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Reuters, LONDON/FRANKFURT, April 1 - According to European officials and commentators, Russian President Vladimir Putin's threat to shut off customers' access to gas unless they pay in roubles is more of a 'bluff' to deter more sanctions than a true threat to cease supplying energy. On Friday, gas was flowing routinely to Europe, and some experts believe the new agreement will be largely the same as the old one, with only a minor boost for the ailing Russian currency. Here's why Putin's gas ultimatum is regarded as hyperbole, at least for the time being. WHERE DID IT ALL GO WRONG? Europe's energy needs are significantly dependant on Russia, with roughly 40% of its gas coming from the country. As a result, shutting off the taps in Moscow might result in immediate shortages, factory closures, and devastating energy bills. Contracts for gas are usually priced in euros or dollars, but Putin believes they should be paid in roubles. Here's why Putin's gas ...

 Reuters, March 31 - On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that he had signed a regulation requiring international customers of Russian gas to pay in roubles beginning April 1, and that contracts would be terminated if these payments were not made. "They must open rouble accounts in Russian banks in order to purchase Russian natural gas. Payments for gas deliveries will be made from these accounts beginning tomorrow "Putin stated in a televised address. "If such payments are not made, we shall consider the buyers to have defaulted, with all the implications that entails. Nobody sells us anything for free, and we are not going to do charity - current contracts will be terminated." Energy is the most potent lever at Putin's disposal as he tries to retaliate against sweeping Western sanctions for his invasion of Ukraine, as Russia supplies approximately a third of Europe's gas. His move to impose rouble payments strengthened the Russian curren...

 (Source: Reuters) The Wall Street Journal and the investigative news site Bellingcat reported on Monday that Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich and Ukrainian peace negotiators suffered symptoms of suspected poisoning during a meeting in Kyiv earlier this month, citing people familiar with the situation. According to the WSJ story, Abramovich, who accepted a Ukrainian request to assist in negotiating an end to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and at least two senior members of the Ukrainian team were affected. The report was met with skepticism by Ukrainian officials. "There is a lot of speculation, many conspiracy theories," Ukrainian negotiator Mykhailo Podolyak said when asked about the possible poisoning. Another member of the negotiation team, Rustem Umerov, cautioned people not to believe "unverified information." Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine's foreign minister, later echoed this sentiment, saying on national television that "everyone is yearning for new...

 Reuters, LONDON, March 28 - The Kremlin said on Monday that US President Joe Biden's remark that Vladimir Putin "cannot remain in power" was cause for concern, a cautious response to the US's first public call for Putin's 22-year rule to end. "For the love of God, this man cannot remain in power," Biden remarked at the close of an address to a crowd in Warsaw on Saturday. He framed Russia's invasion of Ukraine as part of a larger struggle between democracy and authoritarianism. The White House attempted to clarify Biden's words, and the president of the United States stressed on Sunday that he had not explicitly called for regime change in Russia, which has the most nuclear weapons of any country. "This is a statement that is undoubtedly disturbing," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said when asked about Biden's remark, which garnered limited broadcast on Russian official television. "We will continue to pay close attention ...

Josep Borrell, the EU's foreign policy leader, said on Saturday that a new deal on Iran's nuclear program would most likely be reached within days. On the margins of the Doha Forum in Qatar, Borrell told reporters, "We are extremely close, but there are still some items remaining." "I can't say when or how, but it'll be in a few days." For weeks, international forces backing the agreement have claimed that a deal is close to being reached to revive the 2015 nuclear deal, which began to disintegrate after the United States left in 2018.  Because of Iran's rapid nuclear program, Western parties have pushed for the discussions to be ended "immediately." Enrique Mora, the EU negotiator's coordinator, said he was going to Tehran on Saturday in the hopes of closing gaps in the discussions. "We're at 95%, but the remaining 5% is important," said Borrell, the EU's high representative for foreign affairs, who said that the ...

On the 32nd day of the current Russia-Ukraine conflict, US President Joe Biden slammed Vladimir Putin, calling him a "butcher" who couldn't continue in power. The president of the United States made the remarks during an emotional speech in Warsaw, Poland.  On Saturday, while President Joe Biden was in Poland, Russian rockets hit the western Ukrainian city of Lviv. Before the invasion, Lviv had a population of around 700,000 people. It served as a humanitarian staging area for Ukraine, and the strikes could exacerbate the already difficult task of getting aid to the remainder of the country. On Saturday, a total of 5,200 individuals were evacuated from Ukraine using humanitarian corridors (local time). On Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged that Western countries surrender a portion of its military hardware stockpiles and asked if they were afraid of Moscow. Several countries have offered anti-armor and anti-aircraft missiles, as well as small weapons, ...

  Reuters, LVIV, Ukraine, March 27 - President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has requested the West to provide Ukraine with tanks, planes, and missiles to defend against Russian forces, who his administration claims are targeting the country's fuel and food depots. President Joe Biden's three-day trip to Europe ended with remarks that suggested the US was taking a tougher stance against Russia, when he remarked on Saturday that Russian President Vladimir Putin "cannot remain in power." According to a White House official, Biden's impromptu statements during a speech in Warsaw were not a demand for regime change in Russia, but rather that Putin should not be allowed to exercise power over his neighbors or the region. Moscow criticized Biden's remarks, claiming that the US president had no authority over who ran Russia. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has wreaked havoc on multiple cities, triggered a humanitarian crisis, and driven millions of people to evacuate their hom...

President Joe Biden is to propose a new sort of wealth tax as part of his 2019 budget request, reviving the debate in Washington about how to tax the wealthiest of the wealthy. He wants them to pay at least 20% in taxes on a mix of their income and unrealized gains in things like their stock portfolios, which are currently exempt from taxation.  According to the administration, this would affect the richest 0.01 percent of families, earning $360 billion over the following ten years, with billionaires accounting for half of it. In a summary of the idea, the administration stated, "For far too long, our tax code has rewarded wealth over work, contributing to rising income and affluent disparity in America." "With this minimal tax, the wealthiest Americans will no longer pay a lower tax rate than teachers and firefighters." The proposal comes as Democrats try to resurrect their long-stalled "reconciliation" tax proposals and fulfill campaign promises to raise...