Halliburton Completes Russia Exit Over Ukraine War

The U.S. oilfield services corporation Halliburton announced Friday it has fully exited the Russian market in response to the invasion of Ukraine. The corporation, one of the world’s largest energy product and service suppliers, said it sold its Russian operations to a Russia-based management team composed of former Halliburton employees.  “The Russia-based management team now…

Sanctions ‘Failed’ to Undermine Russia’s Financial Stability – PM

Western sanctions for Moscow’s military campaign in Ukraine have “failed” to undermine the “financial stability” of Russia, the country’s Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said Thursday.  Western capitals pummeled Moscow with a barrage of sanctions after President Vladimir Putin ordered troops into Ukraine, but the Kremlin maintains that Russia has weathered the economic penalties.   “Unprecedented sanctions…

UN: Evidence of Russia Taking Ukrainian Children

The United Nations cited “credible accusations” Wednesday that Moscow’s forces have forcibly taken Ukrainian children to Russia, while Russian President Vladimir Putin accused the West of benefitting from the eased grain blockade. Kyiv meanwhile said its forces had recaptured significant territory in a counter-offensive southeast of Kharkiv that experts say could threaten key Russian supply…

Putin Slams ‘Sanctions Fever’ at Far East Forum

Updated with Putin comments.  Russian President Vladimir Putin slammed Western governments’ “sanctions fever,” defended the invasion of Ukraine and warned Europeans they could “freeze” without Russian energy exports at an economic forum in Russia’s Far East on Wednesday. “The [coronavirus] epidemic has been replaced by other global challenges that threaten the entire world,” Putin told…

From Yandex to RT: Russia Expands Presence in Serbia Amid Ukraine War

BELGRADE, Serbia — The lavishly decorated main entrance of Serbia’s baroque-style parliament building was barely visible behind a sea of protest tents and a makeshift stage adorned with billboards.  One of the billboards featured the face of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov alongside the caption “the world’s greatest diplomat.” “We are the same people,” one…

Bolstering Asia Ties, Putin Watches Military Drills With China

President Vladimir Putin attended large-scale military exercises on Tuesday involving China and several Russia-friendly countries as Moscow seeks to strengthen partnerships in Asia in the face of Western sanctions.  Russia has found itself increasingly isolated as tensions between Moscow and Western capitals soared since Russia sent troops into pro-Western Ukraine in February.  Slapped with unprecedented…

Praise and Blame: How Russia Reacted to the Death of Gorbachev

The death of the last Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev prompted differing reactions from Russians on Wednesday, with criticism expressed alongside tributes, reflecting the Nobel Prize-winning leader’s polarizing legacy in the country that he called home.  Many supporters of Russian President Vladimir Putin — who famously described the collapse of the Soviet Union overseen by Gorbachev…