Russia

The European Union is seeking to reduce the price cap on Russian oil from $60 to $45 per barrel. This should make it more difficult for Russia to finance its war against Ukraine. The EU also intends to discourage investment in the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines.

Russia is expanding its military footprint in Africa, delivering sophisticated weaponry to sub-Saharan conflict zones where a Kremlin-controlled armed force is on the rise. Skirting sanctions imposed by Western nations, Moscow is using cargo ships to send tanks, armoured vehicles, artillery and other high-value equipment to West Africa, according to the Associated Press.

In the early hours of Friday morning (6 June), Russia launched a missile and drone attack on Kyiv, killing at least four people and injuring 20 others, according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko. Fires broke out in multiple districts, including a high-rise apartment building in the Solomyanskyi district. The city's metro system and railway lines were also damaged, causing service disruptions.

On May 20–21, 2025, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s visit to Yerevan marked a significant moment in the evolving dynamics of Armenia–Russia relations, signaling Moscow’s intent to stabilize and reinforce ties with its long-standing ally in the South Caucasus. Set against the backdrop of deteriorating Russia–Azerbaijan relations following the tragic crash of an Azerbaijani airliner plane on December 25, 2024, the visit highlighted Russia’s delicate balancing act in a region where its influence is increasingly contested. Lavrov’s talks with Armenian leaders focused on reaffirming bilateral commitments within the frameworks of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).

Following the parliamentary elections of October 2024, the ruling Georgian Dream party created favourable conditions for the growth of Russian influence in the region according to the annual report of the US Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) that has just been presented to the US Congress. The report says Moscow is almost certainly seeking to bring Georgia back into its sphere of influence and has already made progress through internal political developments in the country.

Russia announced on Sunday it had exchanged another 303 Ukrainian prisoners of war for the same number of Russian soldiers held by Kyiv, the last phase of the largest-ever such swap between the warring countries. Russia and Ukraine have over three days "carried out the exchange of 1,000 people for 1,000 people", the defence ministry said. Meanwhile,  US President Donald Trump called his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin "crazy" on Sunday after Moscow launched a deadly barrage of drones against Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Kursk for the first time since Moscow claimed to have completely recaptured the region following a surprise incursion by Ukrainian forces last year, Russian state news agency TASS reported on Wednesday. Putin met with municipal leaders in the city of Kurchatov and visited the Kursk nuclear power plant, which is currently under construction, the Kremlin said, according to TASS.

European Union countries have finalised a plan for a €150billion loan programme to help rearm in the face of Russia and worries over US reliability, diplomats said on Monday. The SAFE borrowing scheme backed by the EU's central budget was proposed by Brussels in March as the bloc rushes to boost its defences following disengagement from European security by the United States.  The finalisation comes as the EU and the UK agree a new defence partnership as part of a post-Brexit "reset" at a London summit.