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Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his government on Thursday to come up with new measures to support the domestic car industry, which has seen sales crater since Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine. Amid a crunch on demand from Russian buyers and severe logistics problems as a result of Western sanctions slapped on Moscow, car sales slumped a record 83.5% in May, according to figures from the Association of European Businesses (AEB). "I would like to ask the government to tell us in detail what swift measures it is taking to support the auto industry and stabilise the internal market,"...

Vladimir Putin is falling back on Soviet-era self-reliance as oil wealth evaporates and sanctions cut off vitally-needed technology Russia is running out of money. President Vladimir Putin is taking a strategic gamble, depleting the Kremlin's last reserve funds to cover the budget and to pay for an escalating war in Syria at the same time. The three big rating agencies have all issued alerts over recent days, warning that the country's public finances are deteriorating fast and furiously. There is no prospect of an oil revival as long as Saudi Arabia continues to flood the market. Russia cannot borrow abroad...

In this sixth year of the 21st century, one might argue that the American unipolar moment has ended, or that unipolarity has been revealed to be not at all identical with omnipotence. In either case, many Americans now feel less safe than they did ten years ago. The anxiety has many sources, all of them with an international component. There are the continuing wars in Central Asia and the Middle East, the ever more alarming terrorist threats, the relative decline of US manufacturing, the uncontrollable fluctuations in petroleum prices, the demographic transformation arising from Latin American immigration; and, an as...

ELISTA, June 17 (RIA Novosti) - Russia needs independence from the foreign market but transition to it should be very careful, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the meeting with agrarians in Kalmyk capital Elista (southern Russia). According to him, the state gives much attention to agricultural problems. "We are ready for further steps to protect and support Russian producers. However, they should be very careful not to inflict damage on the consumer market and prevent growth of meat prices," the head of state said. He spoke about "the great dependence on meat imports." "Last year imported meat prices grew...

May 11, 2005 5:20 PM Putin demands foreign investment curbs By Douglas Busvine MOSCOW (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin ordered Russia's government on Wednesday to draft legislation to secure national control over strategic areas of the economy by curbing foreign investment. The Kremlin press service said Putin wanted a bill readied by November 1 on limiting foreign investment in the areas of national security, infrastructure, defence, natural monopolies and strategic natural resources. Putin's move came after celebrations in Moscow to mark the 60th anniversary of the end of World War Two were overshadowed by criticism from U.S. President George W....

NABEREZHNYE CHELNY, May 11 (RIA Novosti) - Russian Industry and Energy Minister Viktor Khristenko has proposed fixing prohibitive import duties on foreign cars beginning from five instead of the present seven years of age. He said this when visiting the AvtoVAZ factory (Russia's leading carmaker). The Russian automobile market is promising and expanding, he said. "Recalling the last year estimates, it is 17 billion dollars as regards only cars. This year it is 20 billion dollars. In 2010 the Russian car market will increase to 31 billion dollars," Khristenko said. His working visit to the KAMAZ factory is pegged to...