DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

While NATO members agree Kyiv cannot join during the war, they have disagreed over how quickly it could happen afterwards and under what conditions. Negotiations have also focused on what conditions Ukraine would have to meet to join NATO and how its progress should be tracked, diplomats say. "I am absolutely certain that we will have unity and a strong message on Ukraine," Stoltenberg told reporters. Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February last year prompted Nordic neighbours Finland and Sweden to abandon decades of military non-alignment and apply to join NATO. Sweden, backed by Stoltenberg and many NATO members, said it had kept all its undertakings to Turkey on the issue.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, General Stoltenberg, Stoltenberg, Maria Zakharova, Tayyip Erdogan, Ulf Kristersson, Erdogan, Kristersson, Ronald Popeski, Lidia Kelly, Stephen Coates Organizations: NATO, Diplomats, Alliance, Twitter, Russian Foreign, Nordic, Kurdistan Workers Party, EU, European Union, Thomson Locations: VILNIUS, Vilnius, Sweden, Lithuanian, Ukraine, Moscow, Eastern Europe, Russia, United States, Germany, NATO, Finland, Turkey, Ankara, Swedish

☆ Russia rejects bank compromise as Black Sea grain expiry looms
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

With 13 days remaining until expiry of the deal that has allowed Ukraine to export grain from its Black Sea ports despite Russia's invasion, Moscow said there had been no progress on any of its key demands, including the banking issue. She also rejected a U.N. attempt to create an alternative payment channel between Rosselkhozbank and U.S. bank JP Morgan (JPM.N). Russia says the severing of the bank's access to SWIFT is one of the obstacles facing its own exports of food and fertiliser, and that it cannot keep renewing the Black Sea deal unless those issues are addressed. The United Nations says the deal has so far allowed the export of more than 32 million metric tons of food from three Ukrainian Black Sea ports to 45 countries on three continents. Its foreign ministry said the Black Sea initiative had delivered Ukrainian grain to "well-fed" countries but failed to help those that needed it most in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Persons: Maria Zakharova, JP Morgan, SWIFT, Zakharova, Felix Light, Mark Trevelyan, David Goodman Organizations: Financial Times, European Union, Foreign Ministry, SWIFT, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, Rosselkhozbank, Africa, Asia, Latin America, Ethiopia, Yemen, Afghanistan, Sudan, Somalia

☆ The Kremlin is open to discussions over a potential prisoner swap for detained Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Kremlin has expressed openness to a potential prisoner swap that could involve Evan Gershkovich. Gershkovich, a WSJ reporter, was detained by Russian officials in March on suspicion of espionage. The Journal and the US government have vehemently denied the allegations against Gershkovich. Russia's internal security service at the time said that it had detained Gershkovich, accusing him of "espionage in the interests of the American government." The US has told the Kremlin that Gershkovich is not a spy and is not a government official.

Persons: Evan Gershkovich, —, Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, Gershkovich, Joe Biden, Evan, Biden, Gershkovich's, …, Roger Carstens, We've, Carstens, They're, Paul Whelan — Organizations: Gershkovich, Service, Street, Russian Foreign Ministry, Moscow —, White House, Kremlin, Aspen Ideas, US State Department, US Marine Locations: Russia, United States, Yekaterinburg —, Moscow, Russian, Colorado

☆ Poland arrests Russian ice-hockey player on spying charges
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WARSAW, June 30 (Reuters) - Poland has detained a Russian professional ice-hockey player on spying charges, prosecutors said on Friday, describing him as the 14th person that had been arrested from one espionage network. The player for a first division Polish team was taken into custody in the southern Polish region of Silesia, prosecutors said in a statement. "Russian spies are falling in one by one!" Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Moscow had demanded an explanation from Poland over its arrest of Russian citizens, state news agency RIA reported. In April it said it was introducing a temporary 200 metre exclusion zone around its Swinoujscie Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminal, citing concerns about Russian espionage.

Persons: Zbigniew Ziobro, Maria Zakharova, Alan Charlish, Pawel Florkiewicz, Felix Light, Peter Graff Organizations: WARSAW, Polish, Prosecutors, Twitter, Russian Foreign Ministry, Thomson Locations: Poland, Russian, Polish, Silesia, Ukraine, Moscow, Warsaw

☆ Can Russia Tame Wagner in Africa Without Destroying It?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Elian Peltier | Raja Abdulrahim | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Hours after Yevgeny V. Prigozhin and his Wagner mercenary group ended their rebellion on Saturday, officials with the Russian Foreign Ministry phoned the president of the Central African Republic to assure him that the thousands of Wagner fighters deployed in his country would stay, and that Russia would keep looking for new ventures in Africa. Thousands of miles away, and as the rebellion was still underway, Russian troops in Syria had surrounded several bases that host Wagner fighters, fearing that the contagion might spread beyond Russia. Russia’s leadership had encountered some issues with “the head of the paramilitaries,” they told the Central African president, Faustin-Archange Touadéra, but those issues had been resolved and the Kremlin, they assured him, was in control. The Wagner group was the personal project of Mr. Prigozhin, who built it over nearly a decade into a sprawling enterprise, with tentacles reaching from Libya, across Africa and into the Middle East. The group has deployed troops in five African countries, and Mr. Prigozhin’s affiliates have been present in more than a dozen in total.

Persons: Yevgeny V, Prigozhin, Wagner, Russia’s, ” Organizations: Russian Foreign Ministry, Central African, Faustin, Kremlin Locations: Central African Republic, Russia, Africa, Syria, Libya

☆ China throws its support behind Russia, says Wagner rebellion is 'internal affair'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Sheila Chiang | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

China on Sunday described an aborted rebellion by a Russian mercenary force as an "internal affair" and expressed support for the Kremlin's efforts to maintain national stability. "This is Russia's internal affair," said a Chinese foreign ministry's spokesperson in a statement. Separately, China's Foreign Minister Qin Gang and Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu met Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko on Sunday. Both sides "highly praised the current state of Russia-China relations," according to a statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry. His troops reportedly took control of the strategic Russian city of Rostov-on-Don before advancing to within 200 kilometers from Moscow on Saturday.

Persons: Qin Gang, Ma Zhaoxu, Andrey Rudenko, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Russia's, Wagner, Prigozhin Organizations: Sunday, China's, Russia's, Russian Foreign Ministry, Wagner Group Locations: China, Russian, Russia, Moscow, Beijing, Ukraine, Rostov

☆ Russia seeks calm after aborted mutiny, West sees cracks in Putin's power
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

"We've seen more cracks emerge in the Russian facade," Blinken told NBC's "Meet the Press" programme on Sunday. It was unclear if his visit to Russia's strongest ally was precipitated by the Wagner mutiny. It vouched support for Russia's efforts to maintain national stability, referring to the tension as Russia's "internal affairs". Biden and Trudeau both expressed support of Ukraine as it pursues a counteroffensive to recover territory seized by Russia, according to official statements. Giving its daily morning roundup on Monday, the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces said Russian forces had conducted unsuccessful operations around Bakhmut.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Alexander Lukashenko, Sergei Shoigu, Putin, groping, Antony Blinken, Blinken, NBC's, Andrei Rudenko, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Joe Biden, Justin Trudeau, Biden, Trudeau, Zelenskiy, Lukashenko, Antonio Tajani, Dmitry Peskov, Prigozhin, Hanna Maliar, Serhiy Nayev, ” Nayev, Simon Cameron, Moore, Lincoln Organizations: Wagner Group, Defence, Press, Russia's, Russian Federation, U.S, Canadian, Twitter, Russia's Security, Defence Ministry, Russia's TASS, RIA, Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, Russian, Ukraine's Joint Forces, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, Russian, Rostov, Belarus, Beijing, China, Bolshevik, Lyman, Donetsk, Bakhmut

☆ Russia pulls back from brink of crisis after deal reached to end Wagner insurrection
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

Sovfoto/Universal Images Group via Getty Images Putin poses for a picture with his wife, Lyudmila, and daughters, Yekaterina and Maria. Brooks Kraft LLC/Corbis via Getty Images Putin rides a horse during a vacation in Southern Siberia in August 2009. Alexey Nikolsky/AFP via Getty Images Putin judges an arm wrestling match while visiting the Seliger youth educational forum in Russia's Tver region in August 2011. Dmitry Astakhov/RIA Novosti/AFP via Getty Images Putin plays with his dogs Yume, left, and Buffy at his home in Novo-Ogaryovo, Russia, in March 2013. Chris McGrath/Getty Images Putin and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attend the G20 summit in Buenos Aires in November 2018.

Persons: Vladimir Putin’s, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, ” Prigozhin, ” Wagner, ”, Dmitry Peskov, “, Prigozhin, ” Peskov, Putin, Putin Putin, Joseph Stalin, –, “ Putin, Evelyn Farkas, ’, Vladimir Putin, Maria Putina, Archivio GBB, ZUMA Press Wire Putin, Laski, Maria, Vladimir, Anatoly Sobchak, Lyudmila, Yekaterina, Boris Yeltsin, Yeltsin, Fidel Castro, Reuters Putin, George W, Bush, Stephen Jaffe, Camp David, Brooks Kraft, Alexey Druzhinin, Alexey Nikolsky, Mikhail Metzel, Ivan Sekretarev, AP Putin, Dmitry Medvedev, Dmitry Astakhov, Buffy, Angela Merkel, Jochen Lübke, Thomas Bach, Medvedev, Vladimir Konstantinov, Alexei Chalyi, Sergei Aksyonov, Sergei Ilnitsky, Kirill Kudryavtsev, Alexander Lukashenko, Merkel, Francois Hollande, Petro Poroshenko, Mykola Lazarenko, Barack Obama, Ban, Chip Somodevilla, Turkey Andrei Karlov, Karlov, Donald Trump, Chris McGrath, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, LUDOVIC MARIN, Emmanuel Macron, Volodymyr Zelensky, Eliot Blondet, Joe Biden, Antony Blinken, Biden, Sergey Lavrov, Denis Balibouse, Macron, Sergey Ponomarev, Mikhail Gorbachev, —, Alexander Nemenov, Alexey Danichev, Xi Jinping, Pavel Byrkin, Pavel Bednyakov, Peter Zwack, Beth Sanner, ” Sanner, “ He’s, … Putin, Moscow’s, Priogozhin Organizations: CNN, Kremlin, Communist, McCain, Putin, Getty, Russian, ZUMA Press, KGB, ZUMA Press Wire, Getty Images, Reuters, US, White House, Camp, Brooks, Brooks Kraft LLC, RIA Novosti, AP, AFP, International Olympic, Crimean, Ukrainian, United Nations, UN, Assembly, Russian Foreign Ministry, Sputnik, World, Saudi Arabia's Crown, Macron, SPUTNIK, New York Times, Central Clinical Hospital, AP Putin, Belarus, State Russian Museum, Russia’s Southern Military District, US Army, National Intelligence for Mission, State Department, European Union Locations: Moscow, Belarus, Ukraine, Russia, Kremlin, Russia’s Belgorod, Putin Russian, Russian, Rostov, St . Petersburg, Leningrad, Germany, AFP, Kazan, Cuba, Soviet Union, Southern Siberia, Russia's Tver, Novo, Ogaryovo, Hanover, Sevastopol, Crimea, Belarusian, Minsk, France, Turkey, Helsinki, Finland, Buenos Aires, Ukrainian, Paris, Geneva, Switzerland, Taganrog, Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, –, Canada, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom, Soviet, Kazakhstan

CNN —Russian President Vladimir Putin is facing the greatest threat to his authority in two decades after Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner paramilitary group and Putin’s former ally, launched an apparent insurrection. Prigozhin has been highly critical of Russia’s military leadership and their handling of the war in Ukraine, but he had always stopped short of criticizing Putin directly. Wagner group also claimed to have seized Russian facilities in a second city, Voronezh, some 600 kilometers (372 miles) to the north of Rostov-on-Don. Alexander Gusev, the governor of the Voronezh region, said the Russian military was engaging in “combat measures” in the area. Stunning escalationSaturday’s dramatic events come off the back of Prigozhin’s very public and months-long feud with Russia’s military leadership.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Sergei Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov, Prigozhin, Putin, ” Putin, Igor Artamonov, Sergei Sobyanin, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, “, ”, Don “, ” “, ” Prigozhin, Rostov, Don, Alexander Gusev, Shoigu, –, Gen, Vladimir Alekseev, Sergei Naryshkin, Naryshkin, Ramzan Kadyrov, Vladimir Rogov, Rogov saif, ” Wagner, Stringer, Dmytro Kuleba, Serhii Cherevatyi Organizations: CNN, Prigozhin, Moscow, Terrorism, Security, Russian, RIA Novosti, Kremlin, Russian Southern Military Headquarters, Ministry of Defense, Russian Ministry of Defense, Foreign Intelligence Service, Russian Historical Society, Telegram, Southern Military District, Reuters, Russian Foreign, European Union, US State Department, Britain’s Ministry of Defense, Russian National Guard, Ukrainian, Twitter, Ukrainian Armed Forces Locations: Moscow, Ukraine, Russian, Rostov, Voronezh, Lipetsk, Russia, St . Petersburg, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Prigozhin’s, Prigozhin, Don, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, EU

CNN —Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich lost his appeal against the extension of pre-trial detention in Moscow on Thursday on spying charges, which he denies. Gershkovich’s detention, at the notorious Lefortovo prison in Moscow, was extended last month to August 30. Gershkovich was in court for the decision, in a glass cage, wearing a dark t-shirt and jeans. The Wall Street Journal called Gershkovich’s continued detention “an outrage” in a statement released Thursday. “Our colleague Evan Gershkovich appeared in Moscow City Court today for an appeal against his ongoing pretrial detention.

Persons: Evan Gershkovich, Gershkovich, Lynne Tracy, Ella Milman, Mikhail Gershkovich, Tracy, ” Tracy, Evan, “, ”, ” “ Evan, Joe Biden Organizations: CNN, Wall Street, Moscow, Court, TASS, Russian Foreign Ministry, Moscow City Court, US State Department Locations: Moscow, Russia, United States, Moscow City, Washington

☆ Sudan: Testimonies detail atrocities by Wagner-backed militia
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Nima Elbagir Tamara Qiblawi Barbara Arvanitidis Gianluca Mezzofiore Pallabi Munsi Ingrid Formanek Saskya Vandoorne | Nima Elbagir | Tamara Qiblawi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

“I sat next to her in the car,” said Butheina Nourin, describing her perilous escape from Sudan’s Darfur region alongside the dead woman. A months-long CNN investigation uncovered an increase in Wagner supplies to the RSF that began in the run-up to Sudan’s conflict. Reports of atrocities committed by RSF fighters and their allied militias, clearly identified by their uniforms, are consistent across dozens of testimonies. Then-President Bashir was charged by the International Criminal Court in 2010 with crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide in relation to the Darfur conflict. “Nobody in Sudan has more blood on their hands than Hemedti,” said Sudan analyst Eric Reeves.

Persons: wailed, “, ”, Butheina Nourin, Fatima, I, Nourin, Zohra Bensemra, Abdul Fattah al, Burhan, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, Wagner, General Burhan, entrenching, –, Omar al, Bashir, Hemedti, Sergey Lavrov, Hussein Haran, ” Haran, Khamis Abbakar, Kholood Khair, ” Khair, Gen, Mahmoud Hjaj, Hala, SIHA, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalos, Hussein Malla, ” “, Gueipeur Denis Sassou, Eric Reeves, Al Jazeera, Karib, “ It’s, RSF –, Wagner –, Yeveny Prigozhin, Sudan ”, Hussein Organizations: CNN, ” Fighters, Sudanese, Rapid Support Forces, Reuters, Central African, Russian, Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service, UN, Strategic Initiative, Women, International Criminal Court, ICC, United Arab, United Nations, SIHA, Getty, European, US State Department, State Department Locations: Chad, Sudan, Sudan’s Darfur, Darfur, Borota, Latakia, Libya, Bangui, Central African Republic, Moscow, Ukraine, Khartoum, el, Geneina, Horn of Africa, State, Sudan’s, Yemen, Saudi, Iran, United Arab Emirates, Russia, Daman, AFP, Cairo, Abu Dhabi, Europe, EU, ”, Africa

Henriette Borgund knows attackers can find weaknesses in the defences of a big renewables power company - she's found them herself. She joined Norway's Hydro (NHY.OL) as an "ethical hacker" last April, bringing years of experience in military cyberdefence to bear at a time of war in Europe and chaos in energy markets. They're nervously monitoring a hybrid war where physical energy infrastructure has already been targeted, from the Nord Stream gas pipelines to the Kakhovka dam. It said Russia had tried to destroy digital networks and cause power cuts, and that missile attacks on facilities were often accompanied by cyberattacks. "Companies in the energy space, their core business is producing energy, not cybersecurity," said Jalal Bouhdada, CEO of cybersecurity firm Applied Risk, a division of DNV.

Persons: Nora Buli, Henriette Borgund, she's, shoring, Michael Ebner, cyberattacks, didn't, Swantje Westpfahl, James Forrest, Cem Gocgoren, Stephan Gerling, Mathias Boeswetter, Leonhard Birnbaum, Jalal Bouhdada, Nina Chestney, Christoph Steitz, America Hernandez, Paris Pavel Polityuk, Guy Faulconbridge, Pravin Organizations: REUTERS, Norway's Hydro, Reuters, Hydro's Oslo, Hydro, Ukraine, cyberattacks, Germany's Institute for Security, TRITON, Triton, Svenska, ICS CERT, University of Tulsa, E.ON, " Companies, Pravin Char, Thomson Locations: Norwegian, Fosen, Norway, Ukraine, OSLO, LONDON, FRANKFURT, Europe, Nord, Russia, Ukrainian, Moscow, United States, Russian, Capgemini, Saudi, Swedish, DNV, Oslo, London, Frankfurt, Paris, Kiev

☆ Russian foreign ministry summons Canadian envoy over plane confiscation
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

OTTAWA, June 15 (Reuters) - Russia's Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that it had summoned a Canadian diplomat in Moscow in protest over the confiscation of an Antonov plane in Toronto, and warned that Russian-Canadian relations were on the "verge of being severed." Canada on Saturday ordered the seizure of a Russian-registered Antonov-124 cargo plane at Toronto's airport, its first such asset seizure aimed at putting pressure on Moscow over the Ukraine invasion. Russia told Brian Ebel, the deputy head of Canada's embassy in Moscow, that it viewed the plane seizure as "cynical theft," according to a statement from the foreign ministry. A spokesperson for the Canadian foreign ministry acknowledged Moscow's concerns, and reiterated Ottawa's "unwavering" support for Ukrainians. Those who have enabled, supported and profited from Russia's war in Ukraine will be held accountable," the spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

Persons: Brian Ebel, Trudeau, Ottawa's, Justin Trudeau, Ismail Shakil, Mark Potter, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: OTTAWA, Saturday, Canada, NATO, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: Canadian, Moscow, Toronto, Canada, Russian, Toronto's, Ukraine, Russia, Kyiv, Ukrainian, Ottawa

☆ Kakhovka dam collapse has made Black Sea a ‘garbage dump and animal cemetery,’ Ukraine warns
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-11 | by ( Mariya Knight | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Floodwaters are receding following the collapse of the Kakhovka dam, but debris washed along the Dnipro river is turning Odesa’s Black Sea coastline into “a garbage dump and animal cemetery,” according to Ukrainian authorities. “The Dnipro river flows into the Black Sea, bearing many signs of the devastation caused by Russians,” the ministry said. The collapse of the dam in southern Ukraine on June 6 is one of the biggest industrial and ecological disasters in Europe for decades. Several Western officials have blamed the collapse of the Russian-occupied dam on Moscow. Call for international supportThe developments came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for international support to help rescue victims of the dam collapse in Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine.

Persons: ”, it’s, Oleksandr Prokudin, Prokudin, ” Prokudin, Volodymyr Zelensky, Zelensky, ” Zelensky, “, Justin Trudeau Organizations: CNN, Ukraine’s Ministry, Internal Affairs, “, Russian Foreign, Armed Forces of, State Emergency Service, Ukraine Saturday, Canadian Locations: Dnipro, ”, Ukraine, Europe, Russian, Moscow, Kherson, Ukrainian, Kherson region, “ Russia, Mykolaiv, Armed Forces of Ukraine, Dnipropetrovsk, Nikopol, Afanasivka, Canada

The flooding has already killed 300 animals at the Nova Kakhovka zoo, according to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry. Satellite images show a close-up view of the Nova Kakhovka dam and hydroelectric power facility before and after the dam collapse on June 6, 2023. Satellite images show homes along the Dnipro River before and after the Nova Kakhovka dam collapsed. Several Ukrainian regions that receive some of their water supply from the reservoir of the Nova Kakhovka dam are making efforts to conserve water. Local residents carry their personal belongings on a flooded street after the Nova Kakhovka dam collapsed, in Kherson, Ukraine, on June 6.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, ”, Ihor Syrota, ” Syrota, ” Olena, Alina Smutko, Ruslan Strilets, Strilets, António Guterres, Vladyslav Musiienko, Martin Griffiths, Griffiths, ” Griffiths, Zelensky, Oleksandr Prokudin, Maxar Technologies Griffiths, Mohammad Heidarzadeh, Heidarzadeh, Vladimir Saldo, Rafael Grossi, ” Grossi Organizations: CNN, Reuters, Reserve, Nova, Ukrainian Defense Ministry . United Nations, ”, UN Security, Dnipro, Maxar, Maxar Technologies, University of Bath, Science Media, Russian Foreign Ministry, International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, UN Locations: Nova, Ukraine, Russian, Kyiv, Moscow, Russia, Dnipro, Kherson, Reuters Ukrainian, Zaporizhzhia, England, Dnipropetrovsk, Kryvyi

☆ Russia and Ukraine say ammonia pipeline was damaged, in potential blow to grain deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

They have been provided with necessary medical assistance," the Russian ministry said in a statement. "At present ammonia residues are being blown out of the damaged sections of the pipeline from Ukrainian territory. REPAIRSResumption of supplies via the Tolyatti-Odesa pipeline, the world's longest ammonia pipeline, may be key to the renewal of the Black Sea grain export deal. Russia has repeatedly cast doubt on whether it will continue to renew the grain deal, brokered by the United Nations and Turkey, which facilitates agricultural exports from Ukraine via the Black Sea. "The ammonia pipeline was one of the linchpins of the implementation of the agreements made in Istanbul on July 22, The (pipeline) was key to global food security," Zakharova said.

Persons: Stephane Dujarric, Dujarric, We're, Maria Zakharova, Zakharova, Felix Light, Andrew Osborn, Jon Boyle, Jason Neely, Gareth Jones, Alex Richardson, Diane Craft Organizations: Kyiv, Reuters, United, Togliatti, United Nations, Russian Foreign Ministry, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, Ukrainian, Masyutivka, Kharkiv, Russian, Ukraine's Kharkiv, United Nations, Turkey, Odesa, Istanbul

☆ BRICS meet with 'friends' seeking closer ties amid push to expand bloc
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Wendell Roelf | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Foreign ministers of BRICS nations pose for a family photo with representatives from Africa and the global South during a summit in Cape Town, South Africa, June 2, 2023. BRICS, which now consists of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, is considering expanding its membership, and a growing number of countries, mostly from the global South, have expressed interest in joining. Developed countries have never met their commitments to the developing world and are trying to shift all responsibility to the global South," Pandor said. Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said Thursday's talks had included deliberations on the guiding principles, standards, criteria and procedures of what an expanded BRICS bloc would look like. As an ICC member, South Africa would face pressure to arrest Putin were he to travel to the summit.

Persons: Naledi Pandor, Pandor, Mauro Vieira, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Thursday's, Africa's Pandor, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Carien du, Krishn Kaushik, Joe Bavier, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Russian Foreign Ministry, REUTERS, South Africa's, United Arab, Democratic, Cape Town, International Criminal Court, ICC, Thomson Locations: Africa, Cape Town , South Africa, REUTERS CAPE, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Cuba, Democratic Republic of Congo, Comoros, Gabon, Kazakhstan, Egypt, Argentina, Bangladesh, Guinea, Bissau, Indonesia, Johannesburg, Pretoria, Carien du Plessis

☆ Kenya and Russia to sign trade pact, President Ruto says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Speaker of the National Assembly of Kenya Moses Wetangula shakes hands with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during a meeting in Nairobi, Kenya May 29, 2023. Russian Foreign Ministry/Handout via REUTERSNAIROBI, May 29 (Reuters) - Kenya will sign a trade pact with Russia aimed at boosting cooperation between businesses, President William Ruto's office said on Monday, after hosting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Nairobi. Kenya's presidency said in a statement that bilateral trade with Russia was still low despite the potential and the pact would give business the "necessary impetus". Russia says its invasion of Ukraine, launched on Feb. 24, 2022, is aimed at protecting its own security against Ukraine's pro-Western leadership. Lavrov has visited the African continent at least three times this year, while Ukraine's foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba travelled to countries including Ethiopia, Rwanda and Mozambique last week.

☆ Russia’s Latest Sanctions on U.S. Officials Turn to Trump Enemies
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Peter Baker | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Russia has expanded its list of sanctioned Americans in a tit-for-tat retaliation for the latest curbs imposed by the United States. But what is particularly striking is how much President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia is adopting perceived enemies of former President Donald J. Trump as his own. Brad Raffensperger, the secretary of state of Georgia who rebuffed Mr. Trump’s pressure to reverse the outcome of the 2020 election, also made the list. None of those three has anything to do with Russia policy and the only reason they would have come to Moscow’s attention is because Mr. Trump has publicly assailed them. He also refused to commit to supporting Ukraine in its war against Russia if he is elected president again, saying instead he would seek to mediate between Kyiv and Moscow.

☆ Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger thanked Russia for putting him on 'Russophobia' list and banning him from the country: 'I appreciate them thinking of me'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger thanked Russia for including him on a new travel ban. "I accept that I'm not their cup of Russian tea," he said in a Saturday statement mocking the list. "My inclusion on this list is deserved, and I appreciate them thinking of me." The list, which was released Friday by the Russian Foreign Ministry, named US citizens who aren't allowed to travel to Russia. Gershkovich was detained in the country in March and formally charged with espionage in April.

☆ Zelenskiy likens Bakhmut's devastation to Hiroshima after World War Two
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 21 (Reuters) - President Volodymyr Zelenskiy likened the ruins of Ukraine's eastern city of Bakhmut with the destruction of Hiroshima in World War Two, as he attended the Group of Seven summit in the Japanese city on Sunday. "I'll tell you openly: Photographs of ruined Hiroshima absolutely remind me of Bakhmut and other similar settlements. Zelenskiy told the press conference that Ukrainian forces were continuing to fighting inside the city of Bakhmut and were carrying out "important tasks". He added that he would like to see the same kind of successful reconstruction that Hiroshima experienced in places like Bakhmut once the war is over. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova mocked Zelenskiy's comparison, saying the United States bombed Hiroshima and provided military support for Ukraine.

CNN —Police in Georgia have removed protesters from outside a hotel where relatives of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov are allegedly staying, according to the public broadcaster First Channel. According to First Channel, the opposition United National Movement party held a protest outside the Kvareli Lake Hotel in northeastern Georgia on Saturday to express their anger following Georgian media reports that Lavrov’s relatives were staying in the hotel. Reporters on the ground said the situation outside the hotel had grown “tense” on Saturday after protesters pelted eggs at a minibus that left the hotel carrying Russian tourists. ‘Tense’ protest scenesVideos posted on social media showed violent scenes of police officers roughly grabbing protesters gathered outside the hotel. The protests came after Georgian media reported that Lavrov’s relatives had traveled to Georgia for the wedding of the brother of Lavrov’s son-in-law, Alexandre Vinokourov.

☆ Polish news websites hit by DDoS attacks
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WARSAW, May 18 (Reuters) - Several Polish news websites were hit by distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks that the government said could be the action of Russian hacking groups, the digitalisation minister was quoted as saying on Thursday. DDoS attacks work by directing high volumes of internet traffic towards targeted servers in a relatively unsophisticated bid to knock them offline. Asked whether Russian groups were behind the attacks, Cieszynski said "we have such information". According to PAP, the websites affected included those of daily newspapers Gazeta Wyborcza, Rzeczpospolita and Super Express. Reporting by Alan Charlish and Karol Badohal; Editing by Alex RichardsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Black Sea grain deal: A crucial pact aimed at averting a global food crisis has been extended
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Sophie Tanno | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —A crucial deal aimed at averting a global food crisis following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has been extended for two months. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday an agreement has been reached with Russia and Ukraine to extend the Black Sea grain deal. Murat Kula/Anadolu Agency/Getty ImagesWhat is the Black Sea grain deal and why is it important? The Black Sea grain deal was first reached in July 2022. The Black Sea grain deal was an agreement made between Russia and Ukraine – however, it was not a direct agreement.

☆ Russia is floating a plan to build a village for conservative Americans who want to move to a 'Christian country' and are tired of liberal ideology in the US
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia is building a village for US expats who are tired of liberal ideology, a lawyer told state media. Russia has in recent years sought to position itself as a bastion for "traditional" moral values. Putin has, in recent years, sought to portray Russia as a country that stands for "traditional" moral, social, and religious values. It said Russia was in a "unique position" to defend and spread conservative views, which the decree called "traditional Russian moral and religious values." The village project also comes as Moscow's war on Ukraine and resulting international sanctions have sullied Russia's reputation among tourists and expatriates.

Search resuls for: "Russian Foreign Ministry"

25 mentions found