Eurasia

Putin’s deal is simple but direct: he will stop the shelling of the beleaguered Ukrainian city of Mariupol only after they surrender to Russian forces. Putin Talks with French President Macron According to the Kremlin, the Russian strongman made this statement during an hour-long phone conversation with French President Emmanuel …

he leader of Georgia’s Moscow-backed separatist region of South Ossetia, Anatoly Bibilov, says the de facto independent territory is looking to hold a referendum on joining Russia, a move Tbilisi called “unacceptable.” Bibilov said in an interview with Russian state television on March 31 that South Ossetia was holding “consultations” …

Talks to stop the fighting in Ukraine resumed Friday, as another desperate attempt to rescue civilians from the shattered and encircled city of Mariupol failed and Russia accused the Ukrainians of launching a helicopter attack on a fuel depot on Russian soil. The governor of Russia’s Belgorod region, Vyacheslav Gladkov, …

Sufficient evidence now shows that most Finns want to join the NATO alliance, President Sauli Niinistö told Swedish-speaking broadcaster YLE on Wednesday after he had called for a broad survey for membership just one week ago. Support for NATO membership has now risen to 61%, a poll commissioned by newspaper …

General Eric Vidaud, France’s military intelligence chief, has been dismissed due to his department poorly analysing the run-up to Russia’s invasion and failing to predict the war correctly, AFP has reported. There were “insufficient briefings” and “a lack of mastery of the subjects”, a military source said, as reported by …

The Russian forces have reportedly bombed Chernihiv, a besieged city in northern Ukraine, a day after the Russian negotiators pledged that they would be easing and reducing attacks on that specific region. According to Chernihiv Mayor Vladyslav Atroshenko, the Russians bombed their city again, and the attacks had only increased …

Turkey’s westward focus may complicate, or complement, Ankara’s previous priority of Eurasia. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has swung the pendulum for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan from the “Eurasianism” that ultimately lies in his heart back to Turkey’s traditional “Atlanticism.” He and members of his Cabinet are going out of their …

Iran’s foreign minister continues to lobby for the United States to come to an agreement for the revival of the nuclear talks. In a meeting in Qatar with his counterpart, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian talked about the nuclear talks, regional issues and bilateral relations. …

Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a decree Thursday demanding payment for natural gas in rubles but appeared to temper the order by allowing dollar and euro payments through a designated bank, the latest twist over energy supplies that Europe relies on to heat homes and generate electricity. The measure got …

Turkey is not a new actor in Africa but is an increasingly important one. Its presence in West Africa has aroused widespread attention and even concern. Talks about win-win policy and equal partnerships seem positive, especially as existing collaborations on peace and security, such as with France, haven’t produced the …