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☆ Russia Issues 'Harsh' Protest to Armenia Over Range of 'Unfriendly' Actions
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

(Reuters) - Russia on Friday summoned the Armenian ambassador for a "harsh" protest about a list of what it termed "unfriendly steps", the latest sign of strain between Moscow and the small ex-Soviet republic in a region Russia considers its back yard. He said Moscow, distracted by its war with Ukraine, had been unable to deliver and was winding down its role in the South Caucasus. Armenia and Azerbaijan accused each other on Thursday of moving troops close to their joint border as tensions over the future of the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave rose. The ICC issued an arrest warrant in March for Russian President Vladimir Putin, accusing him of war crimes in Ukraine. The Kremlin has dismissed the idea that Russia's actions in Ukraine could be war crimes and noted that Russia does not recognise the court.

Persons: Vagharshak Harutyunyan, Alen Simonyan, Maria Zakharova, Nikol Pashinyan, Ilham Aliyev, Vladimir Putin, Kevin Liffey, William Maclean, Mark Heinrich Organizations: Reuters, Russian Foreign Ministry, International Criminal, Armenian National Assembly, Collective Security, Organization, Red, ICC Locations: Russia, Moscow, Soviet, United States, Ukraine, Armenia, Russian, Nagorno, Karabakh, Azerbaijan, South Caucasus, Caucasus, Georgia

In an interview with Italian newspaper La Repubblica published on Sunday, Nikol Pashinyan accused Russia of failing to ensure Armenia's security in the face of what he said was aggression from neighbouring Azerbaijan over the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region. "Armenia's security architecture was 99.999% linked to Russia, including when it came to the procurement of arms and ammunition," Pashinyan told La Repubblica. "This example should demonstrate to us that dependence on just one partner in security matters is a strategic mistake." His words underscore resentment inside Armenia about what many there see as a failure by Russia to defend their interests. Pashinyan accused Russian peacekeepers deployed to uphold the ceasefire deal of failing to do their job.

Persons: Nikol Pashinyan, Pashinyan, Andrew Osborn, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Russian, Italian, Repubblica, European Union, Russian Federation, Thomson Locations: Russia, Moscow, Azerbaijan, Karabakh, Armenia, Caucasus, Yerevan, United States, Ukraine, Russian, Baku, Nagorno

☆ Pizza party: 14 versions of the world’s favorite food
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Terry Ward | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

The solution was to fry the pizza dough, with ricotta and pork fat tucked inside, for a puffier and more substantial effect. With several locations in Miami, Rey Pizza offers Cuban pizza varieties that include chorizo, picadillo (ground beef) and platano (plantain). New York slice pizzaNew Yorkers just fold their slices to eat on the move. “New York slice pizza uses a low-moisture and low-fat mozzarella that’s dry, almost more of a provolone,” Verde says. He recommends trying authentic New York slice pizza at Amore Pizzeria in the Flushing neighborhood of Queens (for a whole pie, try the Italo-Americano New York style pepperoni pizza at Coco Pazzeria).

Persons: Fabio Errante, , “, ” Errante, ”, Nino Coniglio, ” Coniglio, Enzo Algarme, ” Algarme, ’, Henry Cunningham, Gabriele Bonci, Cunningham, Stefano Politi Markovina, Tatyana Serraino, that’s, Lisa Cherkasky, it’s, Errante, . Wood, Allen Brown, Derek Gaughan, Pala, ” Gaughan, Louis, Steve Dolinsky, there’s, Dolinsky, Lou Malnati’s, crème, Khachapuri, Maggie Rossetti, iStockphoto, Ciro Verde, Coco Pazzeria, Pazzeria, Coniglio, you’re Organizations: CNN, CNN Travel, UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, Food, Netflix, Washington Post, Uno, Pizza, Americano Locations: Naples, Italy, Italian, Brooklyn, New York City, Neapolitan, Virginia, Rome, Rome’s, Prati, Rome's Trastevere, Errante, Olive, Sicily, United States, Palermo, Detroit, Michigan, Trumbull, Columbus, New Haven, New Haven , Connecticut, Chicago, Cuban, Miami, Gouda, France’s Alsace, Germany, Catalonia, Spain, Balearic, Istanbul, Yerevan, Berlin, Hamburg, Armenia, Turkey, Georgia, York, Astoria , Queens, ” Verde, Flushing, Queens, Yorker

☆ Putin wanted his own version of NATO. Instead he has a failing alliance that has only made him look weaker since the invasion of Ukraine.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

Putin wanted his own version of NATOPutin has long viewed NATO as a threat to Russia, even citing it as an excuse for his invasion of Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin. He also said that CSTO members states' desires for closer ties with the US weren't new. Russian President Vladimir Putin in Armenia in November 2022. Graham also said the invasion of Ukraine meant Putin is less and less able to deal with CSTO members' complaints.

Persons: it's, Putin, Vladimir Putin, Thomas Graham, NATO Putin, Alexander Cooley, Cooley, Armenia's, Nikol Pashinyan, KAREN MINASYAN, Putin's, isn't Putin, Ilya PITALEV, ILYA PITALEV, Getty Images Graham, Russia's, ANATOLII STEPANOV, you've, Graham, CSTO, Sadyr Japarov, Stanislav Zas, Alexander Lukashenko, Kassym, Tokayev, AP Cooley, – Putin, Vladimir Voronin, Nikol, They've, Hayk Organizations: NATO, Service, Soviet Union, Security, Organization, Yale, Columbia University, REUTERS, Getty Images, SPUTNIK, AFP, CSTO, Kazakh, Russian Defense Ministry Press Service, AP, Collective Security, Vladimir Voronin NATO, Putin, Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service, UN, US, EU, Armenian Locations: Russia, Russian, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Soviet, East, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Uzbekistan, The Hague, Netherlands, Yerevan, AFP, Soviet Union, Moscow, Asia, Ukrainian, Oskol, Ukraine's Kharkiv, NATO, USSR, Dushanbe, tatters, Photolure, China, Turkey, United States

☆ Turkey's runoff election is paralyzing key oil exports from northern Iraq
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-25 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Oil typically flows through Turkey from both the Iraqi state and the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). More specifically, this Kirkuk crude flows down the Iraq-Turkey Pipeline linking the north of the Gulf country with Turkey's Ceyhan port in the Mediterranean. But the flows have been paralyzed since March 25 by a legal dispute involving federal Iraq, the KRG and Turkey. This decision led to U.S. companies deciding to exit contracts in Kurdistan and deterred some KRG oil buyers from further purchases. "The ruling party in Turkey [Erdogan's AKP] wants to settle the elections and then deal with KRG's oil with Baghdad."

Persons: KRG, Hayan Abdul, Ghani, —, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, Lawk Ghafuri, Yerevan Saeed, Saeed, Bilal Wahab, Wagner Organizations: CNBC, Kurdistan Regional Government, Turkey Pipeline, International, Commerce's, Reuters, ICC, Baghdad, BTC, Kurdistan, Gulf Institute, Sinjar, Washington Institute for Near East Locations: Turkey, Ankara, Baghdad, Iraqi, Kurdistan, Kirkuk, Iraq, Basra, Paris, U.S, Ceyhan, Baku, Syria, Erbil, Yerevan, Washington

☆ Russia's version of NATO is crumbling, with even some of its closest allies frustrated by Putin's failing war in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

CSTO, Russia's equivalent of NATO, was never a powerhouse, but relations have become more strained. And Frankopan said that countries had likely stopped trusting Russia's military abilities. Marin also said that CSTO members don't seem interested in taking big risks to protect the alliance's future. AP Photo/Felipe Dana, FileRussia a 'toxic partner'According to Frankopan, regional backlash to Russia's invasion of Ukraine could be happening for multiple reasons, including ideological objections to Russia's brutal tactics. Marin said the Ukraine invasion had made Russia a "rather toxic partner" to most of its post-Soviet neighbours.

☆ Russia warns Armenia against allying with ICC after Putin arrest warrant - RIA
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Andrew Osborn | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, March 27 (Reuters) - Russia has warned Armenia of "serious consequences" if it submits to the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (ICC) which has issued an arrest warrant for President Vladimir Putin, the RIA news agency reported on Monday. The ICC issued the warrant this month, accusing Putin of the war crime of illegally deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine, a move condemned by the Kremlin as a meaningless and outrageously partisan decision. RIA, a state Russian news agency, cited a source in the Russian Foreign Ministry as saying that Moscow regarded Armenia's ICC plans as "unacceptable". The ICC warrant has the potential to complicate Putin's global travel plans if a country he wants to travel to is an official party to the Rome Statute. Reporting by Andrew Osborn; Editing by Alison WilliamsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ AI comes for the DJ: London partygoers rave to robot beats
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Vin Shahrestani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"If we can have AI make beautiful music and we can play that to each other, I think that's probably why it's there. For Mubert’s CEO, Paul Zgordan, the rise of AI will inevitably result in some musicians losing jobs. "We want to save musicians' jobs, but in our own way," Zgordan told Reuters via videolink from the Armenian capital Yerevan. PRETTY GOOD JOBThe DJ booth, usually the focus of parties, was left empty as an experiment to see how revellers would react to the AI DJ. "There is no ChatGPT for music because music is more complex," he said.

☆ Leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan set for first meeting since October
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Feb 18 (Reuters) - The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan are set to meet for the first time since October at trilateral talks with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Munich on Saturday, the U.S. State Department said. The U.S. State Department said Blinken would meet Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev at 1235 GMT. Armenia has sent Azerbaijan a draft proposal for a peace settlement, Pashinyan said this week. Azeri civilians identifying themselves as environmental activists have been facing off since Dec. 12 with Russian peacekeepers on the Lachin corridor. Saturday's meeting would be the two leaders' first face-to-face encounter since late October, when Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted talks in the Black Sea city of Sochi.

☆ Putin says Russia ready to help Syria and Turkey after major quake
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Guy Faulconbridge | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] A man stands near a damaged vehicle, following an earthquake, in rebel-held Azaz, Syria February 6, 2023. Russia has strong relations with both Syria and Turkey: Putin backed President Bashar al-Assad in the civil war and has a strong rapport with President Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, a NATO member which has sought to mediate in the Ukraine war. In a similar message to Assad, Putin said Russia shared "the sadness and pain of those who lost their loved ones" and said Russia was ready to provide help. Russia said it had two Ilyushin-76 aircraft with rescuers on board that were ready to fly to Turkey to help the rescue effort. "Saddened by the news of the devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria that resulted in the loss of so many lives," Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said.

☆ Russia's invasion of Ukraine was a 'geopolitical earthquake' that defined 2022 and has transformed the world for years to come
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-24 | by ( John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

An unthinkable, nightmare scenario was now a reality — the largest military conflict in Europe since World War II had begun. The war, which is still raging on, will continue to shape the world in the year to come and likely long after. "Russia's invasion of Ukraine represented a geopolitical earthquake, scrambling the entire chessboard of global politics," Ivo Daalder, a former US ambassador to NATO, told Insider. Some experts have warned that the nuclear dangers posed by the Ukraine war after are "far worse" than the Cuban missile crisis, which occurred 60 years ago this past October. Indeed, the global dimensions of the Ukraine war could make it an era-defining fight.

☆ Russian oil just got hit with sanctions and a price cap after months of lead up. Here's what it means and what happens next.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

If you take anything away from today's newsletter, let it be this: As of today, Russian oil faces a new European Union embargo, as well as a price cap. EU leaders have been debating a price cap for months, but on Friday agreed to a $60-a-barrel level. Some analysts predict Russian oil exports could drop by 1 million barrels per day, or about 20% of its seaborne volume. She told me over a video call from London that, ultimately, oil markets probably won't react dramatically in either direction. What do you think is the most likely outcome of the new sanctions on Russian oil?

☆ 'Losing is not an option': Putin is 'desperate' to avoid defeat in Ukraine as anxiety rises in Moscow
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Leaders meeting in Yerevan on November 23, 2022. That, Russian political analysts say, will be catastrophic for Putin and the Kremlin, who have banked Russia's global capital on winning the war against Ukraine. They told CNBC that anxiety was rising in Moscow over how the war was progressing. Needless to say, that latest withdrawal darkened the mood even among the most ardent Putin supporters. Another Russian analyst said Putin is increasingly desperate not to lose the war.

☆ How Russian ally Kazakhstan is taking a stand against the Ukraine war
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-27 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Russian ally Kazakhstan has been subtle but firm in its opposition to the Ukraine war. Kazakhstan's official position on the war is to call for a ceasefire and a diplomatic solution, Magzhan Ilyassov, Kazakhstan's new ambassador to the UK, said in a press briefing attended by Insider. Following the invasion of Ukraine, fears have also been stoked that Russia could turn its sights to Kazakhstan next. Dursun Aydemir/Anadolu Agency via Getty ImagesAlthough it has not outright criticized Russia for invading Ukraine, Kazakhstan has made its position clear. Ilyassov said that Russian troops were there among others from all member states and left after nearly two weeks without being involved in any action.

☆ Belarus officials say Vladimir Makei, long-time foreign minister, has died suddenly
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-26 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Belarus’ long-standing foreign minister has died suddenly, the country’s foreign ministry said Saturday, two days before he was meant to meet his Russian counterpart. "The Foreign Minister of the Republic of Belarus Vladimir Makei has passed away," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus said in a tweet. Before the presidential elections and mass anti-government protests in Belarus in 2020, Makei had been one of the initiators of efforts to improve Belarus’ relations with the West and had criticized Russia. “We are shocked by the reports of the death of the Head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus Vladimir Makei,” Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova posted in her Telegram channel. “In 2020, Makei betrayed the Belarusian people and supported tyranny.

☆ Belarus foreign minister Makei dies - Belta
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 26 (Reuters) - Belarus Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei has died at the age of 64, state news agency Belta reported on Saturday. "Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei has passed away suddenly," Belta reported. Before the presidential elections and mass anti-government protests in Belarus in 2020, Makei had been one of the initiators of efforts to improve Belarus' relations with the West and had criticised Russia. However, he abruptly changed his stance after the start of the protests, claiming they were inspired by agents of the West. "We are shocked by the reports of the death of the Head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus Vladimir Makei," Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova posted in her Telegram channel.

☆ Azerbaijan cancels Armenia talks, says Macron cannot take part
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Aliyev said Macron had "attacked" and "insulted" Baku and should not act as a go-between. Each side accused the other of triggering the latest bout of fighting, in which Armenia said Azerbaijan had seized settlements inside its borders. "Macron ... attacked Azerbaijan and accused us in what we haven't done," Aliyev said, speaking in English at a conference with international representatives in Baku. "It is clear that under these circumstances, with this attitude, France cannot be part of the peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia." A spokesperson said Azerbaijan's assertion that Yerevan was trying to disrupt peace talks "has nothing to do with reality," the Interfax news agency reported.

☆ Putin was repeatedly snubbed at an international summit of countries meant to be Russia's friends
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Putin's meeting with the CSTO security alliance went south when an ally repeatedly snubbed him. Vladimir Putin met with leaders from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), a Russian-dominated alliance of post-Soviet nations. CSTO leaders in Yerevan, Armenia on November 23, 2022. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake hands as they attend the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) summit in Yerevan, Armenia, November 23, 2022. Putin also did not go to the G20 earlier this month and he did not address it virtually.

Fighting flared in September between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and the two sides said more than 200 soldiers had been killed. "It is depressing that Armenia's membership in the CSTO did not deter Azerbaijan from aggressive actions," Pashinyan told the meeting in the Armenian capital, Yerevan. "Right up to today we have not managed to reach a decision on a CSTO response to Azerbaijan’s aggression against Armenia. In his own remarks, Putin acknowledged some unspecified "problems" facing the CSTO, and said more effort was needed to bring about peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Azerbaijan enjoys backing from Turkey and is not a member of the CSTO, which comprises Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan as well as Russia and Armenia.

As thousands of Russians try to flee the country to escape the partial mobilization of civilians into the military, Ukraine’s president late Friday urged those who are conscripted to “sabotage any enemy activity.”Addressing Ukrainians in Russian-occupied regions, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a video address that his countrymen should “hide” from mobilization and “avoid summons” of military commanders. His comments came three days after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a partial mobilization of reservists. One woman, 23, said she booked seats on a flight to Kyrgyzstan with her husband, 24, an hour after Putin made his mobilization announcement. NBC News agreed not to name the couple because they fear repercussions by Russian authorities for speaking to foreign media. After crossing into Georgia, he told The Associated Press that he did "not very much like," what Russia was doing in Ukraine.

☆ A small war in Central Asia is a big problem for Joe Biden's narrative about taking on Russia and China
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( Chris Mccallion | Defense Priorities | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan is only one part of a broader geopolitical contest, however. Resul Rehimov/Anadolu Agency via Getty ImagesWhile Armenia and Azerbaijan both have warm relations with Russia, Armenia has a security agreement with Russia as part of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), an alliance of six post-Soviet states in Central Asia. More recently, Erdogan has acted as a diplomatic broker in the Ukraine war and has bucked Western sanctions by purchasing Russian military hardware. KAREN MINASYAN/AFP via Getty ImagesIt is probable that the timing of the most recent flare-up between Armenia and Azerbaijan was not coincidental. Azerbaijan was likely emboldened to launch the recent attack on Armenia by the successful Ukrainian counteroffensive around Kharkiv and Russia's generally poor performance during the Ukraine war.

☆ Plane tickets out of Russia are selling out after Putin announces partial military mobilization
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced the partial mobilization of his country's reservists. In a rare address to the nation, Putin announced an immediate partial mobilization as part of the next phase of his ongoing invasion of Ukraine. The announcement caused prices for some plane tickets out of Moscow to sell out, according to Reuters and Russian media company RBC. Flights from Moscow, Russia, to Istanbul, Turkey on September 21 are mostly sold out. Jason Corcoran, a journalist based in Moscow, Russia, tweeted Wednesday: "As a ranked officer in reserve, my brother-in-law would have been first to be mobilized into Putin's meat grinder."

☆ Flight prices out of Russia surge as Putin calls up reservists for Ukraine war
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( Hannah Ward-Glenton | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Putin announced in his speech that 300,000 military reservists would be required to serve in the "special military operation," raising fears that men of fighting age may not be allowed to leave Russia. The cost of flights departing from Moscow skyrocketed as Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a "partial military mobilization" in a televised address Wednesday. Putin announced in his speech that 300,000 military reservists would be required to serve in what Moscow calls its "special military operation," raising fears that men of fighting age may not be allowed to leave Russia. A large number of countries have placed bans on planes landing directly from Russia, including the U.S., the U.K., and most of mainland Europe. Direct flights from Moscow to the Turkish city of Istanbul and Yerevan in Armenia sold out on Wednesday, according to Aviasales data, as reported by Reuters.

☆ Flights out of Russia sell out after Putin orders partial call-up
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( Caleb Davis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A man looks at a flight information board at the departure zone of Vnukovo International Airport in Moscow, Russia December 30, 2020. REUTERS/Evgenia NovozheninaGDANSK, Sept 21 (Reuters) - One-way flights out of Russia were selling out fast on Wednesday after President Vladimir Putin ordered the immediate call-up of 300,000 reservists. Putin's announcement, made in an early-morning television address, raised fears that some men of fighting age would not be allowed to leave Russia. read moreRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterNevertheless, Google Trends data showed a spike in searches for Aviasales, which is Russia's most popular website for purchasing flights. ($1 = 60.9500 roubles)Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Caleb Davis; Editing by Kevin LiffeyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ 'How to leave Russia' Google searches surge in the country as Putin declares partial military mobilization
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( Britney Nguyen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Google searches for "How to leave Russia" spiked in Russia in the time leading up to his expected address. Putin was expected to announce "martial law" and "mobilization," the latter of which he did Wednesday morning. Before his expected speech on Tuesday, Russian lawmakers had passed legislation around "martial law" and "mobilization," that likely prompted the Google searches. The same search for how to leave Russia spiked in the country in late February and early March as well, after Russia invaded Ukraine. In addition to the spike in Google searches for how to leave the country, demand for plane tickets out of the country have spiked too.

Search resuls for: "YEREVAN"

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