Month: July 2010

July 8, 2010

Review of Philip Morris Link to Corrupt Officials

Russia! magazine has an exclusive today on a letter it obtained from a Russian lawyer whose client has been the victim of an attempted asset seizure, by the same group of Russian officials who were involved in the death of Sergei Magnitsky (and wh...
July 8, 2010

Sutyagin for Chapman?

Just to keep abreast of the rapidly-moving spy swap story, which apparently may be finalized today: a report is out in the New York Times that jailed scientist Igor Sutyagin has been released, traveled it to Austria and called his father from Vien...
July 8, 2010

Energy Blast – July 8, 2010

Bloomberg reports that Russia is sending record amounts of oil to Asia, in particular to South Korea and Japan, undermining the Middle East’s traditional dominance.  Ruth Collins in the Guardian highlights the energy issues that could p...
July 8, 2010

Today in Russian Business – July 8, 2010

Reuters has five facts about Sergei Pugachev, whose lender IIB has become Russia’s first bank to renege on its foreign debt in a decade, after defaulting on $453 million of bonds.  Russia is apparently looking for a controlling stake in...
July 8, 2010

RA’s Daily Russian News Blast – July 8, 2010

TODAY: Relatives of researcher Igor Sutyagin suggest imminent release part of US-Russia spy swap; Russia protests Clinton’s terminology on Georgia breakaway territories; START faces Republicans.  Threats to curators; CSCE to re-consider...
July 7, 2010

Spy Swap Mismatch

Steve Levine quotes Stephen Sestanovich on this apparent story of a spy swap for political prisoner Igor Sutyagin: It’s a relief to have Igor Sutyagin out after what he’s been through. But let’s recognize there’s been a ter...
July 7, 2010

Putin’s Banker Defaults on Eurobonds

The news that Mezhprombank, a mid-sized Russian financial institution chaired by a close friend of Vladimir Putin, Sergei Pugachyov, has defaulted on €200 million in eurobonds – Russia’s first default to foreign obligations in a decade...
July 7, 2010

Kerry’s Response to Romney on START Treaty

Better late than never?  Sen. John Kerry comes out in defense of the Obama administration’s new START treaty with Russia following the drubbing by Mitt Romney, opening up what we expect will be a long, targeted offensive from the Republ...
July 7, 2010

The Sutyagin Swap

I didn’t ever consider that the spy story could get any stranger … and then this comes from AFP: Moscow is planning to release a Russian arms expert convicted of espionage in exchange for members of the alleged spy ring arrested in the...
July 7, 2010

Energy Blast – July 7, 2010

After one year’s standstill Bulgaria has agreed to serve as a transit country for the South Stream pipeline with, the Moscow Times suggests, the Kremlin sweetening the deal through ‘additional rewards’.  Bloomberg reports th...