Latest updates, insights, and analysis.
Israel has bombed the Russian Culture Centre in Lebanon, flattening the building. No-one was in the building at the time of its collapse. Moscow has called the attack an “unprovoked act of aggression”.
A study of the Chinese National People’s Congress 2026-30 budget, just released, reveals that China intends to fast-track the Power of Siberia 2 pipeline from Russia and expedite increasing LNG supplies as soon as possible. The move comes as a stabilizing factor in China’s energy security as they look for alternatives to supplies from the Middle East. This will likely mean that Russia will replace Qatar as China’s primary LNG source.
India has begun immediate imports of Russian crude as it gains secondary tariff exemptions from Washington. India’s growth is a major global economic driver and without it, Western economies will feel even more fiscal pressure. India and the United States signed a trade agreement last month as Washington looks to increase its India supply chains as it diminishes its Chinese ties and cannot afford to have both economies stalling at the same time.
Georgia, like several other Caucasus and Eurasian countries, has evaluated its energy security in the wake of the Iranian conflict and is to increase supplies of fuel from Russia. Their situation is vastly different from Europe which is cut off from Middle Eastern supplies, is politically estranged from Russia and is coming under increasing Ukrainian supply chain chokeholds as Kiev wields economic leverage over the EU and is capable of causing immense political support damage.
The media coverage of the spill-over consequences of the military conflict in the Middle East has concentrated on energy shortages, and especially in the immediate region and Europe. However, there are numerous other commodities impacted as well. In this article we describe the benefits and problems this has brought to Russia – and other Eurasian and global actors. We discuss these in detail.
Russian fuel prices have also risen due to the situation in Iran but are expected to return to normal due to replacement from domestic supplies. However there remain some Middle East supply chain and processing bottlenecks. We examine the supply chain trends.
South Korea’s Sinokor Shipping has added a new China route using Vladivostok in the Russian Far East. The company is the largest Korean shipper operating in Russia, with the new route taking in Busan, Vladivostok, Xiamen, Hong Kong, Shekou and Haiphong.
Russian overseas tourists now spend more on their foreign holidays than European visitors do. A combination of higher purchasing power, disposable income and other factors mean the wealth spending factor is now with the Russians. We explain the reasons why this is so.
Russia has made the decision to redirect most of its EU-bound LNG supplies to Asia ahead of the EU’s planned 2027 termination as it wishes to develop new markets instead of concentrate on declining markets. It is unfortunate for the EU that this also coincides with EU energy supply chain problems with the Middle East.
Mongolia has determined which of its cross-border routes to Russia will handle the bulk of Mongolia-Eurasian Economic Union multilateral trade and is working on expending facilities to cope with demand. The related free trade agreement should be ratified later this year.
Russia’s Vladivostok-based Vladmorrybport has won permission to export Pollock to Brazil with the first shipment being prepared.
With the FIFA World Cup Soccer Finals due to start in just 100 days, and the world in conflict and turmoil, we look at each of the tournaments participating countries, their relations with the United States, and examine just how likely calls for cancellation, boycotting or even completing the event as planned actually are.
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