Russia using cryptocurrency in oil trade with China, India to bypass sanctions, Reuters reports
Sources suggest that Russia will likely continue using digital currencies in energy trade even if Western sanctions are lifted.
China
Chinese state oil firms cut Russian crude purchases over sanctions fears, Reuters reports
"They are taking a break for now while contemplating if there are ways to work around," a source told Reuters.
John Bolton on how Putin plays Trump and why separating Russia from China is 'almost impossible'
Instead of approaching the war in Ukraine from a geopolitical or moral perspective, U.S. President Donald Trump is framing his policy on Russia through the lens of his personal relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to former U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton. “Trump thinks Putin is
Europe-bound Chinese rail shipments through Russia plummet due to transit restrictions
Moscow's restrictions allow Russian authorities to seize and keep hard-to-get Western-sanctioned goods, which can then be used to manufacture weapons for the war against Ukraine.
Russia, China, Iran hold joint naval drills in Gulf of Oman
The exercises, named Maritime Security Belt 2025, were held near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a key global shipping route through which a fifth of the world’s traded crude oil passes.
Russia moves to curb Chinese car imports with higher fees, tighter regulations
Chinese car exports to Russia surged sevenfold in 2023 compared to 2022, as Western sanctions over Moscow’s war against Ukraine cut Russia off from brands like Volkswagen, Toyota, and BMW.
Russia, China, Iran to hold joint naval drills in Gulf of Oman
The exercises are aimed at deepening "the mutual trust and pragmatic cooperation between the participating countries' armies," the Chinese Defense Ministry said.
China's envoy calls Trump's treatment of Europe 'appalling'
"When you look at how the Trump administration has implemented a brazen and domineering policy towards Europe, treating its allies in this way, honestly, from a European perspective, it's quite appalling," China's special envoy for European affairs, Lu Shaye, said.
Russian, Chinese intelligence seek to recruit fired US federal employees, CNN reports
Russia and China are attempting to recruit U.S. federal national security employees impacted by the Trump administration's layoffs, CNN reported on March 1, citing four sources and a document.
US, Russia reportedly discuss Arctic cooperation as Trump seeks to pull Moscow from Beijing
"We could find ourselves in a situation where whether Russia wants to improve its relations with the U.S. or not, they can’t because they’ve become completely dependent on the Chinese because we have cut them off," said U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
China backs US-Russia 'consensus' on Ukraine war
Beijing is prepared "to play a constructive role in the political settlement of the crisis," the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement during the G20 foreign ministers meeting.
China proposes to host Trump-Putin talks without Ukraine's Zelensky, WSJ reports
The White House declined to confirm whether it had received China's proposal but reportedly dismissed it as "not viable at all."
Chinese refiners offered discounted Russian oil as US sanctions deter buyers, Bloomberg reports
Chinese refiners are being offered Russian ESPO crude at discounted prices as rising concerns over U.S. sanctions create logistical and administrative challenges, deterring buyers, Bloomberg reported on Feb. 11.
China's Xi to visit Moscow for Victory Day celebrations, Russian envoy says
Chinese President Xi Jinping also invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to China to commemorate Japan's surrender and the conclusion of World War II, Russian Ambassador to Beijing Igor Morgulov said.
Trump launches trade war with steep tariffs on China, Canada, Mexico
Trump placed 25% tariffs on Mexican and Canadian goods, with only a 10% tariff on Canadian energy imports. He also imposed a 10% tariff on goods from China.
'100% tariffs' — Trump vows trade war if BRICS replaces dollar as reserve currency
The BRICS group, composed of Russia, China, India, Brazil, and other nations, has been exploring ways to reduce reliance on the U.S. dollar.
China is Russia's sole supplier of key military-use rare metals amid sanctions, RFE/RL reports
As Russia's options to purchase gallium and germanium from around the world almost disappeared, China became the sole supplier in 2023, the investigation said, citing leaked data from Russian customs databases.
Europe’s inaction on undersea infrastructure is a security time bomb
Following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, concerns over the security of energy and communication infrastructure in the Baltic Sea intensified. Initially, focus was placed on the threat of hybrid attacks from Russia. However, it became evident that Russian military vessels and so-called "research" ships were actively mapping the
China urges Russia, US to cut nuclear arsenals before joining disarmament talks
In a video message to the World Economic Forum in Davos last week, U.S. President Donald Trump expressed his desire for "denuclearisation" and reiterated his call for trilateral discussions involving the U.S., Russia, and China.
Russian oil sales to China and India stall as sanctions increase costs, Reuters reports
The disruption has led to stalled trade in Russian crude loaded for March delivery as rising shipping costs created a significant price gap between buyers and sellers, according to Reuters.
Trump needs to 'understand where the threat is,' UK lawmaker says
U.S. President Donald Trump needs to "understand where the threat is" and not "force Ukraine into a bad deal," U.K. lawmaker Iain Duncan Smith told the Kyiv Independent. In an interview in Kyiv alongside another U.K. lawmaker Layla Moran on Jan. 22, Duncan Smith urged Trump not
Trump says Russia's war in Ukraine 'will end immediately' if OPEC lowers oil prices
President Donald Trump also said Ukraine was "ready for a deal," but added "you'll have to ask Russia" about a peace agreement within a year.
Trump claims he urged China's Xi to help end Russia's war in Ukraine
"He's not done very much on that," Trump told reporters at the White House on Jan. 21. "He's got a lot of ... power, like we have a lot of power. I said, 'You ought to get it settled.' We did discuss it."
Chinese imports of Russian coal reportedly dropping due to sanctions, price
China has been decreasing coal imports from Russia despite a steady growth in demand, turning instead to Australian and Mongolian supplies, The Moscow Times reported on Jan. 21, citing Chinese customs data.
Xi declares readiness to bring China-Russia ties to 'new height' in call with Putin
Xi Jinping stressed that bilateral cooperation between Beijing and Moscow is gradually expanding and that joint trade is trending upward.
China’s support for Russia falls short in replacing Western materials, media reports
China has emerged as Russia's largest supplier of goods, but Chinese imports have failed to fully replace Western equipment and raw materials lost due to sanctions, The Moscow Times reported on Jan. 20, citing data from the Gaidar Institute.
China imports record amount of Russian crude oil in 2024, Reuters reports
In 2024, 108.5 million metric tons were imported from Russia, including through pipelines and sea deliveries.
Trump eyes China visit amid strained ties, WSJ reports
President-elect Donald Trump has expressed interest in visiting China shortly after assuming office, potentially within his first 100 days, sources familiar with the matter told the Wall Street Journal.
Former pro-Russian lawmaker charged with treason resurfaces in China
Former Ukrainian pro-Russian lawmaker Yevheniy Murayev published a two-hour propaganda interview on Jan. 17, marking his first public appearance after almost three years of Russia's full-scale war.
US targets China-Russia sanctions evasion scheme with new measures
"Today's actions frustrate the Kremlin's ability to circumvent our sanctions and get access to the goods they need to build weapons for their war of choice in Ukraine," said Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Treasury Wally Adeyemo.
The question isn't if China will turn on Russia, but when
Like Czar Nicholas II, Russian President Vladimir Putin has misidentified his primary foe. Fighting a war of choice, he allows the real menace to his country to gather strength. China, not Ukraine, constitutes Russia’s existential threat. In the Russo-Japanese War (1904-05), Nicholas fought Japan over Manchuria for concessions that
Russian 'shadow fleet' tankers carrying 2 million barrels of crude idling off China’s coast, Bloomberg reports
Three sanctioned tankers carrying over 2 million barrels of Russian crude oil are floating off China's coast after they were hit by fresh U.S. sanctions last week, Bloomberg reported on Jan. 13.
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