Vladimir Putin has been ranked number 3 in the Forbes list of the most powerful people in the world, President Medvedev comes in 43rd, after Deputy Prime Minister, siloviki chieftain and Rosneft chairman Igor Sechin at number 42. (See the editor's choice for Russia's top seven.) Forbes has got a special feature on the politician the Russian press apparently call 'the scariest person on earth'. There is little solid information about the man. Like many of Putin's cronies, Sechin is a St. Petersburg native. In the 1990s he worked in city government. Before that, it's widely believed he was a spy; Moscow sources confirm that he was a member of the GRU, the KGB's foreign-intelligence arm. ...

David Clark, chair of the Russia Foundation, has a good piece in the Financial Times about Russia's rejection of the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT), which will come into effect this coming Monday.  Although Clark makes some good points regarding some overly aggressive moves by the Russian government which may dampen demand, it is harder to say if investors will ever actually take a hint and move on to less risky countries - they shown no lack of appetite of risk so far, and keep coming back for more punishment.If rejecting a major international treaty was intended as a demonstration of unilateral Russian power, it may instead backfire and expose the underlying fragility of Russia's national revival. As Mr Medvedev himself acknowledged last month, in what was taken as an oblique criticism of his predecessor, the Russian economy remains dangerously lopsided in its dependence on ...

Reuters reports that the Russian government may sell part of its 75% stake in the country's largest oil producer, Rosneft.  Andrei Sharonov, a former deputy economy minister, has said that the government could sell up to 25% without any significant consequences.  RusHydro's plans to build a $20 billion Evenkia dam on the Lower Tunguska River have been shaken by public protests, says the Moscow Times.  Lukoil hopes to start production in the Caspian Sea oilfields in March 2010.  Enel Spa will complete the sale of a stake in SeverEnergia, a natural gas explorer in Siberia, to Gazprom 'in the next few weeks'.  A Royal Bank of Scotland report picked up by Reuters says that uranium demand will exceed supply in 2014 as China and Russia develop nuclear power stations.  Total has suggested that Russian companies may ...

At yesterday's meeting between Dmitry Medvedev and Hugo Chavez, Venezuela's PdVSA state oil firm and a consortium of major Russian producers signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in Orinoco and on joint development of the Junin-6 field.  PdVSA also made a deal with Transneft to build infrastructure in the Orinoco belt and another deal with Rosneft.  OPEC is apparently 'not encouraged' by Russia's lack of output cuts.  'We never had any obligations (to OPEC). When we were communicating, we never promised anything', an unfussed Sergei Shmatko has responded.  Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Timoshenko is hoping to hold the government to $770 million of loans in 2010 to improve coal mines, as an alternative energy source to natural gas.  If Norway's labor majority coalition lose next week's elections, it could be good news for oil majors as the ...

The European Investment Bank is apparently willing to finance the $11.24 billion Nabucco pipeline.  Belarus will pay $50 million of its $252 million debt to Gazprom for gas next month.  After the huge interest shown in Gazprom's eurobonds, it is apparently likely that other oil majors will follow suit with bond issues.  The government has sanctioned tax breaks for up to 15 years for oil fields on the Black Sea and the far eastern Sea of Okhotsk.  Mol has announced that it will 'do everything' to adhere to the requirements of the license of its Siberian oil venture with Russneft.  Ecuador has agreed on a deal to export crude oil to China in return for which the OPEC-member country will receive $1 billion advance payment.  Apparently Vedemosti has reported that tensions with China over the Cherkizovsky ...

Russia and the Netherlands have 'serious plans' to increase their energy projects; Royal Dutch Shell is seeking involvement in the Yamal region.  The oil giant has made a discovery of natural gas in the Norwegian Sea that could be the biggest in 12 years.  Apparently oil firm Rosneft will not merge with Surgut.  The company may enter into a joint project with Eni in Africa.  Lukoil is set to buy a 45% stake in a Dutch refinery from Total, outfoxing US refiner Valero.  Rosneft has significantly extended the powers of its board of directors and the government has voted Vladimir Bogdanov, head of rival oil company Surgutneftegaz, onto Rosneft's board, indicating intentions of a possible merger?  Apparently the EU is worried about the stability of Russian gas and may give Kiev a loan.  Arctic ...

TODAY: Wide-ranging talks with China conclude;  opinion suggests Russia the weak link in BRIC; milk war with Belarus over, but gas battle to begin?; NGO law reforms presented; extradition of Chichvarkin demandedThe 'friendly, constructive and confidential' talks between Dmitry Medvedev and Chinese Chairman Hu Jintao have confirmed their 'strategic relationship', says the Russian President, who believes the example of cooperation set by the two nations is 'exemplary'.  The countries have pledged to increase the use of their national currencies in bilateral trade.  They have expressed serious concern about North Korea and agreed that diplomatic efforts should be made to ease tensions over its nuclear program as well as that of Iran.  According to RFE/RL, Medvedev ...

The fact that Matthias Warnig, the CEO of Dresdner Bank and close business associate of Gazprom in Germany, was a former agent of the East German Stasi was first revealed by the Wall Street Journal and other Germany media a few years back.  Picking up the latest exchanges over the Nord Stream pipeline politics (Steinmeier may be backing off his support for the project to prepare for elections), Roman Kupchinsky has a new piece taking another look at Warnig, including some info from his declassified Stasi file.Warnig's career was furthered by his alleged relationship with KGB Lieutenant-Colonel Vladimir Putin in Dresden. According to German press reports, the two men were allegedly collaborating on recruiting West German citizens to work for the KGB according to Warnig's former colleagues. Warnig has denied this accusation. Warnig eventually became ...

Andrei Piontkovsky has an incendiary column published through Project Syndicate alleging the economic interests of some Russia commentators in the United States.  This one is bound to raise some controversy.

The Kremlin's achievements in securing the help of Americans willing to offer their influence are equally impressive. Indeed, the Obama administration's Russia policy is being nurtured with advice from people who have no official position in the administration, but close business ties to Russia and the Kremlin: Henry Kissinger, James A. Baker, Thomas Graham, and Dimitri Simes. The first two are major geopolitical figures; Graham and Simes are respected as outstanding Russia specialists. They write key reports for the administration, and shuttle between Moscow and Washington, coordinating the parameters of the Obama administration's effort to "reset" the bilateral relationship.

Like Schroeder, all these

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Gazprom Neft has outbid TNK-BP to buy a 16% stake in Sibir Energy, in a possible gesture towards acquiring complete control of the company.  Measures to prevent 'creeping takeover' were approved by Hungarian group MOL's shareholders, whilst its biggest shareholder, Surgutneftegaz, was blocked from voting.  At an energy conference, Turkmen President, Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov, has expressed a desire to increase cooperation with foreign gas importers.  The Financial Times reports that the EU is likely to be the first economic group to successfully reduce electricity consumption, cutting dependence on Russia.  Samaraneftegaz, a subsidiary of Rosneft, will receive $148 million from Russneft over the illegal purchase of an asset in defunct oil major Yukos.  Russia's Integrated Energy System will invest $660 million on modernizing, constructing and possibly even relocating power plants this year.  Allegations that French nuclear major EDF ...