Could you please help me understand this paragraph? I want the meaning of only 2 words.?

Question

Over the last few days the financial pages of British newspapers have featured headlines such as "Is Russia safe for business", "Shell mauled by Russian bear", and "Gazprom in Sakhalin grab". As many Western investors see it, Gazprom backed by the Kremlin has crudely bludgeoned Shell into surrender.

I want the meaning of bear here, Sakhalin grap.
Shell is an oil company.

Answer 1

maybe bear refers to the market status. a bear market or a bull market.

Answer 2

The Russian state-controlled energy firm, Gazprom, will take over the majority stake in one of the world's largest gas projects in Russia's far east. Shell and its Japanese partners have agreed to sell Gazprom a controlling share in the 22-billion-dollar project on the island of Sakhalin. This report from Mark Gregory:

Over the last few days the financial pages of British newspapers have featured headlines such as "Is Russia safe for business", "Shell mauled by Russian bear", and "Gazprom in Sakhalin grab". As many Western investors see it, Gazprom backed by the Kremlin has crudely bludgeoned Shell into surrender.
But there have also been reflective headlines such as "Shell: best to admit Russian reality". For sometime Moscow has signalled it's intention to win back control of the energy sector. Shell's contract that gave it majority control over Sakhalin project - one of the world's biggest gas developments - was signed in the early 1990s, the period of post-Soviet chaos, when government in Russia was weak, and foreign firms and local oligarchs negotiated many favourable deals.

Now the boot is on the other foot: Russian energy resources are in high global demand and the Russian authorities can largely set their own terms. But the Sakhalin affair could have consequences for Gazprom outside Russia. Expect more resistence in Western Europe to Gazprom's ambitious plans to buy up firms that distribute gas to European consumers

Answer 3

I don't know if it has to do with the bear market. The country of Russia is often referred to as a bear. It's used in editorial cartoons, headlines, and other slang or 'shorthand' situations. If the other company is backed by the Russian government, it sounds like the headline means the Russian government stomped all over the Shell oil company. "Russian bear" is most likely just used as imagery here.

Sorry, I can't tell you anything about the other one. My guess would be that Gazprom has grabbed up (bought large quantities quickly) something in the Sakhalin area or from someone named Sakhalin. I haven't gotten this news in my country, so I don't know what Sakhalin is.

Answer 4

Bear is the animal that symbolize Russia. Just like the American Eagle symbolize the U.S.A., or the Giant Panda that symbolize China.

Sakhalin is a Russian territory in the East, which lies beyond the nothernmost tip of Japan. Russia is planning to build gas pipelines on this strip of territory. Many foreign companies (including Shell) offered their bid to build the gas pipelines. Russia awarded the contract to a Russian company Gazprom. Somehow, this deal seemed to be controversial. I do not know the exact details, but I hope what I said is enough to help you.

So Russian bear actually refers to Russia itself. Sakhalin grab actually means Gazprom grabbed the contract for the gas pipelines in Sakhalin.

Answer 5

Russia is often characterized by the bear. The bear is strong and fierce but also thought of as wise in some parts of the country.

Shell maulled by Russian bear, means Shell, the oil company, was bitterly and gruesomely attacked by the image of Russia or someone representing Russia.

Answer 6

they are refering to a "bear " market condition.

A market condition in which the prices of securities are falling or are expected to fall. Although figures can vary, a downturn of 15-20% or more in multiple indexes (Dow or S&P 500) is considered an entry into a bear market.