Russia
Russia's small businesses losing ground as shadow economy grows
73% of Russian SMEs report falling profitability after new VAT rules took effect, with nearly half saying the shadow economy is growing in their sector.
Kremlin tells Kyrgyzstan to cool it on language issue
Russian embassy complains about language bullying.
Appetite for Turkmen gas could rise in China, Turkey and Europe amid Hormuz crisis
Disruption to Middle East supplies may have concentrated minds. Is Central Asia gas a better bet?
Serbia to extend Russian gas deal through October
Serbia expects to extend its current natural gas supply arrangement with Russia by the end of March, securing deliveries until October under a short-term annex agreement.
Is the CRINK alliance helping to arm Iran?
Are the members of the CRINK alliance (China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea) arming and abetting Iran? The informal cooperation between America's main geopolitical adversaries were already cooperating militarily before the start of the Iran war.
Russia’s oil windfall from the Iran war masks a slower decline
Russia’s oil industry has been handed a short-term reprieve by the war in Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, but the boost from triple-digit crude prices does not alter the sector’s deeper trajectory, Sergey Vakulenko says.
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Belarus's Lukashenko offers to mediate between US and Iran, outflanking Moscow
Belarus's Lukashenko offers to mediate between the US and Iran after meeting a Trump envoy.
Russia could earn up to $252bn from Gulf War - KSE
Russia could earn as much as $252bn in windfall export revenues from escalating conflict in the Middle East, as higher energy prices driven by tensions in the Persian Gulf bolster the Kremlin’s finances, according to analysis by KSE.
Russia’s SVR weighed staged assassination of Viktor Orban, says Washington Post
Western intelligence services are signalling they are fully aware of Russian plans to influence Hungary's upcoming general election.
Russia moves to crack down on Telegram
The move is unlikely to put off a significant section of the population from using the service, including the regime's loyalists.
Russian security nepo babies infiltrate tech surveillance
Children of Russian high-profile security officials or so-called “siloviki” are securing key positions in domestic tech surveillance assets.
LONG READ: Coal is back.
Coal is back. Having become a fuel for most of the last two decades, countries are scrambling to secure supplies of coal in the face of “ The largest supply disruption in the history,” according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).
US spends more on Iran war in two weeks than four years on Ukraine war
The US has spent more on just two weeks of Operation Epic Fury than it has done in four years of supporting Ukraine in its war with Russia.
Most Gulf and European ships likely blocked from Hormuz despite Iran's 'open to all' claim
A Russian energy analyst says Iran's "open to all" Hormuz policy would in practice block most Gulf and European shipping, as Tehran keeps the definition of "enemy" vessels deliberately vague.
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Russia’s CBR continues monetary easing, key rate cut to 15%
Central bank makes seventh consecutive cut since June 2025, in a continuation of a cautious monetary easing cycle amid markedly slowing Russian economy.
T-Technologies reports strong revenue growth and higher profit for 2025
Leading Russian online bank T-Technologies, formerly known as Tinkoff Bank, reported a 49% year-on-year increase in total revenue to RUB1.4 trillion ($15.6bn) for the year ended December 31 2025, supported by customer growth and higher interest incom
EU Council meeting achieves little
EU leaders had a heavy agenda at a summit in Brussels on March 19. They had to deal with a mushrooming energy crisis, a Ukraine funding fiasco and the stalled passage of twentieth sanctions on Russia. Little progress was made on solving any of them.
Which countries face the broadest international sanctions? Statista
As geopolitical tensions remain elevated and economic measures are becoming a key foreign policy tool, sanctions continue to shape global trade and diplomacy, Statista reports.
Democracy fading as autocractic rulers gain ground – Statista
Released on March 19, the latest Freedom in the World 2026 report finds that global freedom declined for the 20th consecutive year in 2025, with more countries experiencing deterioration in political rights and civil liberties than improvements
Russia accuses Ukraine of trying to disable pipelines that deliver gas to Turkey, Hungary and Slovakia
Gazprom alleges 26 attack drones tried to reach compression stations vital to TurkStream and Blue Stream operations.