Boosting cooperation. Russia and Belarus began joint air exercises on Monday amid a buildup of forces in Belarus. Minsk called the drills, which will use all of the country’s airfields, “defensive in nature.” Though this could be preparation for Belarus’ official entry into the Ukraine war, Minsk has other reasons to cooperate with Moscow: In […]
Iran and the UAE. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian met with the United Arab Emirate’s ambassador to Iran, Saif Mohammed al-Zaabi, to discuss...
Russian warnings. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko warned against Japan’s move toward militarization, saying Moscow may be forced to take retaliatory measures. Among...
Crude ceiling. Beginning in February, Russia will partially ban the sale of crude oil and oil products if the contracts “directly or indirectly imply...
Flare-up in the Balkans. The Serbian army has been placed on its highest combat readiness level, according to the country’s defense minister, amid escalating...
Military expansion. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced at an annual meeting of the ministry board on Wednesday a plan to increase the size...
Zelenskyy abroad. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will visit Washington on Wednesday to meet with U.S. President Joe Biden and address Congress. The presidents will...
Uzbekistan is rich in recoverable hydrocarbons. Natural gas reserves alone are estimated to be close to 2 trillion cubic meters. Oil and gas account...
Making preparations. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko ordered on Tuesday a snap check of troops’ combat readiness. As part of the inspection, military equipment and...
Tensions in the Balkans. Roughly 300 Kosovo special forces arrived in the Serb-majority town of Kosovska Mitrovica on Thursday amid heightened tensions among residents...
Putin's remarks. At a meeting of Russia’s Human Rights Council, President Vladimir Putin made several statements regarding the future of the “special military operation”...
