• Russian Parliament passes law allowing Putin to run for fifth term

    The Russian State Duma passed in the third and final reading a law on bringing the electoral legislation in line with the amendments to the  Russian Constitution.

    According to the law, one person cannot be president of Russia more than twice. However, according to one of the amendments, this restriction no longer applies to those who held the post before the amendments to the Constitution came into force.

    Thus, Putin's term is "zeroed out", which allows him to run again in the presidential …

  • Russia prepares $20 billion lawsuit against Ukraine for ‘water blockade of Crimea’

    By the end of April, documents are expected to be ready to sue Ukraine for damages caused to the peninsula by the water blockade, said the first deputy chairman of the Crimean State Council, Yefim Fiks. According to him, the amount of claims is 1.5 trillion rubles ($20 billion USD).

    "We have documents for 1.5 trillion rubles at the moment. It's the direct damage. But the amount may increase. I assume that the number can go up to 10 trillion rubles ($130 billion USD)," Fiks was quoted as saying …

  • U.S. Senators urge Biden to accelerate sanctions against Nord Stream 2

    U.S. Senators Robert Menendez (New Jersey) and Jeanne Shaheen (from New Hampshire) sent a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken calling for accelerated imposition of new sanctions against the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.

    "This pipeline must be stopped, and your leadership is required towards that end. We urge that the effort to build strong Nord Stream 2 sanctions packages be accelerated to meet the urgency of the moment," the Senators said in a letter.

    On March 18, the U.S. State Department …

  • Moscow warns Washington against creating ‘difficult days’ for Russia

    Moscow said that if the U.S. authorities continue to create "difficult days" in relations with Russia, they would have to answer for it. 

    "If they predict it, then they plan. And if they plan it, they can carry it through. But then, they will be responsible for the actions they have committed," said the Secretary of the Russian Security Council Nikolay Patrushev in response to the words of the US National Security Advisor Jacob Sullivan about the upcoming “difficult days” in relations with …

  • Norway to block sale of engines manufacturer to Russia

    The Norwegian government will block the sale of the manufacturer of diesel and gas engines Bergen Engines AS to the Russian industrial holding, the TMH Group (Transmashholding). This step is taken on the basis of national security considerations, announced on Tuesday, March 23, the Minister of Justice and Public Security of Norway, Monica Meland, speaking at a hearing in Storting, the unicameral parliament of the country.

    "The sale would strengthen Russia's military capabilities in a way that …