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Russia's strong currency puzzles economists, signals economic woes

Since early December, the Russian ruble has continued to strengthen against global currencies: on Dec. 7, it reached a value of only 76 rubles for one U.S. dollar, a figure unseen since May 2023. It soon dropped to 79 rubles per U.S. dollar, an exchange rate close to one seen on the eve of Russia's full-scale war. Ruble's strength came despite increasing sanction pressure by the Trump administration, which began targeting Russian oil giants Lukoil and Rosneft in October. The measures, which f

Moscow International Business Center in Moscow, Russia, on Sept. 3, 2025.

Leaders sign treaty establishing body to decide Ukraine war reparations

President Volodymyr Zelensky, together with 35 leaders, signed off Tuesday, Dec. 16 on the creation of an international body that would decide on compensation claims tied to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but left unanswered the question of how the organization will be funded. During a meeting in The Hague, leaders from the European Union, Canada, Mexico, and Japan gave the formal go-ahead to establish the International Claims Commission, which aims to reimburse Ukrainians for financial damage c

The war's hidden explosions: The mental health toll inside Ukraine's homes

About the author: Jacqueline Mahon is the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) representative to Ukraine. After the start of the full-scale invasion, Olha (name changed due to safety concerns) and her husband took in his mother to live with them. When her husband left for the front line, Olha stayed in the apartment alone with her mother-in-law. The relationship between the two women deteriorated and became violent. After repeated assaults by her mother-in-law, Olha was forced to leave the a

What Ukrainians actually think about ceding Donbas to Russia

As the U.S. increases pressure in peace talks, Russia's demand for a Ukrainian withdrawal from Ukraine-controlled parts of Donbas has sparked debate — including over whether such a decision could be made through a referendum during the war.

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