Russia
Iranian president begins Russia visit with wreath-laying ceremony
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian began his official visit to Russia on January 17 by laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Moscow's Alexander Garden, ahead of crucial talks with President Vladimir Putin.
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.
Zelenskiy seeking security guarantees from European leaders with little luck
In a string of meetings with European leaders this week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has been met with warm words and promises of support, but he did not get the one things he really wants and needs: concrete security guarantees.
CAR mercenary becomes first African to die in Ukraine conflict
Derrick Ngamana, a 32-year-old from the Central African Republic (CAR), has been confirmed as the first African mercenary to die while fighting for Russia in Ukraine.
Russia considers banning children from social media over ‘anti-Russian propaganda’
Russian lawmakers have proposed banning children under 14 from social media, claiming they are being exposed to "anti-Russian propaganda" and other harmful content online.
Russia's international reserves up to $609.5bn in 2024, but the NWF down by over a trillion rubles to RUB3.8 trillion
Russia's international reserves were reported at $609.5bn as of January 3, up slightly from $598.5bn a year earlier, but the National Wealth Fund was down by over a trillion rubles to RUB3.8 trillion.
Russia considering crackdown on "destructive" video games
Russian lawmakers are considering a crackdown on video games, blaming them for “aggression and violence,” while attempts to produce local, “patriotic” games have failed to get traction so far.
MOSCOW BLOG: Russia’s inflation is out of control and interest rates should be 7% lower
The 11.5% spread between Russia's inflation and policy rate is unheard of in the normally conservative world of central banking.
British PM Starmer signs '100-year partnership' with Ukraine in Kyiv
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer visited Kyiv on January 16, where he and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy signed a landmark "100-Year Partnership" treaty aimed at deepening ties in security, energy, science, and trade.
COMMENT: Armenia makes a strategic turn from Russia towards the West
Moscow realises it is losing Armenia, which has been considered its main ally in the South Caucasus for decades.
"Out of control" Russia's CPI inflation up again to 9.5% in December
Russia’s runaway consumer price inflation (CPI) made more gains in December, rising to 9.5% y/y, as the Central Bank of Russia (CBR) continues to lose the fight to reign in rising prices.
E-commerce grows up to 80% in Russian regions in 2024
Russian e-commerce and online services growth in 2024 stood at over 25% and is driven by deeper penetration into the regional territories.
Polish President Duda says Ukraine should join Nato as soon as possible
Ukraine’s best option to ensure national security will be to join Nato in the “near future,” President Andrzej Duda said on January 15 as he hosted his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Warsaw.
Spike in Czech beer exports to Russia highlights cracks in Moscow-bound trade and businesses
Czechia’s exports of beer increased year on year in 2024, which was the first spike in beer exports to Russia after a slump caused by Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent severing of business links to Russia.
Russia backs Vietnam's bid to join BRICS
Russia has publicly endorsed Vietnam's aspirations to join the influential BRICS bloc, a move that could significantly bolster Hanoi's global standing and economic prospects.
Mongolia revives traditional "Ghengis Khan" script bichig
13th century writing system created specifically for Mongolian language to appear alongside Cyrillic in official documents.
RuNet sees its second big outage since January
Russia’s internet, or RuNet, experienced its second significant outage of the year, with users unable to access most websites and online services for approximately 30 minutes on January 14.
Russian presidential adviser warns Moldova may “cease to exist”
Influential Russian presidential advisor Nikolai Patrushev uses unprecedentedly aggressive rhetoric against Moldova, saying it may "become part of another state or ... cease to exist".
MOSCOW BLOG: Russia's looming credit crisis
The Davis Center, part of Havard University, that warns that in addition to pumping the economy full of money to fund the war, the Kremlin is forcing banks to make $250bn worth of off-budget soft loans to defence companies that could cause a crisis.
Czechia wraps up work on pipeline expansion to end reliance on Russian oil
Czechia is on track to end its reliance on Russian oil within the next few months following the completion of key technical work on the TAL-PLUS oil pipeline expansion.