Month: January 2009

January 17, 2009

When Europe is Warm, They Won’t Care About Kiev

Here’s a dose of realism from Stephen M. Walt on his new Foreign Policy blog: It’s obvious that Moscow is using Ukraine’s dependence on Russian natural gas as a diplomatic weapon — no surprise there — but it’s e...
January 17, 2009

Nashi Brings Firewood to Ukrainian Embassy

It seems that no matter what the situation, no matter how serious, the Nashi finds room for some crass ridicule.  It’s not the first time – and one would think there is a better use for the state budget. From RIA Novosti: About 30...
January 16, 2009

France Balks Over Gas Summit

Vladimir Putin’s efforts to convene a summit with European political and corporate energy leaders in Moscow to settle the natural gas dispute with Ukraine has hit a few speed bumps.  French President Nicholas Sarkozy, who is not unfamil...
January 16, 2009

The Creation of a Metals Titan

Over the past few months, many observers have been speculating that bailout efforts by state-owned banks to rescue Russian companies and large industrial interests would result in the nationalization of minority or controlling shares, thus dramati...
January 16, 2009

Purchasing Loyalty

Brian Whitmore has a good post up over at The Power Vertical: The political structure Putin built over the past decade was based on a vast system of patronage that, thanks to high oil and gas prices, allowed the Kremlin to purchase the loyalty of ...
January 16, 2009

Loving the Gas War

The gas war appears to be doing for Vladimir Putin what the invasion of Iraq did for George W. Bush – a boon of popularity during a difficult time.  Unfortunately, the longer term outlook of freezing Ukraine, Bulgaria, and the rest of E...
January 16, 2009

Energy Blast – Jan 16th, 2009

Europe’s energy crisis has started to hit UK gas prices.  Gazprom and Italy’s ENI have agreed to step up work on the South Stream pipeline project.  A 60-member delegation of US firms is lobbying in India this week for a shar...
January 16, 2009

Today in Russian Business – Jan 16th, 2009

It looks increasingly likely that Alexander Lebedev’s bid to buy London’s Evening Standard newspaper will go ahead – meanwhile the British press has turned its attention to his son, Evgeny.  Russia’s central bank has d...
January 16, 2009

RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – Jan 16th, 2009

TODAY: Following suggestion from Putin, Eni tries to form consortium to get gas pipelines working again; gas summit to meet tomorrow in Moscow; Putin in Germany, Poland siding with Ukraine.  Gas row boosting public support for Putin at home; ...