Section: The United Kingdom
European energy policy: Only connect
ENERGY, the European Commission believes, should flow freely to and between EU members. So Maros Sefcovic, the energy commissioner, has two adversaries. One is Russia, which is trying to keep its chokehold on gas supplies to eastern Europe. The other is EU national governments and their state-owned companies. They like the clout of national...
Russia’s battered economy: Hardly tottering by
JUDGING by the lack of economic news in Russia’s media, a crisis has arrived. Just as in Soviet days, state television does not report facts, it conceals them. The official picture is dominated by the war in Ukraine (fuelled by America), Ukraine’s economic collapse (ignored by America) and Russia’s achievements in sport, ballet...
Ukraine’s economy: On the edge
THE Ukrainian economy would rather forget 2014. But 2015 may be little better: GDP is still shrinking. Gas payments, defence and support for the hryvnia, which lost half its value in 2014, have bled the government dry. Foreign-currency reserves fell by a quarter in December, leaving just $7.5 billion, equivalent to only five weeks’ worth of...
A new year, a new Ukraine?
Amid announcements by the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, that Ukraine and the EU were seeing “limited but positive signs” in Eastern Ukraine, hopes for a new and more constructive approach from Russia have emerged. While the peace talks that were planned to take place this week between...
Russian fears lead Lithuania to print ‘how to survive invasion’ manual
Resist foreign occupation and attempt cyber-attacks against enemy, advises document produced by defence ministryLithuania is publishing a manual to advise its citizens on how to survive a war on its soil as concerns grow that Russia’s intervention in Ukraine heralds increased assertiveness in its tiny Baltic neighbours.“Keep a sound mind,...
Ukraine steps up mobilization, warns of renewed Russian ‘aggression’
KIEV (Reuters) – Ukraine’s parliament voted on Thursday to refresh its front-line forces and resume partial conscription after a top security official warned that Russian forces backing separatist rebels had sharply increased military activity in the east. …read more Source:...
Worried about Russia? Lithuania says ‘Keep calm and read the war manual’
VILNIUS (Reuters) – Lithuania is publishing a manual to advise its citizens on how to survive a war on its soil as concerns grow that Russia’s intervention in Ukraine heralds increased assertiveness in its tiny Baltic neighbors. …read more Source:...
Nagorno-Karabakh and border disputes | Letters: Tahir Taghizadeh, Ambassador of Azerbaijan in London and Yugo Kovach
Your inclusion of Nagorno-Karabakh in an article on “the best new adventures for 2015” (Totally out there, Travel, 10 January) is disrespectful to the people of Azerbaijan. Nagorno-Karabakh is an internationally recognised part of Azerbaijan currently under the occupation of Armenian armed forces. Do you think it is morally right to encourage an...
The Balkans are the soft underbelly of Europe
A controlled crisis would give Russia bargaining chips and deniability, and distract from Ukraine, writes Ivan Krastev …read more Source: Financial...
Ukraine’s foreign minister sees new ‘contact group’ meeting on Ukraine soon
KIEV (Reuters) – A “contact group” meeting of Ukraine, Russia and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe could be held in the next few days to consider a peace plan for Ukraine, Interfax quoted Ukraine’s foreign minister as saying on Thursday. …read more Source:...
