Ukraine
Forest carbon credits are facing a reckoning over albedo risks
Planting trees should reduce the amount of CO₂ in the atmosphere right? Well, its not so easy as that. Trees also provide shade and prevent sunlight from reaching the ground that could reflect it back into space, cooling the plant.
Russia builds major signals intelligence hub near Nato borders in Kaliningrad
Russia is constructing a large-scale signals intelligence facility near Chernyakhovsk, in the Kaliningrad exclave, less than 100 kilometres from the borders of Poland and Lithuania, United24 Media reported on August 24.
Are Ukraine's Flamingo cruise missiles really made in Ukraine?
Secret factory A camera crew from Associated Press was granted access to the Fire Point factory at an undisclosed location inside Ukraine to witness the production of Ukraine’s new Flamingo cruise missile.
Russia deliberately destroys a US factory based in Ukraine
Russia launched a record number of drones and missiles on August 21 and specifically targeted US company Flex's factory in Ukraine.
Ukraine hits Russia’s Druzhba oil pipeline again with drones
Ukraine has carried out another strike on the Druzhba oil pipeline, hitting the Unecha oil pumping station in the latest of a series of incidents targeting the Soviet-era pipeline.
Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian refineries drive up petrol prices, shortages looming
Russian wholesale gasoline prices are soaring to record levels following a series of Ukrainian drone strikes on critical refinery infrastructure. Analysts warn that Russia is facing fuel shortages in the coming weeks, Meduza reported on August 21.
US will play minimum role in Ukraine’s security guarantees – Politico
The Pentagon’s top policy official Elbridge Colby says the US will play a minimal role in any Ukraine security guarantees, Politico reported on August 21.
Western reliance on peacekeepers and arms sales in lieu of real security guarantees doom Russo-Ukraine peace talks to failure
The coalition of the willing plan to send “reassurance forces” to Ukraine and buy Kyiv $100bn worth of new US weapons in lieu of giving Kyiv real collective security guarantees will doom imminent Russo-Ukraine peace negotiations to failure.
Peace turns on possible new Western security deals for Ukraine
Mixed results for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy following the historic meeting with US President Donald Trump and seven European leaders on August 18 in the White House.
Ukraine goes into production of Flamingo ICBM
Flamingo is part of Ukraine's broader push to develop independent strike capabilities, as it has been sorely lacking in missiles that can strike targets deep in Russia’s hinterland.
High stake talks in Washington between Trump, Zelenskiy and EU leaders
Following the underwhelming Alaska summit, US president Donald Trump has invited five European leaders, NATO, and the EU to the Oval Office as well as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to close a deal that could end the war on August 18.
Putin demanded complete control of Donbas from Trump in Alaska talks
President Vladimir Putin demanded that Ukraine give up complete control of the Donbas in talks with Trump, but said he was prepared to freeze the conflict in the remaining two regions of Kherson and Zapariszhzhia the Financial Times reported.
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Kyivstar becomes first Ukrainian company to list on Nasdaq after $178mn SPAC merger
Kyivstar, Ukraine’s largest telecoms operator, has become the first Ukrainian company to trade on Nasdaq after completing a merger with Cohen Circle Acquisition Corp. I, a special purpose acquisition company.
No deal in Alaska: Putin looks strong, Trump looks weak
No deal to end the war in Ukraine was reached at the historic meeting between US president Donald Trump and president Vladimir Putin at a three-hour summit in Alaska on August 15 that ended up making the Russian leader look stronger than ever.
US to offer Russia access to Alaskan rare earth minerals at Alaska summit - Daily Telegraph
The United States is preparing to propose granting Russia access to rare earth minerals in Alaska during the forthcoming summit between President Donald Trump and President Vladimir Putin, The Daily Telegraph reported on August 13.
Kyivstar to become first Ukrainian company listed on US stock exchange
Ukraine’s largest mobile operator, Kyivstar, is set to become the first Ukrainian company to list on a US stock exchange, with plans to debut on the Nasdaq later this year. The company could raise between $50mn and $200mn through the listing.
Russia’s economy narrowly avoids technical recession as war strains mount
The slowdown in GDP growth in Russia to 1.1% year on year in the second quarter suggests the economy may have narrowly avoided a technical recession, but “the economy is clearly struggling amidst imbalances that have built up due to the war."
COMMENT: What is Rosneft’s flagship Vostok Oil Project seeking to achieve?
Russia’s oil industry enjoyed a renaissance between 2008 and 2018 when about 30 new oil fields came online, significantly boosting production. The Vostok Oil fields hold some 45bn barrels of oil.
Venezuela clears way for Russian extradition of Ukraine supporter held in Caracas
Venezuela's Supreme Court will consider extraditing a Russian national and prominent Ukraine supporter to Moscow on terrorism charges, in yet another case that illustrates the deepening ties between Maduro's regime and the Kremlin.
Ukraine's position deteriorates ahead of key Trump-Putin summit in Alaska
US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet in Anchorage, Alaska on August 15 in what could be critical talks that could bring the war in Ukraine a step closer.