Author: Kostis Geropoulos

Russian Prime Minister and presidential candidate Vladimir Putin has not been affected by a plot to assassinate him, his spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on 28 February.

Author: New Europe

A meeting concerning a carbon-emissions tax for airlines using EU airspace has been held this week in Moscow.

Author: New Europe

The Russian prime minister and the widely expected winner of the upcoming presidential elections, Vladimir Putin, unveiled a plan to boost the Russian military on 20 February  in order not to “tempt anyone with our [Russian] weakness”.

Author: New Europe

On 13 February, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin set out plans to increase spending on healthcare, education and social services, as he ramped up his re-election campaign in the face of protests.

Author: New Europe

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has said that the issue of the legitimacy of privatisation in the 1990s in Russia should be closed, and a mechanism for doing that should be devised. “We need to turn this page,” he said.

Author: New Europe

On 6 February, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said that natural gas monopoly Gazprom and oil-major Rosneft will remain state-run for now. 

Author: New Europe

On 9 February, former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev said Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has "exhausted himself" as Russia's leader and his inability to change the Kremlin's political system might prompt more massive protests. Gorbachev said that if Putin does not change the system he built "everything will end up on city squares".

Author: New Europe

Even though Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is still more popular than any other politician in Russia, his authority may be diminished. Putin, who is expected to win the presidential elections scheduled for 4 March despite widespread protests, acknowledged for the first time on 1 February that he might face a runoff but warned that it might result in the destabilisation of the country.

Author: New Europe

On 25 January, Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov was officially registered by the Central Election Commission as a presidential candidate.

Author: New Europe

As the Russian presidential campaign gets under way, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin took a another swing at the US, criticising Washington of seeking vassals rather than allies.

Author: New Europe

On 18 January, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned that an attack on Iran by Western powers could cause an unpredictable chain reaction throughout the region.

Author: New Europe

On 18 January, International rating agency Fitch said has revised down its outlook on Russian cities of Moscow and Saint Petersburg to stable from positive.

Author: New Europe

Russia’s Gazprom Export, a subsidiary of gas monopoly Gazprom, has revised tariffs with Germany’s Wingas, France’s GDF Suez, Austria’s EconGas, Slovakia’s SPP and Sinergie Italiane.

Author: New Europe

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is preparing his presidential election programme based on sociological research gathered by his United Russia party, Izvestia daily quoted his spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, as saying on 10 January. 

Author: New Europe

A delegation from Russian gas monopoly Gazprom was due to arrive in Dhaka on 9 January to finalise a draft of the deal to drill 10 onshore gas wells in the country.

Author: New Europe

On 31 December, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin sent New Year’s greetings to all Russians, even those protesting his 12 years in power and his plans to return to the presidency for at least six more years.

Author: New Europe

Oil output in Russia edged up 1.2% to reach a new post-Soviet high in 2011, as the world's top crude producer eased tax burden and launched pipeline flows to China, the Russian Energy Ministry said on 2 January.

Author: New Europe

Russian gas monopoly Gazprom and oil giant Rosneft, which are state-run companies, and the country’s largest private oil company LUKoil top the list of Russians' employment preferences, according to a poll conducted by the All-Russian Public Opinion Centre (VTsIOM), cited by RIA Novosti. 

Author: New Europe

On 7 December, Russian natural gas export monopoly Gazprom said it finds it unacceptable to move away from the existing gas pricing formula that is dependent on oil prices.

Author: Kostis Geropoulos

United Russia may lack serious opposition but the poor showing of Russia’s ruling party in the 4 December parliamentary elections has weakened Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who will face voters in March in a presidential election.