Page 99 - Russia

Russia's disrupted oil trade squeezes profit margins for Indian refiners

Attacks in the Red Sea have driven up freight rates, while tougher US sanctions have stranded some Russian cargoes destined for India, adding to costs

EU's latest sanctions against Russia include Indian, Chinese companies

A report suggested that the measures, which will be formally approved on February 24, will target three companies in mainland China and one in India

EU agrees on sanctions against Russia before 2nd anniversary of Ukraine war

The decision coincides with the second anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion, which began on February 24, 2022, and comes days after the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny

Britain sanctions heads of Russian prison where oppn leader Navalny died

"It's clear that the Russian authorities saw Navalny as a threat and they tried repeatedly to silence him," said UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron

India exported $6.65 bn oil products derived from Russian oil: Report

Over one-third of India's export of oil products to the G7-led coalition countries was derived from Russian crude, a European think-tank said, highlighting how the partners shunned buying Russian crude and imposed price caps but a loose policy on refined product allowed third countries to use Russian oil and legally export products to them. While there are no restriction or sanctions on buying/using Russian crude oil and exporting fuels such as diesel derived from it, the Group of Seven (G7) rich nations, the European Union and Australia - called the price cap coalition countries - first set a crude price cap of USD 60 per barrel starting December 5, 2022 and later on products like diesel to keep market supplied while limiting Moscow's revenue. This was aimed at punishing Russia for its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine by depriving it of oil revenues while averting a surge in prices that could occur if Russian oil stopped flowing to global markets. "In the 13 months since the oil .

China buys Russia's Sokol crude as Indians turn away amid concerns

So far this month, the mostly private processors took an average of 168,000 barrels a day of Sokol, three times more than January's pace and well ahead of the 53,000 barrels in 2023

Putin says Russia has no intention of putting nuclear weapons in space

Russian President Vladimir Putin declared on Tuesday that Moscow has no intention of deploying nuclear weapons in space, claiming that the country has only developed space capabilities similar to those of the US. Putin's statement follows the White House confirmation last week that Russia has obtained a troubling anti-satellite weapon capability, although such a weapon is not operational yet. White House national security spokesman John Kirby said it would violate the international Outer Space Treaty, but declined to comment on whether the weapon is nuclear-capable. The treaty signed by more than 130 countries, including Russia, prohibits the deployment of nuclear weapons or any other kinds of weapons of mass destruction in orbit or the stationing of weapons in outer space in any other manner. The White House said it would look to engage the Russians directly on the concerns. Our position is quite clear and transparent: we have always been and remain categorically opposed to the ...

US to impose 'major sanctions' on Russia over Navalny death: Report

The prison service said at the time that Navalny fell unconscious after a walk and died. US President Joe Biden has blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin

India decides to study the proposal for Brics currency, minus China

For India, a currency common with China is a big anathema, primarily because of the adversarial position Beijing has pursued politically and economically with India, which has only hardened

We are open if approached: EAM on India mediating to end Ukraine conflict

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has indicated that India was open to consider playing the role of a mediator to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict if approached, but noted that New Delhi does not believe it should initiate anything on its own. In an interview to German economic daily Handelsblatt, he also said that following the Ukraine conflict, India's energy suppliers in the Middle-East gave priority to supply petroleum products to Europe that paid higher prices and New Delhi did not have any option but to procure Russian crude oil. Jaishankar asserted that just as India does not expect Europe to have a view of China that is identical to New Delhi's, Europe should understand that India cannot have a view of Russia that is identical to the European one. He said India has had a "stable" and "very friendly" relationship with Russia, and that Moscow never hurt New Delhi's interests. "We, on the other hand, had a politically and militarily much more difficult relationship with ..

Wife, protector and now political heir: Yulia Navalnaya rallies Russians

Aleksei A Navalny had collapsed after being given what German medical investigators would later declare was a near-fatal dose of the nerve agent Novichok

Briefly suspended Yulia Navalnaya's social media account due to error: X

"Our platform's defence mechanism against manipulation and spam mistakenly flagged @yulia_navalnaya as violating our rules," X said in a statement

Foreign aid delays making life 'very difficult' on front line: Zelenskyy

Delays in weapons deliveries from Western allies to Ukraine are opening a door for Russian battlefield advances, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says, making the fight very difficult along parts of the front line where the Kremlin's forces captured a strategic city last weekend ahead of the war's two-year anniversary. Zelenskyy and other officials have often expressed frustration at the slowness of promised aid deliveries, especially since signs of war fatigue have emerged. European countries are struggling to find enough stocks to send to Kyiv, and US help worth USD 60 billion is stalled over political differences. That appears to be playing into the hands of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Even so, more help is heading Ukraine's way, as Sweden announced Tuesday its biggest aid package so far and Canada said it was expediting the delivery of more than 800 drones. Zelenskyy, in his daily video address late Monday, said Russia has built up troops at some points along the ..

Moscow never hurt our interests: EAM justifies Russian crude procurement

Following the conflict in Ukraine, India's energy suppliers in the Middle-East gave priority to provide petroleum products to Europe that paid higher prices and New Delhi did not have any option but to procure Russian crude oil which in turn stabilised the global energy market, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said. In an interview to German economic daily Handelsblatt, Jaishankar also suggested that India was open to play the role of a mediator to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict if approached, but at the same time, said New Delhi does not believe that it should initiate anything in this direction on its own. He asserted that just as India does not expect Europe to have a view of China that is identical to New Delhi's, Europe should understand that India cannot have a view of Russia that is identical to the European one. The external affairs minister said India has had a "stable" and "very friendly" relationship with Russia, and that Moscow never hurt New Delhi's ...

Country needs long-range missiles to end Russia's invasion: Ukraine's PM

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Tuesday that his country needs long-range missiles and other ammunition to end Russia's invasion, and said he expects a US aid package that's stalled in Congress to come through, speaking at a news conference the day after he attended a conference in Tokyo on reconstructing Ukraine. Ukraine has modern equipment, training soldiers and fighting at NATO standards and that European countries and the United States are supporting us, absolutely," Shmyhal said. But, he said, the country needs more long-range missiles for air defense against Russia on the frontline, Shmyhal said. Unfortunately, now they prevail in the air and unfortunately this leads to some consequences from the frontline, but I should say that we have no refuses from our partners to supply military equipment to Ukraine," he said. In many western countries, military support for Ukraine is facing pushback over growing costs as the war approaches the two-year mark. The United

Putin gifts Russian-made car to Kim Jong Un in a show of 'special ties'

Russian President Vladimir Putin has gifted North Korean leader Kim Jong Un a Russian-made car for his personal use in a demonstration of their special relationship, North Korea's state media reported Tuesday. The report didn't say what kind of vehicle it was or how it was shipped. But observers said it could violate a UN resolution that bans supplying luxury items to North Korea in an attempt to pressure the country to abandon its nuclear weapons. Kim's sister, Kim Yo Jong, and another North Korean official accepted the gift Sunday and she conveyed her brother's thanks to Putin, the Korean Central News Agency said. Kim Yo Jong said the gift showed the special personal relationship between the leaders, the report said. North Korea and Russia have boosted their cooperation significantly since Kim travelled to Russia last September for a summit with Putin. During Kim's visit to Russia's main spaceport, Putin showed the North Korean leader his personal Anrus Senat limousine and Kim sat

Stalled US aid for Ukraine shows GOP's shift away from confronting Russia

At about 2 a.m. last Tuesday, Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin stood on the Senate floor and explained why he opposed sending more aid to help Ukraine fend off the invasion launched in 2022 by Russian President Vladimir Putin. I don't like this reality," Johnson said. Vladimir Putin is an evil war criminal. But he quickly added: Vladimir Putin will not lose this war. That argument that the Russian president cannot be stopped so there's no point in using American taxpayer dollars against him marks a new stage in the Republican Party's growing acceptance of Russian expansionism in the age of Donald Trump. The GOP has been softening its stance on Russia ever since Trump won the 2016 election following Russian hacking of his Democratic opponents. There are several reasons for the shift. Among them, Putin is holding himself out as an international champion of conservative Christian values and the GOP is growing increasingly sceptical of overseas entanglements. Then there's ...

Navalny's final months, in his own words: Trump, Indian food, books

"If they're told to feed you caviar tomorrow, they'll feed you caviar," Navalny, the Russian opposition leader, wrote to the same acquaintance, Ilia Krasilshchik, in August

Vladimir Putin signs decree allowing HSBC to sell Russian unit to Expobank

Monday's order said it was allowing Expobank to acquire 100% of the unit, owned by HSBC Europe BV

Putin killed my husband, will continue his fight: Navalny's widow Yulia

In a nine-minute video message laced with rage, Navalnaya, 47, said Putin had killed her husband and in doing so had robbed her of a husband and her two children of a father