Archive

September 14, 2009

Energy Blast – September 14, 2009

Apparently no agreement was made on when gas supplies to Russia will resume at Medvedev’s meeting with Turkmen counterpart Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov.  Following Iranian complaints of exclusion from the Aktau meeting, Medvedev has acknowled...
September 14, 2009

Today in Russian Business – September 14, 2009

Facts about the Opel deal emerging: Reuters reports on a company trustee who claims that more than €600 million of German aid has been set aside for upgrading the auto industry in Russia.  Putin has praised the sale as the ‘right market choi...
September 14, 2009

RA’s Daily Russian News Blast – September 14, 2009

TODAY: Putin looming over Presidency – 2012 return?; Chavez to have missiles and $2 billion credit line; Senator refused visa to Canada.  Crackdown on alcohol begins with big bottles; human rights group faces shutdown on disputed grounds.  T...
September 11, 2009

Russia in Guinea, the Expropriators Get Expropriated

Russia has done a good job cementing its title as one of the world’s leading resource nationalists, having effectively expropriated and stolen the assets of dozens of companies, including Yukos, Royal Dutch Shell, BP, and probably ExxonMobil...
September 11, 2009

Hugo Chávez’s Pattern Recognition

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez is known for his erratic behavior, but his latest move to extend official recognition to Georgia’s separatist regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia during his visit to Moscow is a bit of a head-scratcher.&nbs...
September 11, 2009

The Putin Century

Many have feared this for some time, but now it’s official – Vladimir Putin plans on continuing to be in power for a very, very long time.  What’s funny is that it’s probably not even by choice or preference, but a fun...
September 11, 2009

Kazakhstan’s Political Prisoner #1

Bob has written a few posts here and there about the Kazakhstani human rights activist Yevgeny Zhovtis, who was recently imprisoned following a rapid show trial.  The ordeal is catching the attention of some serious regional players, many of ...
September 11, 2009

Medvedev’s Call for Reform Rings Hollow

We’ve been enjoying reading Dmitry Medvedev’s article today, which although entitled “Go Russia!” is actually much more pessimistic in tone.  I like to see a well earned place for cynicism in politics, and in the case ...
September 11, 2009

The Politburo Archives

Twenty years ago the Berlin Wall came down, radically and suddenly changing the trajectory of Russian history.  There’s been a flurry of reminiscing in the media, but this one from Michael Binyon in the Times of London is especially int...
September 11, 2009

Energy Blast – September 11, 2009

At yesterday’s meeting between Dmitry Medvedev and Hugo Chavez, Venezuela’s PdVSA state oil firm and a consortium of major Russian producers signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in Orinoco and on joint development of the...