Eastern Europe / Features
OUTLOOK Russia 2025
What is in store for Russia in 2025? bne IntelliNews’ annual OUTLOOK: Russia 2025
No rosy prospects for Russia's IT sector in 2025
When major Western IT vendors left Russia following the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, many saw it as a window of opportunity for local IT companies that would step in to satisfy the economy's need for tech solutions.
Belarus' Lukashenko is a shoo-in for his seventh election as president
Belarusians go to the polls this weekend to vote in a presidential election that is almost certain to see incumbent Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko returned to office for the seventh time.
Lukashenko mulls building a second nuclear power plant
Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko is mulling the idea of building a second nuclear power plant (NPP) to improve the country’s energy security and earn more money from exports to Russia.
India on the brink of a new oil shock
India is facing the very real threat of an oil shock as new US sanctions targeting Russian crude come into force.
Love in the Baltics in a time of war
The human twists of the war in Ukraine are gut-wrenching. For Lithuanian Aleksej Zanemanski it is an uphill battle for the right to live with his wife he loves unconditionally but who happens to be Russian.
Japan establishes diplomatic mission to NATO as ties to Russia, China deteriorate
Japan has formally launched an independent diplomatic mission to NATO, reflecting its growing collaboration with the alliance as tensions rise with Russia, China and North Korea.
What does Ukraine have to offer the deal-loving Trump to get his support?
Trump loves a deal and he won’t continue to support Ukraine in its war against Russia unless he feels the US is going to get something out of it. What does Ukraine have to offer? Well, $11 trillion worth of strategic minerals to start with.
Ukraine's politicians are already getting ready for elections that must follow a ceasefire deal
If a ceasefire deal between Russia and Ukraine is agreed after President-elect Donald Trump takes over, Ukraine will hold presidential elections and as the talk grows Kyiv’s elite are already starting to prepare their campaigns.
Mongolia revives traditional "Ghengis Khan" script bichig
13th century writing system created specifically for Mongolian language to appear alongside Cyrillic in official documents.
New US oil sanctions, attack on Turkstream shake up global energy markets
The Biden administration imposed the harshest ever oil sanctions ever on Russia on January 10, which immediately roiled the international energy markets. Kyiv's attempt to destroy Russia's last gas pipeline to Europe unsettled markets further.
Russia's hidden war debt and a looming credit crisis
Moscow has been quietly pursuing a two-pronged strategy to finance its escalating war costs. In addition to the publicly scrutinised defence budget, it has set up a system of state-directed off-budget soft loans to boost unofficial military spending.
"Danish model" funded 500% increase in Ukraine's domestic arms production in 2024
With US supplies of weapons expected to fall in 2005 and European stockpiles running low, Kyiv’s arms supplies are shifting from international purchases to boosting domestic production.
OUTLOOK: Ukraine 2025
What is in store for Ukraine in 2025? bne IntelliNews’ annual OUTLOOK: Ukraine 2025
The war went badly for Ukraine in 2024
Ukraine lost more territory to the advancing Armed Forces of Russia (AFR) in the second half of 2024 than at any time since the initial invasion in 2024.