After the introduction of the EU embargo and the G7 “price ceiling” mechanism on Russian oil exports, the international community expected a rapid reduction in foreign exchange revenues to the Russian budget, but Moscow managed to adapt to the new conditions. One of the main tools for this was the...
The trial of a former MI5 contractor for leaking state secrets has begun in the UK
Hearings have begun at the Central Criminal Court of England and Wales in the high-profile case against Juan Joseph, a former employee of a contractor that provided services to the British counterintelligence service MI5. Joseph is charged with serious breaches of the Official Secrets Act. The prosecution alleges that, while...
EU recovery fund becomes target for fraudsters
The COVID-19 pandemic has become the European Union's largest socioeconomic crisis and the impetus for the creation of a financial recovery instrument. In 2020, the EU launched the NextGenerationEU program, a massive economic aid package centered on the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF). The facility's total budget was approximately €577...
A fuel oil shortage due to the Middle East war threatens to halt shipping
Global shipping is at risk of a complete halt due to a severe shortage of marine fuel oil caused by the escalating conflict in the Middle East and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Heavy fuel oil (HSFO) stocks at key bunkering ports—Singapore and Fujairah—have fallen to critical lows....
Starmer declined to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz at Trump’s request
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer rejected US President Donald Trump's call to send British warships to the Strait of Hormuz to ensure the safety of shipping amid the ongoing conflict with Iran. According to The Daily Telegraph, Starmer stated in a phone call with Trump that the UK is not...
Bulgaria between Moscow and Brussels on the eve of new elections
The snap parliamentary elections scheduled for April 19 this year will be the eighth in Bulgaria in the past 5 years. All previous attempts to form a stable and viable coalition have failed for several years in a row, and governments have changed almost every year, due to the difficult...
The EU’s top diplomat accused the Trump administration of attempting to divide Europe
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas sharply criticized the Trump administration's approach to Europe, claiming that Washington is deliberately seeking to divide European unity. In an interview with the Financial Times, Kallas stated bluntly: "The United States has made it very clear that it wants...
The US has temporarily lifted sanctions on Russian oil already loaded onto tankers
The US Treasury Department has issued a general license exempting shipments of Russian oil and petroleum products loaded onto vessels before March 12, 2026, from sanctions for 30 days. This was announced by Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent. According to a document from the Office of Foreign Assets Control...
The Epstein Files and the Political Crisis in Europe
The publication of a new part of the so-called "Epstein Files" in early 2026 became one of the most high-profile international political scandals. These materials triggered a chain reaction of investigations in Europe, from criminal cases against former prime ministers to the resignations of diplomats and politicians and raised new...
The UK House of Lords is finally getting rid of hereditary peers
In a historic decision, the UK House of Lords approved the House of Lords Bill, which completely eliminates hereditary peers from the upper house of parliament. This reform completes a process begun in 1999, when more than 600 hereditary aristocrats were removed from the House of Lords under Tony Blair's...