Russia has had a busy week in trade development this past few days, with the US easing sanctions on the imports of Russian diesel. There was much hype about this move – we examine the actual values involved and the implications. We also feature President Putin’s Q&A session at the Valdai Club, in which he covered the international maritime rule of law, Iran, the development of the Donbass, China, differences between Russia and Chinese culture, Japan, President Trump, Serbia, India, Italy, the European Union, EU asset returns, a new Iron Curtain, Palestine, BRICS, APEC, Israel, Artificial Intelligence, UN reform, the Northern Sea Route, the Russian economy, Russia-Africa relations, Switzerland, and updates on the Ukraine conflict. It is essential reading for anyone interested in Russia’s global views on Russian and international affairs. Important financial news also features, with private investors pouring capital into the Moscow Stock Exchange and the launch of a new, international SWIFT-avoiding Crypto-Bank transfer service that showcases how sanctions are driving Russian innovation. We look at geopolitical and logistics infrastructure developments with Iran’s Caspian Sea coast, and examine multiple trade and infrastructure developments involving Bangladesh, Belarus, Brazil, the Caucasus, China, the CIS, Indonesia, Mali, Myanmar, South Africa, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam. ​