The World Blog by humble servant.

Russia has ordered shut more than a dozen local branches of nonprofits, foundations and other NGOs based in the West, saying they have violated Russian law. Among the organizations affected are Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the Carnegie Foundation for International Peace, and several German and Polish NGOs. The Justice Ministry in Moscow announced on Friday that it will be removing from the registry fifteen Russian branches of organizations based in the US, UK, Germany, and Poland, citing “identified violations of Russian law.” Russia’s ban applies to branches of the UK-based Amnesty International Ltd, the US-based Carnegie Foundation for International Peace, Human Rights Watch Inc, and the Institute for International Education. Russian branches of the Swiss-based Aga Khan Foundation and the Polish NGO Wspólnota Polska were likewise shuttered. Most of the banned NGOs are German, however, including the foundations named after Friedrich Naumann, Friedrich Ebert, Konrad...

The US has pledged to replace the S-300 missile defense system that Slovakia sent to Ukraine with one of its own Patriot systems, President Joe Biden announced on Friday. Bratislava previously revealed it had “donated” its only S-300 system to Kiev earlier on Friday. “I want to thank the Slovakian government for providing an S-300 air defense system to Ukraine, something [Ukrainian] President [Volodymyr] Zelensky has personally raised with me in our conversations,” Biden declared in a statement promising a substitute system. The US president also issued a vague warning against “complacency” in NATO’s response to Russian military activity in Ukraine, stating that “as the Russian military repositions for the next phase of this war, I have directed my Administration to continue to spare no effort to identify and provide to the Ukrainian military the advanced weapons capabilities it needs to defend its country.” Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin promised to deliver the missiles “in coming day...

The Russian Foreign Ministry has called on Western nations to stop supplying Ukraine's armed forces with weapons in the wake of a missile attack on a train station in the city of Kramatorsk that killed dozens of civilians on Friday. The ministry has requested that the international community “make an unbiased assessment” of the actions of the Ukrainian forces and “stop supplying them with weapons, as well as urge Kiev to abandon unacceptable fighting methods.” Earlier, Moscow accused Kiev of being behind the attack that has claimed the lives of 50 people, including five children, according to the latest assessments provided by both sides. Kramatorsk is a city in the northern part of the Donetsk region and is claimed by the Donetsk People’s Republic as part of its territory. When hostilities broke out in eastern Ukraine in the wake of the 2014 Maidan coup, the city remained under Kiev’s control. It is the Ukrainian army that employs Tochka-U ballistic missiles, similar to the o...

While Georgia supports Ukraine in the conflict against Russia, Speaker of Parliament Shalva Papuashvili declined on Friday an invitation to visit Bucha, citing several issues between Kiev and Tbilisi that still need to be clarified. The “strong support” the Georgian people and their government are showing for Ukraine doesn’t merit attempts by the high-ranking officials in Kiev to create a rift between the Georgians and their government, “demand for the opening of a second front in Georgia, unfounded diplomatic demarches, baseless accusations of smuggling, or making use of the ordeal that Ukrainians are going through,” Papuashvili said in a statement. “Against the background of these issues being unclear, the official invitation does not seem expedient,” he said, according to a translation by the Georgian outlet InterPressNews. Papuashvili was invited by Ruslan Stefanchuk, speaker of the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada, to visit the town northwest of Kiev where Ukraine claims Russian troop...

The Russian Luge Federation (FSSR) has managed to retain its membership with the International Luge Federation amid sanctions being lifted against Russian athletes previously barred from international events as a response to their country's military operation in Ukraine. The FSSR managed to successfully appeal against the ruling initially made on an International Olympic Committee (IOC) recommendation. FSSR president Natalia Gart confirmed the development to TASS, though she did note that she had been expelled from the FIL's executive committee. "The Russian Luge Federation has retained its membership in the international federation," Gart said. Russian sporting bans: The foreign figures with alternative opinionsREAD MORE: Russian sporting bans: The foreign figures with alternative opinions "There were not enough votes for expulsion, it was necessary [to get] two-thirds for this, but in the end they scored less than half. Therefore we reserve all rights, our...

Mitsubishi Motors Corporation said on Friday it had stopped car production at its Kaluga plant in Russia “until further notice.” According to Nikkei reports, the decision was made due to the lack of components and the disruption of supply chains amid Western sanctions on Russia. “Due to the logistical difficulties, vehicle exports and parts supply to Russia have been suspended since March,” the automaker said, without elaborating. The plant in Kaluga, which opened in 2010, is 70% owned by Stellantis. The company owns 14 brands, including Citroёn, Fiat, Opel, and Peugeot. The rest is owned by Mitsubishi Motors. The technological processes at the enterprise included the welding of body panels, body painting, and assembly of finished cars.

The Russian Foreign Ministry has expelled 45 Polish embassy staff, on Friday, in the latest removal of diplomats since Moscow launched its military offensive in Ukraine, six weeks ago. Officials also issued a “strong protest” to Polish ambassador Krzysztof Krajewski over Poland’s expulsion of 45 Russian envoys last month, and condemned what was described as “Warsaw's conscious desire to completely destroy bilateral relations.” “As a response to Poland’s unfriendly actions to expel Russian diplomats, based on the principle of reciprocity, 45 employees of the Embassy of the Republic of Poland and the consulates general of the Republic of Poland in Irkutsk, Kaliningrad, and St. Petersburg have been declared ‘persona non grata’,” the foreign ministry said in a statement. “The responsibility for this lies entirely with the Polish side,” the ministry continued, adding that the expelled employees have been ordered to leave Russia before the end of the day on April 13. In a similar m...

PayPal co-founder and billionaire venture capitalist Peter Thiel has accused some of the most prominent American financial figures of trying to lock cryptocurrencies out of the mainstream. Speaking at the Bitcoin 2022 conference in Miami Beach on Thursday, Thiel said that Berkshire Hathaway's Warren Buffett was “enemy number one.” He described the investment icon as a “sociopathic grandpa from Omaha.” Next up on the crypto-unfriendly list are JPMorgan chief executive Jamie Dimon and BlackRock CEO Larry Fink. “These names on my list stand in the way of Bitcoin's progress. These are the things we have to fight for to get Bitcoin to go 10x or 100x from here,” said Thiel, who has been claiming that digital currencies could supplant the current financial system. The businessman also argued that traditional investors should be putting money in Bitcoin. “When they choose not to allocate to Bitcoin, that is a deeply political choice, and we need to be pushing back against them,” he...

johnnie ellington @e7johnny · 15m WHAT phonies.And a lot of names without numbers.The latest package of EU sanctions against Russia introduced on Friday has failed to stop the ruble rally.. - https://go.shr.lc/3NUZdgV johnnie ellington @e7johnny · 11m Russian currency has doubled in value since last month's crash Resurgent ruble turns back timeResurgent ruble turns back time The Russian currency strengthened to just under 72 rubles to the US dollar and to 77 against the euro during trading on the Moscow Exchange on Friday. johnnie ellington @e7johnny · 11m The ruble has now reached its strongest level versus the dollar since last November and against the euro going back to June 2020. johnnie ellington @e7johnny · 11m The ruble dropped to historic lows after Moscow launched its military operation in Ukraine in February, after which the EU and US along with allies imposed unprecedented sanctions targeting the country's financial system. johnnie ellington @e7johnny · 11m On Marc...

The macroeconomic picture is deteriorating rapidly and could push the US economy into recession as the Federal Reserve tightens monetary policy to tame surging inflation, Bank of America (BofA) warned on Friday. "Inflation shock worsening, rates shock just beginning, recession shock coming," BofA's chief investment strategist, Michael Hartnett, wrote in a weekly note to clients, seen by Reuters. He added that in this context, cash, volatility, commodities and cryptocurrencies could outperform bonds and stocks. Earlier this week, JPMorgan's chief executive, Jamie Dimon, said in his annual letter to shareholders that the combination of inflation, the conflict in Ukraine and sanctions against Russia may "dramatically increase risks ahead" for the US. He has warned of unpredictable consequences for the nation's economy. On Wednesday, the Federal Reserve laid out its plan to reduce its balance sheet, while also discussing the pace of upcoming interest rat...

French President Emmanuel Macron dubbed Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki “an extreme-right anti-Semite who bans LGBT people.” While the EU has worked to present a united front against Moscow, Morawiecki has criticized Macron for keeping a dialogue open with Russian President Vladimr Putin amid Russia’s military operation in Ukraine, and has openly endorsed his right-wing rival, Marine Le Pen. In an interview with Le Parisien published on Friday, Macron hammered the Polish PM, calling him “an extreme-right anti-Semite who bans LGBT people.” Macron was likely referring to Morawiecki’s Law and Justice Party’s open criticism of “LGBT ideology,” which has seen Poland condemned and stripped of funding by the EU. “He supports Marine Le Pen, whom he has received on several occasions,” Macron continued. “Let’s not be naive, he wants to help her before the election!” Poland reveals new anti-Russia proposals Read more Poland reveals new anti-Russia proposals According to the French pr...

The Tochka U ballistic missile, which reportedly killed dozens of civilians in the Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk on Friday, came from a town under the control of Ukrainian forces, the Russian Defense Ministry claims. The missile came from the town of Dobropole, around 45km southwest of the city, Moscow stated. The deadly strike hit the main train station in Kramatorsk when an estimated 4,000 people were waiting for evacuation trains there. The latest casualty count by the city administration said 39 people were killed in the incident and 87 were injured. Kramatorsk is a city in the northern part of the Donetsk region, and is claimed by the Donetsk People’s Republic as part of its territory. When hostilities broke out in eastern Ukraine in the wake of the 2014 Maidan coup, the city remained under Kiev’s control. Kiev accused Russia of hitting the station, claiming civilians were targeted deliberately with the intent to kill. President Volodymyr Zelensky said it serves as the latest ...

France is surveying its largest consumers of natural gas to assess which of them would have to suspend normal operations if deliveries of the fuel from Russia are cut. The plan was outlined in a decree published on Friday by the government gazette JORF. The document says the French gas network operator GRTgaz will collect data from the nation’s largest consumers so that the government could decide which of them could be put on pause with the least economic damage. Only entities with annual consumption of at least 5 gigawatt hours are being considered for the chopping block. The survey, which gas consumers must participate in under the threat of being fined, is meant for a scenario in which the supply of Russian gas to France is disrupted. If shortages over the summer leave the country unprepared for the cold season, rationing may be necessary next winter. GRTgaz has said that Russian gas accounts for 17% of the national mix. The network operator stressed that no disruptions have hap...

Russian currency has doubled in value since last month's crash Resurgent ruble turns back time The Russian currency strengthened to just under 72 rubles to the US dollar and to 77 against the euro during trading on the Moscow Exchange on Friday. The ruble has now reached its strongest level versus the dollar since last November and against the euro going back to June 2020. The ruble dropped to historic lows after Moscow launched its military operation in Ukraine in February, after which the EU and US along with allies imposed unprecedented sanctions targeting the country's financial system. On March 7, the Russian currency fell to as low as 150 rubles to the dollar and 164 to the euro. Thanks to a series of steps undertaken by the Russian government, including imposing capital controls and requiring payment for natural gas in the domestic currency, the ruble has since more than doubled in value.Fiat currency has reigned in the last forty years, but every fiat currency that...

Works of art on loan from Russian museums will return home after being seized in Finland, as they are not covered by the EU sanctions, the Finnish Foreign Ministry said on Friday. Following the diplomatic row over the seizure of artwork valued at around $46 million, the Foreign Ministry issued a statement explaining that the newly adopted EU sanctions against Russia allow member states to issue permits for the transit of “cultural objects that are part of official cultural cooperation with Russia.” “The Ministry for Foreign Affairs will issue a permit for transports stopped in Finland last weekend that contain works of art owned by the Russian museums and returning to Russia from Italy and Japan,” the statement, published on the day the EU approved its fifth round of sanctions, reads. On Friday morning, Russian Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova said the paintings and sculptures, some of which belong to the world-renowned Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow and Hermitage in Saint Petersburg, c...

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has said that his country has been pressured under the threat of sanctions to back Russia’s suspension from the UN Human Rights Council. Belgrade has close historical ties with Moscow but joined other Western nations this week in a vote against Russia in response to its ongoing military campaign in Ukraine. “Our initial decision was to abstain, but then we were subjected to countless and difficult pressure,” Vucic told RTS TV on Thursday. “They said - do you know that a decision is being made whether Serbia will be exempted from the package of sanctions on [Russian] oil, and whether it will be able to import oil after May 15?” the president said. He compared the possible effect of sanctions on Serbia to “a nuclear strike.” Unlike the EU, Serbia has not imposed any sanctions on Moscow. “The Republic of Serbia believes that it’s not in its vital political and economic interests to impose sanctions on any country,” Vucic said, while stressing that ...

NBC News has a new report out citing multiple anonymous US officials, humorously titled "In a break with the past, U.S. is using intel to fight an info war with Russia, even when the intel isn't rock solid." The officials say the Biden administration has been rapidly pushing out "intelligence" about Russia's plans in Ukraine that is "low-confidence" or "based more on analysis than hard evidence", or even just plain false, in order to fight an information war against Putin. The report says that toward this end the US government has deliberately circulated false or poorly evidenced claims about impending chemical weapons attacks, about Russian plans to orchestrate a false flag attack in the Donbass to justify an invasion, about Putin's advisors misinforming him, and about Russia seeking arms supplies from China. Excerpt, emphasis mine: It was an attention-grabbing assertion that made headlines around the world: U.S. officials said...

Venezuela’s economy is poised to grow by as much as one-fifth in 2022 as a surge in production of crude triggers an eye-popping rebound for the nation’s GDP, which saw a dramatic decline amid US sanctions, according to Credit Suisse economist Alberto Rojas. “These are not typos! If we are accurate, these might end up being among the strongest growth prints globally for these years,” Rojas wrote in a research note seen by Bloomberg. “However, we want to be clear, high growth prints should come as no surprise after the Venezuelan economy hit rock bottom in 2020,” the note published on Wednesday reads. The analyst added that tax collections in dollar terms in 2022 could see an enormous growth of more than 40%, while the country’s imports could expand over 15%. Meanwhile, Venezuela will reportedly record a current account surplus of about $4 billion. The country managed to lower its year-end annual headline inflation forecast to 70%, from a previous projection of 150%. US desperately...

A ‘threat group’ dubbed Ghostwriter has been spreading phony videos of Ukrainians surrendering and planting fake reports of such capitulations into the chyrons of broadcast news, according to the first quarterly “adversarial threat report” from social media behemoth Meta, published on Thursday. Citing Ukraine, Facebook declares some hate speech is OK The Ghostwriter hackers “suddenly” started posting in Polish and English about Ukrainian troops surrendering without a fight and the nation’s leaders fleeing the country the day Russia started its offensive in Ukraine, according to the report, written by NATO-backed security ‘expert’ Ben Nimmo. The report attempts to link the Ghostwriter hackers to the Belarusian KGB based on a claim made by fellow hacker-hunters Mandiant Threat Intelligence, which admitted its own assessment was largely based on the hackers’ interests overlapping with those of the Belarusian government. It’s not clear whether the report’s authors believe that the hack...

China has explained its decision to vote against the UN General Assembly resolution to suspend Russia from the Human Rights Council, calling Moscow’s exclusion politically motivated and slamming the resolution as lacking transparency. “We oppose the politicization and instrumentalization of human rights issues, the practice of selective double standards and confrontation on human rights issues, and the use of human rights issues to put pressure on other countries,” Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian told journalists on Friday. He added that the drafting process of the resolution was neither open nor transparent and suggested that its adoption would only “add fuel to the fire” by intensifying tensions among the parties and aggravating divisions inside the UN. The resolution was adopted on Thursday with 93 nations voting in favor, 24 against, and 58 abstaining. Following the vote, Russia declared that it had already decided to leave the Council before the end of its te...

Biden told the crowd in Washington that his latest round of sanctions would “ratchet up the pain for Putin.” However, while multiple officials in his administration have described sanctions as a method of deterring Putin from pursuing his military goals in Ukraine, Biden himself admitted last month that “sanctions never deter,” but would continue regardless.The truth..Assessing the impact of US and international sanctions on Russia is difficult. While Biden said that his initial sanctions – imposed within days of Russia’s military offensive on Ukraine – would “crater” the Russian economy and its currency, the ruble has since bounced back to its pre-war value and Russia is expected to increase its oil and gas revenue by more than a third this year, according to analysis by Bloomberg.According to German analyst Janis Kluge, this record energy revenue will be enough to cover the impact of Ukraine-related sanctions on the Russian economy and halt inflation. Not all countries have cut off R...

The United States has imposed another layer of sanctions on Moscow, this time targeting state-owned enterprises, including one of the world’s largest mining companies and Russia’s top shipbuilding firm. The Treasury and State Departments unveiled the new penalties on Thursday, saying they would hit Russia’s Alrosa mining company and the United Shipbuilding Corporation, citing the ongoing attack on Ukraine. “These sanctions will continue to apply pressure to key entities that enable and fund Russia’s unprovoked war,” senior Treasury official Brian Nelson said, also vowing to continue efforts to “restrict the Kremlin’s access to assets.” Alrosa is the world’s largest diamond mining operation by volume and is responsible for around 90% of Russia’s capacity, with its exports totaling more than $4.5 billion last year alone. It was previously identified as a potential candidate for sanctions under an executive order issued a little over one year ago. The United Shipbuilding Corporation...

The Bank of Russia has amended its gold buying method due to the strengthening of the domestic currency and will now buy the precious metal at a “negotiated price,” the regulator said in a press release on Thursday. The policy becomes effective on Friday, April 8. On March 25, the central bank said it would buy gold at a fixed price of 5,000 rubles ($52) a gram until June 30. The fixed price was below the market value, with gold on the international market trading at roughly $62 per gram. The measure was implemented to support Russia’s national currency, which dropped sharply after a number of Western countries, including the US and most of the EU, placed economic penalties on Moscow over its military operation in Ukraine. The exchange rate on March 25 was around 96 rubles per US dollar and 107 rubles per euro. However, the Russian currency has been strengthening over the past two weeks, after Moscow announced a new ruble payment mechanism for exports of natural gas in response to W...

The Russian economy is currently facing its most challenging situation in three decades, but the West will not succeed in its attempts to isolate the country, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin told the State Duma on Thursday. He said that Russia will need at least six months to rebuild its economy from the impact of the unprecedented wave of Western sanctions. “The economy needs time to rebuild. It is impossible with such a blow not to have at least six months to rebuild,” Mishustin said, commenting on the deputies’ proposals to create a real and working import substitution system in Russia. The prime minister explained that the government is taking all possible measures to support enterprises, set up new production chains and stimulate employment. Businesses, for their part, must also adequately assess their capabilities, he noted. The situation provided room for new business opportunities, as foreign companies leaving Russia would make space for others. Moreover, Moscow has allies...

There is division in the German government over a proposal to restore and deliver to Ukraine some 100 old Marder infantry fighting vehicles. Politicians from the Green Party are pushing for the move, but Chancellor Olaf Scholz remains reluctant, according to a Politico report published on Thursday. Scholz’s delay of the final decision, which was expected this week, has frustrated its backers, including Vice Chancellor and Economy Minister Robert Habeck and Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, according to the report. Cabinet members have so far refrained from publicly criticizing the Social Democrat leader, but some lawmakers were more open about their frustration. Anton Hofreiter of the Greens, who chairs the parliamentary committee on European affairs, told Politico that Germany should show leadership and not hide behind other nations. Like many other NATO members, Germany supplied Ukraine with military equipment, but refused to deliver any heavy weapons. Scholz told the parliamen...

China said on Thursday that the fault lines of European security have caused the current Russian-Ukraine conflict. Moscow has insisted that one of the goals of its ongoing military campaign against Kiev is to make Ukraine declare itself a neutral country which will never join NATO. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi expressed his country’s view on the matter during a phone call with Emmanuel Bonne, diplomatic adviser to French President Emmanuel Macron. “The Ukraine issue originates from Europe’s security imbalance,” Wang said, according to a statement by the Chinese Foreign Ministry. “[A] balanced, effective and sustainable European security architecture should be rebuilt on the basis of the principle of indivisible security. Only by doing so can Europe truly achieve lasting peace and stability.” Wang added that all parties should work to “create the necessary environment and conditions for advancing peace talks,” instead of “fanning the flames.” One should not call for reaching a ...

The Boston Marathon has declared a ban on runners living in Russia and Belarus who were due to compete, less than two weeks before the event is set to be held. “The Boston Athletic Association (BAA) announced today that Russians and Belarusians, who were accepted into the 2022 Boston Marathon or 2022 BAA 5K as part of the open registration process and are currently residing in either country, will no longer be allowed to compete in either event,” said organizers in a statement. It added that Russian and Belarusian citizens who are not currently residents of either country would be allowed to run, but that the flags of both nations would be prohibited. “We believe that running is a global sport, and as such, we must do what we can to show our support to the people of Ukraine,” said BAA President & CEO Tom Grilk, condemning Russian actions in Ukraine. Organizers said they would do their best to refund the athletes from Russia or Belarus who will no longer be able to participate ...

A number of Greek politicians have expressed outrage after a member of the far-right Azov Battalion gave a speech during a teleconference between the Greek Parliament and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday. During his address, Zelensky thanked Athens for the sanctions it has imposed on Russia and pleaded for more support, asking the Greeks to use their influence in the EU to help save “our shared heritage” in the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol. However, after the first part of his address, in an apparent effort to showcase the ties between the two nations, Zelensky included two testimonies from supposed Ukrainian-Greek fighters, one of which announced he is a member of the notorious Azov Battalion. “Including a message from an Azov Battalion member was wrong and inappropriate,” government spokesman Giannis Oikonomou said on Twitter following the session. SYRIZA – Greece’s main opposition party – vehemently protested the appearance of the neo-Nazi fighter, with sev...

Ukrainian and Western media outlets have accused Russian troops of killing civilians in Bucha and other towns around Ukraine’s capital, Kiev in the past month. Excerpts of phone calls obtained by RT, however, appear to contradict some of the allegations and seem to paint a different picture of the situation on the ground. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed, on Thursday, that the situation in settlement of Borodyanka is “much more disastrous” than that reported in Bucha, about 25 kilometers (15.5), to the southeast. Moscow has strongly denied the allegations and accused Ukraine, and its Western backers of trying to "frame" its personnel. RT was unable to independently verify the authenticity of the recordings. In what appears to be an excerpt from a satellite phone call, an alleged reporter identified only as ‘Simon’ tells his colleagues he visited Borodyanka and found that “there’s no bodies in the streets at all,” contrary to what he was led to expect. The...

Moscow hopes the Russian military operation in Ukraine might end in the near future, possibly “in the coming days,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Sky News on Thursday. Either the country's troops will end it by achieving their military goals or Moscow and Kiev will reach an agreement through negotiations, he added. The prospect of a peace deal would largely depend on the “consistency” of Ukraine’s position and its willingness to agree to Russia’s terms, Peskov added. He particularly noted that those responsible for the crimes against civilians in the Donbass should be brought to justice. When asked about accusations leveled by Kiev against Moscow over the alleged mass killings of civilians near Kiev, Peskov asserted that such claims are nothing but a “bold fake.” “We deny the Russian military can have something in common with these atrocities and that dead bodies were shown on the streets of [the town of] Bucha,” he told Sky News. “We are living in days of fakes and lies...