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INTERVIEW: Michal Simecka, Progressive Slovakia leader

Liberal leader says populist rival Robert Fico would become Hungarian strongman Viktor Orban's partner in pushing Russian interests inside the EU.

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Ukraine can’t join the EU until the Common Agricultural Policy is reformed

On December 16 the European Council starts negotiations with Kyiv to join the EU. But while no one expects the process to go quickly, Ukraine cannot join at all unless the EU first reforms its Common Agricultural Policy.

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Missiles strikes on Crimea kill nine, as Ukraine breaks through Russia’s last line of defence in Zaporizhia

The Russian Defence Ministry reported on September 22 that a missile strike originating from Ukraine hit the Russian Crimean city of Sevastopol as Ukraine increasingly targets the disputed peninsula.

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Nagorno-Karabakh residents await their fate

Negotiations in the Azerbaijani city of Yevlakh are focused on security guarantees for the withdrawal of the Nagorno-Karabakh forces to Armenia and amnesties for its soldiers and leaders.

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The fall of Nagorno-Karabakh

While Azerbaijani officials have said that civilians will be allowed to stay there unharmed, few, if any, of the locals believe them.

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PANNIER: How ‘C5+1’ set the stage for a new era in US-Central Asia relations

Focus shifts from security to energy security, renewable energy and transportation infrastructure, while there are no illusions about delivering democracy.

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PROFILE: Michal Simecka, leader of Progressive Slovakia

There is a real hope that a late surge of support from the estimated one quarter of undecided voters could push Michal Simecka's Progressives into first place at the September 30 general election.

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Ukraine's international supporters can now help the country fight Russia by buying local war bonds online

As part of a government drive to raise more money to pay for the war, Ukraine’s Ministry of Finance (MinFin) has made it possible for foreign individual investors to conveniently buy federal treasuring bonds (OVDP) with a click of a mouse.

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MACRO ADVISORY: Can new political allies help revive Iran’s old economy?

Iran is emerging from international isolation, not with former partners in Western nations but with countries in the Eurasia region, Asia, other Middle Eastern states and Africa.

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ING: Diesel supply concerns grow with Russian export ban

Armed men storm Serbian Orthodox monastery in Kosovo

Tensions escalate as Kosovan police officer killed in predominantly Serb north

ING: Diesel supply concerns grow with Russian export ban

Middle distillate markets received another boost yesterday after Russia announced that it would be temporarily banning diesel and gasoline exports. This is at a time when there is already plenty of concern around middle distillate availability.

Latest Updates

News

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) called for an end to the fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh on September 21, but took few concrete steps that might help achieve that.

The Russian government has approved its first full wartime budget that will significantly increase military spending in 2024 as well as boost social spending to shelter the population from the effects of war and sanctions.

Central bank governor clashes with finance minister over who bears responsibility for the EU’s highest inflation.

Russia has temporarily banned the export of gasoline and diesel to all countries outside a group of four ex-Soviet states, aiming to stabilise its domestic fuel market, as supplies of diesel to the military surge.

Ruling Fidesz faction leader now uses "defamatory" film by Sweden’s public television as excuse for delaying Sweden's accession to Nato.

Tech

IBS Group is best known as the leading provider of IT solutions for Russian businesses and regional governments. Since the war in Ukraine started its importance as a source of software has spiked.

Also offers entrepreneur cooperation in artificial intelligence and Starlink satellite internet services.

Enterprises in the sector generated €742mn more net turnover and €216mn more value added year on year in 2022.

Funding to help Druid accelerate its international expansion, particularly in the US market.

Startup that became a big hit during the pandemic reportedly now worth quarter of $12bn it was valued at 18 months ago.

Opinion

Defending Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh are no longer in line with Moscow’s evolving interests.

Speaking to the Leighton Smith Podcast in New Zealand last month, Jennings looked back at his more than two decades in Russia, his hasty exit after losing control of RenCap to his oligarch partner as well as his reflections on the war in Ukraine.

The brightest side of Belgrade's decision to stay neutral after the invasion of Ukraine was giving a chance to anti-regime activists to leave Russia. Now this is being undermined.

Russian oil company effectively used its business activities to develop enormous political leverage in Bulgaria.

The G20 summit which concluded yesterday in New Delhi supported our view that the global economy is fracturing into US and China-led blocs, and that India still leans to the former.

Data

Ukraine puts in first GDP growth since the war began of 19.5% as the economy starts to stabilise and low base effects push growth numbers up. The economy grew 0.8% on a q/q basis.

Oil wealth and faster economic growth have allowed Azerbaijan to spend much more heavily on the military than Armenia.

Industrial production fell 2% year on year in constant prices in August after a revised fall of 2.3% y/y the preceding month.

ING analysts say unpopular measures to contain the public deficit have potential to dampen growth in 2024 but shouldn't shake market confidence or EU funds inflows.

Erdogan’s new economic team keep pushing lines about capital flooding into country, but the evidence for that is not there.

Features

Under the leadership of Semen Kryvonos, the newly appointed head of Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU), concerns grow about the bureau's independence, as it appears to be falling under the influence of the president’s office.

The Western reaction to Azerbaijan’s attack on Nagorno-Karabakh this week has been muted by its growing dependence on Azeri gas supplies.

Analysts believe this case indicates that President Tokayev feels more confident in his authority.

A weakened Armenian President Nikol Pashinyan is taking the blame for Russia’s absence and a weakened Armenia, leaving Yerevan vulnerable to Azerbaijan aggression.

Dance instructor and entrepreneur Alexey Ovchinnikov’s new studio is part of the revitalisation of the war-ravaged town of Irpin.

Blogs

A rare deal came through between Iran and the US on September 18 that could potentially pave the way for further de-escalation in the historically tense bilateral ties.

The causes of the protests – discontent with the theocratic ruling system, economic grievances, the fight for women’s rights – remain relevant one year on from her death in the custody of the country's morality police.

Issue a sensitive one for the Kremlin and Central Asian country’s Tokayev administration.

Turkey’s modern-day sultan is now unsaying what he’s been saying for years. Can he get away with it? Of course, he can. The autocrat is not big on accountability.

When European Council President Charles Michel said the EU and aspiring members should prepare for enlargement by 2030, the response from the Western Balkans was underwhelming.

bneGREEN

Greek concessionaire picked for €1bn Cebren HPP project, first planned back in 1964.

An “interplay” of climate change exacerbated heavy rainfall during the first two weeks of September 2023 in several countries across the Mediterranean, caused by low-pressure systems forming around a blocking high centred over the Netherlands.

Six of nine key planetary ‘health boundaries’ have been crossed, said researchers in a new report.

The climate crisis is here and the world’s ecosystem has already started to collapse. This summer has been marred by all-time record temperature highs, destructive flash flooding and record storms. Is it too late to stop a disaster?

The government has faced an unusually stern criticism from the Fidesz faction for retroactively altering financial conditions for homes bound by existing contracts

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