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☆ Russia: Armenia Skipping CSTO Summit Is Latest Anti-Russian Move Orchestrated by West
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia said on Wednesday that Armenian Prime Minister's Nikol Pashinyan's decision to stay away from a summit of the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) was the latest anti-Russian move by Armenia orchestrated by the West. Relations between Russia and Armenia, which are formally allies, have soured in recent months, with Yerevan publicly questioning the value of its partnership with Russia and trying to deepen ties with the West. Some Armenians blamed Russia for failing to stop what Baku called an anti-terrorist operation, an allegation that Moscow has rejected. Russian Foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters that Russia saw Pashinyan's refusal to attend the CSTO summit as the latest in a "chain" of events. The West, whose plans in Ukraine have failed, is now gripping Armenia, trying to tear it away from Russia," she said.

Persons: Minister's Nikol, Maria Zakharova, Armenpress, Dmitry Antonov, Felix Light, Andrew Osborn Organizations: Security, Organisation, West . Relations, West, Russian Foreign, Russia Locations: MOSCOW, Russia, Armenia, Yerevan, Azerbaijan, Nagorno, Karabakh, Baku, Moscow, Russian, Ukraine

☆ French report flags Azeri-linked disinformation campaign targeting 2024 Olympics
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

According to the report seen by Reuters and other media, the campaign ran from July 26-27 on an account of an Azerbaijani individual on social media X, formerly Twitter, with links to the Azeri presidential party. However, Viginum said it had not been able to link the campaign directly to the Azerbaijani authorities. Ties between Paris and Baku have been strained in recent months and have worsened since Baku took control of the Nagorno-Karabah region. A French diplomatic source said Paris had asked Baku for clarifications on the disinformation campaign. It would also be discussing the matter with X, formerly Twitter, in the coming days, the source said.

Persons: Benoit Tessier, Viginum, Paris, John Irish, Tassilo Hummel, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: IOC, Paris, REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Vigilance, Protection, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, Azerbaijan, Baku, Karabah, Armenia, Nagorno, Karabakh

☆ 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

☆ Israel women's Nations League home games moved to Armenia and Hungary
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Nov 9 (Reuters) - Israel's home games in the Women's Nations League which were to be played in Tel Aviv in December have been moved to Armenia and Hungary, Europe's soccer governing body UEFA said on Thursday. Israel were due to host Armenia and Estonia next month but due to the Israel-Hamas conflict, the matches have been moved. Israel will now play Armenia on Dec. 2 in Yerevan, Armenia, while the game against Estonia will be played three days later in Felcsut, Hungary. UEFA added that both games will be played with spectators in attendance. Last month, UEFA moved two of the men's upcoming Euro 2024 qualifying games against Switzerland and Romania to Hungary.

Persons: Israel, Rohith Nair, Toby Davis Organizations: Women's Nations League, UEFA, Estonia, Switzerland, Thomson Locations: Tel Aviv, Armenia, Hungary, Estonia, Israel, Yerevan, Felcsut, Romania, Bengaluru

REUTERS/Chris Helgren Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Nov 8 (Reuters) - Citigroup Inc (C.N) has agreed to pay $25.9 million to settle U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) charges it intentionally discriminated against credit card applicants who the bank identified as Armenian-American based on their last names. The CFPB also said bank employees lied to applicants by giving them fake reasons for denials, and were instructed not to discuss the discrimination in writing or over the phone. According to a consent order, some employees referred to card applicants they suspected were of Armenian descent as "Armenian bad guys" or the "Southern California Armenian Mafia." The payment includes a $24.5 million civil fine and $1.4 million of restitution to card applicants, for violations of the federal Equal Credit Opportunity Act. Citigroup apologized, saying it had been trying to thwart an Armenian fraud ring in California but that a "small number" of employees circumvented its fraud detection protocols.

Persons: Chris Helgren, Rohit Chopra, Chopra, Biden, Jonathan Stempel, Tatiana Bautzer, Douglas Gillison, Chizu Nomiyama, Mark Potter Organizations: Citigroup Inc, Citi, REUTERS, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Citigroup, Southern California Armenian Mafia, Credit, Act, Thomson Locations: Toronto , Ontario, Canada, Glendale , California, Armenia, United States, Southern California, California, York, New York, Washington

☆ 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

☆ 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

☆ Ukraine holds peace formula talks in Malta, Russia absent
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-28 | by ( Christopher Scicluna | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Without Russia, which criticized Malta for hosting the talks after smaller ones this year in Jeddah and in Copenhagen, Zelenskiy said he longed for a day when human history "is the history of peace only." Officials said they hoped for the outcome of the weekend's gathering, partly in person, partly virtual, to be agreement to hold a global peace summit later this year. No official list of delegates to the talks was issued, but officials said they included representatives of European, South American, Arab, African and Asian countries. Simon Mordue of the European Council and Bjorn Seibert of the European Commission represented the EU, the official said. The parties would take necessary preparatory steps for a possible peace summit in future with no exact date yet fixed, the official said.

Persons: Alexander Ermochenko, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, Ian Borg, Borg, Simon Mordue, Bjorn Seibert, Christopher Scicluna, Elaine Monaghan, Andrew Gray, Olena, David Evans, Mike Harrison Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, United Nations, YouTube, Malta's, European Union, United, United Arab Emirates, European, European Commission, EU, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Donetsk, Russian, Rights VALLETTA, Malta, Israel, Kyiv, Jeddah, Copenhagen, China, Egypt, United Arab, Armenia, Mexico, Washington, Brussels

☆ Armenia's PM Pashinyan: We Hope for Peace With Azerbaijan Soon
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

TBILISI (Reuters) - Armenia hopes to conclude a peace agreement with Azerbaijan in the coming months and establish diplomatic relations with it, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Thursday. Speaking at a forum in the Georgian capital Tbilisi, Pashinyan said that Armenia also hopes to open its border with Turkey, a close ally to Azerbaijan, to citizens of third countries. His comments came amid efforts to cement peace in the volatile South Caucasus after Azerbaijan last month retook the contested region of Nagorno-Karabakh, which is internationally regarded as Azeri territory but which had been ruled by breakaway ethnic Armenians since the 1990s. (Reporting by Felix Light; Editing by Gareth Jones)

Persons: Nikol Pashinyan, Pashinyan, Felix Light, Gareth Jones Organizations: Armenian Locations: TBILISI, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgian, Tbilisi, Turkey, Caucasus, Nagorno, Karabakh

☆ 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

☆ Armenia Seeks Western Support as Relations With Russia Deteriorate
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Yaroslav Trofimov | Photographs Justyna Mielnikiewicz For The Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

YEREVAN, Armenia—Abandoned by its traditional Russian ally and squeezed between two hostile neighbors, Armenia is reaching out for Western support as it fears another war. This week, the landlocked country of three million people signed a deal to purchase from France modern air defenses, moving to fill a key capability gap that allowed Azerbaijan to rout Armenian forces in 2020. The agreement was announced in Paris as some 3,000 Turkish and Azerbaijani troops began joint drills on both sides of Armenia.

Locations: YEREVAN, Armenia, France, Azerbaijan, Paris

☆ Armenia sees no advantage in keeping Russian military bases -PM to WSJ
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan arrives at the Palace of Charles V on the day of the European Political Community Summit in Granada, Spain October 5, 2023. REUTERS/Jon Nazca/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMOSCOW, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Armenia sees no advantage in continuing to host Russian military bases on its territory after Azerbaijan retook the contested region of Nagorno-Karabakh, the Armenian prime minister told the Wall Street Journal in an interview published on Wednesday. "These events have essentially brought us to a decision that we need to diversify our relationships in the security sphere, and we are trying to do that now," Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan told the WSJ. Russia's military presence in Armenia includes garrisons in two locations and an airbase. Later on Wednesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russian authorities were unaware of Pashinyan's comments.

Persons: Nikol Pashinyan, Charles V, Jon Nazca, Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, Felix Light, Maxim Rodionov, Gareth Jones, Leslie Adler Organizations: Armenia's, Political Community Summit, REUTERS, Rights, Wall Street, Thomson Locations: Granada, Spain, Armenia, Russian, Azerbaijan, Nagorno, Karabakh, Soviet Union, Moscow, Caucasus

☆ Iran to host six-nation meeting on Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

IRNA news agency quoted the foreign ministry as saying the six countries wanted to talk about regional issues "without the interference of non-regional and Western countries". That was an implicit reference to the United States and the European Union, whose involvement in the search for a peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan has particularly annoyed Moscow. Russia's Interfax news agency said Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov would travel to Tehran for the meeting. More than 100,000 Karabakh Armenians have since fled, and Armenia has accused Azerbaijan of carrying out ethnic cleansing. The two countries have fought two wars in the past three decades and have so far failed to reach a peace deal despite long-running efforts by the United States, EU and Russia.

Persons: Sergei Lavrov, Maxim Rodionov, Hugh Lawson Organizations: European Union, Thomson Locations: DUBAI, MOSCOW, Iran, Turkey, Russia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Tehran, Caucasus, United States, Moscow, Ukraine, Nagorno, Karabakh, Baku, EU

☆ Aliyev raises Azerbaijan's flag in former breakaway region of Karabakh
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Annegret Hilse/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMOSCOW, Oct 15 (Reuters) - Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Sunday raised the national flag in the capital of the former breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh after a lightning military operation last month brought the territory back under Azerbaijan's control. "President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has raised the national flag of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the city of Khankendi and delivered a speech," the presidential office said. In Soviet times is remained as part of the Azeri Soviet Republic but with autonomy. In 2020, after decades of skirmishes, Azerbaijan began a military operation which became the Second Karabakh War swiftly breaking through Armenian defences. Then in September of this year, Aliyev launched a military operation against the ethnic Armenian fighters of the region, defeating them.

Persons: Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, Olaf Scholz, Annegret, Ilham Aliyev, Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, Aliyev, Guy Faulconbridge Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Karabakh, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Azerbaijan, Berlin, Germany, Nagorno, Karabakh, Republic of Azerbaijan, Khankendi, Armenia, Artsakh, South Caucasus, Russian, Azeri Soviet Republic, Soviet Union, Karabakh's, Turkey

☆ Russia's Putin visits Kyrgyzstan in first foreign trip since ICC arrest warrant
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Neither Kyrgyzstan nor China are members of the ICC, which was established to prosecute war crimes. At a meeting with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, Putin underscored Russia's importance as the biggest investor in the Kyrgyz economy and said the two sides would further develop cooperation. "Our country is the main supplier of oil products to Kyrgyzstan, we fully supply Kyrgyz consumers with gasoline (petrol) and diesel," Putin told a briefing. Putin cited fast growth in Russian-Kyrgyz trade, which some in the West suspect is partly due to Kyrgyz intermediaries facilitating sanctions-busting by Russian businesses. The United States imposed sanctions on four Kyrgyz companies in July for re-exporting electronics components and other technology to Russia.

Persons: Putin, Vladimir Putin, Russia's, Sadyr Japarov, Japarov, Marlis Myrzakul, Olzhas, Andrew Osborn Organizations: Russian, Criminal Court, ICC, Kremlin, Forum, Commonwealth of Independent States, CIS, Moscow, Thomson Locations: Kyrgyzstan, BISHKEK, Central Asian, Moscow, Ukraine, Russia, Bishkek, Kyrgyz, Central Asia, Russian, China, Beijing, Soviet, Soviet Union, Armenia, United States, Kyrgyzstan's

☆ Putin to travel to Kyrgyzstan in first known trip abroad since ICC arrest warrant
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Summary Putin to visit KyrgyzstanPutin also to attend CIS summitArmenian PM Pashinyan not to attend CIS summitMOSCOW, Oct 11 (Reuters) - Vladimir Putin will visit Kyrgyzstan on Thursday, the presidential office of the Central Asian country said, in what would be the Russian leader's first known trip abroad since the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for his arrest. Putin agreed in May during talks with Japarov to visit Kyrgyzstan, but there has been no official confirmation yet from the Kremlin that the Russian president will travel there on Thursday. The Russian leader is also due to travel to China next week for the third Belt and Road Forum in Beijing. Neither Kyrgyzstan nor China are members of the ICC, which was established to prosecute war crimes. Pashinyan said on Tuesday that plans were proceeding for a meeting with the Azeri president to discuss a durable peace accord.

Persons: Putin, Kyrgyzstan Putin, Vladimir Putin, Sadyr, Japarov, Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, Pashinyan, Ilham Aliyev, Lidia Kelly, Guy Faulconbridge Organizations: CIS, MOSCOW, Central, ICC, Kremlin, Russian Federation, Forum, Russian Aerospace Forces, 999th Air Base, Commonwealth, Independent States, Thomson Locations: Kyrgyzstan, Russian, Ukraine, Russia, Kyrgyz Republic, China, Beijing, Moscow, Kant, Armenia, Bishkek, Soviet Union, Azerbaijan, Karabakh, EU, Brussels, Melbourne

☆ Armenian Leader Says Plans Proceeding for Meeting With Azerbaijan's President
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

(Reuters) - Armenia's prime minister said on Tuesday that plans were proceeding for a meeting with the president of Azerbaijan to discuss a durable peace accord, after Azeri forces took control of the contested region of Nagorno-Karabakh last month. In comments reported by Russian news agencies, Nikol Pashinyan also told Armenian television that tensions had subsided on the border between the two ex-Soviet states. Armenia, he said, was willing to resolve outstanding issues, like opening transport corridors across each other's territory. "We and Azerbaijan have both announced our readiness to hold this meeting and this will means a step towards," Pashinyan was quoted as saying. Pashinyan said earlier this year that Armenia was ready to acknowledge Azerbaijan's sovereignty over the region.

Persons: Nikol Pashinyan, Ilham Aliyev, Pashinyan, Nikolai Patrushev, Aliyev, Ron Popeski, Grant McCool Organizations: Reuters, European Union Locations: Azerbaijan, Nagorno, Karabakh, Armenia, Pashinyan, Russia, United States, Baku, Russian, Soviet Union, Moscow

☆ Russian and Iranian emigres find haven in old Armenian factory
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Roman Churikov | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Launched in 2022, the project is called Abastan - "shelter" in Armenian - and is open to participants and guests from around the world. Polina Ivanova, a co-founder of Abastan, said locals in the northern Armenian town of Tumanyan were at first bemused by the strangers in their midst. Arghavan Majd, a painter from Iran, said she found the atmosphere "more free" in Abastan and it was easier to make personal connections. Timofey Moskovkin, a Russian now working in a cafe funded by the charity, said local people in Tumanyan, a town of about 1,000 people, had treated him warmly. "We looked and saw the lights were on, it was beautiful, there was music and young people dancing," he said.

Persons: Polina Ivanova, Abastan, Majd, Mahsa Amini, Vladimir Putin, haven't, Danil, Timofey, Mark Trevelyan, Gareth Jones 私 Organizations: Armenia Locals, Reuters, Georgian Locations: Russia, Iran, Ukraine, Tumanyan, Armenia, Soviet, revitalise, Abastan, Russian, Perm, Ararat, Soviet Union

☆ Azerbaijan's president says France will be to blame if new conflict starts with Armenia
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev speaks during a news conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany March 14, 2023. REUTERS/Annegret Hilse/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMOSCOW, Oct 8 (Reuters) - Azerbaijan's president scolded the European Union and warned that France's decision to send military aid to Armenia could trigger a new conflict in the South Caucasus after a lightening Azerbaijani military operation last month. Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev last week pulled out of an EU-brokered meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at which Brussels said it was standing by Armenia. President Ilham Aliyev said "that due to the well-known position of France, Azerbaijan did not participate in the meeting in Granada," the Azerbaijani presidential office said. She declined to elaborate on what sort of military aid was envisaged for Armenia under future supply contracts.

Persons: Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, Olaf Scholz, Annegret, Ilham Aliyev, Nikol, Aliyev, Charles Michel, Catherine Colonna, Emmanuel Macron, Guy Faulconbridge Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, European Union, Armenian, European Council, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Azerbaijan, Berlin, Germany, European, Armenia, South Caucasus, EU, Brussels, France, Granada, Yerevan, Baku, Nagorno, Karabakh

☆ Any new Armenia conflict would be France's fault, Azerbaijan's president says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] French Foreign and European Affairs Minister Catherine Colonna and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan attend a meeting in Yerevan, Armenia October 3, 2023. Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev last week pulled out of an EU-brokered meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at which Brussels said it was standing by Armenia. President Ilham Aliyev said "that due to the well-known position of France, Azerbaijan did not participate in the meeting in Granada," the Azerbaijani presidential office said. She declined to elaborate on what sort of military aid was envisaged for Armenia under future supply contracts. The Azerbaijani president visited Georgia on Sunday and thanked Tbilisi for offering to mediate for a peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Persons: Catherine Colonna, Nikol Pashinyan, Hayk, Aliyev, Ilham Aliyev, Nikol, Charles Michel, Emmanuel Macron, Tigran Balayan, Guy Faulconbridge 私 Organizations: European Affairs, Armenian, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, European Union, European Council, Reuters Locations: Yerevan, Armenia, Photolure, Azerbaijan, Georgia, MOSCOW, European, South Caucasus, EU, Brussels, France, Granada, Baku, Nagorno, Karabakh, Tbilisi

☆ Russia is using bags of cash and diamonds to avoid sanctions and fund its weapons program, expert says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-07 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Russia is using illicit cash channels to fund covert activities, analysts say. Kremlin is exploiting gaps in sanctions laws, but also using older methods like cash and diamonds. AdvertisementAdvertisementRussia is using covert financial networks to fund its purchases of banned weapons technology, getting round Western sanctions in the process, analysts told Insider. That money, he said, is then placed in accounts in countries such as Turkey and the UAE, where western sanctions are not closely enforced. Under Western sanctions, banks must investigate suspicious transactions to make sure they're not being used to circumvent sanctions.

Persons: —, Pavlo Verkhniatskyi, Verkhniatskyi, Banks, David Lewis, Russia Verkhniatskyi, FATF Organizations: Service, International, University of Exeter, Force Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Russian, Turkey, UAE, Kazakhstan, Armenia, North Korea, Iran, Myanmar

☆ A second war could easily erupt in Europe — while everyone's distracted by Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

Violence erupted in northern Kosovo in September, and Belgrade responded with a military build-up on its border with its neighbor. Given the current political and security context, analysts say an outbreak of violence in northern Kosovo "should raise alarm bells." Open hostilityLong-simmering animosity between Serbia and Kosovo has broken into open hostility in northern Kosovo in recent months. Northern Kosovo, which borders Serbia, has an ethnic Serb majority whereas the country as a whole is around 93% ethnic Albanian. Mojsilovic stated that number of troops on the Kosovo border had been reduced to 4,500 from 8,350.

Persons: Milan Radoicic, Majda Ruge, Stringer, Milos Vucevic, Staff Milan Mojsilovic, Mojsilovic, Aleksandar Vučić, Vučić, Ian Bremmer, Bremmer, Ruge, Aleksandar Vucic, Krusha, Armend Nimani, Slobodan Milošević, Serbian, Albin Kurti, Andrius, Tursa, Serbia's Slobodan Milosevic Organizations: Kosovo Police, Kosovo Serb, Milan, Anadolu Agency, Getty, European Council, Foreign Relations, Albanian, Kosovo, Afp, NATO, Serbian, Staff, Financial Times, EU, Eurasia Group, Yugoslavia, Yugoslav, Yugoslav Ministry of Defense, Federal, Nato, Kosovo Albanians Locations: Banjska, Jarinje, Serbia, Zvecan, Kosovo, Ukraine, Europe, Belgrade, destabilising Kosovo, Northern Kosovo, Serbian, Serbs, Yugoslavia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Nagorno, Karabakh, Russia, Mitrovica, North Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro, Balkans, Kosovo Albanian, Krusha, Madhe, Albanian, Yugoslav, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Central, Eastern Europe, Stagovo

☆ 'Loyalty alone is not enough': Kremlin reveals the qualities Russia's Vladimir Putin values the most
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a Security Council meeting via a video link in Saint Petersburg on October 10, 2022. "But for Vladimir Putin, loyalty alone is not enough. Russia's president Vladimir Putin (R) and his spokesman Dmitry Peskov (L) attend the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council meeting at the Congress Hall in Bishkek on December 9, 2022. Contributor | Getty ImagesDuring Russia's "special military operation" in Ukraine, as it calls its invasion, questions have been raised about the strategy and competency of Russia's military leadership. FILE - Businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin, left, shows Russian President Vladimir Putin, around his factory which produces school meals, outside St. Petersburg, Russia on Monday, Sept. 20, 2010.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Gavriil Grigorov, Putin, Andrei Kondrashov, it's, Dmitry Peskov, Vyacheslav Oseledko, —, Sergey Lavrov, Sergei Shoigu, Sergei Lavrov, Nikolay Patrushev, Mikhail Mishustin, Sergei Sobyanin, There's, Vladimir Solovyov, Nikolai Patrushev, Dmitry Medvedev, Medvedev, Sergei Medvedev, Dmitry, Yevgeny Prigozhin's, Alexander Ermochenko, Sergey Shoigu, Shoigu, Prigozhin, Wagner, Kirill Shamiev, Prigozhin Prigozhin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Alexei Druzhinin Organizations: Afp, Getty, CNBC, Economic, Kremlin, Security, Moscow, SVR, Russian Security Council, Ukraine, West ., Kyiv, Russian, Luhansk People's, Reuters, Wagner Group, European Council, Foreign Relations Locations: Saint Petersburg, Bishkek, Russian, Yerevan, Armenia, Russia, Ukraine, Kyiv, Luhansk, Luhansk People's Republic, Crimea, Moscow, Belarus, Prigozhin, St . Petersburg

GRANADA, Spain (AP) — Almost 50 European leaders used a summit in the southern Spanish city of Granada on Thursday to stress that they stand by Ukraine at a time when Western resolve appears somewhat weakened. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that beside maintaining such unity, more military aid to get through the winter was essential. And especially now that questions about continued support are growing in the United States too. “I am very confident of support for Ukraine from the United States. What the United States is working on is the timing," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Zelenskyy, Vladimir Putin, Joe Biden, Biden, ” Zelenskyy, Robert Fico, Hungary’s, Pedro Sánchez, “, Ursula von der Leyen, Josep Borrell, doesn’t, Putin, Borrell, Putin's, ”, Ilham Aliyev, Nikol Pashinyan, Vjosa Osmani, Aleksandar Vucic, Osmani, wantssanctions, Raf Casert, Aritz Parra, Ciarán Giles, Joseph Wilson, Semini Organizations: Political, U.S, Congress, White, Republicans, European Union, Kyiv, Armenian, Yerevan, Kosovo, Serbian, Belgrade, Serbia Locations: GRANADA, Spain, Spanish, Granada, Ukraine, United States, Europe, Kyiv, Slovakia, Russia, U.S, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Nagorno, Karabakh, Serbia, “, Kosovo, Brussels, Madrid, Barcelona, Tirana, Albania

GRANADA, Spain, Oct 5 (Reuters) - European leaders are expected to assure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy of long-term support on Thursday after U.S. President Joe Biden voiced fears that Republican infighting in Congress could hurt American policy on continuing aid to Kyiv. Zelenskiy is expected to attend a summit in the Spanish city of Granada of the European Political Community - a forum to foster cooperation among more than 40 countries established last year following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. In Slovakia, former prime minister Robert Fico's party came first in a general election at the weekend after pledging to halt military aid to Ukraine. In Poland, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said last month his country was no longer arming Ukraine and was focusing on rebuilding its own weapon stocks. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is expected to attend the summit and European officials said they were keen to find ways to help his government cope with the immediate humanitarian crisis and provide political and economic support.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Joe Biden, Zelenskiy, Emmanuel Macron, Olaf Scholz, Rishi Sunak, Democrat Biden, Biden, Robert Fico's, Mateusz Morawiecki, Scholz, Ilham Aliyev, Macron, Charles Michel, Nikol Pashinyan, Andrew Gray, Andreas Rinke, Grant McCool Organizations: Political, British, U.S, Republican, Democrat, Senate, European Union, NATO, Kyiv, European, EU, Baku, Thomson Locations: GRANADA, Spain, Kyiv, Zelenskiy, Spanish, Granada, Ukraine, Europe, U.S, Slovakia, Poland, BALKANS, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Serbia, Kosovo, Nagorno, Karabakh, Berlin

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