Russia ended a 72-hour pause in Kyiv strikes on September 8 after US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner completed visits to Moscow and Kyiv without securing a breakthrough.
Tag: Russia
Posted inGeopolitics
Witkoff and Kushner Fly Moscow to Kyiv as Putin Pauses Strikes for 72 Hours
US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin for more than three hours on Saturday before flying to Kyiv, where Putin had suspended aerial strikes under a reciprocal 72-hour arrangement.
Posted inGeopolitics
Putin Brands Zelenskyy a Terrorist as Russia Fires 174 Drones at Kyiv, Odesa and Dnipro
Russia launched its largest overnight drone barrage in weeks on September 2, killing one and wounding more than a dozen across three Ukrainian cities, as Putin refused to rule out striking British military facilities.
Posted inGeopolitics
United Russia Prepares a Tightly Managed Sweep in September Regional Voting
Russia’s September 18–20 regional elections — covering 10 governorships and 39 regional parliaments — are less a contest than a Kremlin-orchestrated show of institutional control during wartime.
Posted inWorld
Xi, Putin and Modi Convene in Bishkek for SCO’s 25th Anniversary Summit
Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin and Narendra Modi gathered in Bishkek on August 31 for the 26th SCO leaders’ summit, marking 25 years since the bloc’s formation and anchoring a dense schedule of bilateral meetings.
Posted inEconomy
Wheat Surges 12% in a Week as Black Sea Disruptions Tighten Supply
Wheat futures posted their biggest weekly gain since March 2022, reaching a three-year high as Russia-Ukraine fighting cut Black Sea export flows and a USDA supply cut drove corn up 15% in August.
Posted inGeopolitics
Ukraine Has Run Out of Patriot Interceptors Before Russia’s Winter Strikes
Ukraine intercepted just 29 of 195 Russian ballistic missiles in July as ally deliveries fell to a third of last year’s pace, leaving Kyiv with 1% of US Patriot stockpile ahead of winter.
Posted inGeopolitics
Ratcliffe Flies to Moscow With a Warning on NATO and a Plea to Cut Iran Loose
CIA Director John Ratcliffe made a secret visit to Moscow on August 26, meeting Russian intelligence chief Sergei Naryshkin to warn against NATO attacks and urge Russia to end its support for Iran.
Posted inGeopolitics
Ukraine Intelligence Says Russia Plans 600,000-Strong Draft Across 2026 and 2027
Ukraine’s intelligence agencies say Russia is preparing a 600,000-troop draft across 2026 and 2027, to be announced after September’s Duma elections.
Posted inGeopolitics
Russia’s Banks Lose $15 Billion in Deposits This Summer as Bond Auctions Halt
Deposit withdrawals from Russian banks reached $3.4 billion in the first fortnight of August alone, putting annual outflows on pace to nearly double 2022 levels and forcing Moscow to suspend government bond auctions indefinitely.