First, links to reports from the Associated Press, Reuters, National Public Radio, and Tass; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. — MCM
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NATO commits to future Ukraine membership, drums up aid, by Stephen McGrath, Lorne Cook and Ellen Knickmeyer | AP BUCHAREST — NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg reaffirmed the military alliance’s commitment to Ukraine today, saying that the war-torn nation will one day become a member of the world’s largest security organization.“NATO’s door is open,” he said. “Russia does not have a veto” on countries joining . . . READ MORE . . .
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The yuan’s the new dollar as Russia rides to the redback, by Elena Fabrichnaya and Samuel Shen | Reuters * Russia turns to the Chinese currency amid sanctions * Moscow becomes No.4 offshore trading centre for yuan * Yuan’s share of Russian FX market jumps from 1% to 45% * Russian central bank supports trend but warns of risks * This content was produced in Russia where the law restricts coverage of Russian military operations in Ukraine | While China’s yuan, or renminbi, has been making gradual inroads into Russia for years, the crawl has turned into a sprint in the past nine months as the currency has swept into the country’s markets and trade flows, according to a Reuters . . . READ MORE . . .
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Russia, China set to create payment system without using SWIFT – Deputy PM. From Tass. MOSCOW, November 29. /TASS/. Russia and China are working on a reciprocal opening of company accounts to avoid the use of the SWIFT payment system, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said today. He said payments under contracts for gas supplies from Russia to China are already . . . READ MORE . . .
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Ukraine remembers a famine under Stalin, and points to parallels with Putin. Reported by Greg Myre | NPR KYIV — Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union when Stalin seized private farms in 1931 and turned them into state-run operations. It was an absolute disaster in this fertile farming region known as the “breadbasket of the Soviet Union.” An estimated 4 million Ukrainians died within two years, though . . . Click HERE to listen and read.
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MAY BE CONTINUED