Tag: Russia

Russian gas company Novatek has renewed its long-standing demand to market liquefied natural gas (LNG) directly to foreign customers without going through monopoly gas exporter Gazprom.

Politically correct rhetoric of recent addresses from Russian President Vladimir Putin and his focus on problems in Russia and post-Soviet space may be attributed to the objective lack of foreign partners to form a global strategic agenda, writes Lidiya Smola.

The rise of independent gas producers in Russia marks a paradigm-shift for the domestic market, and could ultimately challenge Gazprom’s dominant position both at home and in the export markets, argues Danila Bochkarev.

Russia could provide support to Cyprus but the island state itself and the European Union must take the biggest share of a bailout, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has told a German newspaper.

For experts and analysts, the new year traditionally begins with the definition of the main trends of social, political and economic development. Actions in Ukraine show that some trends will have significant implications for the Ukrainian society, argues Lidiya Smola.

Today, it seems that one seeks to artificially impose a choice on Ukraine: either favour the EU or the Russian-led Customs Union. The myths are exaggerated in Ukraine and obviously go beyond borders, getting to the ear of our attentive EU partners, says Kostiantyn Yelisieiev.

The European Union - winner of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize - should take a strong stand against the ongoing destruction of civil society in Russia at the summit with Vladimir Putin,  write Adam Bodnar and Dominika Bychawska-Siniarska.

The coming of shale gas will magnify the importance of geography. Because it can be transported across oceans in liquid form, states with coastlines will have the advantage, writes Robert D. Kaplan.

In the lead-up to the creation of a Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), foreseen for 2015, the Customs Union (CU) and the Common Economic Space (CES) between Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan represent two elements of the most ambitious regional integration projects launched in the post-Soviet space since 1991, write Steven Blockmans, Hrant Kostanyan and Ievgen Vorobiov.

The human rights situation in the EU has deteriorated with the economic crisis, a Russian envoy said yesterday (6 December), citing xenophobia, racism, violent nationalism, police abuse and neo-Nazism among others. “We believe that nobody should have the monopoly to assess the human rights situation in other countries,” the envoy insisted.

I am amazed by the current discussion about the EU–Ukraine Association Agreement, about when, where, why to sign it or to sign it all in all. It’s a total confusion of goals and means and nobody is talking about it, neither in the EU nor in Ukraine, writes Pavlo Klimkin.

The simple expectation from the Ukrainian authorities that the EU won't let Ukraine transformation into a new Belarus allows the current Ukrainian administration to manipulate the position of official Brussels in favour of itself, says Viktor Tkachuk.

This is the reality of the current round of the Palestinian-Israeli war: It matters to the Palestinians and Israelis but not to the world, beyond those who demand a world that is just and whose definition of justice is what they believe to be just, writes Stratfor.

Cyprus's request for a bailout has created a political headache for German Chancellor Angela Merkel over concerns that wealthy Russians could be the chief beneficiaries, the weekly Der Spiegel reported, citing an intelligence agency report.

Russia's Gazprom committed more than €29 billion to develop an East Siberian gas field and build a pipeline to the Pacific port of Vladivostok in a bid to lessen its reliance on exports to Europe and develop Asian markets, amid falling demand from Europe.

The EU's foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton expressed concern yesterday (25 October) over Russia's recent adoption of a Cold War-style law, which could potentially imprison citizens in contact with foreigners for up to 20 years.

While there is significant disagreement within the Kremlin about how to deal with Sofia's challenge, Moscow is running out of ways to push Bulgaria into fast-tracking its commitment to South Stream, says Stratfor.

BP is ending a stormy relationship with Russian tycoons from a company known as AAR and is instead targeting a partnership with government-owned Rosneft. The deal, worth over $25 billion (€19.18 billion) could give the British oil company a stake of between 16% and 20% in the Russian oil giant. 

Some political experts say the victory of the Georgian Dream coalition in the recent parliamentary election can lead to the curtailment of reforms introduced by President Mikheil Saakashvili government, writes Lidiya Smola.

Instead of seeking to position itself to the West or to the East, Ukraine should reform and use its huge natural resources and human potential to become a big international player on its own terms, speakers told a conference held in the European Parliament on Wednesday (26 September).

Russian punk band Pussy Riot, whose three female musicians were sentenced to two years in prison after staging an anti-Vladimir Putin protest in a Moscow cathedral, are among the candidates for the European Parliament’s annual Sakharov Prize, EurActiv has learned.

Russia told impoverished Moldova yesterday (12 September) to choose between low-priced gas from Russia and its pledge to adopt European energy liberalisation measures opposed by Moscow, which is girding for a conflict with Europe over natural gas.

Russia's Atomstroyexport is seeking €1 billion in compensation following Bulgaria’s decision to shelve plans for building the Belene nuclear power station near the River Danube. Dnevnik, EurActiv's partner publication in Bulgaria, reports.

Lithuania has stepped forward to denounce pressure from Gazprom after the European Commission yesterday opened a formal antitrust investigation against the Russian gas monopoly for allegedly hindering competition in Central and Eastern European gas markets.