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Todd Prince

Todd Prince is a senior correspondent for RFE/RL based in Washington, D.C. He lived in Russia from 1999 to 2016, working as a reporter for Bloomberg News and an investment adviser for Merrill Lynch. He has traveled extensively around Russia, Ukraine, and Central Asia.

Also by Todd Prince

November 17, 2023
Ukraine Aid Window 'Closing' As U.S. Congress Drags Feet On New Package

Congress has passed another supplemental spending bill that does not contain support for Ukraine, forcing the Biden administration to continue to curtail the size of the fortnightly aid shipments. As little as $1.1 billion in military aid may be left.
October 20, 2023
Interview: Biden Seeks To 'Depoliticize' Ukraine and Israel Aid, Show Russia That Western Support Will Not Flag

A massive package including aid for Ukraine and Israel would undermine Moscow’s “calculation that the West is about to collapse when it comes to supporting Ukraine,” Ivo Daalder, a former U.S. ambassador to NATO, tells RFE/RL after an address from U.S. President Joe Biden.
October 19, 2023
Biden Submits Spending Request To Congress, Including $61 Billion For Ukraine

U.S. President Joe Biden has requested a massive $105 billion security package from Congress that includes $61 billion in military aid for Ukraine and $14 billion for Israel, the White House said on October 20.
October 18, 2023
Israel-Hamas War Creates Prospects, Problems For Russia As It Invades Ukraine And Seeks Clout In Mideast

The horrific new war in the Middle East may help the Kremlin by drawing attention away from the carnage it's causing in Ukraine, squeezing U.S. military resources, and bolstering Russia's anti-West narratives, but a widening of the Israel-Hamas conflict could jeopardize Moscow's regional interests.
October 11, 2023
Israel Conflict Opens A Possible New Path For U.S. Aid To Ukraine. There Are Pitfalls.

The Hamas attack on Israel is drawing the attention of a crisis-stricken world away from the Russia’s war on Ukraine. At the same time, it could provide a path for the U.S. administration to secure support in Congress for new financial and military aid for Ukraine -- but that’s far from guaranteed.
October 03, 2023
Ukraine Fatigue Growing, But Billions In U.S. Aid Expected To Be Approved By Year's End

The United States is likely to approve new funding for Ukraine before the end of the year, but the last-minute compromise that averted a government shutdown and left out new money for Ukraine is a sign of creeping war fatigue and gives Russian President Vladimir Putin hope he can prevail.
September 21, 2023
Ukraine Is Once Again A Focus Of U.S. Politics. This Time, The Stakes Are Higher.

After a 2020 election in which Kyiv played a role it never wanted, many in Ukraine hoped the country could avoid further entanglement in U.S. politics. But Russia’s war, a new impeachment bid, and other factors have again thrust Ukraine into the U.S. political spotlight ahead of the 2024 vote.
September 08, 2023
Kolomoyskiy Arrest Seen As A 'Key Test' Of Zelenskiy's Anti-Corruption Campaign

The 60-day detention handed to Ukrainian tycoon Ihor Kolomoyskiy is the highest-profile jailing in the current graft crackdown and comes weeks before a crucial U.S. congressional vote on whether to approve another round of massive aid to the embattled country.
August 31, 2023
A Common BRICS Currency To Challenge The U.S. Dollar? 'A Very Far-Fetched Notion,' Expert Says

Russia has talked up the prospect of "de-dollarization," and Brazil floated the idea of a common BRICS currency at a summit of the bloc, which wants to challenge the West and reduce the prominence of the U.S. dollar in trade and finance. Little is likely to come of it, an expert tells RFE/RL.
August 28, 2023
Lower Price Cap On Russian Oil? A Tough Question For U.S., G7

With Russia's ruble struggling as war expenses surge, some experts say the G7 should strike while the iron is hot and lower its price cap on Russian oil. Others say that could defeat the purpose by leading to higher global oil prices, incentivizing sanctions evasion, and fueling inflation.
August 24, 2023
Russian Elite, Nationalists On Notice After Prigozhin's Presumed Death

Whatever the cause of the crash that is believed to have killed Yevgeny Prigozhin – the leader of the June mutiny that posed a major challenge to Putin’s long rule – many in Russia will suspect it was orchestrated by the Kremlin to send a message to potentially rebellious individuals.
August 16, 2023
'Crisis Of Confidence': Ruble's Plunge Prompts Policy Clash In Russia As Costly War Drags On

The ruble has been falling as Russia’s war on Ukraine drags on with no sign that Moscow intends to pull back. While there are underlying causes such as shrinking net exports, some experts also see a ‘crisis of confidence’ in the currency and its plunge has set off a tug-of-war over economic policy.
August 14, 2023
Power-Line Cut Raises Alarm Over Russian-Held Nuclear Plant In Ukraine, But Expert Says Little Has Changed

Fears about the fate of the Ukrainian nuclear plant in the crosshairs of Europe’s largest war in decades deepened when the main power line to the station was disconnected last week. An industry expert tells RFE/RL that his assessment of the risk of a catastrophe hasn’t changed.
August 09, 2023
Niger Coup Puts West In Tough Spot As Wagner Eyes More Africa Opportunities

The coup in Niger poses tough questions for the West. Cutting ties, including aid, to the Sahel country could push the junta toward Moscow. But is Russia's notorious Wagner mercenary group in a position to extend its influence into the region?
August 05, 2023
Ukrainian Drone Attacks Against Russia Increase As Zelenskiy Hints At Change In Tactics

Ukraine has been stepping up small-scale drone attacks inside Russia recently, raising questions about whether Kyiv has made significant advances in homegrown technology and if it's on the road toward carrying out bigger attacks in the near future, analysts say.
July 22, 2023
Erdogan Looks West. What Does It Mean For Putin?

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the only NATO leader in regular contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin, seems to be “rebalancing” his foreign policy and taking steps to improve ties with the West. How long will that last, where does it leave Moscow, and what does it mean for Ukraine?
June 28, 2023
Africa Or Death? Prigozhin Unlikely To Remain In Belarus For Long

Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin has now reportedly fled to Belarus, following an aborted mutiny challenging the Kremlin. Next up for the 62-year-old former petty criminal-turned-billionaire warlord? Staying alive. Or moving to Africa.
June 21, 2023
He Said He Fled Russia. Then He Denounced America On State TV. What Happened?

Oleg Zabugorsky tried hard to be at the center of the Russian-speaking community near Los Angeles, organizing events at his lakeshore rental home. Then he vanished -- and reappeared on Russian state TV denouncing America and Russians living there. Former friends want to know what he was up to.
June 19, 2023
Bulgaria's Controversial Top Prosecutor Is Out, But It's Not A Victory For Judicial Independence

Bulgaria's notorious prosecutor-general, Ivan Geshev, has been fired halfway through his seven-year term. However, the process of his dismissal has only confirmed to many that Bulgaria's judiciary is far from independent.
May 11, 2023
Erdogan Could Lose The Election In Turkey. It Would Be A Blow To Putin.

After two decades in power, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan could be voted out in favor of a rival seeking to improve relations with the West. That's not the outcome Russian President Vladimir Putin wants, analysts say.

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