Russia
Zelenskiy leaves Washington empty handed, Trump and Putin head to Budapest to talk business
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy went into a White House meeting with US President Donald Trump on October 17 hoping for a big arms deal. He came out of the meeting empty handed.
Ukraine’s credibility crisis: corruption perception still haunts economic recovery
Despite an active reform narrative and growing international engagement, corruption remains the biggest drag on Ukraine’s economic credibility, according to a survey by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology.
US warns Serbian banks over sanctions breach involving NIS
US sanctions on NIS prohibit transactions with the Serbian oil company involving US-linked financial instruments, including payments using Visa, Mastercard and other foreign-issued cards.
No Tomahawks for Ukraine, Trump to meet Putin in Hungary
The US cannot deplete its own stockpile of Tomahawk cruise missiles by supplying them to Ukraine, President Donald Trump said at a press conference on October 16 following a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Military aid for Ukraine falls despite new Nato PURL initiative – Statista
The Kiel Institute for the World Economy found that military aid to Ukraine dropped sharply in July and August compared to previous months, despite the implementation of the Nato PURL initiative.
Young Ukrainians asylum seekers fleeing the war for Germany surges
The number of young Ukrainian fleeing the war and seeking asylum in Germany has surged, following Ukraine’s decision to partially lift its travel ban for men aged 18 to 22, according to figures from the German Interior Ministry.
Turkey widens doorway to workers from Turkic-speaking countries
Move coincides with decision by Russia to kick out hundreds of thousands of largely Central Asian nationals.
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Syria’s al-Sharaa seeks to rebuild ties with Russia in first Kremlin talks
Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa met with Russian President Vladimir Putin for the first time since assuming power in Syria, marking a significant moment in the political trajectory of the war-torn nation.
IMF: Global economic outlook shows modest change amid policy shifts and complex forces
Dialing down uncertainty, reducing vulnerabilities, and investing in innovation can help deliver durable economic gains.
IMF cuts Russia’s 2025 growth forecast to 0.6%, leaves Ukraine's unchanged at 2%
The International Monetary Fund has lowered its forecast for Russia’s economic growth in 2025 to just 0.6%, marking the second-steepest downgrade among major economies, even as it raised its global outlook.
The Asian nations backing the Russian war effort – from India to Taiwan, China to Indonesia
While many Asian nations have quietly distanced themselves from Moscow in a bid to fall into line with US or European allies, several continue to engage with Russia, providing varying degrees of support that help sustain its military campaign.
Eurasian Economic Union planning operational changes
Kremlin-led group wants to be more like Brussels.
Russia aiding North Korea’s submarine programme: Seoul
The revelation lends weight to long-standing suspicions that Moscow is exchanging military know-how for munitions, manpower, or other support in its ongoing war with Ukraine.
Russia's PMI indices plummet as economy cools
Russia’s private sector entered deeper contraction in September, as both services and manufacturing activity declined, according to the latest PMI data published by S&P Global.
Havana rejects US claims over Cuban fighters in Russia's ranks in Ukraine
Cuba's Foreign Ministry has denied allegations from Washington regarding Cuban military participation in Ukraine, as diplomatic tensions ratchet up over recruitment schemes that have allegedly sent thousands of nationals to fight for Russia.
770,000 migrants told to leave Russia
Deportation regime activated for largely Central Asian nationals amid crackdown critics describe as xenophobic.
COMMENT: Ukraine's drone attacks on Russian refineries have probably reduced throughput by 30.4%, less than headline figures suggest
Ukraine has been hitting Russian refineries and caused a fuel crisis that has spead across multiple regions. The headline figure is that oil refining has been reduced by 38% since August, but digging into it and the reduction is likely less.
Putin pushes Central Asia for North-South trade corridor steps, analyst notes Kremlin’s “Turkic bloc” anxiety
To Moscow, “the fact that the Turks are united is alarming,” he says.
MACRO ADVISORY: The unintended consequences of Western sanctions
Since 2014, Western nations have hit Russia with a total of 26,655 sanctions (to mid-September 2025), with 23,960 coming after February 2022. The largest target group, with 13,611 sanctions, is state officials, business owners, and oligarchs.
Saudia launches flights from Riyadh to Moscow in boost for Russian tourism
Saudi Arabia's Saudia launches Riyadh-Moscow flights on October 10, joining budget carrier Flynas as Russia welcomed 52,400 Saudi tourists in 2024, five times previous year's level.