Crimea

Moscow Travel Destination

The simmering dispute over waterway rights between Ukraine and Russia broke into armed conflict this week

Owners of New York City's Empire State Building File For IPO

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo plans to order state regulators to mandate that, by 2030, half of all power consumed by New Yorkers be generated from renewable sources. [The NY Times] A senior Ukrainian energy official has revealed that the attack on transmission towers that cut off the delivery of electricity from Ukraine to Crimea also… Keep reading →

Sanctions Update: The U.S. And The EU Impose Further Measures Against Russia

Germany v Argentina: 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Final

U.S. Passes New Sanctions Authorizing Statute – Sends Russia Frigid End of Year Message

President Obama: U.S. will “review and calibrate” sanctions in response to Russia’s actions

On December 18, 2014, President Obama signed into law the Ukraine Freedom and Support Act of 2014 (“the Act”), the latest move in a series of sanctions imposed on Russia by the United States and the EU over the past year (full coverage of the Russia sanctions can be found here). While the Act gives the president authority to implement new sanctions against Russia, President Obama has declined to enforce the new provisions at this time. The strategy behind this move is unclear, though it appears to be a “wait and see” approach with the hope that even just the threat of new U.S. sanctions will curb Russia’s destabilizing efforts in Ukraine and the wider Eastern Europe and Central Asia regions. It is also believed that the U.S. administration wants to continue to remain in lock-step with the EU and its imposition of sanctions against Russia.

U.S. Enacts New Russia Sanctions Law; President Obama Imposes Trade/Investment Embargo on Crimea

Uncertainty Remains In Ukrainian Capital Kiev After Controversial Referendum Gives Russia Control Of Crimea

On December 18, President Barack Obama signed the Ukraine Freedom Support Act of 2014 (UFSA) into law. Passed by the Congress in response to Russia’s support of the pro-Russian insurgency in eastern Ukraine, it authorizes expanded sanctions on Russia and the provision of certain types of weapons to the government in Kiev. This new wave of potential sanctions places even more pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin amid dropping global oil prices and the fall in the value of the Russian ruble. On December 15, Russia’s central bank raised its key interest rate from 10.5 to 17 percent, the largest single increase since 1998 and the sixth increase this year.

ExxonMobil CEO And XTO Energy CEO Testify Before House On Merger

Here’s an interesting discussion of ExxonMobil’s involvement in the “stranded asset” debate. Robert Rapier seeks to clarify Exxon’s worldview and the company’s response to recent climate action shareholder resolutions. He asks, how much time per day do you devote to planning how you’ll spend your lottery winnings? “You may fantasize about what you would do… Keep reading →

Royal Arctic Expedition On The Icebreaker 'Oden'

The Arctic – a cohesive region located north of the Arctic Circle – falls under the separate jurisdiction of eight countries with a population of about 4.2 million people and an annual economy of about US$230 billion. Interestingly, the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on the Arctic draws a nice comparison to “emerging markets”… Keep reading →

Russian Gas Supplies Through Ukraine Turned Off

Congressman Mike Turner, Chairman of the US delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, released a statement in response to the seizure of a natural gas terminal near the Crimean border by Russian forces. While the plant’s seizure looks to be motivated by Russian desire to control local Crimean energy infrastructure and keep it out of Ukrainian opposition… Keep reading →