In December, we had the chance to talk with Eric Lorber, an attorney based in Washington, DC at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP who assists multinational companies in compliance with US economic sanctions. He was formerly a member of the Iran Sanctions Team at the Office of Terrorist Financing and Financial Crime (OFAC) in the…
Russian-backed Ukrainian separatists of the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic claim to have captured the Donetsk city airport, although officials in Kiev deny these reports. If true, the claim would signal the first significant territorial advance by the rebels since signing the cease-fire pact. The pact has mostly been considered a nominal one, with near-daily violations…
Russian energy major Gazprom announced that the company will begin to shift the flow of natural gas supplies destined for the European Union. Gazprom chief Alexei Miller stated that the company will begin to channel resources through Turkey, and from that point into European markets. The move appears to be geopolitically motivated, as it will…
Political gridlock in Afghanistan began to ease on Monday, as President Ashraf Ghani at last released a list of cabinet nominees after a quarter of a year in office. The piecemeal government formed from the coalitions of Abdullah Abdullah and Ghani began with fanfare but was slowly mired in disagreements over government formation and which…
With oil production continuing at mostly normal rates despite the dramatic fall in prices to $49, Iran has launched a diplomatic front aimed at persuading other OPEC states to reduce their own production of hydrocarbons. The effort, which includes support from Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has thus far fallen upon deaf ears. The…
The 114th US Congress convened for the first time last week, casting a new series of doubts on the potential for an Iranian nuclear deal. Republicans have come under control of both houses of Congress, and the tough-on-Iran, (mostly) pro-Israel group of representatives have started eyeing fresh rounds of sanctions should the talks fail and…
We recently had the opportunity to speak with Professor S. Neil MacFarlane, the Lester B. Pearson Professor of International Relations and Fellow at St. Anne’s College, Oxford University. Dr. MacFarlane is also an Associate Fellow in the Russia and Eurasia Programme at Chatham House, and has previously taught at Harvard, the University of Virginia, and…
Major Chinese debt rating agency Dagong announced that Russian debt is still more creditworthy than US debt. Russia, which is currently traversing a currency crisis and recession, and struggling with a severely weakened ruble, will maintain an A rating with Dagong, whereas the United States was recently given an A- by the agency. Dagong officials…
Yields on Russian government debt bonds have soared on the expectation that credit ratings agencies will reduce the rating to junk. The ruble, on further news that oil has reached $50 a barrel, has tumbled once again. This morning, as Brent trades above $50, the ruble has begun another tepid ascent in value. Standard &…
Ukrainian bonds have dropped to record lows over concerns that Kiev may default on debts this year. The Financial Times, in collaboration with the International Monetary Fund, recently released a tool that demonstrates the concerning state of Ukraine’s economy, leaving few hopeful that the conflicted nation will be able to make ongoing debt payments despite…
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