Russia

Russian, Iranian defence chief meet in Tehran to discuss the fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh

bne IntelliNews September 19, 2023

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu met with Mohammad Bagheri, Chief of the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, in Tehran on September 19 to continue building on good ties and discuss the rapidly deteriorating situation in Nagorno-Karabakh

Russian peacekeepers stand inactively by as Azerbaijan renews attack on Nagorno-Karabakh

bne IntelliNews September 19, 2023

Azerbaijani relaunched a full-scale attack on the Armenian controlled Nagorno-Karabakh on September 19 that the Defence Ministry said was the beginning of a “limited anti-terrorist operation” while Russian peacekeepers stand inactively by.

Data search reveals coal produced in annexed parts of Ukraine shipped to Turkey

bne IntelIiNews September 19, 2023

Finding comes week after US stepped up sanctions targeted at Turkish companies for circumventing war restrictions on goods flows to Russia.

Azerbaijan demands ethnic-Armenians in Karabakh raise white flag amid military operation

bne IntelIiNews September 19, 2023

Baku claims “anti-terrorism” push but analyst says it appears Azerbaijanis are moving to retake Armenian-populated areas of enclave in their entirety.

RenCap founder dubs Ukraine war “a catastrophic failure of international diplomacy”

Jason Corcoran in London September 19, 2023

Speaking to the Leighton Smith Podcast in New Zealand last month, Jennings looked back at his more than two decades in Russia, his hasty exit after losing control of RenCap to his oligarch partner as well as his reflections on the war in Ukraine.

Bulgaria destroys drone found in Black Sea resort

bne IntelliNews September 18, 2023

Drone equipped with 82mm high-explosive mortar found in Bulgaria after three drones crash in neighbouring Romania.

Russia’ CBR ups key rate to 13%, warns of long-term tough policy

bne IntelliNews September 15, 2023

The board of the Central Bank of Russia at the September 15 policy meeting resolved to increase the key rate from 12% to 13%, following the emergency hike by 350 basis points in August amid ruble weakening.

US singles out Turkey with latest war sanctions package

bne IntelIiNews September 15, 2023

Ankara gets a poke in the eye as Washington launches new attempt at hobbling Putin’s war machine by targeting technology shipments and financial channels.

COMMENT: What to expect if Bulgaria expels Lukoil

Fuad Shahbazov in Durham September 14, 2023

Russian oil company effectively used its business activities to develop enormous political leverage in Bulgaria.

Iranians are returning to Dagestan after 300-year absence

bne IntelIiNews September 14, 2023

Iranians are returning to Dagestan with a new group visa waiver programme between Tehran and Moscow. Locked away from Derbent for 300 years, direct flights to the region will start on September 20.

G20 underlines that fracturing is becoming a reality

Ben Aris in Berlin September 14, 2023

The G20 summit which concluded yesterday in New Delhi supported our view that the global economy is fracturing into US and China-led blocs, and that India still leans to the former.

Ukraine winter preparations in final stage with a month to go

bne IntelliNews September 13, 2023

With a month to go before the heating season starts, Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal says preparations for the upcoming cold season are in their final stages and the country is almost ready for the cold season.

THE VIEW FROM MITTELEUROPA: Austria struggles to kick addiction to Russian gas

Marcus How of VE Insight in Vienna September 13, 2023

But cold turkey looms at the end of next year when Ukraine looks set to suspend pipeline shipments.

Poland gives EU “ultimatum” on Ukrainian grain imports

Wojciech Kosc in Warsaw September 13, 2023

Kyiv has said that it will take legal action against those EU member states that impose national bans against EU-wide trade rules.

Sending Soviet tanks into Hungary and Czechoslovakia was a mistake, says Putin

Tamas Csonka in Budapest September 13, 2023

"It is not right to do anything in foreign policy that harms the interests of other peoples," says Russian dictator who has fought a vicious war against Ukraine that is already being investigated for war crimes.

Kim Jong Un in Russia to cut suspected arms deal

Ben Aris in Berlin September 12, 2023

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un arrived in Russia aboard his private train on September 12, making a controversial visit, as he is expected to talk about arms deals with his Russian counterpart, President Vladimir Putin.

Europeans support ongoing aid and weapons for Ukraine even if politicians waiver

bne IntelliNews September 12, 2023

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told the Economist that he saw signs of wavering amongst Ukraine’s Western partners in an interview on September 10, but the people of Europe still want to support Ukraine in its fight with Russia.

bneGREEN: The climate crisis is here, the ecosystem is starting to collapse

Ben Aris in Berlin September 12, 2023

The climate crisis is here and the world’s ecosystem has already started to collapse. This summer has been marred by all-time record temperature highs, destructive flash flooding and record storms. Is it too late to stop a disaster?

Russia mulls drastic measures as domestic fuel shortage crisis grows

Jason Corcoran in Dublin September 12, 2023

Senior Kremlin figures are calling for a ban on the export of petroleum to prevent gas stations across Russia from running dry.

Czech oil imports from Russia rose to a decade high in 1H23

Albin Sybera September 11, 2023

Share of Russian crude oil imports into Czechia is the highest since 2012 at 65%.

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