Europe
Russian President Vladimir Putin has for the first time admitted that Russian forces were present in Crimea before its annexation last month but refuted claims they are currently operating in the eastern part of Ukraine. “We had to take unavoidable steps so that events did not develop as they are currently developing in southeast Ukraine,” …
Ukraine’s “special operation” against pro-Russian separatists in the east of the country has led to heightened concerns of all-out violence in the troubled region. While Russian President Vladimir Putin criticized the Kiev government for the action, warning that Ukraine was on the verge of a civil war, western leaders have been lining up to condemn …
Ukraine’s Acting President, Oleksandr Turchynov, said an airfield in the eastern town of Kramatorsk had been taken back from pro-Russian separatists, Reuters reported Tuesday. The statement from Turchynov’s office marks the first news of successful action by Ukraine against pro-Russian separatists, who have occupied a number of government building across the east of Ukraine. It …
As the scale of funds being pulled out of Russia became clearer this week, market speculation has increased that the government may have to impose some form of capital control to halt the flight of investment. The outflows are likely to reach $65-70 billion, much higher than previous estimates, according to Andrei Klepach, the deputy …
The sanctions taken against Russia by the West over its annexation of Crimea are already having an impact, which is set to deepen in coming months. The first round of sanctions, which came out earlier in March, were viewed as weak, but a second round announced last week seemed to have more far-reaching impact. Visa …
Crimea’s residents aren’t the only Europeans striving for secession, with referendums in both Scotland and Spain’s Catalonia planned for later this year. But the phenomenon appears to be spreading: this week Venetians have been voting on breaking away from Italy, albeit in a referendum not recognized by Rome or regional authorities. Paolo Bernardini, professor of …
Ukraine may still be reeling from the apparent loss of Crimea and trouble on its Eastern borders with ethnic Russians, but its economic battles may ultimately be more important. While the country is still smarting over the Crimea situation, one potential positive from this situation could be better financial treatment from the West. A West …
As Russian president Vladimir Putin signed a treaty on Tuesday making Crimea part of Russia, a little-known region in neighboring Moldova has also pleaded to join the country. Russian loyalists in the breakaway region of Trans-Dniester, which shares a border with Ukraine, asked the parliament in Russia to write new laws that would allow them …
Markets around the world are getting rattled by what’s happening between Russia and Ukraine as well as the possibility of slowing economic growth in China. Despite the fact that all of those places are thousands of miles away from America’s shores, they’re still having a profound impact on U.S. markets. Traders up and down Wall …
On Sunday, the people of Crimea go to the polls in a referendum on whether to stay part of Ukraine. They are widely forecast to back rejecting Ukrainian rule – but many of the most powerful international forces are discrediting the results before they come in. “Seems to me that this referendum is already pre-ordered …
Investors remain cautious ahead of a big vote in Ukraine on Sunday and they’re eyeing the possibility that tensions could quickly escalate. What are the risks and why is the vote important? We’ll discuss tonight on NBR.
Rocked by the storms surrounding his private life and the French economy’s tepid growth, French President Francois Hollande has turned to rap. The Élysée Palace has hired part-time hip-hop expert Pierre Evil to pen the president’s speeches and help zing up the often dry affairs. Evil, who will be using the more formal Pierre-Yves Bocquet …
The crisis on Ukraine can still send the markets into a tailspin, despite Russia appearing to back away from all-out war and the international wheels of diplomacy whirring into life, analysts and economists have warned. (Read more: Ukraine fin min: We’re broke but we won’t default) The country is still on the verge of further violence. …
Crimea may seem like a nondescript piece of land to squabble over – but its strategic significance has made it the battleground between Russia and the West before. The peninsula, about the size of Maryland, juts out into the Black Sea — the sea between Russia, Turkey and European Union states like Romania. While it …
Military muscle flexing by Russia accentuated risk aversion in global markets on Thursday, with investors once again rushing for safe havens. European markets were firmly “risk off” on Thursday, trading sharply lower. Investors instead opted for safe havens like sovereign bonds and the U.S. dollar. The yield on the 10-year benchmark German bund has fallen to 1.563 …
