Eastern Europe / Features
Battle of Russia’s supermarket titans continues as Magnit closes the gap with rival X5 after acquisition of high-end retailer Azbuka Vkusa
The battle for market share between Russia’s two leading supermarket chains Magnit and the X5 Group saw a strategic shift after Magnit acquired control of high-end supermarket chain Azbuka Vkusa (The ABC of Taste).
Trump policies won’t harm Emerging Europe badly – and will actively benefit Russia
Latest wiiw forecasts show little direct impact on Central and Southeast Europe from Trump trade wars.
UKRAINE REMONT: Store openings surge as supermarkets adapt to war
Ukraine's grocery retail sector continued to grow throughout 2024, with major chains increasing their store numbers across the country.
UKRAINE REMONT: Cement sector ready for reconstruction
Ukraine’s cement producers are confident they will be able to produce enough of the material to fully cover domestic demand during reconstruction.
Russia's expanding pull in Africa is pushing Western influence out
Moscow’s expanding presence in Africa has largely unfolded in silence, but the shift it represents is profound. Like in the game of Risk, Africa’s sheer size and its treasure trove of untapped raw materials is becoming increasingly important.
How Europe has weaned itself off Russian gas in the last three years
In 2021, Eastern European countries imported almost half of their gas from Russia. Only two countries in the region – Albania and Kosovo – were wholly independent of Russian gas.
Russian VTB Bank says will open branch in Iran next year
Russia's VTB Bank has announced plans to open its first branch in Iran in the coming year, marking a significant development in financial cooperation between the two countries, an official with the bank said.
Hungarian PM Orban’s line on Ukraine hardening as Trump tries to bully the EU into making concessions to Russian demands
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s opposition to Ukraine joining the European Union is intensifying, bolstered by US President Donald Trump, who has upended Western support for Kyiv.
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UKRAINE REMONT: rail freight companies prepare for reconstruction
Ukrainian freight operators are racing to develop the country’s rail logistics and capture market share ahead of a potential end to hostilities and reconstruction.
Who is going to Moscow May 9 victory day parade?
Who will attend Putin’s Victory parade on May 9? The guest list will be a barometer of Russia’s standing in the world and how far he has got in building an alternative international community in the Global South.
Farm to front line: Ukraine's wartime agriculture sector
Despite the twin pressures of war and drought, Ukraine’s agricultural sector continues to be a driving force behind the country’s economy, with experts confident of continued growth and investment.
Asian giants thrive in Russia despite sanctions
Maintaining a complex balance between profit, geopolitical alignment and risk management, the presence of Asian nations in Russia reveals a divergence between Western corporate exodus and Eastern mercantile strategy.
Syrian Alawites find refuge in Russia’s Perm
Russian officials have confirmed a steady flow of Syrian refugees that have begun settling in the Perm region of the country as sectarian attacks continue to target religious minorities, including Alawites.
Kremlin sets the conditions for foreign companies to return to Russian market
Thanks to the tangible thaw in US-Russian relations, Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the government to work out the conditions for firms to return. The list is ready, The Bell reported on April 10.
TULGAN: Of Cheese and Chelnoki, the return of shuttle trading
The Trump Administration’s clumsy introduction of punitive tariffs recalls the days when similarly capricious sanctions wreaked havoc over Moscow food supplies that ended up in a shuttle trade in cheese.
UKRAINE REMONT: INTERVIEW – "Ukraine will boom once reconstruction starts" – EBRD Ukraine head
In an exclusive interview with bne IntelliNews, EBRD’s Ukraine head Arvid Tuerkner discusses the bank’s activities in Ukraine, and why he has great hopes for the country’s postwar recovery.
Ukraine's costly return to gas imports
Russian attacks against Ukraine’s natural gas production facilities have precipitated yet another energy security crisis for the beleaguered country.
UKRAINE REMONT: The battle to build: signs of recovery in Ukraine's construction industry
Ukraine’s construction industry is resilient as it gears up for the restoration of the country’s decimated housing and infrastructure. But the sector has a mountain to climb as it contends with ongoing war and shortages of material and labour.
Russia to capitalise on Africa’s growing energy demand
Russia has been intensifying its efforts to strengthen energy partnerships with African countries, indicating a broader strategy to enhance its geopolitical influence across the continent.
Trump is an amateur, and his maths mistakes mean his tariffs four times too high
President Trump’s Liberation Day tariff formula makes no economic sense and includes some basic mathematical errors that means the tariff rates are four times higher than they should be, according to several economic experts.