Russia
Fleet-cannibalised Russian aviation can only look on as Central Asia carriers take over regional market segments
Moscow has even considered asking Kazakhstan to run some of its domestic flight connections.
EU approves eighteenth sanctions package after Slovakia drops veto
The EU has approved the eighteenth sanctions package after Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico agreed to drop his veto, saying that he had run out of negotiating options on July 18.
Iranian ambassador confirms Russia-Iran partnership treaty has entered into force
A comprehensive strategic partnership treaty between Iran and Russia has entered into force and is "binding for implementation," creating stronger ties between the two sanctioned countries.
Fitch upgrades Trump’s effective tariff rate to 19.4%
President Donald Trump’s evolving trade policy is set to sharply increase the United States’ effective tariff rate (ETR), with Fitch Ratings warning of substantial rises as new duties take effect on August 1.
Zelenskiy offers Trump a mega drones-for-weapons deal, as allies scramble to find spare Patriot systems
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy offered US President Donald Trump a “mega-deal” on July 17: we send you our advanced drones, you send us missiles.
Geopolitics is weighing on FDI, capital chasing certainty over scale – study
The world is living through turbulent times, but investors are still chasing returns which has affected the flows of international foreign direct investment.
Fico claims Slovakia has obtained energy guarantees from EU and will unblock latest sanctions package against Russia
Slovakia’s populist Prime Minister Robert Fico said it would be "counterproductive" to continue blocking the EU’s 18th sanctions package against Russia.
Central Asia wary Russia will turn on ruble “printing press” to cope with cooling economy, say experts
If Russian economy slips into recession a consequent fall in migrant remittances would particularly hit Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.
Belarus drone breach prompts diplomatic protest from Lithuania
a Russian-made Gerbera drone entered Lithuanian airspace from Belarus and crashed about one kilometer inside Lithuania, close to the closed Šumskas border checkpoint.
Russian Railways to propose more tariff changes
State rail operator Russian Railways (RZD) plans to revise freight tariffs, proposing a rebalancing that would raise rates on raw materials and fuel while cutting them for finished metal products
Four EU countries bail out of paying for Trump’s weapons for Ukraine
At least four countries are already bailing out of commitments to pay the US for weapons supplies for Ukraine, raising a question mark over the level of support Ukraine can expect now that the Trump administration has withdrawn.
COMMENT: Slovakia’ Prime Minister pushes back on EU gas phase-out, demands a delay to the sanctions as EU cracks widen
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico is becoming a major embarrassment for the EU plans to phase out all Russian gas imports by 2028.
COMMENT: Trump’s 100% tariff threat to Russian oil customers unlikely to work
Donald Trump’s threat to impose secondary sanctions on countries buying Russian oil is probably more symbolic than practical, says a leading oil analyst and senior fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, Sergey Vakulenko.
Armenia walking ‘tightrope’ as it shifts away from Russia, think-tank says
Armenia is stepping up efforts to reduce its reliance on Russia, but is constrained by geography, security threats and deep economic ties to Moscow, according to think-tank Clingendael.
Russian inflation moving back to target – CBR
Central Bank of Russia Governor Elvia Nabiullina’s plan is working. Last year she introduced a raft of non-monetary policy methods to squash Russian growth and force inflation down by artificially cooling the economy.
IMF: The debate over falling fertility
A decline in global population later this century may threaten human progress, or it may lead to better lives.
Kremlin vows to fight on, despite Trump's new sanctions and weapons package for Ukraine
The Kremlin already warned during the last Istanbul meeting that it might take as many as eight new regions if Ukraine does not accept its terms.
Russia’s relegation in Central Asia trade complete as China takes Tajikistan export-import crown
Moscow now playing second fiddle to Beijing across the ex-Soviet space.
Slovak PM Fico delays approval of EU’s sanctions package again, blaming Slovak opposition
Slovak populist Prime Minister Robert Fico has again delayed approval of the latest 18th round of EU sanctions against Russia, blaming his latest blocking on the opposition parties in Slovakia.
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Russia’s consumer spending motor runs out of fuel
A number of indicators point to the stagnation of consumer spending in Russia, which for years has been the main driver of economic growth.