Countries

Russia to Deliver US New Rocket Engines As Trump Creates Space Force
The US government is slated to receive one of two batches of Russian-made rocket engines in the second quarter of 2018, according to a leading Russian rocket designer, at nearly the same point when the newly created US Space Force is being established as a new branch of the US armed forces. [...]
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US Senate’s Move to Block F-35 Supplies Won’t Stop Turkey From Buying S-400 – PM
Turkey will find alternatives after the US Senate's decision to suspend Ankara's participation in the F-35 fighter jet production program, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said, after the US Senate decided to stop the jet deliveries over Ankara's intention to buy S-400s. [...]
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Moscow to Introduce Import Duties on US Products in Response to Tariffs
These measures will only affect products that have analogues in Russia, Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation, Maxim Oreshkin said. "Because the US continues to apply protective measures in the form of additional import duties on steel and aluminum and refuses to provide compensation for Russia's losses, Russia is using its WTO rights and introducing balancing measures with re [...]
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Low debt & high reserves: Russia’s economic strategy paying off
Despite facing years of sanctions from the US and EU, the Russian economy is growing again thanks to a winning formula of low debt and high reserves. The sovereign debt of Russia is a fraction of that in developed countries like the UK or US. Russia’s foreign debt now stands at $525 billion, compared to $7.5 trillion in Britain, $5 trillion in France, $4.8 trillion in Germany, and an eye-waterin [...]
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China can substitute US oil with Iranian crude to ‘infuriate Trump’ – analyst
Beijing’s retaliatory measures against US tariffs can include penalties on oil coming to China from America. A cut in Chinese purchases of US oil may benefit Iran’s sales and anger Washington. “The Chinese may just replace some of the American oil with Iranian crude,” said John Driscoll, director of consultancy JTD Energy Services, as quoted by Reuters. [...]
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Russia & India ditching US dollar in defense deals
Moscow and Delhi are seeking to bypass US sanctions by using the rupee and the ruble in facilitating military deals, according to Indian daily, the Economic Times. The paper reports that US sanctions are hampering $2 billion in defense deals between Russia and India, as payments are getting stuck. [...]
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No F-35s for Turkey: US Senate blocks sale of fighter jets to Ankara
US Senators have voted to block the sale of F-35s to Turkey, slamming their NATO ally for plans to buy Russian S-400 missile batteries. Ankara warned of “an alternative” should the deal be called off. The first of the 100 US-made F-35 fighter jets were to be delivered to Turkey on June 21 but now the whole deal might be off as the US Senators voted to kill the sale. [...]
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In World Cup as in life, times they are a-changin’: How tables are turning, tectonic plates shifting
It was the dogs what done it. The picture of the "pile of canine corpses on the streets of Russia killed in the name of the world cup," I mean. Or at least the thousands of people who had retweeted the image thought so, before it turned out the dead dogs were Pakistani, killed for public health reasons in Karachi five years before. [...]
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Trump’s trade tariffs pushing Europe closer to China & Russia
US President Donald Trump's introduction of tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Canada, Mexico and the EU will force them to build new trade ties, professor at Aalto University and CUHK, Carl F. Fey, told RT. “US actions will surely push the EU to strengthen trade relationships with other countries such as China. Russia, being a near neighbor could also benefit,” he told RT, adding [...]
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Austria’s Kurz receives death threats after shutting down mosques
An anti-terrorism probe has been opened into death threats Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz received on social media after his government announced a crackdown on hate preaching and “political Islam.” The Austrian government’s decision to close seven mosques and expel as many as 60 imams as part of their campaign against radicalization has provoked a wave of outrage online. [...]
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Achtung baby: Trump wants German cars out of America
German carmakers may be pushed out of the United States as President Donald Trump wants to stop them from cruising through New York, according to German magazine Wirtschaftswoche. It cited several unnamed European and US diplomats claiming that Trump told his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron in April he would stick to his trade policy for long enough until no Mercedes-Benz models were rolling do [...]
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Superpower Russia key to settlement of Syria, Ukraine conflicts – Austria’s Kurz to Putin
Russia is crucial in bringing peace to Syria and Ukraine, Austrian leader Sebastian Kurz told his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, adding he hopes Moscow helps secure peace in Donbass, paving the way to lifting EU sanctions. “Russia, as a superpower, has an important role in Syria and eastern Ukraine, and Russia has great responsibility,” Chancellor Kurz said after talks with Russian Presid [...]
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No need for Europe to buy US gas at triple the price, will continue imports from Russia – Austria
The US is force-feeding Europe its liquefied natural gas, which is three times more expensive that buying it from Russia, Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen said after signing a gas-supply contract with Moscow until 2040. While US politicians are accusing Europe of being dependent on Russian gas, they forget that “American liquefied gas is two or three times more expensive than Russian [...]
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US advises India to consider consequences of purchasing Russia’s S-400 systems
Washington has warned New Delhi that procurement of Russian advanced military systems may jeopardize defense cooperation and technology sharing between the US and India, as well as “interoperability” between their armed forces. “There is a lot of concern in the US administration and Congress with the S-400,” House Armed Services Committee chairman Mac Thornberry told India’s Economic Tim [...]
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‘Abuse of Authority’: Senate Foreign Cmt. Chair Slams Trump’s Tariffs on Allies
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The newly imposed tariffs by the Trump administration on steel and aluminum imports from EU, Canada, and Mexico represent abuse of power, US Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker said in a statement. "Imposing steel and aluminum tariffs on our most important trading partners is the wrong approach and represents an abuse of authority intended only for nationa [...]
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US is pushing Russia, China, Iran together & cutting itself off from global trade – Jim Rogers
The United States is isolating itself from countries around the world, and making countries unite in a time of economic repression from Washington, prominent investor Jim Rogers says. “America is pushing China and Russia together, America’s pushing China and Iran together, pushing China, Iran, Russia all together, and that’s pushing America out of some very major countries in the world,” R [...]
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India & Iran drop dollar in oil trade to bypass US sanctions – report
India will reportedly pay for Iranian oil in rupees as the two countries seek to bypass US sanctions against Tehran, industry officials have told the Sputnik news agency. Under the deal, the payments for oil will be made through India’s state-run UCO Bank, which has no US exposure. The countries are also discussing the barter-like system to avoid US sanctions, Sputnik reports. [...]
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Russia just won big in the European gas war
US will have hard time convincing key EU members to offset overreliance on Russian piped gas with US LNG. Russia's largest gas producer Gazprom and the European Commission have recently resolved a seven-year anti-trust dispute. Much of this comes amid President Donald Trump’s so-called American energy independence push as well as both US and several EU members thrust to wean Europe off of geopol [...]
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US stocks tumble as Trump starts trade brawl against the world
American stock markets reacted negatively after the United States imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Canada, Mexico and the European Union. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped over one percent, S&P500 dropped 0.54 percent, while the Nasdaq was 0.16 percent in the red. [...]
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‘US has become unreliable’: Austrian chancellor questions Washington’s commitment to EU
The US, under Donald Trump's administration, is becoming increasingly unpredictable and “unreliable” to its European partners, the Austrian chancellor noted, joining a chorus of EU members urging for more unity and self-reliance. “The US has become more and more unreliable for us,” Sebastian Kurz told the Financial Times. “The most important thing is that Europe has to remain united.” [...]
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Russian electronic warfare firm to upgrade products after studying US Tomahawks downed in Syria
A Russian military contractor, specializing in electronic warfare, will use information gained from dissecting a US Tomahawk cruise missile, used during an attack on Syria, to boost the capabilities of its own equipment. The missile, delivered to Russia after the tri-party night attack on Syrian government targets by the US, the UK and France in April, is of particular interest to KRET, a leading [...]
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US slaps Europe, Canada & Mexico with steel, aluminum tariffs
Unable to win concessions from from its trading partners ahead of the Friday deadline, the US has introduced tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Canada, Mexico and the European Union. The new 25 percent tariff on steel imports and 10 percent tariff on aluminum imports from the EU, Canada and Mexico come into force at midnight (04:00 GMT, Friday), according to US Commerce Secretary Ross. [...]
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