Russia Monitor Articles
Putin Names Shoigu, And Not Medvedev, In Kremlin Harsh Election Course
Russian officials just started an election campaign before September’s parliamentary vote. President Vladimir Putin revealed top candidates on the federal list of United Russia, the country’s dominant party that seeks to preserve its constitutional majority despite low popularity ratings. The Russian regime took violent action to stifle opposition and curb the possibility to monitor any instances of vote-rigging. Possibly fearing a popular rally after the vote, Putin might have taken a lesson from Lukashenko and thus has embarked on a harsh course now. Picking defense and foreign ministers to head the United Russia list also hints at the party’s harsh rhetoric. Placing Shoigu as the “number one” on the list instead of Dmitry Medvedev, whom many believed to be the favorite in the run-up, aims to increase voter enthusiasm. While Shoigu is now among the most popular Russian politicians, Medvedev is relatively unpopular.
What Biden-Putin Summit Means for Eastern Europe
As expected, the meeting between the U.S. and Russian leaders did not bring any major decisions––let alone a breakthrough in bilateral ties. It seems that both presidents took advantage of the summit to paint their visions and score some political goals. Probably they are both satisfied with the talks in their own manner as Biden posed as a tough politician issuing warnings while Putin showed he is still a top player worldwide. This yet does not mean that the summit has not offered anything to other interested parties.
Ukraine Is Afraid of Biden-Putin Meeting
Ukrainian state authorities are right to be fearful of the outcomes of the meeting of the U.S. and Russian leaders. Earlier, the U.S. administration had given the green light to Russia to complete Nord Stream 2 without notifying Ukraine. The U.S. leader Joe Biden also ignored an appeal from Volodymyr Zelensky for a meeting before talks with Vladimir Putin. Ukraine said it would not accept any agreements reached in discussions in Geneva.
Ukraine Ready to Take Legal Action against Gazprom over Gas Transit
Ukraine is prepared to take legal action against Gazprom to unblock the flow of gas through its territory. “If Gazprom does not execute the deal, we are ready to take it to international arbitration,” Ukraine’s Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal was quoted as saying. Ukraine’s Naftogaz estimated its potential claim at some $7.2 billion. Furthermore, the Ukrainian gas company could come back to its $12.2 billion worth of claims against Gazprom it had earlier withdrawn.
Coronavirus in Russia: Moscow Authorities Take Desperate Decision
On June 12, Russia confirmed 14,723 new coronavirus cases–– the most infections the country has seen since mid-February. The situation leveled off in the following days but as of June 14, Russia has reported 5,222,408 cases since the start of the coronavirus pandemic while its total excess fatality count now stands at 126,801.
Rosneft Loses Customs Arbitration Case
Russia Monitor is a review of the most important events related to Russian internal and external security, as well as its foreign policies. Date: Rosneft Loses Customs Arbitration Case The Moscow Arbitration Court dismissed the lawsuit that Russian...
Russia’s Problem in Sudan: No Chance for Port Putin?
Russia will need to wait for Sudan’s final decision on a naval base on the Red Sea. Close ties to the country’s former dictator Omar Basher and then with Sudanese army generals are not enough to put Moscow’s plans into practice. Also, the United States has joined the game; as Khartoum said it would renegotiate the deal, this means it seeks to get as much as possible from both Moscow and Washington. Yet the prospect of a Russian military base on the Red Sea is becoming more and more distant.
U.S., Germany Continue to Deceive Ukraine over Nord Stream 2
Washington’s decision to waive some sanctions against Nord Stream 2, a move that in fact allows Russia to finish its gas project, was a bitter surprise for Ukraine. Washington and Berlin vowed to do their utmost to shield Kyiv against a blow from Nord Stream 2. But Kyiv should not believe in this as the United States and Germany have no clue how to dissuade Russia from using gas as a coercive weapon against Ukraine.
Austria Is Betting on Russia Where Austrian Officers Get Top Jobs
Full support for Nord Stream 2, “peace in Europe only with Russia,” and giving jobs to former top Austrian officials is how Austria cultivates its relations with Moscow. Vienna has just become one of Moscow’s most important allies in Europe.
Russian Intelligence Pledges to Help Lukashenko Target Enemies Abroad
Belarusian special services are getting increasingly involved in joint activities with Russia. This is not only about counterintelligence cooperations to combat opposition forces inside the country, but also to intimidate those in other states. Such a conclusion comes from the deal the Belarusian KGB just inked with a Russian intelligence agency.
Kremlin Responds To President Duda’s Strong Words About Russia
Russia is “not a normal country” but rather “an aggressor state,” Polish President Andrzej Duda said during a state visit to Georgia, at the border between Georgia and the Russian-occupied breakaway region of South Ossetia. Duda’s vocal criticism of Russia triggered a reaction from the Kremlin.
The Failure of Russia’s Vaccine Diplomacy
Yet once again Russia has failed to handle some technological constraints of its economy. This time is about the production of the Russian Covid-19 vaccine Sputnik V. So far the country has completed just 8 percent of all orders it had gotten from other countries. Those that purchased the jab earlier received small portions of it as Russia has problems producing its vaccine.
Russia Resumes Oil Production In Libya
As Libya’s political and military situation returned to the relative normal, the country is now seeing a renewal of business activities, also in its oil and gas sector. So also Russian companies resumed production; they secured many licenses in the country back at the time when Gaddafi was in power.
Rosneft Makes Next Step Towards Development Of Vostok Oil
Russia Monitor is a review of the most important events related to Russian internal and external security, as well as its foreign policies. Date: Rosneft Makes Next Step Towards Development Of Vostok Oil Rosneft officially starts construction of its...
Warsaw Institute
