Opinion
ING: Diesel supply concerns grow with Russian export ban
Middle distillate markets received another boost yesterday after Russia announced that it would be temporarily banning diesel and gasoline exports. This is at a time when there is already plenty of concern around middle distillate availability.
Russia blanks Armenia in Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
Defending Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh are no longer in line with Moscow’s evolving interests.
PANNIER: How ‘C5+1’ set the stage for a new era in US-Central Asia relations
Focus shifts from security to energy security, renewable energy and transportation infrastructure, while there are no illusions about delivering democracy.
MACRO ADVISORY: Can new political allies help revive Iran’s old economy?
Iran is emerging from international isolation, not with former partners in Western nations but with countries in the Eurasia region, Asia, other Middle Eastern states and Africa.
RenCap founder dubs Ukraine war “a catastrophic failure of international diplomacy”
Speaking to the Leighton Smith Podcast in New Zealand last month, Jennings looked back at his more than two decades in Russia, his hasty exit after losing control of RenCap to his oligarch partner as well as his reflections on the war in Ukraine.
COMMENT: Serbia’s treatment of anti-war Russians is sabotaging its investment reputation
The brightest side of Belgrade's decision to stay neutral after the invasion of Ukraine was giving a chance to anti-regime activists to leave Russia. Now this is being undermined.
COMMENT: What to expect if Bulgaria expels Lukoil
Russian oil company effectively used its business activities to develop enormous political leverage in Bulgaria.
G20 underlines that fracturing is becoming a reality
The G20 summit which concluded yesterday in New Delhi supported our view that the global economy is fracturing into US and China-led blocs, and that India still leans to the former.
THE VIEW FROM MITTELEUROPA: Austria struggles to kick addiction to Russian gas
But cold turkey looms at the end of next year when Ukraine looks set to suspend pipeline shipments.
STOLYPIN: Patriots against Putin
When Putin either had Evgeny Prigozhin killed or at least approved the operation – for there is no evidence to suggest it came as a welcome or unwelcome surprise – he may have eliminated one problem, but arguably exacerbated another.
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Francis Fukuyama says a weakened Russia will present opportunities for Central Asia
While in Almaty for a book launch, US political scientist suggests that if Moscow comes out of Ukraine war diminished, the ‘Stans’ will have room to set their own policies without worrying about the Russian response.
CENUSA: Three scenarios for the Transnistrian conflict settlement
After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, conflict resolution in Moldova’s separatist Transnistria region appears more realistic, but Chisinau still depends on the Transnistrian region in terms of security and energy.
COMMENT: The water and energy nexus in Central Asia
Climate change is real, and it calls for action at the global, regional, and national levels. One of its impacts is additional water stress in addition to what many countries experience already. Effective counteraction requires joint action.
COMMENT: Five key takeaways from the BRICS summit
The recent BRICS summit showcased efforts by the five member countries to demonstrate unity and cooperation, but the policy proposals put forward were limited in scope and ambition due to unresolved rivalries and conflicting national interests.
EXPLAINER: What benefits will Iran reap from BRICS+ membership?
“The benefits of Iran’s membership in BRICS group of nations will surely go down in history,” Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said addressing a summit of member states in Johannesburg on August 24.
COMMENT: So what did happen to that claimed Turkish aspiration to join BRICS?
Evidence of any real intent in Ankara to join the emerging economies club is rather thin on the ground.
KABANOVSKY: Prigozhin is served, with a side of Duck
Like him or hate him, Evgeny Prigozhin and his sidekick, Dmitry Utkin, aka “Wagner”, had quite the run. Their coup-not-coup captured the world’s attention at the end of June until Prigozhin changed his mind, and did a deal to save his life.
NEMETHY: How Hungary’s oligarchs destroy standards of living for the majority
Soon after re-election in 2010, Fidesz introduced a new ideology, the National System of Cooperation (Nemzeti Együtműködesi Rendszer, NER).
STOLYPIN: The limits of Russian mobilisation
One of the recurring critiques of Western support for Ukraine is always that it’s too little, too late. Setting aside how fair or sensible this is, the striking thing is the degree to which there is a comparable strand of argument in Russia.
RIDDLE: Pavlov’s stimulus – understanding ‘military Keynesianism’ in Russia
‘Military Keynesianism’ is said to be giving the Russian economy a bump, but how big and effective is the effect?