Focus Washington August 2023 from

Kyiv’s Calls in Vain for US to Ramp Up Oil Restrictions on Russia

August 31, 2023 Elizabeta Bozinovska

Kyiv’s repeated requests for the US to tighten the price cap on Russian oil have been rejected by the White House due to concerns that new drastic measures could undercut the global economy. The Washington […]

Follow

Washington Deeply Concerned about Gabon’s Evolving Events

August 31, 2023 Elizabeta Bozinovska

After a group of military officers claimed they had taken over Gabon’s government in an apparent coup and placed in house arrest President Ali Bongo Ondimba. Putting an end to the 55 years of rule […]

Follow

Hungarian PM Says President Biden Doesn’t Understand Russians

August 30, 2023 Elizabeta Bozinovska

The Biden administration “misunderstands” Russians if it expects Russian President Vladimir Putin’s popularity and support will be eroded by economic sanctions and frontline losses, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has claimed during an interview with […]

Follow

Polish Security Services Investigate Legionnaires’ Disease Outbreak in NATO Hub

August 30, 2023 Elizabeta Bozinovska

An investigation was launched by security services in Poland to determine the source of the Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in Rzeszów – a strategic hub for NATO and the capital of Poland’s Podkarpackie Voivodship – on […]

Follow

US Drones Over Crimea Prompt Russia to Scramble Jets

August 29, 2023 Elizabeta Bozinovska

The Russian Defence Ministry said on Tuesday that Moscow scrambled two fighter jets yesterday to prevent two US drones from violating the Russian border over the Black Sea, Euractive reports. The ministry statement on Telegram […]

Follow

Binance Could Exit Russia, WSJ Claims

August 29, 2023 Elizabeta Bozinovska

In response to regulatory challenges that Binance is facing within the country, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume is considering a complete withdrawal from the Russian market, the Wall Street Journal reports. Without […]

Follow

Pentagon Demands That Ukrainian Pilots Learn English to Get F-16s

August 22, 2023 Elizabeta Bozinovska

Kyiv pilots must meet “certain criteria” before the US approves the requests ot has received from Denmark and the Netherlands to transfer F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said on […]

Follow

Reducing Reliance on Dollar in the Focus of BRICS Summit, South Africa’s Mashatile said

August 22, 2023 Elizabeta Bozinovska

Leaders of the BRICS bloc – Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa- will put reducing the dependence on the US dollar in the focus of their discussion during the bloc’s 15. Summit that started […]

Follow

Beijing Considers New Visa-Free Travel Agreement with Russia

August 21, 2023 Elizabeta Bozinovska

China’s consular attache in Kazan Chen Borui announced over the weekend that Russian tourists may no longer require a visa to travel to China as a completely visa-free arrangement between the two countries would is […]

Follow

Not Enough Ballistic Missiles for Ukraine, Says FT

August 21, 2023 Elizabeta Bozinovska

The US does not make enough tactical ballistic missiles to supply Ukraine with the numbers that would make a significant difference in its counteroffensive on the battlefield, US officials say as quoted by Financial Times. […]

Follow

India’s Foreign Minister Claims Ukraine Not Invited to G20

August 17, 2023 Elizabeta Bozinovska

India’s Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar stressed on Wednesday that no invitation for the G20 summit in New Delhi has been extended to Kyiv, reiterating New Delhi’s position on Ukraine’s potential participation at the event in […]

Follow

Russian Ambassador Tells US to Stop ‘Hunting’ Russians

August 17, 2023 Elizabeta Bozinovska

Moscow has always done its best to secure the release of its citizens in American custody, Moscow’s ambassador to Washington, Anatoly Antonov, has stressed, asking Washington put an end to its long-standing practice of going […]

Follow

Blinken Speaks to Former American Marine Imprisoned in Russia

August 16, 2023 Elizabeta Bozinovska

The former US Marine Russia convicted of espionage in 2020 and sentenced to 16 years behind bars had a frank conversation on the phone on Wednesday with the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Paul […]

Follow

James Stavridis Warns that Moscow’s Risking War with NATO in Black Sea

August 16, 2023 Elizabeta Bozinovska

The former top commander in Europe, ex-US Admiral James Stavridis, warned Russia that by intercepting ships in international waters and the attempts to impose an economic stranglehold on Kyiv it risks sparking a direct war […]

Follow

Two Third of American Adults Impacted by US Substance Use Crisis

August 15, 2023 Elizabeta Bozinovska

Around 66% of the US adult population have been affected – personally or via family member by the nation’s substance use crisis, a new KFF Tracking Poll found. That means that two-thirds of US adults […]

Follow

RFK Jr. Revokes His Support for Federal Ban on Abortion

August 14, 2023 Elizabeta Bozinovska

After initially supporting a federal ban on abortion after the first three months of pregnancy, Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. reversed himself on Sunday with his campaign pointing out that he allegedly misunderstood […]

Follow

Chinese DM Claims Joint Patrols with Russia Not Directed Against 3rd Parties

August 14, 2023 Elizabeta Bozinovska

Russia-China joint military exercises are not aimed against third parties and are not related to the current international and regional situation, and both countries are carrying them out in strict accordance with international law, Defense […]

Follow

US ‘Biggest Destabilizing Factor in the World’, China Warns Singapore

August 11, 2023 Elizabeta Bozinovska

Although Beijing continuously voices its desire for dialogue and mutually beneficial relationships, Washington has cast it as the villain in Southeast Asia, presenting itself as the defender of international law and the rights of smaller […]

Follow

Biden brands China a ‘ticking time bomb’ over ‘internal tensions’

August 11, 2023 Elizabeta Bozinovska

President Joe Biden was talking about “internal tensions” inside China when he referred to it as a “ticking time bomb”, the White House said on Friday explaining the president’s statement. Originally made during a political […]

Follow

Bloomberg Lists Ruble in Top Three Worst Performing Emerging-Market Currencies

August 10, 2023 Elizabeta Bozinovska

Citing calculations based on trading data, Bloomberg listed the Russian ruble among the three worst performing emerging-market currencies – alongside the Turkish lira and the Argentine peso – due to the depreciation in recent weeks. […]

Follow

Poland to Place Additional 10,000 Troops on Belarus Border

August 10, 2023 Elizabeta Bozinovska

Amid heightened tensions in the region, Poland is set to deploy thousands of additional troops to its border with Belarus to scare “scare the aggressor so that he does not dare to attack Poland”, Defense […]

Follow

FBI, AFP Bust Global Pedophile Ring in Joint Probe

August 9, 2023 Elizabeta Bozinovska

The FBI and the Australian Federal Police (AFP) announced yesterday the arrests of at least 98 people in the US and Australia as part of a sweeping joint child sex abuse probe launched two years […]

Follow

Von der Leyen Promised Flood-Hit Slovenia EU400 mln in Disaster Help

August 9, 2023 Elizabeta Bozinovska

After devastating floods in Slovenia killed at least six people and damaged tens of thousands of households, the EU urgently mobilized aid through the Civil Protection Mechanism and will make available at least EU 400 […]

Follow

Victoria Nuland’s Visit to Niger Brought Joy to Wagner Boss Prigozhin

August 8, 2023 Elizabeta Bozinovska

Acting US Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland’s personal visit to Niger to urge its new military government not to demand the help of the Russian private military contractors brought quite a joy to Wagner […]

Follow

Aramco CEO Predicts China Oil Demand to Grow Strong

August 8, 2023 Elizabeta Bozinovska

Despite the recent voluntary production cut by top OPEC+ producers Russia and Saudi Arabia and major crude consumer China facing economic headwinds, crude prices will remain strong and resilient, Saudi Aramco’s, Amin Nasser, forecasts. Not […]

Follow

Seven Gazans Sentenced to Death by Hamas for Alleged Collaboration with Israel

August 7, 2023 Elizabeta Bozinovska

Seven people were sentenced to death on Sunday by a military court in Hamas-ruled Gaza for collaborating with Israel, the Interior Ministry said, adding that seven others were sentenced to life imprisonment with hard labor, […]

Follow

Trump Demands Judge Chutkan to Be Removed From His Case

August 7, 2023 Elizabeta Bozinovska

Former US president Donald Trump has called for the removal of District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan from the case in his most recent federal indictment after she issued a ruling against him. Trump launched his […]

Follow

Washington Mulls Armed US Troops on Commercial Ships in Strait of Hormuz

August 4, 2023 Elizabeta Bozinovska

In what would be an unheard action aimed at stopping Iran from seizing and harassing civilian vessels, the US military is considering putting armed personnel on commercial ships traveling through the Strait of Hormuz. As […]

Follow

Russia Might Exit Nuclear Test Ban Treaty

August 4, 2023 Elizabeta Bozinovska

Russia might withdraw its ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) to be on par with the US, Kommersant has reported. Elements within the Russian government are reportedly advocating Moscow’s withdrawal from the 1996 international […]

Follow

Russia-Linked APT29 Hackers Behind Teams Phishing Attacks

August 3, 2023 Elizabeta Bozinovska

Dozens of global organizations have been targeted by a Russian government-linked hacking group pretending to be from technical support and engaging users in Microsoft Teams chats in order to steal login credentials, Microsoft researchers said. […]

Follow