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Russia Spend €1 Billion per Year on State Salaries and Pensions in DPR and LPR
An investigation conducted by the German magazine, Bild revealed that Russia spends about 1 billion Euros on the salaries and welfare of citizens of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics. According to Bild, this amount corresponds to 0.6% of the annual expenses of the Russian budget.
Moscow spends nearly 79 million Euros every month on salaries of state employees and pensions in so-called DPR and LPR, Bild wrote. About 2.4 billion Rubles (approximately 30 million Euros) …
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Daniel Fried: Russia is now Taking Sanctions Seriously
Speaking at American University in Washington on January 15th, the U.S. State Department’s Coordinator for Sanctions, Daniel Fried, stated that the U.S. Government believes that sanctions are an instrument of international policy. According to Fried, economic influences have a greater effect than the use of military force in today’s political climate.
In recent history, there are examples of both successful and unsuccessful sanctions. For the latter, Fried cites the blockade of Cuba, which, …
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Ukraine Increases Gas Imports from Europe By 24 Percent
The spokesman of Ukrtransgaz Company, Maxim Belyavsky wrote on his Facebook page that Ukraine increased its daily volume of gas imports through Slovakia and Hungaryby 24% to 36%. This marks an increase of about 3 million cubic meters.
“On the 16th of January, Ukraine imported 36.3 million cubic meters from Europe. Of that amount, 34.9 million cubic meters were imported through the Slovak gas corridor,” Belyavsky wrote.
The spokesman of Ukrtransgaz Company noted that the previous day, 29.3 …
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US Delivers $23 Million in Communications Hardware and Medical Equipment to Ukraine
Military communications and medical equipment with total value of $23 million have been sent to Ukraine by the US, as reported by the American Embassy’s press service in Kiev. The shipment was delivered to Boryspil Airport last night.
The total package included $21 million worth of secure radio equipment to aid Ukrainian soldiers in communicating effectively to ensure their safety. It also included $2 million in medical equipment for saving lives on the battlefield, according to the official …
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Russia’s natural resource hegemony continues to decline
With the lifting of sanctions against Iran and Tehran’s consequent participation in the global oil market, the price for Russia’s main export commodity—energy sources—continues to decline with no end in sight. With the fourth largest reserves in the world, Iran put its oil on the global market on Monday, contributing to oil prices dropping below $28 per barrel.
What is more, the recent events in the Russian gas supply market exacerbate the situation, as traditional markets for Russian natural …