News about Russia
European Commissioner for Economic Affairs Valdis Dombrovskis said Russia is using the crisis in the Middle East to make profits, but the EU will not relax the sanctions regime for the sake of cheaper oil or gas supplies. Even in the face of global energy fluctuations.
A US official will visit the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) for the first time in several years. Rodney Mims Cook, head of the US Federal Commission of Fine Arts, will come to St. Petersburg this year.
Russia has transferred nuclear warheads to warehouses in Belarus as part of a major nuclear exercise: this was confirmed by defense agencies both in Moscow and Minsk.
The European Commission has faced mounting pressure from a number of European politicians and EU countries after it postponed without explanation the publication of a bill to completely ban Russian oil imports.
Recently, UAVs have been appearing more and more frequently near the borders of the Baltic States. Since the beginning of the month, the airspace of the Baltic States and Finland has already been violated six times by real or suspected drones, which is a cause for concern for all European countries.
From September 1, a new training profile “artificial intelligence” will appear in the curriculum of Russian schools, which will be taught as part of the subject “computer science”.
In the 2026/27 season, Ukraine will increase sunflower production, sunflower oil production and exports after a weaker 2025/26 marketing season. However, Russia is still ahead of Ukraine and will retain its status as the largest sunflower oil producer in the world. This is evidenced by the USDA forecast.
The Kremlin announced on Saturday that Russian President Vladimir Putin will travel to Beijing on May 19-20 to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping to discuss deepening bilateral cooperation and addressing key international issues. The leaders are expected to sign a joint statement and a number of agreements during the visit.
Russia will not be able to annex all of Ukraine. But Kiev will lose control over part of the country’s territory. As it happened with Finland as a result of the Soviet-Finnish “Winter War”.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree simplifying the acquisition of Russian citizenship for residents of Transnistria. The document was published on the official legal information portal of the Russian Federation.
The UK has announced the introduction of a new package of sanctions against Russia, calling it “one of the toughest” in the entire period of London’s sanctions policy. Eighty-five individuals and legal entities that the British authorities link to information campaigns and support for Russian actions abroad have fallen under the restrictions.
The European Union intends to hold a meeting of foreign ministers of member states by the end of May to determine the topics and formats of possible negotiations with Russia. This was announced by the head of European diplomacy, Kaja Kallas, on 11 May.
US President Donald Trump has said he would like to see a “significant extension” of the ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia.
The EU has started preparations for possible talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in case conditions for a political settlement of the conflict over Ukraine emerge.
The Russian pavilion at the Venice Biennale has once again found itself at the center of an international scandal. During a VIP preview of the exhibition, activists from Pussy Riot and the Ukrainian FEMEN movement held a loud protest against Russia’s participation in the world’s largest contemporary art show.
After the Easter truce, Russia proposed a ceasefire on the day of the Victory Day parade. Moscow has already scaled down the event. For the first time in many years, no Russian armored columns will march through Red Square.
U.S. and Russian Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin had a phone conversation on April 29 that lasted more than an hour and a half.
Russia will hold a military Victory Parade on Red Square on May 9 to mark the 81st anniversary of the end of the Great Patriotic War.
The decision was announced just weeks before the opening of the 61st International Art Exhibition, which starts on May 9. Five members of the jury said they would not shortlist participants from countries whose leaders are under investigation by the International Criminal Court. Although no specific countries are named in the document, the wording directly affects Russia and Israel.
The EU will impose a “full sectoral ban” on Russian services that deal with crypto-asset transactions as part of the 20th package.
