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On Monday, June 2, the Ukrainian and Russian delegations met again in Istanbul for bilateral talks that many call “peace talks” but are in fact little more than a giant smokescreen. Russia once again demonstrated that it has no real interest in any kind of peace (nor even an unconditional ceasefire) unless its imperial ambitions…
It’s ungrateful to write about events that have yet to happen. Especially in times when it seems that everything that held yesterday is turned on its head today (for which the American president is primarily responsible, though not solely). That’s why it’s ungrateful to list predictions about the military parade in Moscow on Victory Day.…
- Denis Mancevic
- Editorials
- Economy and competitiveness, Russia and the former Soviet Union
You’ve heard of Gazprom, one way or another. There is likely no company that has shaped relations between Russia and the West over the past two decades as profoundly as Gazprom. It has become synonymous with hot-and-cold relations, for many a tool in the Kremlin’s hands, used at will—as a stick or a carrot, depending…
“If You’re Not Buying, Prices Are Normal.” With this aphorism, Anton Siluanov, the Finance Minister of the Russian Federation, commented months ago on the greatest concern of the average Russian: runaway inflation. But high and stubborn inflation is not the only problem facing the Russian economy. In 2024, serious signs of multiple economic and financial…
Trump’s election caused a shock in Europe. So great that the German newspaper Die Zeit accompanied it with a telling headline: “Fuck.” Further explanations are probably unnecessary. The reason is clear: the election will have severe negative consequences for the EU, the European economy, and competitiveness. This is mainly due to two aspects of Trump’s…
Before Trump-Putin summit on 15 August (short op. ed)
These days, global discussions are revolving almost entirely around tomorrow’s Trump-Putin meeting in Alaska. There are countless questions about whether the meeting can bring at least a ceasefire—if not a more lasting peace settlement—or, on the contrary, further divide the U.S. and the EU. Speculation is high, and so are the stakes. I commented on…