Net outflow of capital from Russia more than doubled from January to May

According to the Central Bank of Russia, the net capital outflow from Russia increased by 120% in January-May 2017, reaching $22.4 billion as compared to $10.3 billion in the same period last year, according to preliminary estimates.

"Since the beginning of the year, the net outflow of capital by the private sector, according to preliminary data, has risen to $22.4 billion, as compared to $10.3 billion the year prior," the regulator's survey notes.

As the Central Bank explained, "the …


Lithuanian president promises to help Ukraine block the NordStream-2 pipeline

Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite, in the light of Brussels' preparations for negotiations with Moscow, has promised to help Ukraine block the initiatives to expand the NordStream gas pipeline, reports BNS.

Ukraine, Poland and the Baltic states have declared that the NordStream 2 project will strengthen the EU's dependence on Gazprom gas. The pipeline will also reduce the importance of Ukraine as a transit country, which would strike a blow to the Ukrainian economy.

Grybauskaite …


Poroshenko: Ukraine will reduce amount of Russian-supplied nuclear fuel to 45%

In 2017 Ukraine will reduce the amount of nuclear fuel supplied from the Russian Federation to 45%. This was stated by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko during his visit to Tripoli TPP, RBC-Ukraine reports.

"In 2017, [our supplies of nuclear fuel from Russia] will be 45%. We will receive the rest from our other partners, including from the American company Westinghouse, which will increase nuclear safety," Poroshenko said.

He also noted that the supply of nuclear fuel from Russia in 2016 …


The transit of Russian gas through Ukraine has risen to a 5-year record high

Ukrtransgaz, the operator of the Ukrainian gas transport system, stated that from January to May 2017, Gazprom increased the transit of gas through Ukraine to 38.26 billion cubic meters.

This is the highest recorded volume of transported gas over the past 5 years; it exceeds the average transit volume for January-May during 2013-2016 by almost 9 billion cubic meters. Other Russian gas route volumes remained stable.

Gazprom is able to cover the growth and fluctuations in demand for Russian gas …


President of Lithuania calls Belarusian nuclear power plant in Astravyets 'a geopolitical weapon'

The world clearly understands that the main threats to transatlantic security in the region are the militarization of the Kaliningrad region of the Russian Federation, the large-scale exercises "Zapad-2017" planned for autumn, and the Belarusian nuclear power plant in Astravyets that has turned into a geopolitical weapon, as stated by the  President of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaite during her annual report to the Seimas, Delfi news agency reports.

"The world that defends democracy today fully …