Anger over online restrictions has led to a surge in support for the New People party, which has replaced the Communists as Russia’s second most popular political party. Russia’s in-system opposition—which criticizes the government while ultimately remaining loyal to President Vladimir Putin—has been largely forgotten amid the war in Ukraine. …

On May 1, the UAE withdrew from OPEC. The largest member of the cartel in his history left the alliance without warning partners. Behind this decision are two years of accumulated contradictions with Saudi Arabia – from the war in Yemen and Sudan to the personal rivalry of the two …

The US war against Iran has led to a serious deformation of the already declining system of relations between America and the Gulf states. At first, Washington chose not to warn its regional partners about the operation against Tehran, and then began to demand that they take over the costs …