Contents tagged with Sanctions

  • Russian Duma Speaker: Sanctions against Russia are humiliating and illogical for the EU

    According to Sergei Naryshkin, the Russian Duma Speaker, the sanctions against Russia have been entered into without the consent of the people of the EU.  The sanctions against Russia are humiliating and illogical for the EU, said Naryshkin, in an article he wrote for the newspaper Izvestia, released on Monday.

    "Brussels’ approach to modern Russia is a strategic miscalculation.  Talking to us in the language of illegal sanctions is illogical and obviously embarrassing for European diplomacy," …

  • Russian sanctions extended

    BRUSSELS – The European Union on Monday extended its economic sanctions against Russia for six months, after the Kremlin had failed to fully respect a peace agreement in east Ukraine.

    The sanctions target Russia's financial, energy and defense sectors as well as some dual-use goods.

    Despite a cease-fire declared in February, Ukraine says it still has not regained complete control over its border with Russia and that Russian-backed rebels are not respecting the cease-fire conditions.

    The …

  • Poroshenko: We must prevent Crimea from turning into a Russian military base

    At a briefing with the President of Poland, Petro Poroshenko stated that it’s important to prevent the annexed Crimea from becoming a Russian military base. The President of Ukraine thanked him for Poland’s firm position in support of Ukrainian sovereignty, independency and territorial integrity.

    He indicated that he and Duda have discussed the situation in eastern Ukraine including strategies to resolve the issue of non-recognition of the annexation and the continued illegal occupation of …

  • More EU Sanctions for Russia?

    An automatic extension of EU sanctions against Russia has not yet happened, and Italy is insisting that EU governments engage in meaningful political discussion to consider their effectiveness over the Kremlin’s policies.

    A discussion of the effectiveness of the sanctions, which are set to expire December 31st,  could help EU member states decide if the current sanctions should be extended, weakened, or removed altogether. As EU Ministers meet in Brussels in the coming days, they are expected …

  • Russia fears Kaliningrad blackout

    Russia fears of Baltic countries arranging a blackout of Kaliningrad

    Moscow fears this blackout because work began laying cables between Lithuania and Poland, and a further cable to Sweden will soon be added. This means that the Baltic states could soon be in a position to implement such a blackout. As a preventative measure, Russia will have to invest billions of dollars to ensure supplies to Kaliningrad, and it seems as though Russia plans to build four new power plants there. The opinion on …

  • Russian Poor Increased By Millions

    On Thursday, December 10th, Interfax reported on the findings of the Federal State Statistics Service of the Russian Federation (Rosstat). The data indicates that the number of poor in Russia from January to September 2015 increased by millions of people and reached 20.3 million.

    2.3 million Russians joined the poverty line this year.  The total poverty rate in the country amounted to 14.1%, an increase of almost 2% compared to the year 2014.  The largest number of poor in 2015 was in the …

  • Polish apples and Turkish oranges: the Kremlin's response to Ankara

     

    The Kremlin has not yet decided what measures will be taken to punish Turkey for the downed Su-24.  For now, the Russian government had decided to strike Turkey financially.  Turkish imports were banned and a one-sided visa regime for Turkish citizens entering Russia was introduced.  In Turkey, the visa-free regime for Russian citizens was never cancelled.Putin, and more precisely the Russian government, is trying to kill two birds with one stone. In situations in which the Russian budget …

  • Khodorkovsky: Revolution in Russia Is Inevitable

    Revolution in Russia is inevitable and necessary.  Former Yukos Oil Company CEO, Mikhail Khodorkovsky stated it unequivocally during an interview from London that was broadcast on the "Open Russia" website.

    “Russian society needs to admit that there was an anti-constitutional coup in the country, and that Parliament has adopted illegitimate, repressive laws,” Khodorkovsky said.  “In the absence of the institution of fair elections and other mechanisms of legitimate power change, the only …

  • Italy Delays Decision on EU Sanctions against Russia

    At a meeting of European Union ambassadors the Italian diplomats requested further discussion on anti-Russian sanctions.  The exact date for discussion has not been appointed.

    As Radio Poland reports, the Italian proposal was supported by several other countries and as a result the decision about the sanctions’ extension was postponed.  According to sources in diplomatic circles, the discussion may resume on December 10 or be postponed until the EU Summit, scheduled for December 17-18.  The …

  • Turkey plans to impose retaliatory sanctions on Russia

    Turkey is responding to the sanctions imposed by Russia after the SU-24 incident with a list of its own sanctions against Russia, as reported by the Milliyet, a Turkish news outlet. Under the leadership of the Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey, Mehmet Şimşek, a meeting was held to discuss the type of sanctions that would be imposed. A bill specifying sanctions was developed at the meeting and will be submitted for approval to the Prime Minister of Turkey, Ahmet Davutoğlu.

    The main provisions of …