London Report: Shares lifted by Putin’s speech despite tension March 18, 2014 THE UK’S top share index rose yesterday as stock markets rebounded after a speech by Russian President Vladimir Putin on Ukraine, which some traders interpreted as being less aggressive in tone than had been expected. The blue-chip FTSE 100 index closed up 0.6 per cent, or 36.93 points, at 6,605.28 points – marking only the [...]
UK suspends military cooperation with Russia after Putin signs Crimea treaty March 18, 2014 Foreign secretary William Hague has said Britain has suspended bilateral military cooperation with Russia, including arms exports, in a move responding to Russia’s annexing of Crimea. President Putin has formally signed a treaty to accept the “Republic of Crimea” into the Russian Federation, saying he does not plan to seize any other regions of Ukraine. He [...]
Putin signs Crimea over to Russia as the EU and US issue sanctions March 17, 2014 PRESIDENT Putin has signed Crimea over to Russia and announced it is now a sovereign state, according to the Kremlin. The Russian president is understood to have signed a decree last night recognising the Ukrainian territory as part of Russia, following a widely-disputed vote in Crimea on Sunday. The news comes as President Obama and [...]
Putin’s calculations make Ukraine escalation all too likely March 17, 2014 GETTING inside the thinking of Vladimir Putin is a daunting prospect at the best of times; and these aren’t the best of times. Yet doing so shows why a worst-case outcome just a few days ago suddenly seems entirely plausible. After the Crimean referendum, the thoughts ringing around Putin’s head go something like this: “I [...]
Merkel: Russia’s is “the law of the jungle” March 13, 2014 Germany’s chancellor Angela Merkel has accused Russia of invoking “the law of the jungle” in the Crimea crisis, warning that EU leaders are poised to take further action. If Russia continues on its current path, it’ll be a catastrophe not just for Ukraine and the EU, but for Russia as well, she said. In a [...]
Boris urges developers to stop offering London homes to foreigners first March 11, 2014 Boris Johnson will urge developers and investors this afternoon to sign up to a new deal to stop giving buyers living abroad the first chance to buy London homes sold before they’re built, in a bid to get more Londoners onto the housing ladder. Speaking at Mipim, the property’s industry annual conference in Cannes, the [...]
Forget sanctions: Putin has already traumatised fragile Russia March 10, 2014 AT FIRST sight, Vladimir Putin’s assertion of Russia’s power and influence in Crimea has been a neat operation with low costs. Moscow’s aggression can even look like a nice little earner. While the EU, US and IMF offer aid to Ukraine, Russia gets to keep the undisbursed $12bn (£7.2bn) of its $15bn soft loan to [...]
Hague warns of violent conflict if Putin advances March 10, 2014 FOREIGN secretary William Hague issued a stark message to Russia yesterday, warning there is a “great danger of a shooting conflict” if Putin moves troops out of Crimea and into mainland Ukraine. Hague reiterated the threat of UK sanctions against President Putin’s nation after armed personnel carriers were seen rolling into the country on Saturday. [...]
No action from Draghi despite lower inflation March 6, 2014 THE EURO strengthened against other major currencies yesterday, following the European Central Bank’s (ECB) decision not to ease monetary policy further, and official forecasts of low inflation for years to come. Some economists had suggested that the central bank might choose to cut rates, but ECB president Mario Draghi held his ground and announced no [...]
Obama: Putin is fooling nobody March 4, 2014 BARACK Obama issued a stark message to President Putin yesterday, warning that Russia’s attempts to legitimise military intervention in Crimea are fooling nobody. The US President all-but accused Putin of violating international law, while US secretary of state John Kerry reiterated the threat of economic sanctions against the country if Putin does not withdraw his [...]