WORLD BRIEFING: January 6, 2024

Exclusive: The so-called biting sanctions introduced against Russia following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine appear to be having limited bite in the elite circles of Moscow and St Petersburg.

According to Russian vlogger, ‘Svetlana from Russia,’ many luxury and popular western brands are available on store shelves in the two cities. In the video filmed over more than two hours at one of St.Petersburg’s most popular and expensive grocery stores - Азбука Вкуса, which has around 100 outlets in both cities - she showed a preponderance of European brands - from Belgian chocolates to Greek olives to Swiss cheese and Italian pasta. The shop even had Coca-Cola identified as originating in Germany.

In one section, a wide range of sauces - ranging in price from $3.30 to $12.50 - can be seen on sale from the Netherlands, USA, Germany, Belgium, Australia and Britain. In fact many of the prices match those seen on store shelves in Canada and other western countries. Still available all over Russia, the video points out, is Filippo Berio extra virgin olive oil, produced by Italy’s Salov Group: a one litre bottle sells for $13 (compared to £12 or about $15 at Tesco in the UK or $10.99 for 0.5L at QFC in the US). The American-made Ben & Jerry’s ice cream is widely available - not surprising, given that co-founder Ben Cohen has blamed America for the war in Ukraine and parent company Unilever has resisted calls to exit the Russian market.

Svetlana, a former Emirates Airlines flight attendant, has 124,000 followers on her YouTube channel and has previously taken a neutral stance in her videos on the war in Ukraine. Previously she has documented the impact of sanctions in her native Siberia and elsewhere - including which western retail chains have exited the Russian market. Svetlana says she refuses to abide by the Russian law that requires citizens to refer to the war as a ‘special military operation.’

In Brussels this week, I put it to Ukraine’s Head of Mission to the EU, Vsevolod Chentsov, that European products are still widely available in Russia. He said Kyiv has lobbied for a “full trade embargo” against Russia. However many European countries have historical trading links and some quarters argue that ‘food security’ of Russians needs to be considered. Despite the difficulty in securing more sanctions against Russia, Ukraine was able to cheer a big win recently when the EU succesfully imposed sanctions against Russia's largest diamond producer, Alrosa, and its CEO. The EU said the company, which accounts for 90 percent of Russia's diamond production, "constitutes an important part of an economic sector that is providing substantial revenue to the government". Russia's diamond exports totalled around $4 billion in 2022, according to Radio France International.

Some western companies are alleged to be dumping their products in Central Asian countries such as Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, from where items such as Coca-Cola are then re-exported to Russia. Moscow has also been trying to beat the price cap on its oil exports by jacking up the prices on transport. Chentsov said that’s why Russia has purchased several oil tankers.

You can watch Svetlana’s video here

Nearly 17,000 people across six countries may have died because they took hydroxychloroquine during the first wave of COVID-19 in 2020, according to a new analysis published by French researchers, The Hill reported. Former President Donald Trump was an enthusiastic proponent of the drug

Meanwhile, hospitals in at least four U.S. states have reinstated mask mandates amid a rise in cases of COVID, seasonal flu and other respiratory illness. Healthcare facilities in New York, California, Illinois and Massachusetts have made masks mandatory among patients and providers, Reuters reported

Belarusian president, Alexander Lukashenko, has signed a new law granting him lifelong immunity from criminal prosecution and preventing opposition leaders living in exile from running in future presidential elections. The law theoretically applies to any former president and members of his or her family. In reality, it is only relevant to the 69-year-old Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus with an iron fist for almost 30 years. The new measure appears aimed at further shoring up Lukashenko’s power and eliminating potential challengers in the country’s next presidential election, which is due to take place in 2025. The law significantly tightens requirements for presidential candidates and makes it impossible to elect opposition leaders who have fled to neighbouring countries in recent years. Only citizens of Belarus who have permanently resided in the country for at least 20 years and have never had a residence permit in another country are eligible to run - AP

Denmark is reportedly delaying its first delivery of six F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine by several months. Apparently, pilot training is taking longer than hoped, and Ukraine still lacks the logistics and infrastructure needed to support the F-16s. Meanwhile, Lockheed Martin is behind schedule supplying F-35s to Denmark.

Today - Jan. 6 - for the first time in Odesa, Epiphany will be recognized on January 6 according to the New Julian calendar. Swimming takes place on the city beach of Langeron. Rescuers, diving service, as well as emergency medical assistance are on duty at the site, officials quoted by Suspilne said. Last year, President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree moving the date of Christmas from the Gregorian calendar to the Julian, in a bid to further distance the country from Russian traditions.

McDonald's sales in the Middle East, as well as some outside the region, have been significantly impacted by 'misinformation' about the company's position on the Israel-Hamas conflict, according to Chief Executive Officer Chris Kempczinski. “Several markets in the Middle East and some outside the region are experiencing a meaningful business impact due to the war and associated misinformation that is affecting brands like McDonald’s,” Kempczinski said in a blog post on LinkedIn. Following the October 7 Hamas attack, supporters of the Palestinians shared photos and videos on social media showcasing franchised stores, such as McDonald's, Starbucks, Coca-Cola and Domino’s in Israel providing free meals to the nation’s soldiers as part of boycott campaigns - Euronews (My comment: In Jordan, ordinary folks are avoiding McDonald’s and other American fast food chains and Starbucks because they see them as a symbol of the United States, which they see as providing a free pass to Israel to attack Gaza).

“ Several markets in the Middle East and some outside the region are experiencing a meaningful business impact due to the war and associated misinformation that is affecting brands like McDonald’s”

— McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski

President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia has approved a measure that makes it easier for foreigners to acquire Russian citizenship if they enlist in the army amid the war in Ukraine, part of an effort to increase the military’s ranks while also sparing Russians from being deployed to the battlefield. Under the decree, which the Kremlin published on Thursday, foreigners who sign a one-year contract with the Russian Army or volunteer for “army formations” during what Moscow calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine can apply for Russian citizenship under a fast-track procedure. The benefits also extend to the recruits’ spouses, children and parents. Unlike those who go through Russia’s regular citizenship process, such foreigners would not need to live in the country for five consecutive years under a residence permit before applying. They would also be spared requirements to speak Russian and be familiar with the country’s history and basic laws. A decision on such applications will take only one month instead of the usual three, according to the decree - NYT

Alaska Airlines has temporarily grounded its fleet of Boeing 737-9 Max aircraft after one of its planes made an emergency landing in Oregon Friday, officials said – an incident that a passenger says involved a panel and window blowing out in flight. Alaska Airlines Flight 1282, which was headed from Portland to Ontario, Califorina, returned safely to Portland International Airport around 5 p.m. PT after “the crew reported a pressurization issue,” the Federal Aviation Administration said. A panel of the fuselage, including the panel’s window, popped off shortly after takeoff, Kyle Rinker, a passenger on the flight, told CNN. There are currently 221 737 Max 9s in service at the moment worldwide, the majority of those are operating in the U.S. at United (79) and Alaska (65).

In response to the Alaska Airlines incident, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration on Saturday ordered the temporary grounding of 171 Boeing 737 Max 9 jets

Aeroflot Group has transferred nearly 100 aircraft from foreign ownership, its chief executive has told Russian president Vladimir Putin during a briefing. Sergei Alexandrovsky stated that the group’s three carriers – Aeroflot, Rossiya and Pobeda – respectively ended the year with 171, 136 and 41 aircraft. Aeroflot Group has been engaged in efforts to settle insurance claims brought by leasing companies over aircraft retained by Russian operators after international sanctions were imposed in response to the Ukrainian conflict. -Flight Global

The papers…