
‘Russia’s Amazon’ battles Visa and Mastercard PRO Members Public
Russia’s biggest online retailer Wildberries became embroiled last week in a public fight with international payment giants Visa and Mastercard after an announcement that customers will escape commission fees if they use Russian payment services. Visa and Mastercard believe Wildberries’ decision is a violation of consumer rights. * Wildberries announced

Putin’s populist pre-election handout to pensioners & soldiers PRO Members Public
Russian President Vladimir Putin last weekend said the government would make one-off financial payments to pensioners and soldiers. This comes less than a month before parliamentary elections — and as the authorities look to give people reasons to vote for the ruling United Russia party. * Putin unveiled the one-off 15,000

Pre-election populism PRO Members Public
Hello! This week our top story is President Vladimir Putin’s promise of a one-off payment to soldiers and pensioners to boost support for the ruling United Russia party at upcoming elections. We also look at a spat between Wildberries — the ‘Russian Amazon’ — and payment systems Visa and Mastercard, as

Russia courts the Taliban as U.S. exits Afghanistan PRO Members Public
As Western countries rushed to evacuate their embassies from Kabul last week amid the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, Russia was one of the countries that kept their diplomats in place. Even though Moscow and the Taliban are traditional foes, they have been cooperating more and more closely in recent years.

Russia marks 30th anniversary of failed coup that doomed the USSR PRO Members Public
There were no official ceremonies or big public speeches to mark the 30th anniversary last week of the attempted coup by Communist hardliners that was defeated by Russian democrats in the dying days of the Soviet Union. An epoch-defining event that saw tanks on the streets of Moscow, the failed

Mass walkout in shareholder tussle over Natura Siberica PRO Members Public
Just seven months after the death of cosmetics tycoon Andrei Trubnikov, his company Natura Siberica has been engulfed by a shareholder conflict that has led to chaos. Employees last week accused new management of unlawfully seizing control and quit in droves. There are also reports that billionaires — including Oleg Deripaska

Russia and the Taliban PRO Members Public
Hello! This week our top story is about how Russia established a new relationship with the Taliban despite decades of mutual animosity. We also look at a mass walkout at eco-cosmetics company Natura Siberica, why there was little commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the failed coup that led to

How Russia will remember the Tokyo Olympics PRO Members Public
The 2021 Olympics was less of a sporting contest for Russia — more of a political bunfight. One poll before the Games showed 97 percent of Russians couldn’t name a single Russian athlete. Instead, the competition will be remembered for the naked homophobia on state-owned television, contentious refereeing in rhythmic

Belarus – one year on from disputed elections PRO Members Public
Last Monday marked one year since Belarusian presidential elections that almost ended the 25-year career of President Alexander Lukashenko. The vote was followed by mass protests and an ongoing police crackdown. During the initial protests, one of the opposition leaders, Maria Kolesnikova, told The Bell, that either the opposition would

‘Lukashenko is delaying any resolution of the crisis’ — an interview with Belarus expert Artyom Shraibman PRO Members Public
To mark the anniversary of the start of the Belarusian protests, The Bell spoke to Belarusian political analyst Artyom Shraibman (who recently fled the country due to threats) about why protests failed, the role of Russia and what awaits: Q: How could the situation in Belarus develop? A: There are