Russia
Russia has sanctioned 49 UK officials and journalists, including bne IntelliNews columnist Mark Galeotti
Russia sanctioned 49 UK officials and journalists on June 14, including prominent bne IntelliNews columnist Mark Galeotti, accusing them of “one-sided” reporting.
COMMENT: How international supply chains are contending with the war in Ukraine
When Russia invaded Ukraine in late February, international supply chains were still fragile after the massive impact of COVID-19. Russia's invasion of Ukraine is not causing quite the same pain, but its effects are being felt around the world.
Copper prices set to rise as supply lags
Demand for copper is set to increase as the green transition accelerates, but some of the world's biggest copper-producing nations are having supply problems. A Goldman Sachs strategist has warned that the red metal may soon cost $15,000 per tonne.
Georgia to take management control of struggling mineral water company Borjomi
Sanctioned Alfa Group transfers 7.7% stake and control of famous drinks company to Georgian state.
Turkmenistan: Masks off
Uniting in paranoia with Russia, warming to Iran, and opening for business. This and more in Eurasianet's weekly Turkmenistan briefing.
Wargaming opens studios in Belgrade and Warsaw after pulling out of Russia and Belarus
Wargaming closed its studios in Russia and Belarus following the military invasion of Ukraine, and is now adding new studios in Central and Southeast Europe.
bneGREEN: Kremlin set to deprive Russian climate activist Makichyan of citizenship
Russian climate activist Arshak Makichyan, a close associate of Greta Thunberg, is set to be deprived of his Russian citizenship as the Kremlin tightens the screw on anti-war protestors.
Ukraine’s despair index spikes, while Russia’s is already falling
Ukraine’s despair index, which indicates the amount of pain felt by the bottom third of society, has spiked in the last two months, driven up by soaring inflation, rising unemployment and increasing poverty levels, while Russia's peaked in April.
NEMETHY: The world continues to hurtle towards recession and potentially financial crisis
There is a widespread feeling of ‘business as usual’. There is very little sense of impending doom. This confidence is misplaced.
Russian energy export revenues up 40% in May despite sanctions
Despite the West’s push to phase out Russian energy imports and deprive the Kremlin of revenues to finance its war in Ukraine, the country’s export revenues were in fact up by almost 40% year on year in May.
Fate of Russian Arctic megaproject Vostok Oil up in air amid sanctions, EU embargo
A year ago, Rosneft’s Vostok Oil megaproject in the Arctic was heralded as the next frontier for Russia’s oil industry and the biggest investment since the 1970s. Today Russia is sanctioned and the mega-project is unlikely to happen.
ASH: Ukraine should not have to pay for this war
Ukrainians are showing remarkable bravery in defending not only their own country, but our values. But Western financial support is largely credits, not grants. If they are fighting on our behalf, should they also pay for a war they didn’t start?
FPRI BMB Ukraine: A cultural break
“Everything that orc troops celebrate will disappear from the foreign literature programme,” declared Ukraine's Deputy Minister of Education and Science Andriy Vitrenko on June 7, announcing planned changes to the school curriculum in Ukraine.
DON: Russia may not be fighting for ground but for a psychological tipping point in the Donbas
Ukrainian forces have so far successfully held open the jaws of the trap which Russia has been trying to close around their rear from north and south of the deep salient that stretches from Slovyansk in the west to Severodonetsk in the east.
Russia preparing for second Africa Summit to build closer ties as it pivots away from the West
Russia is preparing for the second Russia-Africa summit, scheduled for October-November 2022 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, as it steps up its campaign to move closer to the African countries and pivot away from the West.
Meduza’s sources say the Kremlin plans to annex occupied Ukrainian territories and merge them into a new federal district in Russia
The Kremlin is planning to annex the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine and combine them into a single federal district within Russia, three sources close to the Putin administration told Meduza.
Russia’s McDonald’s spin-off releases new logo
Russia's answer to McDonald's has released its new logo. The brand was created after McDonald's withdrew from Russia and sold its assets to a licensee. The first new restaurants operating on former McDonald's sites are due to open on June 12.
bneGREEN: UN stresses green issues are key to reducing poverty and boosting sustainability
Maintaining a healthy planet and ensuring prosperity for all requires a renewed emphasis on reducing environmental impact, sustainability and changing the way the current economic system works.
Sanctioned Russians appeal to EU courts
Over 20 Russians are appealing against sanctions imposed on them since the start of the war by the EU. Those challenging their sanctions include oligarchs such as Abramovich and Fridman, as well as industrialist Melnichenko and executive Konov.
Russia’s CBR cuts key rate to pre-invasion 9.5%
The board of the Central Bank of Russia (CBR) cut the key interest rate by 150 basis points from 11% to a single-digit 9.5%, projecting confidence in managing the sanctioned and isolated Russian economy.
