Archive

June 25, 2008

A Broken Europe Can’t Negotiate with Moscow

Officials from the European Union are gathering over the next two days with their Russian counterparts in Khanty-Mansiysk, Siberia, holding a series of “framework discussions” to prepare for the beginning of negotiations on a partnersh...
June 25, 2008

Job Opening: BP Chairman. Knighthood Optional.

Remember back when BP Chairman Peter Sutherland spoke with remarkable candor about the assault on TNK-BP? Back when he dismissed Alexei Miller’s $250 oil prediction as an “apocalyptic” joke and then “insulted” the Rus...
June 25, 2008

Russia’s Taxes and Nuclear Parity

Russia’s best finance mind Alexei Kudrin is trying out a new argument in his opposition to slash value-added tax from 18% to 12%, notably pointing out that it could hurt the country’s nuclear parity with the United States: Kudrin said ...
June 25, 2008

The “Dirty War” in Ingushetia

Usually when we hear the term “Dirty War,” we immediately think of dictatorial Argentina in the late 1970s and early 1980s, when the military junta dispatched its opponents with extreme prejudice, widespread fear and violence, and unim...
June 25, 2008

War in the Arctic?

Russia’s flag-planting stunt on the seabed of the Arctic Ocean appears to have only been the beginning. A rather shocking quote from Lt. Gen. Vladimir Shamanov, who oversees Russia’s military training: “After several countries co...
June 25, 2008

Energy Blast – June 25, 2008

The director for energy at UK Trade and Investment spoke about the potentially promising nature of energy cooperation with Russia, but avoided mentioning TNK-BP. Mikhail Fridman says TNK-BP’s Russian co-owners will not sell out for at least ...
June 25, 2008

Today in Russian Business – June 25, 2008

Leaders of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs have complained about the Kremlin’s lack of interest in establishing a real dialog with business. “Big private companies are only emerging, while the state-run firms, whi...
June 25, 2008

RA’s Daily Russia News Blast – June 25, 2008

TODAY: Medvedev interviewed by Reuters; Moscow court fines businessman over blog entry; Chavez thanks Putin; new report focuses on Russia’s “passion investments”. In an interview with Reuters, reportedly his first with the Western media since taki...
June 25, 2008

Chubais Talks about Fear of a Gazprom Planet

We used to seeing advocates of many different stripes mounting vigorous defenses of Gazprom’s activities in Europe – even their partners in E.ON and EdF have joined in to bash the European Commission’s unbundling proposal for its...