G20 summit 2014: Vladimir Putin walkout eclipses pledges made in Brisbane November 17, 2014 G20 leaders promised market-led reforms to boost growth at the weekend’s summit in Brisbane that saw Russian President Vladimir Putin controversially leaving early and further progress made on a free trade agreement between the US and EU. “We are implementing structural reforms to lift growth and private sector activity, recognising that well-functioning markets underpin prosperity,” [...]
“More sanctions? I’m off”: Putin leaves G20 early after being blasted over Ukraine November 15, 2014 Russian President Vladimir Putin has decided to wave goodbye to his fellow G20 summit attendees a day early, after they criticised Russia's involvement in Ukraine and threatened to impose more sanctions on Moscow. Western leaders from both Europe and North America berated Russia for its part in the recent escalation of military activity in [...]
Putin threatens retaliation against Ukraine if EU trade deal goes ahead September 24, 2014 Russian president Vladimir Putin has warned Ukraine that its access to Russian markets could be hampered if it goes ahead with a planned trade agreement with the EU. Putin said in a letter to Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko that any change to legislation to prepare for the deal would be met with retaliation from Russia. [...]
Russian rouble rallies as Putin agrees Ukraine ceasefire September 5, 2014 The rouble rose 0.22 per cent against the dollar and 0.14 per cent against the Euro at pixel time after Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko announced his government had reached a ceasefire agreement with pro-Russian rebels this afternoon. Earlier in the day, investors had piled into Russian stocks on rumours of an end to fighting, with [...]
Ukraine can’t win in this crisis – but Putin can be made to pay for his victory September 3, 2014 IT IS a standard rule of thumb in global risk analysis that the side in a conflict calling for a ceasefire is the side that is losing. Until two weeks ago, President Putin of Russia – seeing his Kremlin-sponsored separatists on the run in the face of a rejuvenated Ukrainian army – was all for [...]
Space race take two? Putin speeds up building of Russian spaceport September 2, 2014 Russia has upped its game in the race to become a space superpower. Today, President Vladimir Putin announced that he was hastening Russia's efforts to build a multi-billion dollar spaceport in the East of the country. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Russia has relied on the Baikonur cosmodrome in [...]
Putin has won in Ukraine – but the West can still salvage the long game September 1, 2014 There’s only one way to make a fortune, and that’s to down the fellow who’s up against you." W Somerset Maugham, on poker ONE OF the many wonderful traditions at St Andrews University is that, if a student did well, they did not have to sit final exams until their last year. As a result, [...]
EU warns Russia to withdraw from Ukraine as Putin steps up rhetoric August 31, 2014 EUROPEAN leaders, backed by America, have warned Russia’s President Putin that he has a week to withdraw from Ukraine and calm the crisis between the two countries, or face tough new economic sanctions. The warning comes as Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said his country is at breaking point. “We are very close to the point [...]
Nato can save us from Putin – but only if Europe gets serious about its military August 31, 2014 For my sins, early in my Washington career I was sent to literally scores of high-level North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) meetings, frustratingly all on the same beside-the-point topic. Stripped of its finery, basically every conclave revolved around finding another mission for the most successful politico-military alliance in the history of the world, now that [...]
Putin wants to negotiate “statehood” of southeast Ukraine August 31, 2014 As Europe gets ready to place more sanctions on Russia, Vladimir Putin has called for the “statehood” of southeast Ukraine to be negotiated. In a TV interview, the Russian President said: “We must immediately begin substantive, meaningful negotiations, not on technical questions but on questions of the political structure of society and of the [...]