Russia
Poland closes its border with Belarus, cutting off China's rail link to Europe
Poland’s decision to close its border with Belarus in response to the quadrennial Zapad-2025 military exercises and Russian drone incursion on September 10 has abruptly severed one of the fastest-growing trade arteries between China and the EU.
Russia to build large-scale high-speed train network
When Russian prime minister Mikhail Mishustin announced that Vladimir Putin had approved more than 4,500km of new high-speed rail, the tone was businesslike, almost perfunctory, but the project could be a game-changer.
Europe remains Russia's number one biggest importer of gas, top five importer of oil in August
US President Donald Trump complained that the EU is still importing too much Russian oil and that the White House will not put sanctions on Russia unless the EU cuts back on this business.
COMMENT: US-brokered Armenia-Azerbaijan peace deal exposes Russia’s strategic failures
The recent peace breakthrough between Armenia and Azerbaijan is a major diplomatic win for the United States and a setback for Russia, according to a new report published by the Atlantic Council.
Russian team comes dead last in Hungary’s annual grave digging contest
In a surprise move, Hungary invited a Russian team to its annual grave digging competition. In an even bigger surprise the team from Novosibirsk came dead last.
The European Commission proposes to “creatively” tap Russia’s $300bn of frozen assets with Reparation Loans
The European Commission is floating a new idea of how to “creatively” tap Russia’s $300bn of frozen assets without the need to appropriate, which is legally questionable, by replacing the money transferred to Kyiv with EU-backed bonds.
Russia to double its nuclear power plant fleet with 38 new reactors
Russia has announced an ambitious programme to double its nuclear power plant fleet with 38 new reactors, according to the state-owned nuclear power agency Rosatom.
Serbia in talks with Russia on nuclear power plant construction
Talks follow Serbia’s November 2024 decision to lift a historic ban on nuclear power, imposed by its predecessor state Yugoslavia in the wake of the Chernobyl disaster.
“Yuri Gagarin” cosmodrome seeking a future in space – and tourism
Golden age of spaceport is long over, with Moscow focused on facilities in Russia. Kazakhstan, however, hopes it can find profitable niche in launching satellites.
Russia’s 13 “drowning men” sink into corporate debt – The Bell
The Central Bank of Russia has quietly acknowledged growing financial distress among the country’s largest companies, identifying 13 corporations as "truly problematic" borrowers at the end of the first quarter.
Fuel prices in Kyrgyzstan rocket as Ukraine steps up drone strikes on Russian refineries
Central Asian country relies on Russia for nine-tenths of its fuel.
COMMENT: Ukraine’s coming financial storm
“A crisis is drawing ever closer. It will break in Ukraine, but it won’t begin on the frontlines, where the country’s battle-weary brigades continue to impose a brutal cost on the Russian invader," writes Timothy Ash of BlueBay Asset Management.
Ukraine hits multiple Russian oil refineries, Trump calls for more EU oil sanctions
Ukraine is expanding its campaign of trying to cut the Kremlin off from its oil export income with a campaign of targeting Russia’s oil refining and pipeline assets, using its new long-range drones and missiles.
INTERVIEW: The rags-to-riches rise of Freedom Holding Corp's Timur Turlov
As he rang the Nasdaq exchange bell to start trading in his company’s shares, the childhood dream of this Wall Street movie fan from a poor Moscow suburb had come true.
Extreme poverty falling steadily – OWID
To track progress towards ending extreme poverty, the United Nations relies on World Bank estimates of the number of people living below a poverty threshold called the “International Poverty Line” (IPL), Our World in Data (OWID) reports.
Two thirds of Germans fear a Russian invasion fuelling far-right election gains in western heartland
Public anxiety over a potential Russian attack on Nato territory has surged in Germany following the recent drone incursion on September 10 into Polish airspace that coincided with sharp gains by the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).
McFaul: Putin Is Making Trump Look Weak
It’s time for a new, effective, and credible response. Nearly two dozen Russian drones crossed into Polish airspace. Nato forces promptly shot them down - the first direct military confrontation between Russia and Nato since the Ukraine war started
Lukewarm support for Polish UN vote condemning Russian drone incursion
Only 46 out of 193 UN member states signed a joint UN declaration on September 12, denouncing Russia’s alleged involvement in a drone incursion into Polish airspace two days earlier.
Ukraine facing a financial cliff as IMF warns Ukraine may need an extra $20bn of external funding in 2025
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has concluded that Ukraine’s financing needs for 2026 and 2027 could be as much as $20bn higher than the government in Kyiv’s own estimates, as negotiations begin on securing a new aid package.
World GDP forecasts raised, but US slowdown anticipated - Fitch
Global growth is now forecast to be 2.4% in 2025, up 0.2pp since June but a sizeable slowdown from 2.9% last year and below trend.