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Why Trump’s capture of Venezuela’s Maduro is both a blessing and a curse for Russia
Russia

Why Trump’s capture of Venezuela’s Maduro is both a blessing and a curse for Russia

by Oleg Sukhov

The U.S. operation to capture Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro, a Kremlin ally, is a blow to Russia's influence in Latin America. However, Russia may also derive some benefits from U.S. President Donald Trump's unprovoked intervention. First, Trump's apparent violation of international law plays into the Kremlin's handbook, analysts say. Russia is likely to use the legally dubious U.S. operation as a justification for its illegal war of aggression against Ukraine. Second, Russia may also ac

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Chart of the week: Lending boom suggests war is new normal for Ukrainians

Ukrainians continued a borrowing spree in 2025, suggesting that households and companies are settling into a new normal as the country approaches the fifth year of Russia's full-scale invasion. While new loans plummeted in the first few years of the full-scale invasion, borrowing started to pick up in 2024. By last year, the total value of loans taken out by Ukrainian households and companies was 50% and 27% higher than in 2023, respectively, according to data from Ukrainian think tank Center f

Lending in Ukraine is booming.

About Russia

The Kyiv Independent’s coverage of news on Russia. Spanning eleven time zones across Eastern Europe and Asia, Russia has an estimated population of 146 million people. Russia’s capital city is Moscow, which is home to almost one in 10 Russians. Russia’s official currency is the Russian Ruble.

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