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☆ What now for Putin? Kremlin critic says Prigozhin’s apparent death will ‘cement his authority’
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Gavriil Grigorov | Afp | Getty ImagesProminent Kremlin critic Bill Browder believes the presumed death of Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin will shore up President Vladimir Putin's shaken authority, saying the Russian leader "never forgives and never forgets." His comments come shortly after Russian aviation officials said Wednesday that Prigozhin was believed to have been killed in a plane crash. A view of site after a private jet, allegedly carrying Wagner head Yevgeny Prigozhin and other passengers crashed in Russia's northwestern Tver region, Russia on August 23, 2023. This will cement his authority and is standard Putin operating procedure," Browder said. The Wagner boss had struck an apparent deal with the Kremlin in the aftermath of the June rebellion.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Gavriil Grigorov, Bill Browder, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin's, Prigozhin, Dmitry Utkin, Utkin, of, Yevgeny Viktorovich Prigozhin, Putin, Browder, Ian Bremmer, Prigozhin's, Bremmer, Wagner chief's, he's, CNBC's Organizations: Sputnik, Afp, Getty, NBC, Telegram, Wagner Group, Grey, Anadolu Agency, Federal Agency for Air Transport, Russian Embassy, Kremlin, Eurasia Group Locations: Kursk, Nazi Germany, Soviet Union, Moscow, Tver, Ukraine, Syria, Libya, Africa, of Russia, Russia, Russia's, Russian, London, Belarus

☆ How Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin spent the mysterious 2 months between his failed coup and his plane crash — from strange meetings with Putin to sitting in a tent in his underwear
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | Sebastian Cahill | Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin was "exiled" to Belarus after staging a short-lived mutiny in Russia. Here's what we know about what he was up to before Russian officials say he was killed in a plane crash. Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, who said he talked Putin out of assassinating Prigozhin, said that the Wagner boss had arrived in the country. July 4-6: Back in Russia after raid on St. Petersburg homeThe Russian media outlet Fontanka reported Prigozhin arrived in St. Petersburg on July 4. August 24: Prigozhin was on a private jet that crashed in RussiaAlmost two months to the day since his armed rebellion, Prigozhin was killed in a plane crash, according to Russian officials.

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin's, Prigozhin, Simon Miles, Putin, Alexander Lukashenko, Lukashenko, Jake Epstein, Freddy Mapouka Organizations: Service, Russian, Duke University's Sanford School of Public, Soviet Union, Fox News, Putin, Kremlin, Pentagon, New York Times, Central African, Associated Press Locations: Belarus, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Soviet, Ukraine, Moscow, Russian, St, Petersburg, St . Petersburg, Belarusian, Africa, Central African Republic

There was no immediate official confirmation that Prigozhin, Russia's most powerful mercenary and a self-declared enemy of the Russian Defence Ministry, was physically on board. Reuters could not confirm that he was on the aircraft though a Telegram channel linked to Wagner pronounced him dead. Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin leaves the headquarters of the Southern Military District amid the group's pullout from the city of Rostov-on-Don, Russia, June 24, 2023. Unconfirmed Russian media reports said that Dmitry Utkin, Prigozhin's right-hand man, had also been on board and that Prigozhin and his associates had attended a meeting with officials from the Russian Defence Ministry. An unverified video clip posted to social media showed a plane resembling a private jet falling out of the sky towards the earth.

Persons: Wagner, Prigozhin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin's, Putin, Joe Biden, Alexander Ermochenko, Sergei Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov, Dmitry Utkin, Andrew Osborn, Max Rodionov, Mark Trevelyan, Grant McCool Organizations: Russian Defence Ministry, Reuters, Wagner Group, Kremlin, Defence Ministry, Embraer, TASS, Southern Military, REUTERS, Russia's, General Staff, Thomson Locations: Moscow, MOSCOW, Russia, Africa, Tver, St . Petersburg, Kuzhenkino, Tver Region, Rostov, Don, St Petersburg, Ukraine, Belarus

☆ The CIA's director predicted last month that Putin would seek revenge on Yevgeny Prigozhin after his failed coup
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Rebecca Cohen | Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

CIA director William Burns predicted last month that Putin might not be done with Yevgeny Prigozhin. Prigozhin led a short-lived coup against Russian military leaders exactly two months ago. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe feud between Prigozhin and Russian higher-ups came to blows in late June, when Wagner launched a failed mutiny against Russia's military leadership in late June, with Prigozhin marching his mercenary troops toward Moscow. But the coup was short-lived when Prigozhin appeared to make a sudden reversal, ordering his troops to turn back and stand down. Since then, Prigozhin's whereabouts and standings with both Russian military leadership and Putin himself have been all over the place.

Persons: William Burns, Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Bill Burns, Wagner, Vladimir Putin's, Burns, Prigozhin —, —, Wager, Alexander Lukashenko, They've, it's Organizations: Russian, TASS, Service, Kremlin, Belarusian Locations: Wall, Silicon, Aspen, Tver, Moscow, Russian, Ukraine, Prigozhin, Belarus, Russia, Belarusian, Africa

☆ Another one of America's adversaries just unveiled a new drone that closely resembles the US military's combat-proven MQ-9 Reaper
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Another US foe just revealed a drone that looks very similar to the American MQ-9 Reaper. One of the missiles is named after Qasem Soleimani, the former chief of the IRGC's elite Quds Force who was killed in a 2020 US military Reaper drone strike. AdvertisementAdvertisementWell-armed and tested in combat, the powerful Reaper drone has operational experience around the world. An MQ-9 Reaper drone on San Clemente Island in California on June 23. Iran and North Korea have cooperated in the past on various military issues, including the development of long-range missiles.

Persons: Israel —, —, IRNA, Ebrahim Raisi, Qasem Soleimani, Joseph Pagan Iran's, Kim Jong Un, Vann Van Diepen, Vladimir Putin's Organizations: American, Service, Islamic Republic News Agency, country's, Industry, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Quds Force, — IRNA News Agency, Islamic, Kremlin, US, US Air National Guard, Staff, North, North Korean, Korean Central News Agency, Korea News Service, US State Department, Stimson Locations: Iran, Korean, Wall, Silicon, Tehran, Russia, Ukraine, American, Russian, Islamic State, Clemente Island, California, North Korea, Pyongyang, Korea, Moscow

☆ 'People are stupid': Strategist sees big downside as stocks ignore global crises — and names what to own
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Ganesh Rao | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Despite ongoing economic crises around the world, global stock markets have remained resilient so far this year. David Roche, president and global strategist at Independent Strategy , said equity markets were still relatively buoyant "because people are stupid" and overly complacent. They are related," Roche told CNBC's "Squawk Box Europe" on Thursday. The strategist suggested owning 30-year U.S. Treasurys , which were trading with a yield of 4.35% Friday. Earlier this month, billionaire investor Bill Ackman said he was betting against 30-year U.S. Treasurys in "a world with persistent 3% inflation."

Persons: David Roche, Roche, CNBC's, Vladimir Putin's, " Roche, I'm, Bill Ackman Organizations: Independent, Equity, JPMorgan, America, Pershing, Capital Management Locations: China, Russia, Beijing, Wall Street, China's, Moscow, Russian, West

☆ Elon Musk seemed to have 'bought what Putin was selling, hook, line, and sinker,' fellow PayPal mafia member says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Sarah Jackson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

He said Musk "bought what Putin was selling, hook, line, and sinker" regarding the war in Ukraine. Hoffman told The New Yorker Musk "bought what Putin was selling, hook, line, and sinker," regarding Russian President Vladimir Putin's account of the war in Ukraine. Putin wants peace—we should be negotiating peace with Putin,'" Hoffman told The New Yorker, referencing Musk's comments at a September 2022 conference in Aspen. Obviously, we are pro Ukraine," Musk tweeted hours after his poll. "Elon tends to have a 'I must build it with my own hands'" approach, Hoffman told CNBC in April.

Persons: Reid Hoffman, Elon Musk, Putin, Musk, Hoffman, Vladimir Putin's, he'd, Vladimir, Steven Butow, Starlink, we'll, Colin Kahl, Elon —, —, Elon Organizations: Paypal Mafia, New, PayPal, Kremlin, SpaceX, Politico, Pentagon, CNN, Defense, Policy, New Yorker, Milken, CNBC, Tesla Locations: Ukraine, Aspen ., Russia, Crimea, Ukrainian, New

☆ Putin's invasion of Ukraine was his 'greatest intelligence fiasco,' spy expert says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( Nathan Rennolds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Russia's invasion of Ukraine was an "intelligence fiasco," an intelligence expert wrote in The Times. He said that Russia's FSB had failed to adequately prepare for the invasion of Ukraine. download the app Email address By clicking ‘Sign up’, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider as well as other partner offers and accept our Terms of Service and Privacy PolicyRussian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine was his "greatest intelligence fiasco," an intelligence expert has claimed. It likely played a role in the FSB's failure to establish well-placed recruits to act as saboteurs and help Russian forces during the invasion, Walton wrote. "The time after the war, with all the expulsions, was a fateful time for the Russian intelligence system," a European intelligence official told the outlet.

Persons: Calder Walton, Vladimir Putin's, Walton, Putin, Celestino Arce, Der Spiegel, Der, Horst Jehmlich Organizations: The, Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government, Service, Sunday Times, Intelligence, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Guardian, Red Army Locations: Ukraine, The Times, Wall, Silicon, Russian, Ukraine's Kherson, Slovenia, Greece, Brazil, Norway, Netherlands, Dresden, East Germany, Soviet, West Germany

☆ The Kremlin's top brass are trying to pass the buck over the ruble's collapse. This rare public infighting shows just how precarious Russia's wartime economy is.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Kremlin's top brass are trying to pass the buck over the ruble's collapse. Russia's central bank governor, Elvira Nabiullina, said the weak ruble is due to changing trade flows. "A weak ruble complicates the economy's structural transformation and negatively influences real household earnings. "Blaming the central bank is like a drunkard's search — looking for the guilty where the light is," she said, the Financial Times reported earlier this week. The Kremlin, Russia's central bank, and Capital Economics did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Insider.

Persons: Putin's, Elvira Nabiullina, Maxim Oreshkin, Vladimir Putin's, Oreshkin, Nabiullina —, —, Liam Peach, Putin, Max Seddon, you've Organizations: Service, TASS, Financial Times, Capital Economics Locations: Wall, Silicon, Russian, Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, Surgut

☆ Russia's inflation spike sets Kremlin and central bank on collision course
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Russia's President Vladimir Putin (L) and Russian Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina Alexei Nikolsky\TASS via Getty ImagesRussia's rising inflation and plunging currency have spotlighted an emerging discord between the Kremlin and the country's central bank. Analysts suggested the government's direct strong-arming of the central bank into monetary policy action was a sign of the problems faced by the country's economy. In other words, the Russian currency has entered a vicious circle that it will struggle to escape from." This is because the negative factors behind the weakening currency are largely outside the control of the Central Bank of Russia." She added that blaming the central bank has therefore become an "easy tactic" for the Kremlin in the absence of any tangible options through which to improve the situation.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Russian Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina Alexei Nikolsky, Vladimir Putin's, Maxim Oreshkin, Anatoly Aksakov, Agathe Demarais, Demarais, Stephanie Kennedy, Julius Baer, Kennedy Organizations: Russian Central Bank Governor, Getty, Kremlin, Central Bank of Russia, Bank, Bank of Russia, Financial, Bank of, Economist Intelligence Unit, CNBC, CBR, U.S . Locations: Russia, Bank of Russia, Ukraine

☆ Russian central bank hikes rates by 350 bp to 12% in extraordinary meeting
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A Russian state flag flies over the Central Bank headquarters in Moscow, Russia March 29, 2021. A sign reads: "Bank of Russia". President Vladimir Putin's economic adviser Maxim Oreshkin on Monday rebuked the central bank blaming what he called its soft monetary policy on the weakening rouble. Hours after Oreshkin's words, as the rouble dived towards the 102 mark against the dollar, the bank announced the emergency meeting, throwing the currency a lifeline. The bank then steadily lowered the cost of borrowing to 7.5% as strong inflation pressure eased in the second half of 2022.

Persons: Maxim, Rouble, Vladimir Putin's, Maxim Oreshkin, Alexander Marrow, Guy Faulconbridge Organizations: Central Bank, Bank of, of Russia, Kremlin, Russia, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Russian, Moscow, Russia, Bank of Russia, Ukraine MOSCOW, Ukraine

[1/2] Russia's Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu delivers a speech at XI Moscow conference on international security in the Moscow region, Russia, August 15, 2023. Ukraine and the West have accused Russia of war crimes and cast Moscow's invasion as an imperial-style land grab. "In the special military operation, the Russian army has debunked many myths about the superiority of Western military standards," Shoigu said in a rare public speech, according to a text supplied by his ministry. Shoigu said he would share details about the weaknesses of Western weapons and that none were invulnerable. In remarks aimed at China, Shoigu said the West was intentionally stoking the situation around Taiwan, comparing the situation to the Ukraine war.

Persons: Sergei Shoigu, Li Shangfu, Shoigu, Vladimir Putin's, Guy Faulconbridge, Conor Humphries Organizations: Russia's, XI Moscow, Russian Defence Ministry, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Cuban Missile Crisis, Russia, Reuters, British, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, Ukraine, Afghanistan, Ukrainian, Odesa, China, Taiwan

☆ Russia's rouble rises ahead of central bank extraordinary meeting
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Russia's central bank will hold an extraordinary meeting at on Tuesday to discuss the level of its key interest rate, currently at 8.5%. A decision will be published at 10:30 Moscow time (0730 GMT), the central bank said. The central bank's most recent emergency hike came in late February 2022 with a rate raise to 20% in the immediate fallout of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. After that, the bank steadily lowered the cost of borrowing before quickening inflation forced a 100-basis-point hike to 8.5% last month. "The central bank has all the tools to normalise the situation in the near future," President Vladimir Putin's economic adviser Maxim Oreshkin said on Monday.

Persons: Shamil Zhumatov, Rouble, Vladimir Putin's, Maxim Oreshkin, Putin, Guy Faulconbridge Organizations: REUTERS, Central, Sber Investments, Reuters, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Russian, Ukraine, Russia's, Moscow, Russia, Europe

☆ Russian central bank jacks up interest rates to 12% at emergency meeting after ruble plunge
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

National flag flies over the Russian Central Bank headquarters in Moscow, Russia May 27, 2022. Russia's central bank on Tuesday hiked interest rates by 350 basis points to 12% at an emergency meeting, as Moscow looks to halt a rapid depreciation of the country's ruble currency. The ruble slumped near 102 to the dollar on Monday, as President Vladimir Putin's economic advisor, Maxim Oreshkin, penned an op-ed in Russian state-owned Tass news agency that blamed the plunging currency and the acceleration of inflation on "loose monetary policy." The Bank of Russia subsequently announced an extraordinary meeting on Tuesday to reassess its key interest rate, which previously sat at 8.5%. The ruble strengthened early on Tuesday, as investors bet on a significant tightening of monetary policy from the central bank, and was trading just below 96 to the dollar shortly before 8 a.m. London time.

Persons: Vladimir Putin's, Maxim Oreshkin Organizations: Russian Central Bank, Tass, of Russia Locations: Moscow, Russia, Russia's, London

☆ A Ukrainian says he paid $5,000 for a medical diagnosis to avoid conscription, an example of widespread corruption and draft-dodging
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Ukraine is facing increasing difficulties with military recruitment, with some avoiding the draft. One man paid $5,000 for a spine diagnosis, allowing him to leave the country, The Guardian reported. "Everyone knows where to find them," the man told the newspaper. Ukraine amended its conscription laws in January 2023 in an effort to close recruitment loopholes, as the Kyiv Post reported. But a year and a half into Russia's grueling invasion, the ongoing crackdown illustrates a pressing recruitment problem for Ukraine.

Persons: Zelenskyy, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Vladimir Putin's, Putin Organizations: Guardian, dodgers, Service, Kyiv Post, Street, Freedom House, Ukraine Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Ukrainian, Odesa, Europe, Russia

☆ Tumbling rouble claws back ground as central bank to meet
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Putin's economic adviser Maxim Oreshkin earlier said the central bank could ensure that the pace of lending drops to sustainable levels with higher rates. "The central bank has all the tools to normalise the situation in the near future." Asked earlier whether it might make an emergency hike from the current 8.5%, the central bank declined to comment. "The central bank is not fully in control," independent Moscow-based economist Ian Melkumov told Reuters. "The central bank doesn't want to kill the economy and businesses in the same way it had to last year," he said.

Persons: Rouble, Vladimir Putin's, rouble, Putin, Maxim Oreshkin, Oreshkin, Denis Popov, Popov, Matt Vogel, REUTERS Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina, Vladimir Solovyev, Ivan, Timothy Ash, Ian Melkumov, Alexander Marrow, Marc Jones, Gareth Jones, Philippa Fletcher, Christina Fincher Organizations: TASS, of Russia's, FIM, Moscow News Agency, Handout, REUTERS Central Bank Governor, Popular, Kremlin, Reuters, BlueBay Asset Management, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Ukraine, Moscow, Russia, London

☆ Russian rouble sinks, Kremlin blames loose monetary policy
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"The main source of rouble weakening and accelerating inflation is soft monetary policy," Oreshkin wrote. "The central bank has all the tools to normalise the situation in the near future and ensure that lending rates are reduced to sustainable levels. Last week, Russia effectively abandoned its budget rule, with the central bank halting the finance ministry's FX purchases to try and reduce volatility. "The central bank is not fully in control," independent Moscow-based economist Ian Melkumov told Reuters, although it has aggressive tools that it is currently reluctant to use. "(But) the central bank doesn't want to kill the economy and businesses in the same way it had to last year."

Persons: Kremlin, Rouble, Vladimir Putin's, Putin, Maxim Oreshkin, Oreshkin, Timothy Ash, Ian Melkumov, Alexander Marrow, Gareth Jones Organizations: TASS, Kremlin, of Russia, Moscow News Agency, Handout, REUTERS, Reuters, BlueBay Asset Management, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Ukraine, Russia, Moscow, London

☆ Kremlin blames loose monetary policy as rouble slides past 100 vs dollar
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"The main source of rouble weakening and accelerating inflation is soft monetary policy," Oreshkin wrote. "The central bank has all the tools to normalise the situation in the near future and ensure that lending rates are reduced to sustainable levels. "It is in the interests of the Russian economy to have a strong rouble." The central bank hiked rates by 100 basis points in July to 8.5%, having held them steady since September. Last week, Russia effectively abandoned its budget rule, with the central bank halting the finance ministry's FX purchases to try and reduce volatility.

Persons: Kremlin, Rouble, Vladimir Putin's, Putin, Maxim Oreshkin, Oreshkin, Timothy Ash, Alexander Marrow, Felix Light, Guy Faulconbridge, Gareth Jones Organizations: Moscow News Agency, Handout, TASS, Kremlin, Bank of, BlueBay Asset Management, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, MOSCOW, Ukraine, Bank of Russia, London

☆ While Russia's schoolchildren learn how to operate drones and clean guns, Ukraine's students will take classes on how to navigate treacherous minefields
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Meanwhile, Russian students learn how to operate drones and clean guns. While Russian schoolchildren will operate airborne drones, drill rifles, and train in hand-to-hand combat, Ukrainian kids will undergo a safety course for navigating treacherous landmines. It's a harrowing reality for Ukrainian children and presents an even bleaker future, with the country now the most heavily mined in the world, according to Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov. Meanwhile, Russian students will face an increasingly militarized classroom this school year. Students as young as year 10 and 11 will learn how to operate combat drones.

Persons: Oksen Lisovy, It'll, Oleksii Reznikov, Vladimir Konstantinov, Vladimir Putin's Organizations: Service, Ukraine's Education, Kyiv, Kyiv Independent, Education Ministry, UNICEF, Ukrainian Defense Locations: Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Kyiv, Crimea, Republic of Crimea, Russia, Russian

☆ Russian ruble slumps to near 17-month low, moves past 100 against the dollar
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

This pool image distributed by Sputnik agency shows Russian President Vladimir Putin meeting with the Tver region governor at the Kremlin in Moscow on August 9, 2023. The Russian ruble slid past 100 to the U.S. dollar on Monday, nearing a 17-month low as President Vladimir Putin's economic advisor blamed loose monetary policy for the rapid depreciation. Putin's economic advisor Maxim Oreshkin told Russia's state-owned Tass news agency that the depreciation would normalize in the near future." A weak ruble complicates the restructuring of the economy and negatively affects the real incomes of the population. In the interests of the Russian economy — a strong ruble," he said, according to a Google translation.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Vladimir Putin's, Maxim Oreshkin, William Jackson, Jackson Organizations: Sputnik, Kremlin, Russian, U.S, greenback, Bank of, Tass, Federal State Statistics Service, Capital Economics Locations: Tver, Moscow, Bank of Russia, Russia's, Russia, Russian

☆ Russian c.bank to hold emergency rate meeting as rouble tumbles
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A Russian rouble banknote is seen in front of a descending and rising stock graph in this illustration taken March 1, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File PhotoMOSCOW, Aug 14 (Reuters) - Russia's central bank will hold an extraordinary meeting on Tuesday to discuss the level of its key interest rate, it said on Monday, as the sharply weakening rouble prompted calls for higher borrowing costs. President Vladimir Putin's economic adviser rebuked the central bank on Monday as the rouble slid past 101 per U.S. dollar, blaming loose monetary policy in a sign of growing discord among Russia's monetary authorities. The bank, whose key rate is currently 8.5%, had been scheduled to hold its next meeting on rates on Sept. 15. The rouble pared its losses and firmed back to below 100 per U.S. dollar after the central bank announced Tuesday's meeting.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Vladimir Putin's, Alexander Marrow, Gareth Jones Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Moscow

MOSCOW, Aug 10 (Reuters) - In Vladimir Putin's Russia, the Kremlin even writes the history textbooks. Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky has published four history textbooks for 16- to 18-year-old schoolchildren giving a completely revised interpretation of the fall of the Soviet Union, the Putin era and the causes of the Ukraine war. The final chapter of the 447-page "History of Russia 1945 - the start of 21st Century" focuses on the causes of the biggest land war in Europe since World War Two - the Ukraine war that has left several hundred thousand soldiers injured or dead. "This is propaganda - it’s not a textbook," Mikhail Kopitsa, a Russian history teacher who left Russia after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, told Reuters of the book. It ends with small biographies of some of the Russians who have fallen in the Ukraine war - which it does not call a war.

Persons: Vladimir Putin's, Vladimir Medinsky, Putin, Josef Stalin, Mikhail Kopitsa, Anatoly Torkunov, Napoleon Bonaparte, Guy Faulconbridge, Nick Macfie Organizations: KGB, Reuters, Kremlin, NATO, West, Moscow State Institute of International Relations, Continental, Britain, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Vladimir Putin's Russia, Soviet Union, Ukraine, Soviet, Russia, Europe, United States, Russian, Moscow, The, Georgia, Montenegro, Ukrainian, Ukraine's, Crimea

☆ A rift is growing between Xi and Putin after Russia mocked a Ukraine peace plan backed by China
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Xi is frustrated that Putin won't seek peace in Ukraine, reports say. China has touted a 12-point peace plan for Ukraine that Russia hasn't pursued. China recently attended a peace summit in Saudi Arabia that was described by Russia as "doomed to fail." A European diplomat present at the discussions told the FT that the "mere presence of China shows Russia is more and more isolated." But Wyne cautioned against excessive faith in China's intervention to secure peace in Ukraine.

Persons: Xi, Putin, Russia hasn't, Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin's, it's, Siberia that'd, June's Wagner, Ali Wyne, Wyne Organizations: Service, Financial Times, Putin, Kremlin, Eurasia Group, Saudi, Kyiv, Analysts Locations: Ukraine, China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Wall, Silicon, Russian, Moscow, Jeddah, European, Siberia, Beijing, Denmark, Iran

☆ Russia launched a high school history textbook that praises Putin's invasion of Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Rebecca Cohen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The Kremlin unveiled a new textbook that glorifies Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine. The textbook is aimed at 17-year-old students and will be taught in the upcoming school year. The book labels the Crimean peninsula as a "Nazi state," according to multiple reports. Get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in business, from Wall Street to Silicon Valley — delivered daily. "After the end of the special military operation [in Ukraine], after our victory, we will further supplement this book," Kravtsov said, according to The Guardian.

Persons: Vladimir Putin's, Sergei Kravtsov, presser, Kravtsov, baselessly, Putin Organizations: Kremlin, Service, The Independent, Guardian Locations: Ukraine, Nazi, Wall, Silicon, Russia, Moscow, Crimea

☆ Russia's 200,000-strong national guard is getting armed with heavy weaponry, in a sign of its growing importance to Putin, UK intel says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Russia is granting its 200,000-strong national guard force heavy weaponry, the UK MOD said. This shows how the Kremlin sees the force as key to ensuring "regime security," per the MOD. While its leader bragged of its response to the Wagner mutiny, there's no sign it did much, the MOD said. Reports have suggested that Putin has become increasingly isolated and paranoid since he launched the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Reports of a paranoid Putin have only intensified since the Wagner Group's mini-mutiny, which could lead to a bigger role for the national guard.

Persons: Wagner, Vladimir Putin's, Putin, Rosgvardia, Viktor Zolotov Organizations: MOD, Kremlin, Service, UK Ministry of Defense Locations: Russia, Wall, Silicon, Russian, Moscow, Ukraine

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