Day: March 18, 2021
-
Putin Invites Biden to Virtual Talks
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday called on U.S. President Joe Biden to hold virtual talks after the American leader described him as a “killer.” Speaking on the sidelines of an event marking seven years since Russia’s annexation of Crimea, Putin invited Biden to hold a “live-broadcast” or “online” discussion in the coming days. “I…
-
Moscow to Probe ‘Russian Woman’ Eurovision Entry for ‘Illegal’ Lyrics
Russian investigators said Thursday they will examine the lyrics of the country’s entry to this year’s Eurovision song contest after it angered conservative groups. Manizha Sangin, known as Manizha, is set to perform the song “Russian Woman” at the annual competition in The Netherlands during May. It praises the strength of Russian women, urging them…
-
Taliban Urged Not to Launch Spring Offensive at Moscow Talks
Mediators in Moscow on Thursday urged the Taliban not to launch a spring offensive, as international efforts for a peace deal intensify ahead of a deadline for U.S. troops to withdraw from Afghanistan. The conference in Moscow came as part of intensifying negotiations between the Afghan government, the Taliban and the United States to negotiate…
-
Key Navalny Supporters’ House Arrests Extended Into Summer
A Moscow court has extended the house arrest of four prominent activists and supporters of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny into the summer, the Mediazona and OVD-Info police-monitoring websites reported Thursday. Ten Navalny supporters are accused of “inciting mass violations” of coronavirus restrictions by calling on supporters nationwide to protest his jailing in late January and…
-
‘It Takes One to Know One,’ Putin Fires Back After Biden’s ‘Killer’ Remarks
Russian President Vladimir Putin has fired back at his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden’s assertion that he is a “killer” by saying “It takes one to know one.” Biden set off a storm of condemnation from Moscow on Wednesday when he agreed with the assessment that Putin is a “killer” in an ABC News interview, adding that…
-
Comprehensive Program for reconstruction and re-equipment of processing facilities for years 2021–2025 approved
Background To date, Gazprom’s main processing facilities are the Astrakhan Gas Processing Plant (GPP), the Orenburg gas processing and helium plants, the Sosnogorsk Gas Processing Plant, the Surgut Condensate Stabilization Plant, and the Urengoy Condensate Treatment Plant. The five-year Comprehensive Program for the reconstruction and re-equipment of gas and liquid hydrocarbon processing facilities was approved by Gazprom for…
-
Gazprom reviews hydrogen energy development areas
March 18, 2021, 15:20 The Gazprom Management Committee addressed the issue of hydrogen production and utilization, as well as export of hydrogen and methane-hydrogen mixtures with the use of the existing gas infrastructure. It was noted that in recent times many countries view hydrogen energy as an area essential for the implementation of national low-carbon development strategies. At the same time, hydrogen is a secondary energy source, i.e. additional energy…
-
Belarus Opposition Leader Holds Online Vote on Regime Talks
Opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya on Thursday urged Belarusians to vote online to support her call for international negotiations with President Alexander Lukashenko’s regime. Tikhanovskaya said the first results of the vote through the website belarus2020.org/home would be announced next Thursday, the anniversary of Belarus’s independence declaration in 1918. “Each of you knows that our country is in…
-
Kremlin Says Biden Does Not Want to Improve Ties With Russia
Russia said Thursday U.S. President Joe Biden had no interest in improving ties with Russia after he referred to Vladimir Putin as a “killer,” sparking the biggest crisis in years between the former Cold War rivals. Russia’s relationship with the West has eroded over a spate of disagreements, but relations plunged to new depths Wednesday…
-
Siberian Concert Pianist’s Anti-Repression Speech Sparks Uproar
A Siberian pianist sparked an uproar Tuesday with a speech against “state repression” at a concert honoring Italian-born French concert pianist Vera Lotar-Shevchenko, who spent eight years in a Soviet gulag prison camp in Siberia. Timofey Kazantsev was nearly hauled offstage at the Novosibirsk Philharmonic after urging attendees to sign a petition demanding the release…
-
Russia to Slash Green Energy Funding by 22% – Kommersant
Russia plans to cut state funding for the green energy sector by nearly a quarter, or 22%, the Kommersant business daily reported Thursday. The government’s budget for its 2025-2035 renewables program will be cut from 400 billion rubles ($5.4 billion) to 313 billion rubles ($4.3 billion), unnamed sources told Kommersant, citing a March 11 meeting…
-
G7 Says It Will Not Recognize Russia’s ‘Occupation’ of Crimea
The G7 group of leading economic powers said on Thursday it would not accept Russia’s annexation of Crimea from Ukraine, in a statement marking seven years since the takeover. “We unequivocally denounce Russia’s temporary occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol. Russia’s attempts to legitimize it are not, and will…
-
Russian Artist Mixes Renaissance Beauty With Moscow’s Gritty Reality
Moscow-based artist Yevgeniy Naumuv aims to breathe new life into the city’s gloomy urban landscape by turning them into Renaissance-inspired artworks. A resident of the Vykhino neighborhood located in Moscow’s outskirts, Naumov defines his art style as “Vykhino Renaissance,” saying it reveals the romantic side of life in gray residential apartment blocks. The young artist…
-
Russia’s Washington Envoy to Return to Moscow Saturday – Embassy
Russia’s ambassador in the United States will depart Washington Saturday for urgent consultations in Moscow, the embassy said, warning that bilateral ties were on the brink of “collapse.” Moscow’s strained relationship with Washington hit a new low Wednesday when Russia called back its ambassador over comments made by U.S. President Joe Biden who likened his Russian counterpart…
-
One more batch of equipment shipped to Kudankulam NPP (India)
On March 16, 2021, the Industrial Ruby marine vessel left the port of St. Petersburg with a batch of equipment for Kudankulam NPP that is under construction in India. “This is the first of lot of equipment for Kudankulam Units 3 and 4 this year and the 24th under the project”, said Alexander Kvasha, First…
-
Austrian Leader Calls for Russian Vaccine’s Swift Approval in EU
Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz on Wednesday appealed to European regulatory authorities to approve Russia’s Sputnik V and other safe coronavirus vaccines as soon as possible. With Sputnik V under review by the EU’s medicines regulator, reports suggested this week that EU officials are considering launching negotiations to buy doses from Russia. The vaccine’s developers announced…
-
Report on Extrajudicial Killings Prompts Chechen Calls to Ban Independent Newspaper
Chechen officials and members of the public are calling for the investigative newspaper Novaya Gazeta to be banned after it reported on extrajudicial killings in the southern Russian region. The chorus of outrage grew after Novaya Gazeta on Monday published an ex-police officer’s eyewitness account of the torture and execution of 13 detainees in 2017.…