“…we interpret the company’s move as the beginning of its expansion to central Asian countries, which may be welcomed by the stock market.”

 

Ash: “I guess under the take or pay agreement they could buy 42bcm at 268.5, then re-export the extra 10-11bcm to Europe and pocket the difference, i.e. USD1.65bn, taking the total saving back up to USD4.9bn. However, historically Russia has hated such action by Ukraine, so I doubt they are going to buy into that.”

Stratfor Global Intelligence yesterday reposted an op-ed by its chief editor George Friedman, whose family came from Uzhgorod in far western Ukraine, with the comment: “The following Geopolitical Weekly originally ran in November 2010 as part of our Geopolitical Journey series. We repost it as Ukraine's position between Europe and Russia puts it in the spotlight.”

 

In other news, four miners were killed in an accident at Coal Energy’s Sviato-Pokrovska mine on Dec. 16.

“Commitments will have been made one way or another - whether verbal or in writing. I would expect that we will discover at a later date that either strategic assets (e.g. the gas transit system) or commitments towards Ukrainian membership of the CIS CU will have been made - likely after the presidential election in 2015, upon Yanukovych's victory and when Putin’s Eurasian Union is set to be launched. And one thing is certain, President Putin makes a big thing of always delivering on his promises, and he expects everyone else to do the same to him. Yanukovych is unlikely to want to go back on his word to Putin this time around.”

The mining company is making the move to “to remain within the FTSE UK Index Series”

 

Analyst: “Prosecutors’ conclusion that Klyuyev wasn’t involved in the planning of the Nov. 30 attack on protesters has been contradicted by numerous key political players, who said the order for such an assault had to come from the highest rungs of government.”

 

Ash: Putin raises the stakes 2013/12/17 21:51:48

“Yanukovych remains vulnerable as long as mass demonstrations persist, and the risk of violence remains latent. However, as recent experience has shown, any use of force by the regime will likely prove counterproductive and provoke even bigger demonstrations and possibly even sanctions.”

A name change for Yanukovych? 2013/12/17 20:44:33

Opposition figures are already asking what President Yanukovych had to give up for a $15 billion bail-out for Ukraine. Could it be his name?

Opposition forces are already asking probing questions about what Yanukovych had to give up to get reported $15 billion in Ukrainian Eurobond commitment from the Kremlin

 

« 1 ... 2013 2014 2015 (2016) 2017 2018 2019 ... 2172 »