February 3, 2009
by Nosemonkey
1 Comment
Well, that could be one way of diffusing the ongoing EU/CIS standoff over EUropean energy supplies that recently saw death and destruction in Georgia and much of southern/eastern Europe lose gas supplies in the middle of winter. EurActiv reports that … Continue reading
January 1, 2009
by Nosemonkey
3 Comments
Nothing changes, it seems. Just like 2008, 2009 promises to bring yet more Russian sabre-rattling and European fears about the continent’s long-term energy security. Also time to welcome in the Czech EU presidency. With the Czech Republic currently being run … Continue reading
August 18, 2008
by Nosemonkey
6 Comments
Yesterday’s Observer was on really rather good form, with a decent long article amply demonstrating the human cost – easy to forget when trying to work out the wider geopolitical remifications: “They sifted out villagers with Georgian surnames, immediately executing … Continue reading
August 16, 2008
by Nosemonkey
1 Comment
Over the last few days, my post linking the Georgia / Russia dispute over South Ossetia into the politics of energy supply has received a sizable amount of traffic, largely thanks to the funky pipeline maps I dug out. As … Continue reading
August 13, 2008
by Nosemonkey
10 Comments
So, despite the apparent truce following Moscow’s insanely over-the-top response to Georgia’s silly South Ossetian venture, it sounds like Russia’s still “peacekeeping” in Georgian territory. This is otherwise known as “invading a sovereign nation just for the hell of it”. … Continue reading
August 10, 2008
by Nosemonkey
19 Comments
So, now that Georgia seems to have withdrawn from South Ossetia in the face of the overwhelming force of Russia’s displeasure, the question has to be asked: how on earth did they think they were going to be able to … Continue reading
July 12, 2008
by Nosemonkey
3 Comments
I told you that Ukraine was just a warning shot… Looks like the Czech Republic’s decision to host that US missile shield has really ticked off the Kremlin. Because now the flow of oil from Russia appears to be slowing … Continue reading
April 4, 2008
by Nosemonkey
2 Comments
The NATO summit is the perfect illustration of the fraught relations of Russia and the West, but it’s also just a sideshow… Continue reading
February 12, 2008
by Nosemonkey
3 Comments
Shutting down an entire university due to breaches of fire regulations would sound a little harsh at the best of times. When the university in question is St Petersburg’s European University, however, suspicions are naturally raised – not least thanks … Continue reading
February 12, 2008
by Nosemonkey
4 Comments
My big worry over Gazprom boss Dmitry Medvedev becoming president of Russia is his use of the country’s gas supplies as political weapons. Continue reading
January 22, 2008
by Nosemonkey
3 Comments
Rather than wait until after the elections, Serbia’s already signed that gas pipeline deal with Russia, effectively scuppering the EU-backed alternative. Now we’re going to end up with a president of Russia, Medvedev, who’ll not only be the former head … Continue reading
January 18, 2008
by Nosemonkey
9 Comments
Monday sees the first round of the Serbian presidential elections – and they could well prove vital for the future of Europe. If power shifts we could all, to coin a phrase, end up exponentially screwed. But surely, you might … Continue reading