Russia’s relationships with Europe vary from warm, with trade partners such as Hungary, Serbia, and Slovakia, to the frigid (most of the European Union and the UK). In between are lesser discussed regions in the Balkans with closer historical ties to Moscow than to Brussels. We examine some of these borderline areas and provide analysis and updates where appropriate along the Russia-European axis.
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met with Abbas Araghchi, the Iranian Foreign Minister. We discuss the current geopolitical situation as well as the shifting logistics and energy supply chains, bilateral trade between Iran, Russia and the EAEU and underlying reasons for the Iran-United States conflict.
South Korea is developing its Yeosu Gwangyang Port specifically to handle Northern Sea Route logistics, while utilising Russia’s Arctic waters, maritime technology and assistance to develop trade with Northern Europe.
The Hong Kong shipping line Sealegend is to launch the first regular summer shipping service from China to Europe, transiting Russia’s Northern Sea Route. It is the first time a scheduled service is to be operated along the NSR and cuts the journey down by 50%, saving time and money.
The Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has met with the leaders of the Alliance of Sahel States in Niamey, Mali, to discuss regional security amongst allegedly European backed Islamic insurgents involving French and Ukrainian militia.
Both sides are prioritzing diplomatic, political and strategic security enhancement across the Sahel region: Burkina Faso, Mali, and the Niger. The moves have the potential to permanently influence Africa’s political development.
Senior Russian and Armenian officials have met in Ekerterinburg to discuss EAEU trade and development just two weeks after Armenian elections appointed a pro-EU government. We examine the situation and provide the geopolitical analysis.
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The Belarus President Aleksander Lukashenko is on an Asian tour and has met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and proposed “11 Key Technologies” in which Belarus wants to cooperate with China in trade and investment.
The United Kingdom will shortly have a new, if unelected Prime Minister. We look at the credentials of Andrew Burnham and the prospects for his relations with Vladimir Putin and Russia.
While the United States and Iran apparently reaching a peace agreement, the war has nevertheless permanently changed global supply chains. We look at the reasons behind the conflict, the immediate aftermath, and the regional development implications for Russia, China and the Eurasian continent as a whole.
The High Court In London has been hearing Nord Streams case for damages against Lloyds of London insurance and related parties over their refusal to pay out compensation losses. The court has commissioned a repair assessment that includes pipes sourced from China and Russian repair vessels to conduct the work.
Russia, Azerbaijan and Iran have agreed on digitalising their road freight transport connectivity, in moves that make cross-border transits more efficient and are likely to lead to driverless drone trucks being utilised for trilateral road freight journeys in the near future.
Our analysis of Putin’s speech at SPIEF including specific sections on the current global and Russian economic conditions, BRICS, Eurasian infrastructure development, sanctions, Russian development and the meaning of sovereignty. It is essential reading for all European and Eurasian development analysts.
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