Russia & Caucasus

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva speaks to the media at the BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on July 7.
International relations

Brazil's Lula urges tighter BRICS trade ties as tariffs bite

He rips 'tariff blackmail' in meeting with bloc leaders including Modi, Xi

9 September 2025
Trump has repeatedly threatened Moscow with further sanctions but withheld them as he pursued peace talks.
Ukraine war

Trump ready for 'phase two' of Russia sanctions over Ukraine conflict

US president stops short of saying what action he would take

8 September 2025
Long lines form at a gas station in Vladivostok, Russia, in late August. Sale of the fuel was suspended in other areas.
Commodities

Gasoline prices soar in Russia after Ukraine drones hit refineries

Pressure on household spending threatens to further stunt slowing economy

6 September 2025
U.S. President Donald Trump, center, holds the hands of Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev, left, and Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan as they shake hands during a trilateral signing event at the White House in Washington on Aug. 8.
Opinion

A rare US diplomatic win, and the lessons it offers

The Armenia-Azerbaijan peace deal shows what Washington can achieve when it stays the course

6 September 2025
An employee checks a gas valve at a compressor station that is part of Gazprom's Power of Siberia pipeline near Svobodny, Russia. Moscow and Beijing are looking to move ahead with a sequel to the project.
Energy

China challenges US energy dominance with Russian deals

Prospect of Moscow doubling gas exports to neighbor rattles global industry

5 September 2025
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi holds hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit in Tianjin on Monday. 
International relations

Cozy Modi-Putin photos make Europe squirm and look away

EU suffers collateral damage from US-India trade spat, but analysts cite opportunities

5 September 2025
Military equipment manufacturers displayed their equipment and systems on board the U.K. aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales, docked in Tokyo Bay, on Sept. 1.  (Photo by Shintaro Ino) 
Aerospace & Defense Industries

UK contractors ride on closer military ties with Japan

Opportunities arise from rising budgets, partners' need for interoperability

4 September 2025
North Korea's new resort forms a 5-kilometer arc along the Sea of Japan between a sandy beach and an airfield. 
International relations

Visual investigation: Inside North Korea's unusual beach resort

Luxury seaside spot is a hallmark the current honeymoon with Russia

4 September 2025
By giving Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin equal billing on the rostrum overlooking a military parade on Sept. 3, Xi Jinping elevated the North Korean leader's global diplomatic standing. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Reuters and TASS/Kyodo)
China up close

Analysis: Kim Jong Un turns Beijing military parade into a diplomatic victory

North Korean given equal billing alongside Vladimir Putin, who disappointed Kim 4 months ago

4 September 2025
Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un walk to a car during their meeting in Beijing on Sept. 3. (Sputnik via Reuters) 
International relations

Kim promises to do anything to help Russia as Putin thanks him for war aid

Reclusive North Korean leader relishes first meeting with Putin and Xi together in Beijing

3 September 2025
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin meet in Beijing on Sept. 2. (Sputnik via Reuters)
International relations

Xi and Putin seal new gas deals and vow deeper ties

Chinese and Russian leaders emphasize bond as they push to reshape world order

2 September 2025
A man crosses the street in Tehran on Aug. 29, past a billboard showing Iranian centrifuges and nuclear scientists killed in Israeli strikes. (West Asia News Agency via Reuters)
1 September 2025
Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomes Russian President Vladimir Putin during a ceremony at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Tianjin, China, on Aug. 31. (Pool photo via Reuters)
International relations

Putin, Xi discussed recent Russia-US contacts, Kremlin says

Russian and Chinese leaders met on sidelines of SCO summit in Tianjin

1 September 2025
Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a reception, held on Victory Day marking the 80th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, at the Kremlin in Moscow on May 9. (Sputnik via Reuters)
International relations

Putin lambasts trade sanctions on eve of visit to China

President says Russia, China oppose 'discriminatory' trade curbs

30 August 2025
Firefighters work at the site of a burning building after a Russian attack on Kyiv, Ukraine, early on Aug. 28.
Ukraine war

A major Russian drone and missile attack on Kyiv kills at least 21 people

Britain says 'senseless' strike on heart of the capital has sabotaged peace efforts

29 August 2025
A model of the WJ-700 reconnaissance drone is displayed at the China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, in Zhuhai, Guangdong province.
Ukraine war

China trade data points to drone parts exports to Russia, Ukraine

Manufacturers see 'opportunity' in hard-to-track shipments of dual-use tech

28 August 2025
Ukrainian soldiers practice military skills on a training ground near Kharkiv, Ukraine.
Opinion

What's next for Ukraine?

George Orwell tells us that invented pasts can dictate tomorrow's wars

27 August 2025
Moscow State University, which touts a library stocked with masterpieces, attracts many Russian-speaking Asians including Chinese students. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by AP and Reuters)
Education

Chinese flock to Russian universities in afterglow of Xi-Putin ties

Close strategic, economic links send students to Russia for language, STEM studies

26 August 2025
A helicopter lands on Swedish patrol ship HMS Carlskrona in February as part of NATO's Operation Baltic Sentry. (TT News Agency via Reuters) 
International relations

NATO effective in patrolling Baltic undersea cables, says commander

Eyeing Russia and China, EU mulls ways to improve security as Japan seeks cooperation

25 August 2025
U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, on Aug. 15.
Opinion

Trump's pandering to Putin should alarm East Asian allies

Message that military aggression is not taboo is worrying for Japan, South Korea and Taiwan

21 August 2025
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba speaks to reporters about the Ukraine situation on Aug. 19. (Photo by Ken Suzuki)
International relations

Japan PM signals alignment with NATO on Ukraine security

Ishiba sees 'role' for Tokyo, with eye on Asian flash points

20 August 2025
U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Washington on Aug. 18. 
Ukraine war

Trump tells Zelenskyy US would help with Ukraine's security in a peace deal

American president moves to arrange meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy

19 August 2025
From left: Chinese President Xi Jinping, U.S. leader Donald Trump and Russia's Vladimir Putin. Xi and Putin appear to have sized up Trump and are leveraging that understanding to further their interests. (Source photos by Reuters) 
Comment

Putin and Xi see right through Trump

US president struggles to contain the risk of widening global conflicts

17 August 2025
Black smoke rises in Kostiantynivka, Ukraine, after aerial bombing by Russia. (Photos by Eiji Furukawa)
Ukraine war

'We'll halt Russian advances here,' commander in eastern Ukraine says

About 8,000 residents remain in a city under fire from tethered, unjammable drones

17 August 2025
U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin stand during a press conference in Anchorage, Alaska, on Aug. 15.
Ukraine war

Trump tells Zelenskyy that Putin wants more territory, urges Kyiv make deal

Ukraine leader rejects call to cede all of Donetsk to Moscow

17 August 2025
After an Oval Office confrontation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Feb. 28, U.S. President Donald Trump abruptly suspended all American military aid to Ukraine, casting a shadow over U.S. defense priorities around the world.
16 August 2025
A vessel owned by Russia's leading tanker group, Sovcomflot, transits through Turkey in April 2024. China and India are the top two buyers of Russian oil.
Trump tariffs

Trump says no imminent plans to penalize China for buying Russian oil

After Putin meeting, US leader says may consider such a move in two or three weeks

16 August 2025
A ceremony on July 31 following the arrival of Chinese naval vessels in Vladivostok, Russia, ahead of Chinese-Russian joint naval drills in the Sea of Japan.
Opinion

Russia's shrinking navy reveals its growing strategic dependence on China

Beijing is outpacing Moscow militarily, economically and strategically in the Asia-Pacific

15 August 2025
Xi Jinping is expected to carry more geopolitical clout to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, which will take place in the city of Tianjin on Aug. 31 and Sept. 1. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Yusuke Hinata and AP)  
China up close

Analysis: Anti-US summit in Tianjin to follow Trump-Putin Alaska meeting

Washington's stance against India is a godsend for China's trade negotiators

14 August 2025
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin affirmed their countries' strategic partnership in a phone call on Aug. 12. (Source photos by Reuters)
International relations

Putin, Kim Jong Un share info ahead of Trump summit in Alaska

Russian president thanks North Korean leader for sending troops to Ukraine war

13 August 2025