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☆ Coup juntas threaten to quit West Africa bloc: Here’s what it means for the region — and Russia
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

ACCRA, Ghana - ECOWAS flag with member flags at the second extraordinary summit on the political situation in Burkina Faso, in Accra, Ghana, on February 3, 2022. OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso - Jan. 20, 2023: A banner of Russian President Vladimir Putin is seen during a protest to support the Burkina Faso President Captain Ibrahim Traore and to demand the departure of France's ambassador and military forces. Mali has ruled out leaving WAEMU, while Burkina Faso is considering it. "Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger will likely draw on the extractive sector to improve their weak economies. A recent UN Development Programme report surveyed 5,000 people who had directly experienced a recent coup or unconstitutional change of government, including citizens of Burkina Faso, Chad, Guinea, Mali and Sudan.

Persons: NIPAH DENNIS, Bola Tinubu, Vladimir Putin, Captain Ibrahim Traore, Alex Vines, there'd, Tinubu, Ouattara, —, Vines, Mucahid Durmaz, Verisk Maplecroft, Durmaz, Balima Boureima, insurgencies, Wagner, Niger, specter, Mohamed Bazoum, Rey Byhre Organizations: Getty, Economic, West African States, ECOWAS, Nigerian, Africa, Chatham House, CNBC, Algeria —, West, Cote D'Ivoire, Anadolu Agency, Getty Images, Wagner Group, West African Economic, Monetary Union, CFA, National Council for, UN Locations: ACCRA, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Accra, AFP, Mali, Niger, Sahel, Mauritania, OUAGADOUGOU, Chatham, France, Nigeria, Côte d'Ivoire, Algeria, Malian, Russia, Bamako, Mucahid, West Africa, Togo, Benin, Cote, NIAMEY, NIGER, Niamey, West, U.S, Moscow, WAEMU, Seme, Chad, Guinea, Sudan, The Gambia, Tanzania, Kati

☆ Putin is trying to track down overseas properties that the Soviet Union owned and stake claims on them
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Russian President Putin has ordered a search for real estate abroad that belonged to the Soviet Union and the Russia Empire. One decree allocates funds for the search, while the other provides funds for maintenance and operations. AdvertisementThe Soviet Union was formed in 1922 and collapsed in 1991, after which its constituent republics — which includes Ukraine and the Baltic countries, among others — became independent states. Putin has called the collapse of the Soviet Union "the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the century" and said in 2021 that the event marked the demise of "historical Russia." AdvertisementIn June 2022, Putin compared himself to Czar Peter the Great — the first emperor of Russia — to justify the invasion of Ukraine.

Persons: Putin, —, Vladimir Putin, Peter the Great, Russia — Organizations: Service, Russian Empire, TASS Locations: Soviet Union, Russia, Russian, Soviet, Ukraine, Baltic, Alaska, US

☆ Russian spy chief who once participated in US-funded program suggests that other Russians who participated in US-funded programs are disloyal
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-11 | by ( Sonam Sheth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewThe head of Russia's foreign intelligence service claimed Thursday that the US could meddle in Russia's upcoming presidential election. Washington could do this, SVR chief Sergei Naryshkin baselessly claimed, by creating a "fifth column" in Russia consisting of Russians who participated in US-funded exchange programs. The term "fifth column" refers to a group of people working to undermine a nation's interests from within. Naryshkin was parroting Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has repeatedly warned of a fifth column within the country's borders.

Persons: —, Sergei Naryshkin baselessly, Naryshkin, Anastasia Burakova, Washington, they'll, Vladimir Putin Organizations: Service, Business, USAID, Foreign Relations, Government Locations: Washington, Russia, USAID, Europe, Leningrad Oblast, Russian, masse, Ukraine

But the growing movement of Russian women underscores the complexity and innate inequality of keeping so many men at war for so long while many more of fighting age remain at home. It is too soon to assess the size or impact of the movement of Russian women in a society which the authorities say is united behind the war effort. Women in Ukraine have also demanded their men be allowed back from the front. When Putin ordered a partial mobilisation of 300,000 reservists in September 2022, hundreds of thousands of young men rushed to leave Russia. Petitions to bring their men back produced almost no response, and Russia's defence ministry has barely engaged with the women, Andreeva said.

Persons: Maria Andreeva, Yulia Morozova, Vladimir Putin, Andreeva, Putin, Dmitry Medvedev, Vitaly Milonov, Milonov, Guy Faulconbridge, Timothy Organizations: State Duma, REUTERS, Kremlin, Reuters, Russia's Security, New, Timothy Heritage, Thomson Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Moscow, Russia, MOSCOW, Soviet Union, Chechnya, Andreeva, Western

[1/5] Russian President Vladimir Putin visits the "Russia" forum and exhibition celebrating the country's major achievements in Moscow, Russia, December 4, 2023. Putin was given an explanation of a Soviet nuclear bomb design and shown a mock control panel for launching a nuclear test, before observing images of a blast and mushroom cloud through a viewing window. Since the start of the Ukraine war, Putin has frequently reminded the West of the size and capabilities of Russia's nuclear arsenal, saying anyone who tried to launch a nuclear attack against it would be wiped from the face of the earth. Supporters of Putin dismiss that analysis, pointing to independent polling which shows he enjoys approval ratings of above 80%. They say that Putin has restored order and some of the clout Russia lost during the chaos of the Soviet collapse.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Mikhail Voskresensky, Putin, Oleg Saitov, Boris Yeltsin, Josef Stalin, Catherine the Great, Mark Trevelyan, Gareth Jones Organizations: Sputnik, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Kremlin, State, Thomson Locations: Russia, Moscow, Soviet, Ukraine, Belarus, Soviet Union, Putin's Russia, London

People, including Russian law enforcement officers, walk near St. Basil's Cathedral and the Kremlin's Spasskaya Tower, as a pigeon flies over Red Square in central Moscow, Russia, March 20, 2023. It was not clear from Russian media reports which foreigners the draft legislation - if it becomes law - would apply to or what the punishment would be for not adhering to the "agreement" which foreigners would have to sign upon entry to Russia. The chairman of the Duma's CIS Affairs Committee said that the draft law was well advanced and was being worked on by the interior ministry, the government, the presidential administration as well as his committee. "The draft law on the so-called 'loyalty agreement' with migrants entering the Russian Federation is in a high degree of readiness," Leonid Kalashnikov told Interfax.

Persons: Evgenia, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Leonid Kalashnikov, Kalashnikov, Lidia Kelly, Guy Faulconbridge, Andrew Osborn, Nick Macfie Organizations: REUTERS, TASS, Russian Federation, Fatherland, Nazi, Opposition, State Duma, Duma's CIS, Committee, Thomson Locations: St, Basil's, Moscow, Russia, MOSCOW, Ukraine, Soviet, Berlin, Europe, Melbourne

Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has led to the most serious confrontation between Moscow and the West since the 1962 Cuban missile crisis, prompting Putin to pivot towards China. Speaking to the World Russian People's Council, led by the head of Russia's Orthodox church, Patriarch Kirill, Putin's picture was shown on a giant screen beside two copies of an ancient Orthodox icon. The Russian Orthodox Church is an ardent institutional supporter of Russia's war in Ukraine, and Putin has espoused its conservatism as part of his vision for Russia's national identity. Putin says that the West is now failing in Ukraine and that its attempt to defeat Russia has also failed. Patriarch Kirill said he would pray for Putin to continue his work for the "benefit" of Russia and its people.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Mikhail Klimentyev, Putin, Kirill, Guy Faulconbridge, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Russian People's Council, Sputnik, REUTERS Acquire, Kremlin, West, NATO, KGB, Thomson Locations: Sochi, Russia, Kremlin, MOSCOW, Ukraine, Moscow, China, United States, Soviet Union, Russian

"Fear is present but it is conscious," said Duntsova, who this month announced she wanted to run for president in the March 2024 election. They say that Putin has restored order and some of the clout Russia lost during the chaos of the Soviet collapse. When asked what she thought of Putin, Duntsova laughed nervously. "When in Europe and the United States they say that Russia and the Russians are Putin - that is not right. She said hardliners in the West and in Russia would be happy to see Russia closing itself off from the world.

Persons: Evgenia, Duntsova, Soviet Union stoked, Vladimir Putin, Putin, chuckled, Indira Gandhi, Africa's Nelson Mandela, Alexandra Skochilenko, Andrei Pivovarov, Ilya Yashin, Vladimir Kara, Murza, Alexei Navalny, She, Guy Faulconbridge, Ed Osmond Organizations: Reuters, REUTERS, Rights, Kremlin, CIA, Justice Ministry, Prosecutors, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, Ukraine, Soviet Union, Europe, Russian, RUSSIA, Putin's Russia, United States, Siberian, Krasnoyarsk, Rzhev, Tver

[1/5] Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers a speech during a plenary session of the Artificial Intelligence Journey 2023 international AI and machine learning conference in Moscow, Russia November 24, 2023. Sputnik/Mikhail Klimentyev/Kremlin via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsSummaryCompanies Putin to approve new AI strategy soonChina and U.S. lead on AI currentlyRussian AI has been set back by Ukraine war, sanctionsPutin calls Russia to up its game on AIMOSCOW, Nov 24 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin on Friday warned that the West should not be allowed to develop a monopoly in the sphere of artificial intelligence (AI), and said that a much more ambitious Russian strategy for the development of AI would be approved shortly. "In all spheres of our life, humanity is beginning a new chapter of its existence," Putin said of AI, adding that Russia needed to up its game on AI both in ambitions and execution. Russia, he said, would have to change laws, boost international cooperation, and ensure much more investment for the development of AI. He told Putin in June that Sberbank was making around $3 billion annually from $1 billion in AI investments.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Mikhail Klimentyev, Putin, Gref, Sberbank, Guy Faulconbridge, Gareth Jones, Mark Potter Organizations: Artificial, Sputnik, REUTERS Acquire, MOSCOW, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, Kremlin, China, U.S, Russian, Ukraine, United States, India, Israel, South Korea, Japan

[1/2] Russian President Vladimir Putin and Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk attend the G20 virtual summit via a video link in Moscow, Russia, November 22, 2023. "Yes, of course, military actions are always a tragedy," Putin told the virtual G20 meeting called by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "And of course, we should think about how to stop this tragedy," Putin said. Putin used the word "war" to describe the conflict instead of the current Kremlin term of "special military operation". "I understand that this war, and the death of people, cannot but shock," Putin said, before setting out the Russian case that Ukraine had persecuted people in eastern Ukraine.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Alexei Overchuk, Mikhail Klimentyev, Putin, Ukraine Putin, Narendra Modi, Joe Biden, Sergei Lavrov, Vladimir Soldatkin, Guy Faulconbridge, Gareth Jones, Alex Richardson Organizations: Sputnik, REUTERS Acquire, Ukraine, Kremlin, Indian, United Nations, Human, West, Belfer, Harvard's Kennedy School, U.S, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, Kremlin, Gaza, Ukraine MOSCOW, Ukraine, United States, Ukraine's, Crimea, Russian, Palestine, Ukrainian, West, Israel, Washington, New Delhi, Nusa Dua, Indonesia, Osaka, Japan

☆ Thousands of Ukrainian children taken to Belarus -Yale research
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Anthony Deutsch | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

More than 2,000 children Yale identified were transported to the Dubrava children's centre in Belarus' Minsk region between September 2022 and May 2023, it said, while 392 children were taken to 12 other facilities. "Russia's federal government and Belarus' regime have been working together to coordinate and fund the movement of children from Russia-occupied Ukraine through Russia to Belarus." Transports to Belarus through Russia were "ultimately coordinated" between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarus leader Alexander Lukashenko, it added. Lukashenko approved the use of state organizations to transport children from Ukraine to Belarus and finance their transportation, the Yale report said. Once in Belarus, children have been subjected to military training and re-education, it said.

Persons: Alexander Lukashenko, Pavel Bednyakov, Vladimir Putin, Russia's Putin, Maria Lvova, Lukashenko, David Ljunggren, Mike Collett, White, Alexandra Hudson, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Commonwealth of Independent States, CIS, Sputnik, Rights, Yale University, Humanitarian, Yale School of Public Health, State Department, Reuters, U.S . State Department, Ukraine, Yale, Transports, Criminal, Thomson Locations: Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, Russian, United States, Ukraine's Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, Minsk, The Hague

☆ As the West courts Russia's neighbors, Putin shows he won't give up its backyard without a fight
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Eurasian Economic Summit on Nov. 9, 2022, in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev at a joint news conference at the Kremlin in Moscow, on Feb. 10, 2022. "Central Asia obviously has to keep a fine balance and tread that line," Hess said. Analysts note that while an economically isolated Russia wants and needs to keep Central Asia on side, it is gradually losing its grip on the region. Russian President Vladimir Putin, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev arrive for a working breakfast of the leaders of the Commonwealth of Independent States in Moscow, Russia, on May 9, 2023.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Keen, Emmanuel Macron, Putin, Ilham Aliyev, Serdar Berdimuhamedow, Emomali Rahmon, Alexander Lukashenko, Sergei Lavrov, —, it's, Max Hess, Hess, Kassym, Mikhail Klimentyev, Xi Jinping, Florence Lo, they've, Temur Umarov, Tokayev, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Vladimir Smirnov Organizations: Economic, Getty, Russia, Commonwealth of Independent States, Russian, Central Asia —, Central Asian, Kazakh, CIS, West, Georgia, Foreign Policy Research Institute, CNBC, Kremlin, Reuters Central, Central, Central Asia Summit, Afp, Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, Commonwealth of Independent, Sputnik Locations: Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Central Asia, Moscow, Russian, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kazakh, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, China, Soviet, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Baltic States, Soviet Union, Moldova, Ukraine, U.S, Afghanistan, Asia, Xian, Shaanxi

☆ Ukraine war live updates: Russia claims Kyiv attacked 3 nuclear power plants; Putin says post-Soviet space is being weakened
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

BISHKEK, KYRGYZSTAN - OCTOBER 13 Russian President Vladimir Putin speeches during his press conference at the Commonwealth of Independent States's Head of States Meeting at the Ala-Archa State Residence, October 13,2023, in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. (Photo by Contributor/Getty Images)Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that a number of countries are acting in a way that is "directly aimed" at weakening power the post-Soviet space. Russia called on the CIS, a regional intergovernmental organization in Eurasia, to beef up collective security. Putin said Russia and its neighbors faced common threats of terrorism, organized crime, drug trafficking and illegal migration, as well as radicalism and extremism. The CIS includes Russia and former Soviet republics including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, formely Pishpek, Putin, Holly Ellyatt Organizations: Commonwealth, Independent, Indendent, CIS, Commonwealth of Independent States, RIA Novosti, EU, Georgia Locations: BISHKEK, KYRGYZSTAN, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, formely, Frunze, Central Asia, Commonwealth, Russian, Moscow, Russia, Eurasia, Soviet, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Baltic, Moldova, Ukraine

[1/4] Russian President Vladimir Putin meets Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and vice chairman of China's Central Military Commission General Zhang Youxia at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow, Russia November 8, 2023. Sputnik/Sergei Bobylev/Pool via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsSummary Putin praises China cooperationMeets close ally of Xi in MoscowSays cooperation is to ensure strategic securityZhang says China respects PutinMOSCOW, Nov 8 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday lauded what he described as important "high-tech" Russian military cooperation with China at a meeting in Moscow with a top Chinese general who is a close ally of President Xi Jinping. Putin, who heads the world's biggest nuclear power, said military cooperation between Moscow and Beijing was increasing and focused on high-tech areas that would ensure strategic security. "Of course, our cooperation, our contacts in the military and military-technical sphere are also becoming increasingly important, as for military-technical cooperation, here, of course, our work in high-tech spheres comes first," Putin said. Zhang said that his delegation had come in order to implement important agreements and further strengthen bilateral military cooperation.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Sergei Shoigu, Zhang Youxia, Sergei Bobylev, Xi, Zhang, Putin, Xi Jinping, Joe Biden, Andrew Osborn Organizations: Defence, China's, Military, Sputnik, REUTERS Acquire, Wednesday, Military Commission, Russian Defence, U.S, U.S . Congress, Russian Federation, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, China, Putin MOSCOW, Beijing, Ukraine, Europe, United States, People's Republic of China, Washington, Asia, U.S, Australia, Britain

MOSCOW, Nov 8 (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Wednesday that strategic dialogue with the United States over nuclear weapons was "definitely necessary" but that such talks could not happen while Washington was "lecturing" Moscow. Russia and the United States, by far the biggest nuclear powers, have both expressed regret about the steady disintegration of arms control treaties which sought to slow the Cold War arms race and reduce the risk of nuclear war. When asked about the prospect of strategic dialogue on nuclear weapons with the United States and the West, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said:"Dialogue is unequivocally necessary. When asked about the remarks, the Kremlin's Peskov said: "Patrushev is the secretary of the Security Council. "As for the Russian Federation, we have a (nuclear) doctrine where everything is clearly spelled out.

Persons: Dmitry Peskov, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Nikolai Patrushev, Peskov, Guy Faulconbridge, Andrew Osborn Organizations: Tuesday, NATO, West, Kremlin, Cuban Missile, Soviet Union, U.S, Russian Security, Security, Russian Federation, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, United States, Washington, Moscow, Russia, Ukraine

☆ Kazakh President: Forming Multi-Polar World Painful, but Reason Will Prevail
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

(Reuters) - The formation of a base for a multi-polar world order is proceeding with extreme difficulty amid conflict in different parts of the world, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said in an interview published on Wednesday. But Tokayev, interviewed by the Russian daily Izvestia, said he believed world tensions would subside and be replaced international cooperation focusing on a reformed United Nations. "As we see, the formation of the architecture of the modern multi-polar world is proceeding extremely painfully," Tokayev told the daily ahead of a visit to Kazakhstan this week by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Tokayev told Izvestia the U.N. would play a central role in international relations once tensions eased. "The many crises in different parts of the world have exposed the U.N.'s vulnerability in its attempts to resolve them."

Persons: Kassym, Jomart Tokayev, Tokayev, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Lidia Kelly, Ronald Popeski, Lincoln Organizations: Reuters, United Nations, Pravda, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, Commonwealth of Independent, Security Locations: Kazakh, Kazakhstan, Russia, Ukraine, Commonwealth of Independent States, Eurasia, Melbourne, Winnipeg

"The decision has been made - he will run," said one of the sources who has knowledge of planning. Three other sources said the decision had been made: Putin will run. A foreign diplomatic source, who also requested anonymity, said Putin made the decision recently and that the announcement would come soon. Peskov said in September that if Putin decided to run, then no one would be able to compete with him. "Russia is facing the combined might of the West so major change would not be expedient," one of the sources said.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Kuzma Minin, Dmitry Pozharsky, Mikhail Metzel, Putin, Boris Yeltsin, Josef Stalin, Leonid Brezhnev's, Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, Mikhail Gorbachev grappled, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Alexei Navalny, Oleg Orlov, Guy Faulconbridge Organizations: Unity, Sputnik, Kremlin, Reuters, Kommersant, West ., KGB, Soviet, Cuban Missile, West, NATO, China, European Union, Thomson Locations: Red, Moscow, Russia, MOSCOW, West . RUSSIA, Soviet Union, Ukraine, United States, European, Soviet Russia, Afghanistan

SummaryCompanies New nuclear submarine nearly ready for serviceRussia building more submarinesKremlin: relations with Washington 'below zero'MOSCOW, Nov 5 (Reuters) - Russia's new strategic nuclear submarine, the Imperator Alexander III, has successfully tested a Bulava intercontinental ballistic missile, the Russian defence ministry said on Sunday. The Imperator Alexander III is the seventh of the Russian Project 955 Borei (Arctic Wind) class nuclear submarines and the fourth of the modernised Borei-A variant, according to Russian sources. They are known in NATO as the Dolgoruky class of submarines, after the first boat - the Yuri Dolgoruky - became the first new generation of nuclear submarine launched by Russia since the Cold War. [1/2]Russia's new nuclear-powered submarine Imperator Alexander III test launches the Bulava ballistic missile, designed to carry nuclear warheads, from the White Sea, in this screengrab taken from a video released on November 5, 2023. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in an interview aired on Sunday that relations with the United States were below zero.

Persons: Imperator Alexander III, Alexander III, Yuri Dolgoruky, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, Dmitry Donskoy, Potemkin, Lidia Kelly, Guy Faulconbridge, William Mallard, David Goodman Organizations: Federation of American Scientists, Navy, Russian, Russian Defence Ministry, REUTERS Acquire, Soviet Union, Northern, Thomson Locations: Russia, Washington, MOSCOW, Russian, NATO, Soviet, Ukraine, United States, Pacific, Melbourne, Moscow

☆ King Charles’ state visit strategy is changing Britain’s global brand
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Max Foster | Lauren Said-Moorhouse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Mombasa, Kenya CNN —A small moment during King Charles’ state visit to Kenya may have defined it. An elderly war veteran was waiting in a wheelchair for his turn to meet the British monarch at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s Kariokor cemetery in Nairobi on Wednesday morning. Because anyone back then who had supported the British colonial power became a target for the Mau Mau resistance who were on their own campaign to seize their country back. Some of the 6,000 Africans rounded up in Nairobi by police searching for Mau Mau rebels in April 1953. King Charles’ moves are a progression from the way his mother operated.

Persons: King Charles ’, Graves, Samwel Nthigai Mburia, Charles ’, Elizabeth II, Mburia, King Charles, Queen Camilla, Charles, Samir Hussein, “, ” Mburia, Evelyn Kimathi, Dedan Kimathi, she’d, Evelyn, ” he’d, Mau, Queen Elizabeth II Organizations: CNN’s Royal, Kenya CNN, Commonwealth, Guinness World Records, Royals, “, Uhuru Gardens, Keystone, Hulton, European Union Locations: Mombasa, Kenya, British, Kariokor, Nairobi, Cpl, Ethiopia, Egypt, Myanmar, United Kingdom, ”, Mau Mau, Germany, France

MOSCOW, Nov 3 (Reuters) - Russia on Friday dismissed new U.S. sanctions over the war in Ukraine, saying that the United States would never defeat Moscow, while the boss of Russia's fastest growing natural gas company quipped the sanctions were a badge of success. The United States on Thursday targeted Russia's future energy capabilities, sanctions evasion and a suicide drone that has been a menace to Ukrainian troops and equipment, among others, in sanctions on hundreds of people and entities. The Arctic-2 LNG project - targeted by the new sanctions - had been expecting to start exporting soon and it is uncertain how much Russian LNG will now be blocked. The largest Russian LNG producer Novatek NVTK.MM said in September it would start shipments from Arctic-2 LNG early next year. Leonid Mikhelson, the head of Russian natural gas producer Novatek(NVTK.MM), told a conference in the Uzbek city of Samarkand that the U.S. sanctions were a badge "of our professionalism".

Persons: Maria Zakharova, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Novatek NVTK.MM, Leonid Mikhelson, Novatek, Guy Faulconbridge, Andrew Osborn Organizations: Monetary Fund, Russian LNG, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Russia, Ukraine, United States, Moscow, Russian, U.S, Europe, Uzbek, Samarkand

☆ Russia fumes at the West's charm offensive in its backyard, saying it's 'luring' its friends away
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

One top official in Moscow was fuming as he claimed the West was "luring" its "neighbours, friends, and allies" away from Russia. Moscow's disdainThe French leader's comments are likely to have enraged Moscow, which is already watching Western efforts to court Central Asia with suspicion and disdain. "Look at how Western powers are wooing Central Asia," Lavrov told the BelTA news agency, in comments published by Russia's Foreign Ministry. "They have created numerous formats such as 'Central Asia plus' involving the United States, the EU, and Japan ... On top of the Central Asia plus EU format, the Germans have created their own format. China's roleThere's certainly a tussle for influence that's taking place in Central Asia, with China also "courting" the region to a certain extent.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Emmanuel Macron, Macron, Kassym, Sergei Lavrov, Lavrov, Ilham Aliyev, Serdar Berdimuhamedow, Emomali Rahmon, Alexander Lukashenko, Mark Galeotti, Galeotti, we've, Ed Jones, There's, Joe Biden, Jim Watson, Alexander Titov, Russia's, Xi Jinping, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov Organizations: Getty, Ukraine, Kazakh, CNBC, Russian, Central, Russia's Foreign Ministry, EU, Commonwealth of Independent States, Central Asia's, West, General, Afp, Georgia —, Queen's University of Belfast, U.S, Analysts, of, Forum, International Cooperation, Xinhua News Agency Locations: 13,2023, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Moscow, Central Asia, Kazakhstan, Soviet, Astana, France, Uzbekistan, United States, Japan, Turkmenistan, Russian, London, Europe, China, Central, Ukraine, Central Asian, Tajikistan, New York City, Belarus, Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, North Korea, Nicaragua, Syria, South Caucasus, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Moldova, Afghanistan, Beijing, People's, of Turkmenistan

☆ Britain, France Stress Need to Get Aid Into Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and French President Emmanuel Macron expressed their concern about getting aid into Gaza and the risks of the Israel-Hamas war spreading, Downing Street said after the leaders spoke by phone on Sunday. Israeli forces have expanded their ground operations in Gaza while their fighter jets have struck hundreds more Hamas targets in what Israel called the second phase of a three-week-old war. Sunak and Macron have both visited Israel and neighbouring countries since the deadly rampage by Hamas gunmen in Israel early this month that triggered the conflict. "The leaders stressed the importance of getting urgent humanitarian support into Gaza. "They expressed their shared concern at the risk of escalation in the wider region, in particular in the West Bank."

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Emmanuel Macron, Downing, Sunak, Andrew MacAskill, Michel Rose, Bernadette Baum, Hugh Lawson Organizations: British, West Bank, Hamas Locations: Gaza, Israel

☆ Britain, France stress need to get aid into Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Smoke rises over Gaza, as seen from Israel's border with Gaza, in southern Israel October 29. Sunak and Macron have both visited Israel and neighbouring countries since the deadly rampage by Hamas gunmen in Israel early this month that triggered the conflict. "The leaders stressed the importance of getting urgent humanitarian support into Gaza. "They expressed their shared concern at the risk of escalation in the wider region, in particular in the West Bank." Reporting by Andrew MacAskill and Michel Rose Editing by Bernadette Baum and Hugh LawsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Evelyn Hockstein, Rishi Sunak, Emmanuel Macron, Downing, Sunak, Andrew MacAskill, Michel Rose, Bernadette Baum, Hugh Lawson Organizations: REUTERS, British, West Bank, Hamas, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Israel

☆ King Charles III will confront Britain’s colonial past when he visits Kenya
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Max Foster | Lauren Said-Moorhouse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Editor’s Note: This is a version of CNN’s Royal News, a weekly dispatch bringing you the inside track on Britain’s royal family. CNN —When King Charles III visits Kenya next week, he’ll do something no other member of his family has done in the country. Next week’s royal visit will largely focus on the strong connection between the two countries. Kenya holds a special place for the British royal family. Unfortunately, King Charles’ jam-packed schedule during the trip will not permit him to visit the poignant location.

Persons: King Charles III, Charles, Queen Camilla, It’s, Chris Fitzgerald, Kenya’s, Nandi, Jomo Kenyatta, William Hague, “, ” Hague, William Ruto, Princess Elizabeth, King Charles ’ Organizations: CNN’s Royal, CNN, Kenya, British, Kenyan Human Rights, Kenyan, Nation, Keystone, Hulton Royals, British Government, Government, State, Commonwealth Locations: United Kingdom, Kenya, Buckingham, Britain, Nazi Germany, Gatundi, Nairobi, Commonwealth, British, Rwanda, Treetops

☆ In the ultimate irony, Russia's obsession with Ukraine may have weakened its power over its other neighbors
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during a press conference at the Commonwealth of Independent States' head of states meeting on Oct. 13, 2023, in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. This pool photograph distributed by Russian state owned agency Sputnik shows Russia's President Vladimir Putin and his Kyrgyz counterpart Sadyr Japarov attending a welcoming ceremony prior to their talks in Bishkek on October 12, 2023. In fact, she said, Kyiv's resistance highlighted to Russia's neighbors and partners that "Russian power is a bubble with only a nuclear button in its center." Russian President Vladimir Putin enters the hall during Russian-Uzbek talks at the Grand Kremlin Palace on Oct. 6, 2023. So it's fair to say that if you do not control Ukraine, you do not control the post-Soviet space," he told CNBC.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, —, Georgia —, It's, Emmanuel Dunand, Sadyr Japarov, Sergei Karpukhin, Vladimir Putin's, Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, Vira Konstantinova, Vladimir Milov, Putin, Milov, Milov —, — Putin, Igor Semivolos, Ilham Aliyev Organizations: Commonwealth of Independent States, Getty, Afp, Azerbaijan, Sputnik, Kyrgyz, AFP, CNBC, Russian, West, Center for Middle East Studies, Anadolu Agency Locations: Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine, Moscow, Soviet Union, South Caucasus, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia, Karabakh, Lachin, Nagorno, Kyiv, Transnistria, Moldova, Abkhazia, South Ossetia, USA, Turkey, Baku

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