Russia
Archive
Turkey frees Russian journalists after brief detention
Russia’s state-owned Sputnik news agency said four of its journalists in Turkey have been detained in Ankara on Saturday night, and then released after...
Archive
US hoping for three-way arms control with Russia, China
The United States has informed Russia that Washington is open to holding a summit with the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council,...
Archive
Nord Stream 2 looking for solutions to complete pipeline hit by US sanctions
Nord Stream 2 AG, which is constructing a controversial gas pipeline from Russia to Germany, is looking for solutions to complete the pipelaying of...
Archive
Syrian airstrikes kill dozens of Turkish soldiers in Idlib
33 Turkish soldiers were killed and dozens more wounded in an airstrike in Syria’s Idlib province, in the bloody battle for control of the...
Archive
Russia to hold nationwide vote on Putin’s proposed constitutional changes
A working group chaired by Russia’s president Vladimir Putin has set a date for a nationwide vote on the proposed amendments to the country’s...
Archive
International fears grow with rise of coronavirus deaths outside China
New cases and fatalities from the new coronavirus outbreak outside China have seen a major spike, days after the World Health Organization has warned...
Archive
Naftogaz seeks nearly $8 bln for assets expropriated by Russia in Crimea
Ukraine’s joint stock oil and gas company Naftogaz said on 17 February the group seeks nearly $8 billion of compensation for its assets expropriated...
Archive
Russia to ban entry of Chinese nationals amid coronavirus fears
Russia announced it will temporarily ban Chinese nationals from entering the country due to the coronavirus outbreak which emerged from China and has infected...
Energy
Kazakhstan oil companies received payment from Russia’s Transneft for substandard oil
NUR-SULTAN - Kazakhstan - In the framework of the signed agreements between Russia’s Transneft and Kazakhstan’s KazTransOil, speaking on behalf of 38 Kazakhstan oil...
Archive
Assad predicts final victory after gains in northern Syria
Syria’s president Bashar al-Assad congratulated his forces Monday for recent gains in northwestern Syria that led to his troops consolidating control over Aleppo province.
In...
Archive
Russia, Belarus ink pricing procedure protocol for gas supplies
Russian gas monopoly Gazprom and the government of Belarus have signed a protocol outlining the pricing procedure for natural gas supplies to Belarus in...
Archive
Macon calls for better EU-Russia relations
French president Emmanuel Macron said the European Union needs to seek better relations with Russia in the long term.
Macron attended the Munich Security Conference,...
Archive
Turkey, Russia to hold talks as Syrian forces seize most of Aleppo province
Syrian government forces made major advances yesterday in the country’s northwestern Aleppo province, seizing most of the rebel-held region, state media said.
The advancement comes...
Archive
German accused of delivering machine tools to Russian military
A German businessman has been arrested on suspicion of delivering machinery to the Russian military, federal prosecutors said. The move is a violation of...
Archive
Gazprom says Power of Siberia, TurkStream to boost Russia's position as gas supplier
Russian gas monopoly Gazprom closely follows the ongoing developments and takes the necessary measures to mitigate a number of adverse factors affecting the suppliers...
Archive
The Netherlands refuses Moscow’s request to prosecute MH17 Russian suspects
The Dutch justice minister, Ferd Grapperhaus, said the Netherlands refused a request by Moscow to consider allowing Russia to prosecute three Russian nationals identified...
Archive
Pussy Riot members arrested again while filming a music video
Russian police have detained members of the anti-Kremlin group Pussy Riot, while they attempted to shoot a music video.
Nadya Tolokonnikova and 12 other members...
Archive
Syrian army intensifies attacks in Idlib despite Turkish warnings
Five Turkish soldiers have been killed in an attack carried out on a military base in Idlib province by Syrian government forces.
The Turkish military...
Archive
Lavrov visits Venezuela, reiterates Russia’s support for Maduro
Russia's foreign minister Sergey Lavrov visited Caracas on Friday in a show of support for Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro.
Last week, United States’ president Donald...
Archive
Syrian government forces nearly shoot down passenger plane, Russia blames Israel
Russia on Friday said its ally Syria nearly shot down a civilian plane on Friday while trying to repel an Israeli airstrike near Syria’s...
Archive
Russia’s Gazprom and Bangladesh’s Petrobangla ink MoU for strategic cooperation
Russian gas monopoly Gazprom and Bangladesh’s Petrobangla have signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding for strategic cooperation.
Gazprom Deputy Chairman Vitaly Markelov, who headed a...
Archive
Putin remains secretive about his future political plans
Russia's president Vladimir Putin said that the nationwide vote on constitutional changes he proposed wouldn’t be used to extend his current term in office.
He...
Archive
Macron says distancing of Russia is a ‘major error’ for the EU
French president Emmanuel Macron accused Russia of engaging in historical revisionism on World War II but said that a strong Europe needs to remain...
Albania
France scores victory on Enlargement rules
The EU Commission released new proposed rules on February 5 which substantially modify the current Enlargement process but also allow EU member states to...
Archive
Erdogan denounces Russia’s annexation of Crimea
Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan denounced Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea. Erdogan met with his Ukranian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskiy on 3 February in Ukraine.
They...
China
Kazakhstan to resume oil exports to China soon
NUR-SULTAN, Kazakhstan – Kazakhstan’s Energy Minister Nurlan Nogayev said the country plans to resume oil exports to China through KazTransOil pipelines in the near...
Archive
Coronavirus hits oil too, worries plunge prices
Oil prices fell more than 2% on 3 February, as traders were concerned over demand in China following the deadly coronavirus breakout but prices...
Archive
French far-right leader Le Pen sued by Russian firm
A Russian company is suing the political party led by French far-right politician Marine Le Pen, to recover a loan lent in 2014 to...
Analysis
Does Trump’s peace plan make the EU less relevant?
The Peace to Prosperity plan that the Trump administration rolled out as a “Deal of the Century” on January 28 offers the prospect of a future Palestinian...
Archive
Turkey launches counterattack against Syrian forces
At least 13 Syrian soldiers were reportedly killed by Turkish forces in Syria’s Idlib region on Monday.
The attack that came in retaliation for an...
Archive
US offers to supply Belarus with oil and gas amid Russia tension
US secretary of state Mike Pompeo said his country is ready to fully provide Belarus with energy resources at competitive prices, as its main...
Energy
Kazatomprom to sell interest in Kazakhstan-Russian atomic enterprise
NUR-SULTAN, Kazakhstan –Kazatomprom said on 31 January Kazakhstan’s national atomic company plans to sell its 50% interest minus one share in the Uranium Enrichment...
Archive
EU adds 7 to sanctions list for Russia holding elections in Crimea
The Council of the EU decided on Tuesday to add 7 individuals of former USSR descent, to the bloc's sanctions list over undermining the...
Analysis
World prepares as deadly coronavirus likely to spread
China’s death toll from the new coronavirus rose to 132, including the first death in the country’s capital, Beijing. The deadly flu-like virus was...
Archive
Three Jehovah’s Witnesses convicted in Russia amid crackdown
A Russian court has convicted three followers of the Jehovah's Witnesses of participating in a religion banned for extremism. They were given suspended sentences...
Archive
Bulgaria to expel two Russian diplomats for spying
Bulgaria is set to expel two Russian diplomats over spying allegations, its foreign ministry announced. They are suspected of collecting "state secrets in order...
Archive
Putin remains ambiguous about his future role
Russia’s president Vladimir Putin remained secretive about his future role as he rushed a set of his recently proposed constitutional changes.
He said the reforms...
Archive
US diplomatic engagement helps reopen Kosovo-Serbia flights
Representatives of Serbia, Kosovo, the US, and Lufthansa Group signed a milestone agreement on January 20 to establish an air link between Serbia and...
Archive
Moscow’s top university to ban political speech for students and staff
One of Russia’s elite universities, Moscow’s Institute of Higher Economics, is considering banning its students and staff from performing political speech.
“The new version of...
Archive
Belarus buys oil from Norway as Russia halts supplies
Belarusian state-run oil company Belneftekhim started importing oil from Norway after its main oil provider, Russia, suspended its supplies. The company announced its subsidiary...
Archive
Rosneft increases its share in Bayernoil refinery
Rosneft Deutschland, a subsidiary of Russian oil giant, has completed the deal to acquire a 3.57% stake in Bayernoil Raffineriegesellschaft from British BP, Rosneft...
Archive
Putin presents reforms that could lead to his indefinite rule
Russia’s president Vladimir Putin submitted to parliament a package of constitutional amendments he recently proposed.
He first said the reforms are intended to strengthen government...
Archive
Putin says he opposes unlimited presidential term
Russia’s president Vladimir Putin said he opposes the idea of a system with unlimited term in office for the country's leader, such as the...
Archive
EU should consider sending troops to Libya, Borrell says
The European Union’s foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell suggested an EU military mission to protect cease-fire in Libya.
“If there is a cease-fire in Libya,...
Archive
Rosneft, Russian Environment Ministry ink biodiversity agreement
Russian state oil giant Rosneft and Russia’s Natural Resources and Environment Ministry signed on 14 January a Cooperation Agreement as part of the national...
Archive
Russia's government resigns as Putin calls for constitutional change
Russia’s prime minister Dmitry Medvedev suddenly resigned on 15 January, hours before the head of Russia's tax service, Mikhail Mishustin, was named as the...
Archive
EU supports Poland in its dispute with Russia over WWII
Commissioner Vera Jourova told the EU parliament that she rejects claims that paint Poland as a perpetrator instead of a victim of World War...
Archive
Merkel says Berlin to host Libya peace talks
Libya peace talks will be held in Berlin, said Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel on Saturday, following a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
"We hope...
Archive
Gas reserves of Russian field in Yamal raised to 2 trillion cubic metres
Russia’s Federal Agency for Mineral Resources approved the expert opinion of the State Reserves Commission with regard to the calculation of hydrocarbon reserves in...
Archive
Russia resumes oil supplies to Belarus after pricing dispute
Belarus has reached an agreement with Russia for limited oil supplies after Moscow stopped supplying crude two weeks ago amid stalled talks on strengthening...
Must read