Putin tells Scholz Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure inevitable, rejects Biden’s call for talks

Speaking to a Western leader for the first time since September, Russian President Vladimir Putin told German Chancellor Olaf Scholz that Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure were “inevitable,” and rejected US calls for talks.

Pro-Russian ex-interior minister to head Serbia’s intelligence service

Aleksandar Vulin was a staunchly pro-Russian member of the former government, who paid a high-profile visit to Moscow in August.

Poland scrapes through to World Cup’s last 16 after humbling defeat by Argentina

Poland go through group stage for first time for 36 years, with Croatia poised to join them as the only CEE teams to progress.

European Commission clears Hungary RRF plan but links payouts to 'super milestones'

Commission also recommends keeping €7.5bn of Hungary's Cohesion Fund allocation frozen until the country takes steps to address concerns over the rule of law.

UzAuto Motors launches subscription campaign for third IPO in Uzbekistan's history

Automaker is preparing to list as one of a series of People's IPOs of major Uzbek enterprises.

Serbian politicians spent €1.4bn on social media promotion since 2019

Ruling SNS is the biggest spender as Serbian politicians and parties increasingly reach out to voters on social media rather than traditional channels.

Slovenia’s ruling Freedom Movement quits Twitter after Elon Musk takeover

Party fears Twitter will "open the door to indecent communication and hate speech".

More than 80 Ukrainian Web3 startups raise $1bn over the past four years

While Ukraine ranks third worldwide in the 2022 Global Crypto Adoption Index, Web3 startups with roots in this country have raised nearly $1bn in investments over the past four years

Slush revokes €1mn tech prize for UK start-up Immigram because founders are Russians

The Slush 100 programme is a pitching competition for tech startups in their early stages of development but this year's winners of a €1mn prize, UK registered Immigram, was stripped of its award simply because its founders are Russian.

Turkmen women issued ‘Botox bans’ on flying by airport officers running facial recognition software

Move follows criticism authorities have adopted ‘Taliban-style’ restrictions on tight-fitting clothes, dyed hair and beauty accessories such as false nails or eyelashes.

ING: Europe faces stiff competition for natural gas

The collapse in European natural gas prices in recent months has created a false sense of security. While the current winter appears to be more manageable, the region will find it more difficult to build adequate storage for the 2023/24 winter.

PANNIER: Might Tokayev be the real deal?

Kazakhstan’s re-elected president has seven years to show he really does understand the meaning of the word he mouths so often, “reform”.

OPINION: Bosnia economic salvage supplants breakup mood

The main message of Bosnia’s October elections was a decisive rebuke for hardliners, with voters seeking practical economic cooperation to raise living standards and counteract mass emigration.

ASH: Turkey is heading to “incumbent democracy”

The vision for me of the weekend opening of the World Cup in Qatar was of Turkish President Erdogan warmly welcoming his Egyptian counterpart, Sisi. The two have long been rivals and have very different visions of democracy in the region.

RIMMER: You only sing when you’re winning

Twenty odd years back, Ron Atkinson, doyen among cigar-chomping and sheepskin-coated British football managers, was parachuted in, mid-season, to help bottom-of-the-league Nottingham Forest avoid the drop. The team was relegated after losing 8-1.

Hungary’s GDP growth slows to 4.0% in Q3

Adjusted for seasonal and calendar year effects, GDP grew 4.1% y/y, but fell 0.4% from the previous quarter.

Poll shows only one in five Moldovans happy with their government

Poll reveals Moldovans' unhappiness amid rampant inflation and economic hardship brought on by the war in Ukraine.

Montenegro’s tourist arrivals almost double y/y in October

Data shows rebound, but figures were below expectations as sharply rising prices kept some tourists away.

LNG in Europe: ready or not?

With the reliable supply of Russian gas to Europe a thing of the past since the eruption of war in Ukraine, many European countries have been scrambling to find alternative sources of energy. Many have turned to LNG.

Russia’s GDP at 4.4% decline in October, construction and agro stick out

Will Croatia’s latest shot at World Cup glory ease economic slowdown?

Croatia’s spectacular performance in the 2018 World Cup was accompanied by a consumer spending boom.

Belarus’ government to expand political-economic control at the expense of economic growth

Belarus continues to service its foreign debt in Belarusian rubles and its new budget will focus on assuring political-economic control in the country. Meanwhile, growth and real income is decreasing across the country.

Sino-Russian ties continue to deepen as Western sanctions drive their economies together

Widely seen as a marriage of convenience, economic ties between Russia and China are rapidly deepening as the two countries are driven together by pressure from the West.

Yandex Board gathers in Istanbul after parent company announces intention to exit Russia

Yandex's Board is meeting to discuss re-structuring plans. The Board has already announced that it hopes to divest most of its Russian business, with hopes of maintaining four key startups and developing them outside of Russia.

The Ukraine war will break up Russia’s internet champion Yandex

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has caused a tsunami of M&A deals as Russia’s private companies scramble to restructure their businesses. Yandex, Russia's internet giant, will be the biggest victim and it will cost investors billions of dollars.

MOSCOW BLOG: Symbolic sanctions

The European Commission announced the price for the mooted gas price cap at €275/MWh (€2,974/kcm). That is high as is the anticipated oil price cap of $60-$70. The result is neither caps will make much difference to Russia.

ISTANBUL BLOG: IR crowd await next chapter of Erdogan and Bibi

While old foe Netanyahu was out of office, Turkey’s president restored relations with Israel. But Netanyahu is back.

BALKAN BLOG: Moldova’s beleaguered pro-EU authorities opt for radical and risky steps

Weekly mass protests and the ‘Moldova Leaks’ scandal have put the government under pressure. Its response risks undermining its reformist credentials.

Turkmenistan: Send in the clowns

The president’s father (the former president) is stealing the show. Plus, the latest on efforts to get Turkmen gas to Europe. Eurasianet’s weekly briefing.

ISTANBUL BLOG: Mess of information as officials fail to logically explain bomb attack

Story breaks that ultra-nationalist spoke on phone with bombing suspect. Erdogan officials, meanwhile, point finger at US citing Washington’s connections with Kurdish militants.

bneGREEN: EU energy ministers agree to speed up permitting and deployment of renewables temporarily

A final decision – formal approval – on the new regulation may occur at another emergency meeting on December 13.

bneGREEN: ING: Euro sustainable bond supply set to stagnate in 2023

Euro sustainable bond issuance in 2023 is not likely to repeat the growth rates seen in the last few years. While governments and agencies could slightly accelerate ESG issuance in 2023, financial institutions' ESG bond supply will lose some steam.

Bulgarian PV equipment company AmonRa Energy to hold IPO

AmonRa wants to raise funds to finance its expansion in Romania and in other Southeast European countries.

bneGREEN: Climate paralysis at COP27 as no progress made on 1.5 degrees

COP finished two days late on November 20 without any new agreements on climate change targets or emissions reductions, although a deal was hammered out to set up an as yet uncosted loss and damage fund.

bneGREEN: COP27: Coal proves a stubborn foe in fight to save climate

Reducing coal consumption is the central challenge to achieving the world’s climate targets, Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency, told COP27.