Russia
Argentina complains to Russia over vaccine delivery
Argentina has complained to Russia about delays in delivering second doses of its Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine in a letter warning of breach of contract repercussions, the government in Buenos Aires said Thursday (22 July).
Russia takes Ukraine to European court over MH17 plane crash
Russia said Thursday (22 July) it had filed a complaint against Ukraine with the European Court of Human Rights, blaming Kyiv for the 2014 crash of a Malaysian airliner and civilian deaths in Russia and Ukraine.
US, Germany to vow action on Russia in Nord Stream 2 deal
The United States and Germany will take action against Russia if it uses the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to harm Ukraine or other Eastern European countries, according to sources familiar with a bilateral agreement expected on Wednesday (21 July).
Biden, Merkel fail to resolve differences about Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline
US President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Angela Merkel failed on Thursday (15 July) to settle their dispute over Russia’s Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline but said they agreed that Moscow must not be allowed to use energy as...
Britain’s MI5 spy chief says: Beware of Russian and Chinese agents
Britain's top domestic spymaster will caution the population on Wednesday (14 July) to treat the threat of spying from Russia and China as vigilantly as terrorism, warning that foreign spies were seeking to pilfer technology, sow discord and attack infrastructure.
EU efforts to assess Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine stymied by data gaps
The developers of Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine have repeatedly failed to provide data that regulators deem to be standard requirements of the drug approval process, according to five people with knowledge of EU efforts to assess the drug.
Kerry in Moscow: US, Russia say will cooperate on climate
US and Russia said on Monday (12 July) they would cooperate on climate change despite strained relations, during a visit to Moscow by US climate envoy John Kerry.
Estonia decries detention of diplomat in Russia ‘espionage’ set-up
Estonia accused Russia on Tuesday (6 July) of detaining one of its diplomats after a "set-up" designed to make him look like a spy, saying the incident showed Russia was choosing confrontation in its relations with Europe.
French champagne houses cry foul over Russian label rule
Champagne houses in France issued a plea for diplomatic help over a new Russian law reserving the term "champagne" for Russian-produced sparkling wines, which led to a temporary interruption of supplies from the market leader Moët Hennessy.
Azerbaijan frees 15 captured Armenian troops in exchange of minefield maps
Azerbaijan on Saturday (3 July) handed over to Yerevan 15 Armenian troops captured last year in the wake of an armed conflict over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region, officials said.
Putin says Russia could have sunk UK warship without starting World War Three
President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday (30 June) that Russia could have sunk a British warship that it accused of illegally entering its territorial waters without starting World War Three and accused Washington of a role in the "provocation".
Russia tests Crimean air defence systems as Ukraine, US hold Black Sea drills
Russia tested the readiness of its air defence systems in Crimea, the peninsula it annexed from Ukraine in 2014, as Ukraine and NATO countries held military drills in the Black Sea, the Interfax news agency reported on Tuesday (29 June).
Merkel says ‘sovereign’ EU should be able to talk to Putin
German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday (25 June) insisted that the EU should be able to talk to Russian leader Vladimir Putin, after other leaders from the bloc thwarted her push for a summit.
Member states should refrain from bilateral dealings with Russia
The rejection of the EU-Russia Summit should not encourage member states towards having bilateral dealings with Russia, writes Urmas Paet.
Bulgarian president: A summit with Putin is a matter of realism
Bulgarian President Rumen Radev told reporters after an EU summit on Friday (25 June) that he had strongly supported the proposal of French and German leaders to hold an EU summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying it would help the bloc's ambition to become a global player.
France, Germany drop plans for Russia summit after EU outcry
European Union leaders failed to agree on a proposal by France and Germany to hold a summit soon with Russian President Vladimir Putin after Poland and Baltic countries said it would send the wrong message as East-West ties deteriorate. After...
Row over Hungary’s LGBTQ law blows EU summit off course
Controversy over a new Hungarian law banning LGBTQ references in school materials is threatening to overshadow an EU summit on Thursday and Friday (24-25 June) intended to focus on foreign policy issues: confronting Russia and tricky ties with Turkey.
After ‘negative spiral’, EU summit seeks the Russian algorithm
European Union leaders will on Thursday (24 June) consider whether to seek a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin as part of a new strategy to manage relations with Moscow that the EU says are in a "negative spiral".
Draghi takes distance from Russia and China, anchors Italy to the West
Italy’s Prime Minister Mario Draghi has clearly aligned his country with the EU and the Atlantic alliance, with strongly worded messages at the recent G7 and NATO summits that end his predecessors’ ambiguous position towards Russia and China. After years...
Biden, Putin hail positive talks, but bad blood stays on
Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin sought to cool tensions in the dangerously spiraling US-Russian relationship at their first summit in Geneva on Wednesday (16 June), with the US president saying his Kremlin counterpart doesn't want a new Cold War.
EU should prepare for ‘further downturn’ of relations with Moscow, says Borrell
Close cooperation with Russia is a "distant prospect" and the EU should prepare for a further deterioration of relations with Moscow, the EU's chief diplomat Joseph Borrell said on Wednesday (16 June) presenting the Commission's proposal for a new strategy on EU-Russia relations.
Biden to confront Putin in tense Geneva summit
President Joe Biden will draw "red lines" for President Vladimir Putin at a tense Geneva summit on Wednesday (16 June), where ghosts of the Cold War will hover over modern-day US concerns that Russia has become a rogue, authoritarian state.
Biden assures he has the allies’ backing ahead of Putin meeting
On the eve of his bilateral meeting with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, US President Joe Biden told NATO allies he would tell Moscow he was not looking for conflict with Russia, but that NATO would respond if Russia continued its...