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Articles by Nabi Abdullaev

opinion Nabi Abdullaev

Business in the Time of Coronavirus: Navigating a Pandemic

Companies need to understand how to deal with knee-jerk responses from governments, and not upset politically-important partners.
opinion Nabi Abdullaev

The Kremlin's Reshuffles and Arrests Alone Won’t Clean Up Dagestan (Op-ed)

The Kremlin looks unlikely to replace Dagestan's clannish government with an improved law enforcement and judiciary
opinion Nabi Abdullaev

Russia’s Top 4 Business Risks in 2018 (Op-ed)

Sanctions, infighting between the elite and popular protests could all make Russia a more difficult place for foreign business next year
opinion Nabi Abdullaev

The Real Risks for Foreign Companies in Russia (Op-ed)

The Doing Business ranking doesn’t capture the aspects that are most troubling for companies working in Russia
opinion Nabi Abdullaev

The Murky Mechanics of Russia’s Governor Reshuffle (Op-ed)

Aged governors, the regional barons with strong ties to regional political and business elites, are being replaced by younger, often little-known, bureaucrats...
opinion Nabi Abdullaev

Understanding the Kremlin’s Decision-Making Is a Growing Challenge (Op-ed)

In today’s Russia, who is really calling the shots?

Why New U.S. Sanctions Could Be a Ticking Time Bomb for Investors in Russia (Op-ed)

Putin’s decision last month may be just the first response to new U.S. sanctions against Russia.

Q&A: Learning How to Advertise in Russia

The Kaluga region, an hour's drive southwest of Moscow, has become a haven for investors.John Rose was among the first Americans to come and do...

Recipe: Chakapuli: How Spring Tastes in Georgia

When you return from Georgia, the sweats of local food withdrawal start torturing you almost immediately.

Q&A: How to Make Foreign Business Love Russia

The Kaluga region, an hour's drive southwest of Moscow, has become a haven for investors.

Q&A With Russia's Realty Tycoon-Turned-Helicopter King

A year ago, Russia's private helicopter market was virtually non-existent.

New Book Tells How Russia Took Crimea So Easily

After the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991, Ukraine had the second-largest armed forces in Europe (after Russia) and the fourth-largest in the...

Q&A: Moscow City Vies for Investors, Despite Ukraine Tensions

Geopolitical turbulence or not, Moscow's City Hall will plod ahead with plans to double the share of private competitive investments into the city...

Islamist Rebel Leader Renounces Female Suicide Terrorism

In an unexpected departure from one of the most dreaded terrorist strategies, a leader of the North Caucasus Islamist rebels has called on his followers...

Putin Pulls In Horns Over Ukraine

President Vladimir Putin has asked the parliament's upper chamber to revoke a March 1 resolution granting him the authority to use military force in Ukraine...

Putin Acts to Calm Investors

President Vladimir Putin attempted to reassure global business leaders — jittery over the US-led sanctions campaign against Russia — to stay in the...

Business Leaders in St. Petersburg Debate Russian Economic Growth

As Russia's economic growth fizzles, dozens of top Russian officials, businesspeople and foreign CEOs put their heads together in St. Petersburg on Thursday...

Medvedev Takes Credit for South Ossetian War

Three years after the brief South Ossetian war, the personal animosity of the Russian leadership toward Georgian leader Mikheil Saakashvili remains...

News Analysis: Vladimir Putin's 2012 Dilemma

Both Prime Minister Putin and President Medvedev have repeatedly suggested that they may run in the 2012 presidential election. But neither has announced...

Union of Architects Snubs Putin’s Front

The Russian Union of Architects became the first public group to snub Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's All-Russia People's Front on Monday, days after...

Smiles but Little Else as Medvedev Meets Obama

Tackling perhaps the most divisive issue in relations between Russia and the United States, Presidents Dmitry Medvedev and Barack Obama agreed Thursday...

Kremlin Got Tip on Bin Laden’s Death

Vladimir Putin was the first international leader to call George W. Bush after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. Now President Obama has returned...

Lavrov Eases Libya Stance, But NATO Rift Stays

A critical rift between NATO and Russia over a European missile shield appeared to ossify Friday, even as Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov toned down...

European Court Rebukes Law on Parties

In a stiff rebuke of authorities' efforts to sideline opposition parties, the European Court of Human Rights has declared Russia's law on political...

Kremlin Turns to Supercomputer for Advice

The Kremlin has ordered the creation of a supercomputer that will provide the next president with policy recommendations based on an analysis of what...

Medvedev Toughens Stance on Graft

President Dmitry Medvedev on Monday backed tougher checks on the income declarations of government officials, called for stronger anti-corruption measures...

Kremlin Sees Peril in Arab Unrest

In remarks more natural for his hawkish predecessor, Vladimir Putin, President Dmitry Medvedev said the latest revolts in the Arab world were instigated...

Medvedev Blames Airport for Suicide Blast

President Dmitry Medvedev on Tuesday described security at Domodedovo Airport as "simply a state of anarchy" and promised to hold airport management responsible...

Putin Calls for Fewer Jury Trials

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Monday called for further restrictions on the use of jury trials in Russia, saying that only federal courts should consider...

'Synced' Approval Of Treaty In Doubt

U.S. Senators John Kerry and Richard Lugar smiling during a press conference after the Senate ratified the New START nuclear arms reduction treaty.

Tandem Always Watching, Putin Says

Russia is never abandoned by the watchful eye of its two rulers, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said during a record Q&A marathon in which he lashed out...

Serdyukov Hopes NATO Plan Leak Is Fake

Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said he hoped a WikiLeaks report about NATO's contingency plan to defend the Baltic states from potential Russian aggression...

Putin Opens Up to Larry King

Russia is ready to begin a new arms race if NATO fails to come to terms with Moscow over a joint missile shield in Europe, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin...

Putin Issues Warning on New START

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said in an interview with CNN's Larry King that Russia might be forced to build up its nuclear forces against the West if...

Medvedev Bland in Annual Address

President Dmitry Medvedev did not say a word about political stagnation or United Russia’s monopoly on power during his annual state-of-the-nation address...

Medvedev Digs Into United Russia

President Dmitry Medvedev has warned the ruling United Russia party that the country risks falling into stagnation without more political competition....

Uncertainty Clouds New NATO Era

NATO and Russia declared an end to an era of confrontation at a summit in Lisbon on Saturday, but uncertainty lingers over how they can cooperate in the...

Kommersant Reporter Is Badly Beaten

Kommersant reporter Oleg Kashin remained hospitalized in critical condition Sunday night as journalists and activists increased pressure on the authorities...

Sobyanin Called Shoo-In for Mayor

President Dmitry Medvedev said Moscow's next mayor will be one of four candidates nominated by United Russia over the weekend, and analysts said the clear...

Resin Gets United Russia Fast-Track

Acting Mayor Vladimir Resin joined United Russia on Wednesday, getting the fast-track treatment a day after meeting with party leader and Prime Minister...

News Analysis: Medvedev Shows He's His Own Man

"Wow! It looks like we've got a president after all." This was the typical reaction from political commentators in the Russian blogosphere after the news...

Investigative Superagency Unveiled

President Dmitry Medvedev announced on Thursday the creation of an independent investigative superagency that will rip the powerful Investigative Committee...

Kalmykia Leader Proposes Chess Center at Ground Zero

Kalmykia's leader said a World Chess Center should be built at a site near New York's ground zero instead of the proposed Islamic community center —...

Luzhkov Plans to Sue TV Channels

Mayor Yury Luzhkov and his billionaire wife, Yelena Baturina, pledged on Monday to sue national television channels for running a series of unprecedented...

Foreign Money In, Khodorkovsky Still Out

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin insisted that Russia remained open to foreign investment in strategic sectors, accused jailed former Yukos CEO Mikhail Khodorkovsky...

Bears and Mammoth Bones Keep Putin on TV

Putin's macho trip to the Far East, where he has shot gray whales, studied mammoth bones and palled around with brown bears, has left government watchers...

Defense Ministry Vague on War's Toll

Two years after a brief war with Georgia, the Defense Ministry still has not provided a final account of the casualties, while its reports of lost military...

Top Chechen Rebel Steps Down

The leader of the North Caucasus Islamist insurgents, Doku Umarov, has stepped down for health reasons and named an obscure mid-ranking Chechen rebel as...

Medvedev Says Modernization More Than High-Tech Toys

President Dmitry Medvedev insisted that his modernization drive went beyond technological innovations Tuesday, saying Russia could not be modernized without...

Medvedev Promises Political Change but Offers Few Details

Tackling a sensitive issue that he had avoided, President Dmitry Medvedev promised to implement political reforms aimed at bolstering the economy. But...

Kremlin Asked to Probe Kalmyk Leader's Visit With Aliens

A State Duma deputy has called on President Dmitry Medvedev to check whether Kalmyk leader Kirsan Ilyumzhinov might have divulged state secrets to aliens...

Prosecutors Caught in ‘Clan War’

The Prosecutor General’s Office says it has fired the head of the Moscow branch of the Investigative Committee, but the investigator refuses to step...

10 Rebels Killed in Dagestan

Federal Security Service officers killed 10 militants in Dagestan, regional authorities said Wednesday.

Spanking Case Resurfaces 8 Years Later

Prosecutors say Yulia Privedennaya is guilty of organizing an illegal armed formation, beating minors and holding them hostage.

Journalist Enjoying A Security Monopoly

Andrei Soldatov has certainly kept busy since launching the web site Agentura.ru. Since 2000, the Moscow-based investigative journalist has twice become...