Ukraine
Europe will need Turkey in world with less or no Nato says foreign minister
Ankara has second largest land forces in military bloc. Turkish officials leverage the point in effort at obtaining long-sought EU membership.
Colombian president blasts Ukraine-US minerals deal as "stupidity"
Colombian President Gustavo Petro Urrego has criticised Ukraine's intention to finalise an agreement granting the United States access to its rare earth minerals, slamming the move as "stupidity."
Argentina breaks with Ukraine support at UN, echoing Trump's pro-Russia shift
Argentina’s decision to abstain from a United Nations vote on an EU-sponsored resolution urging Russia to withdraw from Ukraine has sparked widespread criticism.
Russian official admits that rural Russian schools are in a worse state than war-damaged Ukraine
A Russian official has admitted that rural schools in Tatarstan are in worse condition than those in war-damaged, Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine.
EBRD lowers 2025 forecasts citing subdued global growth and trade fragmentation
Weaker external demand and potential impact of Trump tariffs weigh on Emerging Europe, Central Asia and Semed regions, with growth now projected at 3.2%.
Trump lays out harsh terms for US support for Ukraine at his first Cabinet meeting
Some more clarity emerged on the US plans for Ukraine as US President Donald Trump held his first cabinet meeting. The terms are harsh, shifting the bulk of the burden to Europe.
Ukraine’s public debt surges 60% since Russian invasion, debt could become a problem post-war
Ukraine had no debt following the fall of the Soviet Union and a healthy 35% of GDP before the war with Russia began three years ago, but as most international aid is in the form of loans, the debt-to-GDP ratio is now 64% and still rising.
KSE: Most of Russia’s shadow fleet operates outside Western insurance system
Tankers carrying Russian oil are significantly less likely to have IG P&I insurance, finds a new KSE Institute report.
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Forest fires drive up Ukraine war emissions
The war in Ukraine has generated nearly 230mn tonnes of CO2-equivalent emissions since Russia's full-scale invasion began three years ago, with forest fires significantly contributing to the increase, according to a new analysis.
Ukraine agrees to a revised US mineral deal offer
Ukraine has agreed to sign off on a third version of a minerals deal with the US after Washington softened the terms, the Financial Times reported on February 25.
Rosneft overtakes ExxonMobil to take fourth slot in global energy ranking
Russia’s biggest state-owned oil major Rosneft has overtaken ExxonMobil to take the fourth slot in the Energy Intelligence Top 100: Global NOC and IOC Rankings.
Serbian president says he backed UN resolution on Ukraine by mistake
President Aleksandar Vucic publicly apologised to Serbian citizens, and blamed "personal fatigue" for his vote in favour of a UN resolution calling for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.
Putin offers Trump joint rare earth metals exploration projects
Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed joint exploration of Russia’s rare earth metals deposits and the supply of aluminium to the US market as part of a potential economic agreement, Reuters reported on February 25.
Tokyo appeals for G7 unity over Ukraine
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has urged his fellow leaders from the Group of Seven nations to remain united in their efforts to bring peace to Ukraine.
US sides with Russia in voting against a Ukraine-sponsored UN resolution to condemn the war on its third anniversary
The US voted with Russia and its allies against a resolution condemning the invasion of Ukraine and the ongoing conflict on February 24 as the Western unity to support Kyiv in its struggle continues to crumble.
Ruble stabilises but long-term strength depends on sanctions relief
After collapsing last summer to RUB100 to the dollar , the Russian ruble has recovered a lot of ground and current settled at a relatively strong level of RUB90 to the dollar. Further appreciation will depend on sanctions relief, says Rencap.
President Zelenskiy says he is willing to quit if Ukraine gets security guarantees, Nato membership
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy says he'd be ready to give up presidency if it brought peace, Nato membership and genuine security guarantees for Ukraine.
Ukraine doesn't have any rare earth metals, and the strategic minerals it does have are not worth trillions of dollars
US President Donald Trump wants a $500bn deal to gain control over Ukraine’s rare earth metals wealth. The problem is, Ukraine doesn’t have any. It does have "strategically important metals", but they are not worth trillions of dollars.
Putin opens the door to the return of Western business to Russia
President Vladimir Putin has opened the door to Western companies’ return to the Russian market, but only on the Kremlin’s terms and only after sanctions are lifted, the Russian president said on February 21.
Trust in Zelenskiy jumps to 65% following Trump’s comments, but still trails General Zaluzhnyi
Public trust in Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has jumped to 65%, up from 57% in January, after US President Donald Trump claimed that his popularity was only 4% and called him a “dictator” without legitimacy.