THE BELL WEEKLY: Arrest warrant conundrum PRO Members Public
Hello! This week our top story is about how Russian media outlets were baffled about how to report on an international arrest warrant issued for Putin. We also look at a major meeting between Putin and top business leaders and police raids on popular bars in Moscow that were demonstratively
Russia’s Journey Toward Economic Dependence on China PRO Members Public
Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to visit Moscow next week. This is a traditional engagement: Russia is usually the first country any Chinese leader visits after his re-election. Moscow and Beijing describe their relationship as a strategic and comprehensive partnership and do all they can to emphasize a good
Russia’s brands Putin-backed WWF a “foreign agent” PRO Members Public
A notable addition last week to Russia’s “foreign agent” list was the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF). Oddly, this charity was funded by VTB, one of Russia’s biggest state-owned banks, for many years. And Putin has publicly lauded its work. However, in recent years the fund has faced
Russia casts long shadow over Georgia’s political crisis PRO Members Public
A major hub for Russian emigration since the war in Ukraine broke out — Georgia — finds itself at the center of a political crisis due to proposed legislation on “foreign agents.” The bill at the center of the row was endorsed by Georgia’s ruling party, which is accused by many
Russian opposition splits over support for lifting sanctions on oligarchs PRO Members Public
Lobbying by prominent billionaires Mikhail Fridman and Pyotr Aven in an attempt to have European sanctions on them lifted caused a bitter row last week. The tycoons, who are co-owners of one of Russia’s biggest investment outfits, Alfa Group, tried to recruit the leaders of Russia’s opposition in
Oligarchs & the opposition PRO Members Public
Hello! This week our top story is about a group of Russian tycoons who have been recruiting opposition leaders in a bid to help get Western sanctions lifted. We also look at a political crisis in Georgia and why the WWF was designated a “foreign agent” despite historical support from
Growing optimism for Russia’s economic prospects PRO Members Public
Hello! This is Alexandra Prokopenko with your weekly guide to the Russian economy — brought to you by The Bell. In today’s newsletter, we focus on increasing short-term optimism over Russia’s economy and how the issue of personal sanctions on Russian businessmen is splitting the opposition — not the elite
Drones, raid & assassination PRO Members Public
Hello! This week we focus on one story: an unusually high number of apparent Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory — and what they might mean. What do Ukrainian drone attacks and cross-border raids and an ‘assassination attempt’ have in common? At least four different Russian regions, including Moscow Region, were attacked
Is Russia firing up the money printing press? PRO Members Public
Hello! This is Alexandra Prokopenko with your weekly guide to the Russian economy — brought to you by The Bell. In today’s newsletter, we’ll look in depth at whether Russia really is printing money to cover its growing budget deficit. Inflation risks as Russia grapples with budget deficit Russia
Prigozhin throws down another gauntlet to Shoigu and the General Staff PRO Members Public
Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of the Wagner Group, Russia’s main private paramilitary force, once again attacked the army’s General Staff and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. A new round of conflict broke out after Russia’s operations in Ukraine were placed under the command of Chief of the General Staff
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The Bell was founded in 2017 by journalists Elizaveta Osetinskaya, Irina Malkova and Peter Mironenko as a news outlet independent from the Russian authorities, after its founders have been sacked as top editors at the largest Russian news website RBC because of pressure from the Kremlin.
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