Year: 2008

April 7, 2008

Today in Russian Business

Russia’s second largest mobile phone operator VimpelCom became the first carrier to offer the popular BlackBerry mobile email service in the country – a technology which has previously been slowed to market by regulatory hurdles and ot...
April 7, 2008

RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – April 7, 2008

Today: Putin gets a new job, Bush plays nice in Sochi, South Korea and Russia agree on North Korea projects, more spy games in London, and Europe pressures Moscow on human rights in Chechnya. Despite sweeping several elections on an independent ti...
April 6, 2008

Kotkin Sees No Cold War

Stephen Kotkin, a Princeton University professor, is not the type to avoid controversy on Russia. His writings and opinions are often surprising and original, even when I disagree with the arguments. Such is the case with his latest piece in Prosp...
April 5, 2008

Steinmeier Undermines Medvedev

Germany’s Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier is Dmitry Medvedev’s worst enemy, yet he probably doesn’t even realize it. As the SPD’s primary foil to Chancellor Angela Merkel, the foreign minister has enthusiastically ...
April 4, 2008

With Friends Like These, Who Needs Enemies?

For many years, William Browder has been one of the most enthusiastic advocates of investment in Russia, bullish and confident even while others have recoiled in the face of increased state interference. Once a well known supporter of President Vl...
April 4, 2008

Russia’s Sovereign Wealth Nothing Next to Private Equity

From the Financial Times: Just a decade after its financial crisis, Russia is the world’s third largest holder of foreign exchange reserves. The most recent estimate of $500bn puts these behind only China with $1,650bn and Japan with $980bn. The d...
April 4, 2008

Debating Russophobia

A polemical opinion column written by San Francisco State University’s Andrei Tsygankov has set off a series of debates over the use, misuse, and misunderstanding of alleged “Russophobia” in the U.S. presidential campaign. The mo...
April 4, 2008

A Prescription for Europe, Part 1

The following is the first installment of a series of short policy papers we have prepared, outlining some recommendations for the European Union to reduce dependency on Russian natural gas, increase competition, and deepen energy security. You ca...
April 4, 2008

Energy Blast, April 4, 2008

Oil company Yukos, declared bankrupt in a $30 billion tax claim, overpaid its tax bill by more than $3.8 billion. Lawyers say it would be impossible to recover the money. Yukos Finance, a subsidiary of the company, could sell its stake in pipeline...
April 4, 2008

Today in Russian Business

Hermitage Capital claims it has been the victim of an attempted fraud and theft of hundreds of millions of dollars by individuals connected to the Russian Interior Ministry. Documents seized by the Interior Ministry during a tax investigation were...