Which countries would be affected if Vladimir Putin and Russia turn off the gas? February 26, 2015 Vladimir Putin could be considering closing the taps on Europe’s gas supply. Yesterday, Russia threatened to trim gas supplies to Europe in a matter of days, an action that could have a severe effect on the region. Although some countries have moved to cut their dependence on Russia, much of the continent’s gas is on the [...]
EU re-ignites investigation into anti-trust activities by Russia’s Gazprom February 25, 2015 The EU is about to get going with its huge anti-trust case against Gazprom, Russia's biggest energy company. Responsible for supplying the European Union (EU) with 30 per cent of its gas, Gazprom has been accused of breaching the bloc's rules through over-charging customers in eastern European countries, hindering the progress of rival [...]
Putin has an upper hand – it is high time the West said enough is enough February 15, 2015 Vladimir Putin once said “There is no such thing as a former KGB man.” The problem in dealing with the present Russian Tsar is that he knows far more about our weaknesses than we do about his. Coming to maturity as a KGB officer in eastern Germany, the young Vladimir Putin’s tradecraft involved incessantly analysing [...]
Ukraine crisis: Ceasefire violated within an hour, but is largely holding February 15, 2015 The Ukrainian ceasefire agreement lasted all of 50 minutes. Both sides accused the other of having broken the accord, with the telling shots fired near the town of Debaltseve, where 6,000 government troops are being besieged by separatist forces. Both sides allege that within an hour of the midnight cease in hostilities, artillery shells were [...]
Ukraine crisis: Vladimir Putin announces ceasefire after Minsk talks February 12, 2015 Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced that a ceasefire for eastern Ukraine will begin on 15 February. The announcement comes after marathon talks in Minsk, which swayed between reports a deal could be imminent and claims that Russia's terms were unacceptable. With the news comes an announcement from the IMF, which reported it would replace [...]
Ukraine crisis: Valdimir Putin and Petro Poroshenko agree to sign joint document – reports February 12, 2015 It had seemed could be light at the end of the tunnel for Ukraine. After marathon peace talks in Minsk involving Russian President Vladimir Putin, Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande, and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko it was reported that both Putin and Poroshenko would sign a joint document; offering [...]
World powers clash over solution to the Ukraine crisis February 7, 2015 World leaders clashed over possible solutions to the on-going crisis in Ukraine today, highlighting a lack of consensus over how to halt the conflict which has so far killed around 5,000 people. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned sending arms to Ukraine to fight Russian separatists would be futile, sparking sharp [...]
European leaders call for new Russia sanctions after renewed violence in Ukraine January 27, 2015 European leaders have written a joint statement saying they will back new sanctions against Russia, after renewed violence in eastern Ukraine. Heads of state from all 28 European Union (EU) nations condemned the killing of civilians – said to have been deliberate – in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol over the weekend. We note evidence [...]
Here is everything we know about the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant accident in Ukraine December 3, 2014 Ukraine’s Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk has confirmed there has been an accident at one of the country’s major nuclear power plants today. The reactor affected is Zaporizhia NPP – the largest power plant in Europe, which is in the South East of the country. “I know that an accident has occurred at the Zaporizhia NPP,” Yatsenyuk said. Ukraine’s energy [...]
Has French company DCNS agreed to transfer warship to Russia despite the conflict in Ukraine? November 24, 2014 France has agreed on a deadline to deliver the first of two warships to Russia in a deal that will total around €1.2bn. DCNS, a French industrial group that specialises in naval defence and energy, has agreed with Russia to transfer the Mistral-class helicopter carrier before 27 November. With the ongoing crisis in Ukraine showing [...]