian Presidential Human Rights Council Mikhail Fedotov said. “There is no place else to go to after the Strasbourg Court – you can agree with it, you can disagree with […]

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Expert Invokes Italian Economic Miracle as Model for Russia

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Europe, EU
File Photo of Cash, Coins, Line Graph

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Guennadi Moukine – July 31, 2013) Removing obstacles that inhibit the development and operation of small- and medium-sized enterprises in Russia is the key to economic recovery, an Italian expert said. Small businesses were instrumental in rebuilding the Italian economy and transforming a mainly rural nation into an industrial powerhouse in the 1960s, a period […]

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Europe’s west is doomed and its east might not make it

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade
File Photo of Cash, Coins, Line Graph

(Business New Europe – bne.ru – Ben Aris in Moscow – July 30, 2013) [Charts here http://www.bne.eu/storyf5224/Europes_west_is_doomed_and_its_east_might_not_make_it] It’s not going well. Governments around the world have had six years to make a dent in the huge debts they built up during the 2008 crisis, but in the first half of this year those debt levels have increased and the pace […]

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TRANSCRIPT [Putin]: Orthodox-Slavic Values: The Foundation of Ukraine’s Civilisational Choice conference

CIS, Customs Union, Eurasian Union, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, History, Soviet Union, Religion, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
File Photo of Ukrainians with Ukrainian Flag in Public Square Near Tower with Golden Dome

(Kremlin.ru – July 27, 2013) Vladimir Putin took part in the conference called Orthodox-Slavic Values: The Foundation of Ukraine’s Civilisational Choice. PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA VLADIMIR PUTIN: Good afternoon, friends, I just said goodbye before to President of Ukraine Mr Yanukovych. You also sent him your best wishes. Unfortunately, he has a strict schedule with a lot of events to attend: […]

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Russia hopes to sign visa relaxation accord with EU before year-end

Europe, EU, Foreign Policy, Security, Visas
Truck at Russian Border Crossing

(Interfax – MOSCOW, July 29, 2013) Moscow hopes to sign a visa relaxation agreement with the European Union before the end of 2013, Russian Foreign Ministry Ambassador at Large Anvar Azimov said. “We expect the signing of the updated agreement before the end of this year. This will require political will to be demonstrated by EU member states. Russia has […]

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Putin calls for integration between Russian, Ukrainian economies

Europe, EU, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
File Photo of Ukrainians with Ukrainian Flag in Public Square Near Tower with Golden Dome

(Interfax – KYIV, July 29, 2013) Russian President Vladimir Putin has reaffirmed that Russia will respect any choice Ukraine will make regarding its economic integration but presumed that Ukraine may have competitive advantages only if it integrates closer with the Russian economy. “A very fierce competition is under way on world markets today for these markets. I am sure that […]

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Vladimir Putin and Europe: Winning the image battle?

Europe, EU
EU Map

(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Katerina Ryzhakova, Toma Genole, special to RBTH – July 18, 2013 – Toma Genole is a political scientist and professor at the Paris Institute of Political Sciences. Katerina Ryzhakova is a communications consultant.) Outdated stereotypes served by the mass media leave Europe with an often inaccurate and incomplete image of Russia, which in […]

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Russian economy becomes biggest in Europe

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Europe, EU
EU Map

(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Tatyana Lisina, RBTH – July 17, 2013) According to data from the World Bank, Russia’s economy has jumped ahead of all the European nations, becoming the fifth largest worldwide in terms of GDP. Experts are confident that, in the future, the gap between the Russian Federation and the Old World will widen further. […]

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Ukraine Even Under Yanukovich Shifting Its Focus from Russia to Europe, Kremlin Advisors Say

Europe, EU, Ukraine, Russo-Ukrainian War
File Photo of Ukrainians with Ukrainian Flag in Public Square Near Tower with Golden Dome

(Window on Eurasia – Paul Goble – Staunton, July 16, 2013) A close analysis by a group of Kremlin advisors of a message to the Verkhovna Rada by Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich in whom Moscow has placed so much hope shows that Kyiv no longer views itself as part of the Russian cultural world, defines itself in European terms, and […]

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Confusion and Irritation Reign in Global Politics

Europe, EU, Middle East, North Africa, Syria, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
World Map Showing Continents, Greens, Browns, Ice

(RIA Novosti – Fyodor Lukyanov, Editor-in-Chief of the Russia in Global Affairs journal, authoritative source of expertise on Russian foreign policy and global developments – July 11, 2013) The events in Egypt have come to represent a colorful culmination of yet another fall-summer season in world politics, the keynotes of which are: on the one hand, the general inability to […]

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Germans Hail Snowden as NSA Evokes Stasi Seizing Lives of Others

Europe, EU, Spies, Spy Allegations, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
Stylized Artist's Depiction of Shadowy Figures in Dark Coats and Dark Hats, One Carrying a Briefcase

(Bloomberg – bloomberg.com – Cornelius Rahn & Leon Mangasarian – July 10, 2013) Willi Kuhlmann remembers the day the Berlin Wall was erected on Aug. 13, 1961, and how the system of spying on East German citizens by secret police known as the Stasi intensified. His experience as a border guard along the Wall that divided Germany’s capital city for […]

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Human right activist supports British ban on Russians on Magnitsky List

Assassinations, Beatings, Threats, Europe, EU, Human Rights
File Photo of British Parliament Building Including Saint Stephen's Tower Containing Big Ben

(Interfax – July 9, 2013) Russian veteran human rights defender, Moscow Helsinki Group (MHG) head Lyudmila Alexeyeva has supported the British ban on 60 Russians on the Magnitsky List from entering the UK. “Certainly, I would like people involved in the Magnitsky case to be punished here, in Russia. That would have displayed our wish to become a democracy, put […]

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Moscow Blog: The Kremlin’s PR incompetence

Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Europe, EU, Foreign Policy, Security, Visas
File Photo of St. Petersburg Economy Forum Outdoor Banners and Building Facade

(Business New Europe – bne.eu – Ben Aris – June 26, 2013) Russia has just hosted its premier investment summit, the St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) on June 20-22, which is supposed to showcase the country and attract badly needed foreign investment. Instead, thanks to the Kremlin’s typically moronic handling of its PR, it only managed to make Russia […]

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TRANSCRIPT: Putin answers questions at St Petersburg Economic Forum – Kremlin transcript

Arms Trade, Military Aid, Budget, Economy, Business, Investment, Trade, Europe, EU, Middle East, North Africa, Oil, Gas, Energy, Syria, United States, U.S.-Russian Relations
File Photo of St. Petersburg Economy Forum Outdoor Banners and Building Facade

(Kremlin.ru – June 21, 2013) Text of report “Answers to questions from St Petersburg International Economic Forum participants, 21 June 2013, St Petersburg” published in English by Russian presidential website on 24 June; subheadings added editorially: Russia’s priorities in G20 MODERATOR (retranslated): Mr President, the St Petersburg International Economic Forum is being held in your hometown. I would like to […]

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