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Russia
Russia
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Russia. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
Capital
Moscow
Head of State
President Vladimir Putin
Head of Government
Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin
Ukrainian servicemen shoot down a missile during a Russian strike in Kyiv on Tuesday. Photo: Reuters
Ukraine war

Almost half of Kyiv without heat, power after massive Russian strike

Over 5,600 buildings lose heat in sub-zero temperatures as Russia targets energy grids amid ongoing US-led peace negotiations.

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US-China relations

China confirms invite to Trump’s Gaza ‘peace board’ – won’t say if it will join

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Greenland

Is the Trump-Greenland dispute a win for Russia?

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Indonesia

Indonesia strips ex-police officer of citizenship for joining Russian forces

The former Aceh police officer lost his nationality after sending a video claiming he had joined the Wagner Group in Ukraine.

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Image circulating on social media showing former Indonesian police officer Muhammad Rio after he joined Russia’s Wagner Group. Photo: Handout
Donald Trump

Trump threatens 200% wine tariff to push France to join ‘Board of Peace’

US president targets France after it was lukewarm about the US$1 billion invitation to join his new global body.

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China-EU relations

Don’t expect Greenland crisis to realign EU with China, former US diplomat says

HKU seminar hears that the core task for Brussels is to navigate US-China rivalry while seeking a balance between the two.

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Weather

Record snow in Russia’s far east blocks building entrances, buries cars

With over five metres of snow since December, Kamchatka residents are forced to carve tunnels to reach their front doors.

A man exits a residential block surrounded by snow. Photo: Lydmila Moskvicheva via Reuters
Donald Trump

Allies tepid on joining Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ as countries study invites

Some leaders sign on to the Trump-chaired body, but initial reaction from two key allies, France and Canada, was lukewarm.

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US-China relations

How narrowing China-US gap could reshape global power play by 2035

Political scientist Yan Xuetong predicts Beijing will be on ‘equal footing’ in strategic rivalry with Washington in the post-Trump era.

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Israel-Gaza war

Putin invited to Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ on Gaza conflict: Kremlin

Moscow is seeking clarity on the offer as Putin navigates strained Israel ties and ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza.

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US President Donald Trump (right) greets Russian President Vladimir Putin at a military base in Alaska in August 2025. Photo: Getty Images via AFP
Donald Trump

‘World is not secure’: Trump abandons ‘peace’ after Nobel snub, tells Norway PM

Trump says ‘World is not secure’ without US control of Greenland, as US president rejects peace-focused diplomacy in a blunt message to Norwegian PM.

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US President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting of the Detroit Economic Club on January 13. Photo: TNS
US-Venezuela conflict

Opinion | Trump’s Venezuela raid a rude awakening for Russia and China

The US abduction of Venezuela’s president showed Russia could do little to protect its ally while China’s economic ties were put at risk.

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Ukraine war

Top Ukrainian negotiator says talks with US to continue in Davos

Negotiators move from Florida to Switzerland for talks as Ukrainians reel from Russian attacks that have damaged energy infrastructure.

Greenland

Europe prepares retaliation over Trump’s Greenland ultimatum

Eight European countries consider US$108 billion retaliation and ‘anti-coercion’ tools after Trump vows tariffs on Europe over Arctic island.

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Danish soldiers after disembarking at the harbour in Nuuk, Greenland on Sunday. Photo: Mads Claus Rasmussen/Ritzau Scanpix via Reuters
US-Venezuela conflict

Opinion | Why the US really wants Venezuela’s oil

To win the geopolitical contest, a country needs ample resources, a self-sustaining production system – and the backing of a wider economic bloc.

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An activist, wearing a cutout mask depicting US President Donald Trump and tied with a rope, kneels next to a container with the words, “My Oil”, in an rally to condemn the US military action in Venezuela, in Seoul, South Korea, on January 5. Photo: Reuters
Brics

Did China, Russia, Iran joint naval drills in South Africa signal a Brics shift?

Observers describe high-profile exercise involving economic grouping as largely symbolic rather than step towards military alliance.

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China-Japan relations

Japan urged to ‘correct historical errors’, return Tang dynasty stele to China

9.5-tonne stone slab shipped to Japan as ‘war trophy’ in 1908 is described as one of China’s most significant ‘lost national treasures’.

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Brics

Testing the waters: is Brics evolving into a security alliance?

The first naval exercises under the ‘Brics plus’ banner saw Brazil, Egypt, China, Russia and South Africa take part. India did not.

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A Russian corvette ship is seen near Cape Town, South Africa, on January 9. The Will For Peace exercise brings together navies from Brics-plus countries. Photo: AFP
Middle East

Iran cleric demands death for protesters, threatens Trump amid unrest

Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami urged the execution of detained protesters, a step the Trump administration warned could spark military action.

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US-China relations

Tesla’s defeat, Harvard’s success, Beijing’s shock: 7 US-China relations reads

From China’s EV power to Hegseth’s new threat, here are highlights from the SCMP’s overseas correspondents in the first half of January 2026.

Iran

Putin offers to mediate Iran-Israel tensions after Trump threat

The Russian leader spoke with Israel’s Netanyahu and Iran’s Pezeshkian on Friday, offering Moscow’s help to de-escalate tensions, the Kremlin said.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers a speech during a ceremony at the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow on Thursday. Photo: AFP
US-Venezuela conflict

Trump pick for South America command sidesteps China questions at Senate hearing

Lieutenant General Francis Donovan’s answers frustrated even Republicans in favour of a military-first plan to counter Chinese influence.

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Lieutenant General Francis Donovan testifies during a Senate Committee on Armed Services hearing in Washington on Thursday. Photo: AP
Open Questions series

Open Questions | China wins if Venezuela ensnares Trump, Mearsheimer says

Maduro’s ‘kidnap’ and naked grab for Venezuela’s oil may leave US bogged down and less able to keep eye on China, political scientist John Mearsheimer says.

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Greenland

Europeans send military personnel to Greenland in message to Trump

Initial deployments are small, but Denmark is planning a ‘larger, more permanent’ Nato presence.

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Ukraine war

Kremlin warns Ukraine running out of time to accept peace terms

The Kremlin insists Ukraine is running out of options as US-led talks stall, warning that the ‘situation is deteriorating’ for Kyiv daily.

Firefighters work at a private delivery company’s logistics hub hit by a Russian missile strike in Kharkiv, Ukraine on Tuesday. Photo: Reuters
India

‘Trump’s wrath’: India’s aim to diversify trade via Iran faces tariff threat

The 25 per cent tariff against countries that trade with Iran may curtail India’s plan to develop the Chabahar port in Iran.

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Officials attend a ceremony in 2019 to mark the first export convoy to India via Iran at Chabahar port. Photo: Getty Images
India

Trump’s 500% tariff push raises risk of India-US trade freeze

Such punitive tariffs would erode India’s export competitiveness and force the country to reorient its trade elsewhere, analysts warn.

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United States

US halts visas for 75 countries indefinitely; China not on the list

Trump administration pauses immigrant visa processing from January 21, affecting applicants worldwide while exempting key visa categories.

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