By John Helmer, Moscow The comic book character known as the Gambit was kidnapped from the hospital where he was born and raised by a gang of thieves. He got his way with unusual powers, like kinetic energy and hypnosis. He was also famous for his skill at card-throwing and combat with a long stick. […]

by John Helmer - Thursday, May 12th, 2011
No Comments »

By John Helmer, Moscow Despite the enormous publicity for Glencore’s initial public offering (IPO) on the London Stock Exchange this month, and participation in the underwriting and book-running of the Russian state savings bank Sberbank, the massive Glencore prospectus says almost nothing about the trading company’s Russian business. And on the key question grain traders […]

by John Helmer - Wednesday, May 11th, 2011
No Comments »

By John Helmer, Moscow After the report appearing yesterday on Rusal’s negotiations with the Government of Guinea was published, the following fresh information was communicated by a member of staff of President Alpha Conde, and confirmed by other Guinean sources.

by John Helmer - Wednesday, May 11th, 2011
No Comments »

By John Helmer, Moscow In a series of preemptory dismissals, the head of global alumina operations for United Company Rusal, Yakov Itskov (left image), and his chief executive Oleg Deripaska (right image), have been ordered out of the rooms of Guinea’s two mining ministers, Mahmoud Thiam, and his successor, Mohammed Lamine Fofana, after the ministers […]

by John Helmer - Monday, May 9th, 2011
No Comments »

By John Helmer, Moscow When self-proclaimed strategic allies like Russia and China fail to see eye to eye, they do their best to mask their differences, issuing communiqués promising amicable solutions at the next round of negotiations, or the one after that. If Moscow and Beijing fall out, the cordiality dries up, and the mutual […]

by John Helmer - Wednesday, May 4th, 2011
No Comments »

By John Helmer, Moscow If Yandex, Russia’s leading search engine and internet portal, tells potential share buyers and investors that it is at risk of a hostile takeover by a man like Alisher Usmanov, who owns a stake in the competing Mail.ru portal, then the charge is a serious one. And if to that, Yandex […]

by John Helmer - Wednesday, May 4th, 2011
No Comments »

by John Helmer - Saturday, April 30th, 2011
No Comments »

By John Helmer, Moscow On Wednesday, the Russian Grain Union, representing most of the country’s grain traders and exporters, said that if the export embargo on grain is extended from July 1 to the year’s end, the expanding surpluses of grain in the southwestern growing regions will force domestic prices down to the Rb3,000 ($107) […]

by John Helmer - Friday, April 29th, 2011
No Comments »

By John Helmer, Moscow When the electricity bill goes up in Russia, that is called “liberalization”. Editorialists in countries which don’t enjoy cheap electricity call that a good thing. By which they mean that Mother Nature’s special discount for Russia should be erased, and its competitive advantages in global trade destroyed.

by John Helmer - Thursday, April 28th, 2011
No Comments »

By John Helmer, Moscow On April 25, President Dmitry Medvedev appeared for an interview on the Moscow internet television channel Dozhd (“Rain”). According to the chief interviewer, Natalya Sindeyeva, the advance work by the president’s staff did not include either request or discussion of what questions the president would be asked. Perhaps there should have […]

by John Helmer - Tuesday, April 26th, 2011
No Comments »