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COUNTRY INSIGHTS

EU to give Ukraine EUR 600 million
RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS · In Brief · 11 Dec 2020

On December 9 Brussels announced that it is granting more macro-financial assistance to Ukraine. This is in view of coronavirus and its economic repercussions. The Vice President of the European Commission said more aid will probably be forthcoming. The money needs to be spent on raising living s...

EU prolongs sanctions on Russia
RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS · In Brief · 11 Dec 2020

On December 10 the EU announced that sanctions against Russia shall continue until June 2021 at least. The sanctions are to penalise Russia for the Ukraine Conflict. The sanctions are against sectors such as the oil industry.The Minsk Accords signed in 2015 were supposed to end the conflict. The ...

Holland kicks out 2 Russian diplomats as spies
RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS · In Brief · 10 Dec 2020

On December 10 the Dutch said the two Russian had been declared personae non gratae for spying on the hi tech industries. The two expellees are said to be members of the SVR (External Intelligence Service). They were diplomats in the Hague.AIVD (Dutch intelligence) said the SVR had developed a ne...

Russian bans tomatoes from Azerbaijan
RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS · In Brief · 09 Dec 2020

On December 9 Moscow announced that from December 10 Azerbaijan tomatoes cannot be imported. The ostensible reason is that they are contaminated with substances that are injurious to human health The ulterior motive might be to penalize Azerbaijan for inviting in Turkish troops.Over 30% of tomato...

Russian constitutional reforms take effect
RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS · In Brief · 08 Dec 2020

On December 8 Putin signed the amendments into law. The State Council was solely consultative organ. Its status has been raised to being a constitutional state body whose complement is filled by regional governors and officials by presidential appointment. The State Council shall direct policy bo...

Russia verifies Venezuela election
RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS · In Brief · 08 Dec 2020

On December 7 Moscow endorsed the Venezuelan National Assembly election. Russia has a close relationship with Venezuela based on oil interests and common hostility to US hegemony. The US, EU and Organization of American States denounced the election as a sham. The opposition dismissed the electio...

Russia's food production not compensating for sanctions
RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS · In Brief · 07 Dec 2020

On December 7 the National Rating Agency published a report on Russia's import substitution policy with regard to food. The report concluded that the government's policies have had little success. The government had hoped for an agricultural boom. Indeed Russian farmers have done well but have no...

Moldova strips president-elect of security service control
RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS · In Brief · 07 Dec 2020

On December 4 Parliament passed a law stating that the incoming President Maia Sandu will have no authority over the intelligence services. Instead Parliament will control these services. It is suspected that the security services are sympathetic to Russia. The Socialist Party (which is pro-Russi...

US law targets Russian doping
RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS · In Brief · 06 Dec 2020

On December 6 Trump signed a law that empowers US law enforcement to arrest and prosecute those suspected of doping in sport anywhere in the world is US athletes, sponsors or broadcasters are involved in the competition. The Rodchenkov Act was passed on December 4. The World Anti Doping Agency (W...

US asks EU to stop Nord Stream 2
RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS · In Brief · 05 Dec 2020

On December 4 Washington DC asked EU countries to block the undersea gas pipeline from Russia to Germany. The US fears that Russia will have energy blackmail over Europe. Congress is mulling more sanctions to be passed in January.Work on the pipeline stopped 12 months ago. US sanctions on any ent...

Legal disaster for Russia
RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS · In Brief · 04 Dec 2020

On December 4 the Dutch Supreme Court ruled that shareholders in Yukos can continue their case seeking USD 50 billion in compensation. The court rejected Russia's bid to suspend enforcement of an earlier judgment. There will be another hearing in the Dutch Supreme Court in early 2021. In late Nov...

OPEC+ agrees to increase production
RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS · In Brief · 04 Dec 2020

On December 3 OPEC+ said that oil output will increase in January 2021 by 500 000 bpd. That is a change to its previously agreed timetable for quota relaxation.Saudi Arabia had wanted a 2 million bpd increase. Russia wanted to only raise production once oil prices reached close to their pre-coron...

Moscow to start vaccination on December 5
RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS · In Brief · 03 Dec 2020

On December 3 the Mayor of Moscow announced that the vaccination of high risk groups will commence this weekend. The president ordered Sputnik V vaccine to be rolled out across the federation as soon as practicable. Medical staff, teachers, police officers and other frontline public sector worker...

Ukraine backed by Turkey on Crimea
RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS · In Brief · 03 Dec 2020

On December 2 the Turkish Foreign Minister said that it agrees that Crimea pertains to Ukraine. The minister said that Turkey would enhance its military relationship with Ukraine. Russia gained control over the Crimean Peninsula in 2014. Only a handful of countries recognize Crimea as Russian.Tur...

Japan angry at Russian missiles in Kuril Islands
RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS · In Brief · 02 Dec 2020

On December 2 Tokyo denounced the stationing of S-300 surface to air missiles on islands claimed by Japan but owned by Russia. Moscow announced that the air defense system was on the island on Iturup.Japan lost the islands to the USSR in 1945. Tokyo has always spoken out against Russian military ...

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