Archive

April 14, 2010

Today in Russian Business – April 14, 2010

Renaissance Capital suggests that the government’s current fiscal policy will not protect it from another, ‘inevitable‘ global downturn.  The FT reports on the view that all elements of the economy not directly tied to raw m...
April 14, 2010

RA’s Daily Russian News Blast – April 14, 2010

TODAY: Medvedev commits to close plutonium reactor at Washington nuclear summit and pledges to push for Iran sanctions as nuclear powers; Kyrgyz officials in Moscow; poll suggests Russians value order over democracy; judges seek police protection;...
April 13, 2010

Russia vs. China in Kyrgyzstan

Perhaps NATO can spend its way into influence within the new government in Bishkek, but more and more, it seems like the leverage will play out between the Chinese and Russians, and it’s not clear if they agree on the issue of Manas.  F...
April 13, 2010

Bad START?

Richard Perle, of legendary reputation during the Bush administration, takes to the pages of the Wall Street Journal to slam Barack Obama’s nuclear deal with Russia.  I think Perle misses the point on the purpose of a nuclear treaty wit...
April 13, 2010

Murdering Justice

The assassination this week of Russian Judge Eduard Chuvashov by suspected ultra-nationalists was a violently outrageous reminder of the vulnerability of judicial independence in the country, but it was not necessarily surprising. Reports indicate...
April 13, 2010

Energy Blast – April 13, 2010

The BBC reports that most of the estimated 1,600 tonnes of highly enriched uranium in the world is held in Russia.  Iran says its is counting on Russia to take a ‘neutral position‘ on new Western sanctions over its nuclear energy ...
April 13, 2010

Today in Russian Business – April 13, 2010

A memorandum regarding Russia’s forthcoming Eurobond issue says that any oil price reduction would have ‘a significant effect on Russia’s budgetary revenues and foreign reserves‘ and its ability to make payments on the bond...
April 13, 2010

RA’s Daily Russian News Blast – April 13, 2010

TODAY: Leaders declare incomes and assets; Medvedev fed up with questions about Putin; Russia-US adoption to come under scrutiny; tributes to Polish President as ‘language barrier’ blamed for crash; Washington hosts nuclear summit; Dym...
April 12, 2010

Figuring Out Roza Otunbayeva

How do you see the new interim leader of Krygyzstan?  An independent, accidental democrat, or a shill for the siloviki?  Blogging at Oil and Glory, Sasha Meyer points out that the usual chorus of agreement among some Russia ske...
April 12, 2010

Obama at Home in Prague

Politico is running a rather innocuous piece about how Barack Obama is making his mark on Prague, much in the way that Ronald Reagan got to know Iceland. When he was born in 1961, Obama told the crowd, few people would have predicted someone like ...