Exiled Russians hit by EU sanctions PRO Members Public
Hello! This week we cover the exiled Russians being locked out of their bank accounts, and why it could fuel hostility towards the West among the liberal, anti-war, anti-Kremlin crowd. Anti-Putin Russians in Europe caught up by latest sanctions Since the EU introduced its latest packet of sanctions on Moscow
What could Putin and Trump agree on in Budapest? PRO Members Public
Hello! This week we cover the surprise announcement of a second summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, asking why now and what kind of agreement they might reach. Putin-Trump 2.0: Hungary calling The saga of the Putin-Trump talks is entering its second cycle. After yet another round of
Russia’s digital Gulag PRO Members Public
Hello! This week we look at Russia’s plans to significantly tighten control and surveillance on the internet through a spate of new laws, restrictions and punishments. Online crackdown looms Russia’s parliament has spent all summer passing a raft of prohibitive legislation to give the authorities more control and
Russia mulls fiscal belt-tightening PRO Members Public
Hello! Welcome to your weekly guide to the Russian economy, written by Alexandra Prokopenko and Alexander Kolyandr and brought to you by The Bell. This week, our top story is a look at a suggestion by Finance Minister Anton Siluanov that there could be a change to fiscal rules that
Russia legalizes the Taliban PRO Members Public
The Taliban, banned as a “terrorist organization” in Russia for more than 20 years, has been legalized and had the label expunged by Russia’s Supreme Court, in another sign of warming ties between Russia and the Islamist group. The development is not surprising. Over recent years, the Russian authorities
More than five years in jail for being a journalist PRO Members Public
Journalism continues to be a dangerous profession in Russia. Last week, a Moscow court sentenced four journalists to five and a half years in prison on charges of collaborating with the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK), an organisation founded by Alexei Navalny and outlawed as “extremist” in Russia. * The journalists — Antonina Favorskaya,
Soaring ruble set to come back down to earth PRO Members Public
To the surprise of many, the first four months of 2025 have turned out to be one of the best periods for the Russian currency in recent years. The ruble, which ended 2024 with its worst performance since 2022, has suddenly started to strengthen, boosted by a host of factors.
Trump’s tariffs mean long-term pain for Moscow PRO Members Public
Hello! Welcome to your weekly guide to the Russian economy — written by Alexander Kolyandr and Alexandra Prokopenko and brought to you by The Bell. This week we look at how Trump’s tariffs will affect Russia (even though Russia didn’t appear on the tariff list), and the consequences of
Are Russia’s war emigrants heading home? PRO Members Public
After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, hundreds of thousands of Russians left the country. Most of them were highly-skilled personnel who could work remotely or find jobs abroad. The Russian authorities are sticking to their story that most of those who were “scared off” at the start have since returned.
THE BELL WEEKLY: Russians' happiness hits decade-high PRO Members Public
Hello! This week we look at why Russians are happier than at any point in the last decade, and delve into a new study suggesting those who fled after the invasion are not rushing back to Russia, despite claims by the Kremlin and even Western media outlets. Russians’ wellbeing levels
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The Bell was founded in 2017 by journalists Elizaveta Osetinskaya, Irina Malkova and Peter Mironenko as a news outlet independent from the Russian authorities, after its founders have been sacked as top editors at the largest Russian news website RBC because of pressure from the Kremlin.
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