Last week, very strong statements were made by the Kremlin regarding the possibility of ending all ties with the European Union. The tensions between Russia and the European Union are ongoing. Nevertheless, the recent events with Alexey Navalny, and the response by the West, is pushing Russia too far.
Tag: Germany

Russia Defends Decision to Expel Diplomats
Russia on Monday defended itself from widespread criticism for its decision to expel three European diplomats for allegedly participating in unauthorized protests in support of the country’s jailed opposition leader, Alexei Navalni. Their expulsion coincided with the visit to Moscow by Josep Borrell on Friday.

Russia Boots Three Diplomats
The Kremlin announced that three diplomats were ordered to leave Russia on February 5th after participating in protest. The diplomats expelled are from the Kingdom of Sweden, Republic of Poland and Germany. That was the date, when Alexei Navalny and his team urged the public to take to the Russian streets and protest.

Navalny — Russia Expels EU Diplomats After Protests
The government of Russia expelled three diplomats from Germany, Poland, and Sweden on Friday, owing to their alleged participation in one of the demonstrations held in recent weeks in favor of the Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Russia’s Foreign Ministry has claimed that diplomats participated in “illegal meetings” held on January 23.

UNCTAD — Global FDI Plummets
Foreign direct investment, affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, plummeted 42% globally in 2020, the United Nations Conference for Trade and Development (UNCTAD) said on Sunday. UNCTAD indicated that the recovery from this indicator would be likely be delayed until 2022.

Germany — The Cost of the Nord Steam 2 Pipeline
The Nord Stream 2 pipeline is almost complete. According to the German Minister of the Environment and Nuclear Safety of Svenja Schulze the project construction was started by adhering to all the laws and regulations. The discussion pertaining the Nord Stream 2 took place during the interview on the January 24, 2020.

AliExpress Review
AliExpress is popular in Russia and the bordering nations of the former Soviet Bloc. A lot of drop shoppers source the products from the AliExpress. Russia has its own online marketplace, Wildberries. Last week, Wildberries marketplace announced expansion into Germany.

Gazprom Issued Eurobonds for Nord Stream 2
Gazprom announced the issuance of Eurobonds for a period of more than five years. The Russian corporation has successfully placed a record $2 billion Eurobond with a yield of 2.95% for a period of eight years. The placement was done on the Irish Euronext Dublin Exchange.

West Warns Iran Against Uranium Metal Production
France, Germany, and the United Kingdom have asked Iran to renounce the production of uranium metal, which violates the 2015 Iran Nuclear Deal. The United States, for its part, has announced a new round of sanctions. Meanwhile, Tehran continues its military exercises, firing ballistic missiles at targets in the Indian Ocean.

Navalny — West Demands Immediate Release
Following the arrest of Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny, upon his return to the country, several Western countries are now calling for his immediate, unconditional release. The Kremlin critic returned from Germany Sunday, where he had been undergoing treatment for poisoning.

Who Will Be the Next Chancellor of Germany?
German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced that she will not lead her Christian Democratic Union into the upcoming election this September. Chancellor Merkel has been in power for the past sixteen years, and leaves a legacy of leading the largest economy within the European Union’s member states.

Belarus — Govt. Charges Fee to Leave, Dissidents Issue Alternative Passports
Belarus started charging its citizens to leave the country. The information is available at the “Amendments to the Tax Code,” published on the Belarus National Legal Portal. Drivers of cars weighing up to five tons, and with the capacity of up to eight passengers, will have to pay.

Merkel “Sad, Furious”; Rouhani Faults “Western Democracy”
German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday said that she was “sad” and “furious” at the invasion of the Capitol in Washington by supporters of President Donald Trump, and reiterated that the outgoing president should be held responsible for the fracas. The German chancellor spoke to news reporters yesterday.

World Leaders Condemn “Attack on Democracy” at U.S. Capitol
Top world leaders have strongly condemned the assault on the United States Capitol by supporters of Donald Trump Wednesday as the victory of Joe Biden in the presidential elections was being ratified. The leaders have called for a “peaceful” transition in the United States and have denounced “an unprecedented assault on American democracy.”

Coronavirus: Germany Tightens Measures as Cases Soar
Germany faces weeks of more social, economic, and movement restrictions. An agreement was reached on Tuesday by the federal government and the executives of the nation’s 16 federal states to close most non-food shops, bars, restaurants, cultural and leisure facilities and schools.

Russia Added Assassinated Iranian General Qasem Soleimani to the Military Hall of Fame
The new documentary titled “Al-Sai al-Ahira” (“The Last Hour”) aired on the Al-Mayadeen channel. Al Mayadeen was founded in 2012. The channel aims at reducing the influence of the Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya. The channel is based in the Beirut, Lebanon.

Low-Key Celebrations Mark End of 2020
On New Year’s Day, almost all parts of the world are quieter than in previous years, without large-scale celebrations or amazing fireworks. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the atmosphere is very different from previous years. People will usher in 2021 with the desire to end the new coronavirus pandemic.

Should Germany Offer, Navalny Accept, Asylum?
Renata Alt, a member of the German Bundestag for the Free Democratic Party, believes that it is time to offer political asylum to Russian opposition blogger Alexey Navalny. The offer comes on the heels of the Investigative Committee of Russia (ICR) announcing the launch of a criminal investigation against the Russian dissident.

France Suspends All UK Travel for 48 Hours
Owing to the new variant of the virus responsible for Covid-19 and which is 70% more contagious detected in England, France on Sunday joined the growing number of countries that have since decided to suspend travel with the UK.

Is Germany Hurting its Bid for a Permanent UNSC Seat?
Russia and China believe that Germany will not be able to upgrade to permanent member status on the United Nations Security Council. Furthermore, a Russian diplomat stated that Russia will not miss Germany when its term expires a the end of this month. The comments came on the heels of a scandal that broke out during the UN Security Council meeting.

Ruhollah Zam Execution- Iranian Foreign Ministry Summoned German Ambassador
The German Ambassador, President-in-Office of the European Union, has been summoned to the Iranian Foreign Ministry on behalf of the Union and has been informed of “the extent of the protest by the Assistant Secretary-General and Director General for Europe of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs”.

Brexit- EU, Britain Talks Enters Last Day
Post-Brexit trade talks between the European Union and Britain have entered their last day, in a final attempt to reach an agreement. Both parties warned that an agreement might not be reached. The conditions set by the European Union are still “unacceptable” to the United Kingdom, a government source said.

UN Denounces North Korea’s ”Gross” Crimes Against Humanity
Over half of the 15 member states of the UN Security Council on Friday denounced in a joint statement the constant crimes against humanity that take place in North Korea as a result of “policies established from the highest level of the Kim Jong Un led administration.”

EU Approves Plan, BOE Approves Dividends
At a meeting in Brussels, European Union leaders resolved the deadlock with Hungary and Poland that had previously threatened to postpone the historic $2.2 trillion budget and stimulus plan. European Union countries reached an agreement with the two eastern member states on Thursday.

Coronavirus — Merkel Begs for Tougher Restrictions Amid Rising Cases
German Chancellor Angela Merkel addressed the Bundestag on Wednesday and asked for further restrictions in the country to halt the rampant spread of coronavirus. Chancellor Merkel is in full support of the idea of closing shops between Christmas and early January next year.

Iran Upset at IAEA Nuclear Leaks
Kazem Gharib Abadi, Iran’s Ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), strongly criticized the release of a confidential report by the organization on Iran’s plan to install three new cascades of centrifuges in Natanz. The IAEA provided the information to the member nations pertaining to Iran’s decision to install the advanced IR-2M centrifuges.

US Formally Withdraws from Treaty on Open Skies
The United States officially withdrew from the Treaty on Open Skies on Sunday, six months after notifying parties to the treaty that it would do so. The treaty allows signatories to scout each other’s military installations, which is seen as an important measure to build mutual trust after the end of the Cold War.

Germany and Russia Registered Record Covid-19 Infections in Last 24 hours
Germany and Russia recorded the highest daily numbers of positive COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic i.e 23,648 and 24,318, respectively. Germany recorded 1,039 more infections than last Thursday, and 106 above the record of daily infections registered a week ago, according to data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI).

Tesla Begins Building Battery Branch in Berlin
According to reports, Tesla is currently building its first large-scale battery and car manufacturing plant in Europe, in Berlin, Germany. The plant has made the latest progress. The electric car manufacturer is recruiting management positions for the German plant.

Plagiarism Scandal Within German Government
The large scandal erupted within German government pertaining the plagiarism accusation and reprimand. Plagiarism is an unethical on all levels. At present, German Minister Franziska Giffey is forced to give up her academic degree. Ms Giffey is accused of plagiarizing her PhD dissertation from the Free University of Berlin.

EU: New Vaccine to be Distributed Fairly
The European Union has reached a 300 million dose vaccine supply agreement with biotech companies, Biontech and Pfizer. Biontech emphasized that vaccines will be distributed fairly. At the same time, Germany is considering how to specifically implement the new coronavirus vaccine.

European Leaders Phone Biden with Well Wishes
Top European leaders on Tuesday engaged US president-Elect Joe Biden via phone calls to congratulate him on his electoral victory and wish him well. Among them were British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, President Emmanuel Macron of France, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Biden and the Future of the US Geopolitical Influence
On November 3rd, American citizens voted to elect the new President of the United States. The winner is Democrat Joe Biden, who has a long history in politics. Many major changes are coming to the US’ national and foreign policies in the new year. Furthermore, for the European Union, it will be a welcome change.

Navalny — In Latest Explanation, Russia Claims “Pancreatitis”
Russian police said Friday that the Kremlin’s main critic, Alexei Navalny, suffered from “pancreatitis,” once again rubbishing the dissident’s claims that he was deliberately poisoned. Navalny underwent treatment in Germany after falling seriously ill in Siberia in late August.

Agri-food Sector – Three European Champions in the Spotlight
The European agricultural world is in crisis, but not all players have been equally affected by events. Certain industry champions are standing up, ensuring the continent’s agricultural resilience and contributing to its present and future food security.
Although consumers might not realise it, the European agriculture sector has faced a torrent of strife and regrettable circumstances in the years since the 2008 recession. Following the sting on exports of Russia’s 2014 agricultural import ban, 2015 saw the dairy industry further thrown into disarray by deregulation, with long-standing quotas and minimum pricing being jettisoned by the European Commission in favour of liberalisation of the market.

U.S. Stock Markets Fall Friday
On Friday, the three major U.S. stock indexes collectively opened lower. The Dow fell 0.44%, the Nasdaq fell 0.74%, and the S&P 500 fell 0.58%. The first estimate released by the US Department of Commerce on Thursday showed that the actual (GDP) of the United States in the third quarter increased.

Erdogan Calls for Boycott of French Products
The President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, implored the citizens of his country Monday not to buy products from France. His remarks came in retaliation for the strong position taken by France against Islamic groups, following the beheading of one of its teachers by a radical Muslim young man.

Germany — CDU Postpones Party Congress
The executive committee of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which is Germany’s ruling party, has settled on the decision to postpone its national congress that had initially been scheduled for December 4. The primary aim of the congress was electing its new leader, and successor to German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

German Government To Gain Access to Private Messengers
The German government has approved a bill allowing intelligence agencies to “listen” to encrypted messages of users of messengers like WhatsApp in order to fight terrorism, according to SecurityWeek. Users of these apps may have their future and past messages searched if the bill passes.

Putin Claims He Allowed Navalny to Leave for Germany
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that he personally intervened and okayed the evacuation of Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny to Germany to be treated, following pleas from his wife after he was allegedly poisoned. Putin spoke via video conference at a discussion forum in Moscow.

Merkel Asks Germans to Stay Home After Three Days of Record High Coroavirus Cases
German Chancellor, Angela Merkel on Saturday Oct 17th, called upon the Germans to stay at home as the country is experiencing a new wave of the coronavirus pandemic. Merkel opined that the country is in a difficult phase of the pandemic and infections are increasing faster over the last three days, than in spring.

Navalny, EU, and the Future of Nord Stream 2
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was poisoned in August. As a result, the future of the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline has been questioned. There is an attempt to simultaneously put pressure on Russia as part of the package of sanctions for the Navalny poisoning and not use these sanctions against Nord stream 2.

Navalny — EU Launches New Sanctions on Russia
After the poison attack on Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, the European Union is launching new sanctions on Russia. The foreign ministers of the EU countries agreed on Monday at a meeting in Luxembourg to begin the necessary preparations. In addition to travel restrictions for certain people, these could also include economic sanctions, for example.

New Aerodynamic Forces Study to Increase the Speed of the Aircraft
Scientists regularly turn to the animal world for inspiration, especially when they are working to improve the aerodynamic characteristics of aircraft. European scientists who study aerodynamic forces have discovered several interesting areas of future work, inspired by fish scales. Such structures can reduce the drag of aircraft by as much as 25 percent.

Navalny Calls for EU Sanctions Against Putin
Russian opposition politician Alexey Navalny on Wednesday called upon the European Union to impose tough sanctions on key figures in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s government, as well as his inner circle. His proposed sanctions would include entry bans in response to Navalny’s poisoning.

OPCW: Navalny Poisoned by Novichok
The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) made an announcement Tuesday to the effect that it had discovered Novichok-like substances thanks to tests it had conducted on Russian opposition politician, Alexei Navalny. He was hospitalized in Berlin after he was allegedly poisoned.

Russia Condemn’s Germany’s UN Speech
The Kremlin made a statement today pertaining to the speech by the German Foreign Minister, Heiko Maas, regarding the Alexey Navalny poisoning. Maas made his remarks, which were delivered remotely, during the 75th General Assembly of the United Nations on Tuesday.

Navalny: Putin Was Behind Poisoning
Russia’s firebrand opposition politician, Alexei Navalny, has directly accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of being solely behind his recent poisoning. “I believe that Putin is behind the crime and I don’t have any other versions of what happened,” Navalny told Der Spiegel.

Merkel Defends Germany’s Response to Pandemic
German Chancellor Angela Merkel today defended her government’s performance, in as far as fighting the coronavirus pandemic is concerned. While addressing the country’s members of the Bundestag, Chancellor Merkel argued that Germany did well, compared to many of its peers.