Author Archives: Jesse Heath

Russia Declares Open Season on American Brands

Posted on August 21, 2014

For Russians hoping to enjoy a Big Mac, America’s Favorite Fries, and wash down their meal with a Jack Daniels, the news is not good. In a thinly-veiled effort to retaliate against the United States for its Ukraine-related sanctions, Russian … Continue reading →

Posted in coca-cola, Cold War, duma, economics, extremism, film, Foreign direct investment, foreign investment, Government of Russia, internet, ldpr, nidan, Putin, sanctions, u.s.-russia relations

Putin’s Bad Month – How the Sanctions Are[n’t] Working

Posted on August 15, 2014

Will the history books view the shooting down of MH17 as a similarly crystallizing event like the assassination of Franz Ferdinand nearly 100 years before? Maybe (probably depends on whose books you will read). In any case, it is difficult … Continue reading →

Posted in Economic development, economics, Foreign direct investment, foreign investment, foreign policy, moscow, Novatek, oil, Putin, Rosneft, Russian economy

Strategic Sectors Law Update – First Commission Meeting of 2014

Posted on July 17, 2014

On June 26, 2014, PM Medvedev chaired the first 2014 meeting of the Commission on Foreign Investment. At the meeting, several deals were discussed/approved and amendments to the Strategic Sectors Law were discussed. According to public sources, the following deals … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Business and Economy, Dmitry Medvedev, economics, FAS, Foreign direct investment, foreign investment, Gazprombank, legal update, legislation, oil, pharma, russia, strategic industries

The Matrix Strikes Back – the Sanctions and Russia’s Post-US Economic Model

Posted on May 1, 2014

Everyone agreed that the first round of Russia sanctions were laughably ineffective, aimed at a motley assortment of Kremlin B-teamers, whom Putin demoted to limit the damage they can cause and about whom Putin couldn’t care less. The second round … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Business and Economy, Chemezov, clans, corruption, Dmitry Medvedev, Economic development, economics, Foreign direct investment, foreign investment, foreign policy, goskorporatsii, Government of Russia, Medvedev, offshore, power vertical, Putin, Putin's Plan, Rotenberg, rule of law, russia, Russian economy, siloviki, state corporations, strategic industries, Timchenko, u.s.-russia relations, Vladimir Putin | 4 Comments

Strategic Sectors Law Update – Second (and Last) Commission Meeting of 2013

Posted on January 22, 2014

On November 13, 2013, PM Medvedev held the second and final meeting of the Commission on Foreign Investment for 2013. According to public sources, the following deals were addressed: China National Oil and Gas Exploration and Development Corp. –> Yamal … Continue reading →

Posted in Foreign direct investment, foreign investment, Law, legal update, offshore, oligarchs, strategic industries

Growth of Russian Bureaucracy – Parkinson’s Law

Posted on August 16, 2013

Parkinson’s Law is a principle governing the natural expansion of bureaucracies, famously articulated in a 1955 essay in the Economist. Under Parkinson’s Law, a government bureaucracy – and, arguably, the administrative staff of some large modern corporations – will naturally … Continue reading →

Posted in bureaucracy

How the ‘Experts Case’ Explains Everything that’s Happening in Russia Right Now

Posted on August 10, 2013

As covered in the previous post, in June a prominent Russian economist – Sergey Guriev – fled Russia after investigators began targeting him in the case of a 2011 report on the human rights implications of Mikhail Khodorkovsky’s ongoing incarceration. … Continue reading →

Posted in Bastrykin, Chaika, criminal law, Dmitry Medvedev, Economic development, economics, Government of Russia, Guriev, investigative committee, legislation, Medvedev, mvd, officials, prosecutor general, Putin, rule of law, russia, Russian economy, siloviki, u.s.-russia relations, Vladimir Putin | 2 Comments