Russia
European diplomats warn Kremlin that Nato is prepared to shoot planes over its airspace
European diplomats warned the Kremlin that Nato is prepared to shoot down any Russian fighter jets that violate their airspace, as military tensions between the EU and Russia continue to mount.
RuNet grows 40% in 2024 to $250bn, driven by e-commerce and AI
The RuNet economy expanded by 40% in 2024, reaching RUB24.03 trillion, with e-commerce accounting for more than 91% of the total, according to a study by the Russian Association of Electronic Communications.
Trump lavishes praise on Erdogan in White House meeting and suggests Turkey stop buying Russian oil and gas
Some big military and civilian aircraft deals may be in the making, but the deal-making remains behind closed doors.
Poland building a drone wall to protect Europe
Poland will lead an effort to build a “drone wall” to block Europe’s airspace to swarms of Russian UAVs should a pan-regional war ever break out.
EBRD cuts Ukraine’s 2025 growth forecast to 2.5% amid war uncertainty
Ukraine’s economy is projected to expand by 2.5% in 2025, down from a previously forecast 3.3%, as the ongoing war with Russia weighs on investment and trade, the EBRD said.
COMMENT: Trump is preparing a “back door” plan to blame EU for Ukraine’s failure - FT
European officials fear that US President Donald Trump’s dramatic U-turn on Ukraine is a back door plan to shift responsibility for the West’s failure to prevent Ukraine’s defeat in its war with Russia or help it recover afterwards.
Russia draft 2026 budget cuts military spending for the first time, introduces new taxes
Russia’s Ministry of Finance presented the 2026-2028 budget that keeps spending flat, introduces new taxes to fund a ballooning budget deficit and cuts military spending for the first time in three years.
EBRD says geopolitics, tariffs and China competition weigh on Emerging Europe growth
Development bank downgrades 2025 forecasts for Central and Eastern Europe citing weak external demand, rising debt and the impact of US tariffs.
Kremlin slams Trump’s Ukraine U-turn, war the only alternative
The Kremlin slammed US President Donald Trump’s U-turn on Ukraine delivered during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on September 23 saying the only option is to continue the war.
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Russian banks’ August profits halve on higher reserves and weaker interest income
Russian banks posted sharply lower monthly profits in August as higher loan-loss provisions and weaker interest income weighed on earnings, the Central Bank of Russia said.
Austria's OMV fires senior exec for Russian espionage
Austrian energy and chemicals group OMV has fired a long-serving executive over suspicions of espionage for Russia, and Vienna has summoned a Russian diplomat in connection with the case.
China sends its first east-west cargo ship via Russia’s Arctic Northern route
The first ever Chinese cargo vessel departed from the massive Ningbo-Zhoushan port on September 22 bound for Felixstowe in the UK via Russia’s frozen Northern Route, in an experiment that could have a major impact on Sino-European trade.
Trump does an about-turn on Ukraine as his “minerals diplomacy” with Russia fails
Donald Trump did an abrupt about-turn on Ukraine during an hour-long rambling speech to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), saying Ukraine could recapture all its lost territory in the war with Russia.
Russia steps up propaganda ahead of election with claim EU plans to “occupy” Moldova
President Maia Sandu warns Russian interference threatens Moldova's sovereignty, independence and European future.
US moves to retake Bagram would have “catastrophic consequences”
The Taliban military chief said Afghans had “fought well to defend their independence” and should the US consider a military operation, would continue to do so in the face of any challenge to the country’s sovereignty.
Russian AI accelerates but sanctions leave it trailing global leaders
Russia’s artificial intelligence industry is expanding rapidly but remains hobbled by limited access to advanced computing power due to Western technology sanctions.
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Serbia to sign new gas supply deal with Russia in October
Serbia, which imported about 3bn cubic metres of Russian gas in 2024, remains among the most energy-dependent countries in Europe.
IMF presses Ukraine to raise budget funding estimate to $65bn
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has pushed Ukraine to increase its estimate of foreign financing needs through 2027 to about $65bn, significantly higher than the government’s initial projection of $38bn.The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has
COMMENT: Uncertainty and geopolitics plague Russia’s negotiations with China on gas supply deals
China is now the only potential buyer of Russian Arctic gas and the only customer with the capacity to absorb significant amounts of gas from the Yamal Peninsula, home to some of the country’s largest reserves.