How Russia’s Military Operation Has Impacted Ordinary Citizens, According to a New Survey
The findings reveal a nation facing economic strain, emotional toll, and shifting views—while many feel unaffected.
And a whole world in BRIEFLY.
Trump’s Ukraine Envoy Steve Witkoff Has Business Ties to Sanctioned Billionaire Len Blavatnik
Blavatnik holds both U.S. and U.K. citizenship and has generously funded election campaigns for both Democrats and Republicans.
Russian Railways Faces Mounting Debt Amid Suspicions of Engineered Financial Crisis
Amid a new multi-billion-ruble bond issue, analysts suspect Russian Railways’ deepening financial troubles may be part of a calculated strategy to trigger a covert ownership change.
Putin’s Energy Breakthrough in China Undermines President Donald Trump’s Export Ambitions
Beijing has moved Russia’s Power of Siberia-2 pipeline closer to reality and signaled its willingness to receive LNG from the sanctioned Arctic LNG-2 project.
Kim Jong Un Pledges to “Do Everything Possible to Help Russia” at Meeting with Putin in Beijing
Pyongyang signals readiness to support Moscow “to the very end” — against the backdrop of a parade in Beijing seen as a show of unity among China, Russia, and North Korea. President Donald Trump responded with a sharp post on Truth Social.
“Whoever dares to invade will shatter against the ‘iron wall’”: Xi Jinping presides over Beijing’s largest military parade in a decade
China showcased on Tiananmen Square a full lineup of new armaments—from hypersonic long-range missiles to autonomous unmanned systems.
Power of Siberia-2: Beijing Strengthens Its Bargaining Position as Moscow Yields
Russia and China have moved closer to an agreement on the long-standing Power of Siberia-2 gas-pipeline project, which is meant to significantly increase Russian gas supplies to the PRC.
Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin: the mechanics of a “strategic friendship”
Today’s proximity between Beijing and Moscow is not a coincidence but a deliberate political choice, underpinned by economic complementarity and a shared anti-Western lens.
Xi, Putin and Modi Show Unity — A Signal to Washington
The leaders of China, Russia and India appeared before the press holding hands and pledging deeper cooperation—a gesture aimed not only at participants of the gathering but also at Washington.
Pistorius sharply rejects von der Leyen’s idea of a possible EU mission in Ukraine
Germany’s Defense Minister Boris Pistorius publicly poured cold water on talk of a hypothetical EU deployment to police a cease-fire in Ukraine.
Xi Jinping criticizes “bullying practices,” in a thinly veiled swipe at President Donald Trump
At the SCO summit in Tianjin, Chinese leader Xi Jinping cast Beijing as a defender of “justice and fairness.”
Mandates Over Money: Russia’s High-Stakes Bet to Fix Staffing Shortages
In the face of a chronic labor shortage, officials are opting for ever tougher yet largely ineffective measures.
62% “Living on Credit and a Paycheck”: The New Pillar of Russia’s Stability — According to the Russian Academy of Sciences
New RAS research finds a “limited-consumption” majority underpinning Russia’s stability: state-paid wages and easy credit secure loyalty, while appetite for reform and growth wanes.
