Russia

Russia is betting on the Power of Siberia 2 pipeline to replace the European market with the Chinese one. But China wants to pay the heavily discounted prices that the Kremlin offers to Russian citizens. Is the pipeline not going to happen?

The legal geographies of the UniCredit-Linde case in Germany. An analysis by Luca Picotti, lawyer and author of “Invisible Lines,” taken from his LinkedIn profile.

An essay in Foreign Affairs, authored by Seva Gunitsky and Jeremy Morris, dismantles the myth that Putin continues the war merely out of whim or geopolitics. The two scholars demonstrate that the war machine has now become the economic and social engine of Russia.

Greece opposes the twenty-first package of European sanctions against Russia to protect its shipping industry, which is earning a great deal from the transportation of oil and liquefied gas. Numbers, names, and details.

In the first six months of 2026, the European Union purchased record quantities of Russian gas from Yamal LNG, despite the impending import ban. Russia is celebrating, also because the alternative route to Asia is complicated by ice.

Greek shipping companies are the ones that have profited the most from the maritime transport of Russian oil: it is a controversial trade but allowed as long as it does not exceed the G7 price cap. However, the enforcement of compliance with the mechanism leaves much to be desired. Numbers and details.

What lies behind the arrests of former spies and pro-Russia military personnel. The intervention of Luigi Ricci, analyst and author of Vaticano Zero Day

How Russian media covered the arrests of former spies and Italian pro-Russia military personnel. Marco Mayer’s intervention

Espionage in favor of Russia, two arrests in Rome. Former intelligence officer arrested, information exchanged for money. Four military personnel also involved. All the details.

China is building a second import terminal for liquefied gas from Arctic LNG 2, the large-scale project in Siberia sanctioned by the West. On the other hand, progress on the Power of Siberia 2 pipeline remains limited. Numbers and details.

North Korea and Russia have inaugurated their first road bridge over the Tumen River. The new connection will allow part of the trade to shift from sea to land, and more. All the details.

An assessment of Xi Jinping’s trip to Pyongyang.

The pace of nuclear arsenal dismantlement is slowing worldwide, while the deployment of new nuclear weapons is accelerating. China is a key player in the nuclear expansion, as concerns about global strategic stability increase. Facts, figures, and scenarios from the latest Sipri report.

European countries are divided over Russia and Ukraine not only for military reasons. The in-depth analysis taken from the European Morning Briefing.

What is happening at the St. Petersburg Forum.

What is happening in Russia and what could happen to Putin. Conversation between Stefano Feltri and Mara Morini, professor of Political Science at the University of Genoa and author of the essay “Putin’s Russia,” taken from Appunti.

The European Union could “cap” the price of Russian oil so that it does not exceed the threshold of 60 dollars per barrel, thus preventing Russia from earning too much from the crisis in the Persian Gulf. Here is what will be included in the new sanctions package.

The book “Der stille Krieg: Wie Autokraten Deutschland angreifen” (The Silent War: How Autocrats Attack Germany), written by journalists Reinhard Bingener and Markus Wehner of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and read by Pierluigi Mennitti

While President Trump focuses attention on the Iranian threat, the Kremlin is reportedly strengthening military and intelligence support to Tehran. The Wall Street Journal report

In Russia, people are beginning to think about the post-Putin era; in Italy, not yet. The italic by Cundari taken from his newsletter La Linea.

The Russian forces of the Africa Corps suffer a severe humiliation in Mali with the loss of the strategic city of Kidal. Meanwhile, the country risks collapse under the offensive of Tuareg rebels and jihadist groups that also threaten the capital, Bamako.

Russian presenter Solovyov accused Giorgia Meloni of betraying Trump. Here is the timing reason why the insult is directed at Italy right now. Guiglia’s notebook.

The European Commission guarantees that it will no longer import “not a single molecule” of energy from Russia. Meanwhile, Spain is buying Russian gas in abundance: is the country really a model as claimed? And the European proposals against the energy price surge will only arrive in May. Numbers and details.

After the elections in Hungary, stock markets and the currency rise, while Brussels ties the release of 35 billion euros in funds to 27 conditions, including relations with Kyiv. Uncertainties remain regarding public accounts, investments, and energy policy.

Claudio Descalzi says that the European Union should lift the ban on importing gas from Russia to protect itself from the loss of supplies from the Persian Gulf. Another Eni CEO, Franco Bernabè, had already expressed the same position. Here is how much Russian fuel Europe purchases, what the ban from 2027 entails, and the situation for Italy (including on fuels).

The Gulf War has prompted the European Union to purchase more LNG from Russia. However, Brussels does not want to lift the import ban starting in 2027.

Russia says there is a huge demand for its fossil fuels and that it could redirect sales away from Europe. Moscow’s words are unlikely to prompt Brussels to reconsider its energy policy, especially given the damage to the pipelines. Here are statements, details, and figures.

Russia is trying to save Iran to maintain a network of global partnerships that, however, is increasingly shrinking. The analysis by the WSJ.

Zelensky warns that the war in Iran economically benefits Russia and risks leaving Ukraine without Patriot missiles due to their global shortage, prompting Kyiv to seek alternatives and forge agreements with Gulf countries.

The war in the Persian Gulf has also caused fertilizer prices to soar, and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz risks putting farmers in Europe and beyond in crisis. It is a great moment for Russia, which can leverage its influence in the sector. Hungary has already asked Brussels to lift trade restrictions.

The Russian space company Bureau 1440 has launched 16 broadband satellites into orbit, taking the first operational step towards a low Earth orbit constellation that Russian authorities have described as the national version of SpaceX’s Starlink. All the details

Russia emerges as the main winner of the oil shock caused by the conflict in the Middle East and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. The article from Le Figaro taken from Liturri’s review.

Much of Russia’s military resources are absorbed by the war in Ukraine, while China prioritizes economic ties and avoids direct involvement in conflicts. The analysis by Alexander Gabuev and Temur Umarov (Carnegie Politika) taken from Appunti.

The United States has issued a thirty-day exemption from sanctions on Russian oil: countries—not just India anymore—will be able to purchase it, provided that the barrels are already loaded onto ships. Meanwhile, Russia’s oil exports and revenues are declining, but the crisis in the Persian Gulf could change the situation. Numbers, details, and context.

Putin seeks to capitalize on the energy crisis in the Middle East and opens the possibility of reactivating the energy relationship with the European Union. But Brussels has invested significant capital in detaching from Russian gas, although some—like former Eni CEO Franco Bernabè—are calling for a reconsideration. Numbers, facts, and opinions.

The crisis in the Strait of Hormuz and the rise in oil prices threaten India: thus, the United States grants it a license to purchase Russian oil for thirty days. Washington assures that this is a temporary measure and that the Kremlin will not benefit much from it, but will one month be enough to resolve the crisis in the Middle East?