Archive

May 26, 2009

Gazprom’s Addiction to Politics

Here’s a scorcher from Kostis Geropoulos at New Europe: Against the backdrop of the EU-Russia summit held symbolically in the remote Russian far-eastern city of Khabarovsk on May 21- 22, European officials have accused Russian gas giant Gazp...
May 26, 2009

Zeal for the Deal

Back in the Bush II heydays, I always thought of Russia’s Ambassador to NATO, Dmitry Rogozin, as a tongue-in-cheek answer to the appointment of John Bolton to the United Nations (minus, of course, the overt racism of the former).  Among...
May 26, 2009

Sergey Prokofiev and the Soviet Experience

This book review about the life of the famous Russian composer Sergey Prokofiev (1891-1953) reveals a complex and contradictory tale of one artist’s confrontation with the groundswell of history in Russia. A not untypical contemporary reacti...
May 26, 2009

Energy Blast – May 26, 2009

Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko has said that Russia’s gas output may fall by 18-20% this year.  Shmatko has adopted a more reassuring tone than his counterparts on the supply of gas to Europe, saying ‘there are all the necessary r...
May 26, 2009

Today in Russian Business – May 26, 2009

Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin is basing next year’s budget on the prediction that oil will be at least $50 a barrel – an improvement on this year’s prediction of $41.  Medvedev is not so optimistic, presenting his budget pr...
May 26, 2009

RA’s Daily Russian News Blast – May 26, 2009

TODAY: Russia condemns North Korea ‘Hiroshima’ size bomb test; Lavrov says election result in Lebanon must be respected; Medvedev believes influence in CIS states should be extended; streamlining the military provokes discontent A spok...
May 25, 2009

On the Responsibility of Business in Russia

Mikhail Khodorkovsky has granted an extensive written interview to the Moscow Times in which he criticized the social responsibility practices and anti-crisis efforts of Russia’s business elite.  Keep your eyes peeled on the official MB...
May 25, 2009

The Soon-to-Fail Eastern Partnership

A new 5-page policy brief by the Spanish think tank FRIDE takes a look at the EU’s Eastern Partnership proposal, and finds it riddled with holes and destined for failure.  One, among the many, flaws is that too many EU member states are...
May 25, 2009

Smells Like Yukos

This is a rather strange story from Moscow News, but it seems that one Russian businessman wants to express his solidarity with Mikhail Khodorkovsky by producing a perfume line bearing the Yukos company name.  It will be tough to sell more of...
May 25, 2009

Khodorkovsky Accuses Procuracy of Wiretapping

This just came over the wire from RIA Novosti, and was also reported earlier on Robert Amsterdam’s Twitter feed: Jailed Yukos founder Mikhail Khodorkovsky accused Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) on Monday of listening in on his...