Russia
Serbia secures three-month extension of Russian gas deal
Serbia has secured a three-month extension of its gas supply agreement with Russia on favourable terms, President Aleksandar Vucic said on March 30 after a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
_1774872379.jpeg){kind=spacer}
Trump allows Russian oil tanker to dock in Cuba but warns island is "next" after Iran
The United States has allowed a Russian government-owned oil tanker to break its own blockade of Cuba, delivering the fuel-starved island its first significant energy shipment in three months.
India clears five more S-400 systems from Russia
The breadth of the approvals signals the bolstering of equipment stocks which were purportedly highly effective in the May 2025 military confrontation with Pakistan during India’s Operation Sindoor.
Ukraine hits Russia's Baltic oil export terminals again
Russia and Ukraine continued to trade tit-for-tat strikes on each other’s essential energy assets over the weekend.
Turkey and Middle East states working to protect US-Iran talks from sabotage
Turkey and regional states are preparing measures to protect US-Iran talks from sabotage, a Turkish diplomatic source says, as both sides trade accusations of bad faith over the negotiating process.
Russians’ trust in Putin falls to lowest level since Ukraine invasion
Trust in Russian President Vladimir Putin has fallen to its lowest level since before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, as economic pressures and prolonged war fatigue weigh on public sentiment, according to new survey data reported.
Kremlin says Trump's Gaza peace council has 'lost relevance'
The Kremlin says Trump's Gaza peace council has become less relevant amid the wider Middle East war, as Russia continues to hold off on a decision over whether to join the initiative.
All Nato members reach 2% GDP defence spending for the first time
All of Nato’s members have met the alliance’s 2% of GDP defence spending target for the first time, pushing total military expenditure to a record $1.4 trillion, according to data reported by Euractiv on March 20.
_1774614626.jpg)
US congressmen give Russian MPs Trump socks
Russian MPs and US congressmen swapped Trump socks and a Soyuz-Apollo postcard during talks in Washington
_1774606235.jpg)
Around 13 brands set to exit Russia this year as retail exodus continues
Around 13 consumer brands are set to leave Russia in 2026, including German fashion label Bugatti and several Russian retailers, as the post-sanctions retail exodus continues into its fourth year.
India adopts multi front fertiliser strategy as West Asia crisis unfolds
The biggest short term vulnerability for Indian energy security is liquified petroleum gas using in cooking - of which India imports over half of its consumption demand via the Strait of Hormuz.
_1774604612.jpg)
Zelenskiy seeks Gulf security ties as Middle East war reshapes Ukraine conflict
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy arrived in Saudi Arabia on March 26 for talks on regional security cooperation, offering Kyiv’s battlefield-honed drone defence expertise in exchange for military support.
Kazakh oil export headache worsens as Ukraine targets drone attacks at Russian Baltic ports
Already facing difficulties with Black Sea shipments, Kazakhstan now has a problem with northern route.
Alarm for Russian banking sector as cash withdrawals spike
Russia’s share of cashless payments in retail turnover fell by 3 percentage points to 71.1% in January 2026, while cash withdrawals reached RUB1.6 trillion ($17.4bn), the highest since the 2022 full-scale military invasion of Ukraine.
Czechoslovak Group reports 72% y/y rise in revenue in 2025 amid surging defence demand
CSG credited continued strong demand in the defence sector for the results as well as its integration of The Kinetic Group, acquired from Vista Outdoor in 2024.
Trump links US security deal for Ukraine with conceding Donbas to Russia
US President Donald Trump explicitly linked a US security deal to Ukraine’s conceding control of the whole of the Donbas to Russia, he said in an interview with Reuters on March 25.
Rosatom and Brazil's NBEPar launch joint venture for critical minerals extraction
Russia's state nuclear corporation Rosatom and Brazilian private holding company NBEPar have signed an agreement to establish a joint venture for the extraction and processing of critical minerals in Brazil, the companies said.
Lukashenko and Kim Jong Un sign friendship treaty in Pyongyang on first-ever visit
Lukashenko and Kim Jong Un have signed a friendship treaty in Pyongyang, deepening ties between two of Putin's closest allies as both nations face western sanctions over their support for Russia's war in Ukraine.
Telegram traffic 'dying' in Russia as Rostelecom reports WhatsApp already dead
WhatsApp is effectively dead in Russia and Telegram is "dying right now."
Russian bloggers target Trump's mental fitness as president warns Iran time is running out
military bloggers are amplifying unverified claims about Trump's mental fitness as the US president says Iran is "strange."