Iran’s crude exports to China have fallen sharply since the start of the Ukraine war as Beijing favored heavily discounted Russian barrels, leaving almost 40 million barrels of Iranian oil stored on tankers at sea in Asia and seeking buyers. US and European sanctions imposed over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24 have pushed … Read more
Now, as Western companies abandon Russia in the wake of Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, McDonald’s has once again become a symbol of an unattainable, foreign world. The same goes for dozens of international brands which millions of middle-class Russians took for granted – Ikea, H&M, Zara, Starbucks, Le Pain Quotidien, Nike, Adidas, Apple, L’Occitane … Read more
Russians lined up in a Moscow train station on Tuesday for what may be their last Big Mac from one of the few McDonald’s restaurants still open in the country. The world’s largest burger chain is rolling down the shutters in Russia after more than 30 years, becoming one of the biggest global brands to … Read more
T he Ukrainian president has said bridges with Russia are not yet “destroyed”, leaving the door open for future negotiations. However, he said talks can only take place if Moscow withdraws to its pre-invasion positions, as of February 23, saying he was not elected to lead “a mini-Ukraine of some kind”. Speaking at an event … Read more
Russia’s Victory Day has had an evolving makeover during President Vladimir Putin’s reign. Increasingly militarizing the commemorative holiday, with more advanced military hardware showcased and political twists added, Vladimir Putin and his choreographers have weaponized the memory of the Great Patriotic War. Using the massive wartime sacrifice as a cultural reference point to blame the … Read more
Press play to listen to this article STOCKHOLM — Sweden and Finland’s NATO debate went on tour this week, with officials performing a carefully choreographed diplomatic dance ahead of a potential joint bid in the coming days to join the military alliance. On Tuesday, Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson and her Finnish counterpart Sanna Marin … Read more
At first glance, Russia may seem to be adapting to the tough new sanctions imposed by Western countries over its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. The ruble, which tumbled in the first days of the war to a record low, rebounded to its highest level since early 2020 this week. Grocery stores in Moscow are still … Read more
V Ladimir Putin’s forces are losing heavily in Ukraine and he cannot “win the war to achieve a settled outcome,” Britain’s former ambassador to Moscow said on Thursday. Sir Andrew Wood, the UK’s top diplomat in Russia from 1995 to 2000, stressed that Ukrainians would not forget “what he has done and what his forces … Read more
Italy’s Prime Minister Mario Draghi on Tuesday urged the EU to embrace a “pragmatic federalism” that would include ditching national vetoes and could involve treaty change. “We need a pragmatic federalism that encompasses all areas affected by ongoing transformations — from the economy to energy to security,” Draghi told the European Parliament in his first … Read more
BERLIN — Finland and Sweden “can count” on Germany’s support should they decide to join the NATO alliance, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Tuesday, adding that both countries were already benefitting from EU military protection in case of an attack. Speaking at Schloss Meseberg, the chancellor’s retreat north of Berlin, Scholz said that Russia’s invasion of … Read more