https://www.scmp.com/rss/32228/feed Latest news, in-depth features and opinion on Russian President Vladimir Putin. He has been president since 2012, previously holding the position between 2000 and 2008. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Sam Beltran Sam Beltran Across Southeast Asia, governments are seeking Russian oil and gas to ease fuel shortages triggered by the continuing chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, a crisis that has sent energy prices higher and forced import-dependent countries to look beyond their usual suppliers. But analysts say the scramble for Russian fuel also raises a bigger question for the region: whether Moscow can turn a short-term role as an emergency energy supplier into longer-term influence there. Member states of the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3351613/will-aseans-scramble-russian-oil-fuel-shift-regional-alliances?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3351613/will-aseans-scramble-russian-oil-fuel-shift-regional-alliances?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Apr 2026 00:00:20 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan Following high-level mediation efforts in Islamabad over the weekend, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held face-to-face talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg on Monday. The diplomatic surge comes as US President Donald Trump convened his senior national security team to evaluate a fresh Iranian peace proposal, delivered via Pakistan, aimed at ending the months-long Middle East crisis and reopening the Strait of Hormuz. The White House confirmed the proposal called... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3351617/trump-weighs-irans-red-lines-tehrans-top-diplomat-engages-russias-putin?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3351617/trump-weighs-irans-red-lines-tehrans-top-diplomat-engages-russias-putin?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2026 17:18:25 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong North Korea and Russia are moving to consolidate their military ties at a time of deepening global instability, with both sides using the Ukraine war as a symbol of their unwavering alliance. Sunday’s unveiling of a memorial museum in Pyongyang for North Korean soldiers killed in the war was also aimed at showing the two countries were in lockstep over their anti-West stance, according to observers. The partnership stemmed from their converging needs – Russia’s demand for manpower and materiel,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3351533/north-korea-russia-boost-anti-west-powerful-bulwark-ukraine-war-drags?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3351533/north-korea-russia-boost-anti-west-powerful-bulwark-ukraine-war-drags?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2026 06:13:41 +0000 Reuters Reuters North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said his country would continue to support Russia’s policies and he discussed the international political situation with Russia’s defence minister, state media KCNA reported on Monday. A Russian delegation including Defence Minister Andrei Belousov attended a completion ceremony for a ‌‌memorial honouring North Korean soldiers killed while fighting in Russia’s Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces staged an incursion in 2024, KCNA said. Russia launched a full-scale... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3351505/north-koreas-kim-vows-continued-support-russia-memorial-fallen-troops?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3351505/north-koreas-kim-vows-continued-support-russia-memorial-fallen-troops?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2026 01:30:37 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Hungary’s outgoing Prime Minister Viktor Orban said he would not take up his seat in parliament following his party’s landslide defeat in this month’s election but wants to stay on as Fidesz’s leader to lead a process of “renewal”. The most dominant figure in Hungarian politics since the fall of communism in 1989, Orban has sat in Hungary’s legislature for 36 years without interruption, serving as prime minister for the past sixteen years. “I’m not needed in parliament now but in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3351444/hungarys-orban-wont-take-parliament-seat-after-landslide-loss-wants-lead-renewal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3351444/hungarys-orban-wont-take-parliament-seat-after-landslide-loss-wants-lead-renewal?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Apr 2026 20:12:19 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Russian strikes across Ukraine killed at least six people, officials said on Saturday, most of them in an attack on a residential building in the eastern city of Dnipro. Over 30 people were injured, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said. Ukraine’s General Staff said Russia launched 47 ballistic and cruise missiles as well as 619 drones of various types. Ukraine has been warding off a full-scale Russian invasion since February 2022. Air raid sirens sounded across the country with residents urged to... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3351422/5-die-ukraine-over-30-wounded-massive-russian-attack?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3351422/5-die-ukraine-over-30-wounded-massive-russian-attack?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Apr 2026 09:56:58 +0000 Junjie Wang Junjie Wang Mozambique President Daniel Chapo became the first African head of state to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping this year. Chapo was the tenth national leader overall to meet Xi in Beijing in 2026, following earlier visits from the heads of countries including the UK, Canada, Vietnam and Spain. US President Donald Trump is due to have a summit with Xi during a May 14-15 visit to China. Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit the country before the end of June. https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/article/3351244/xi-jinping-meets-foreign-leaders-tracker-2026?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/article/3351244/xi-jinping-meets-foreign-leaders-tracker-2026?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Apr 2026 03:58:05 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The European Union on Thursday approved a massive loan package to help Ukraine meet its economic and military needs for the next two years, the bloc’s Cypriot presidency said, after Hungary lifted its veto. The EU also approved a new raft of sanctions against Russia over its war on Ukraine. The measures were prepared early this year and set to be announced in February to mark the fourth anniversary of the conflict, but Hungary and Slovakia opposed the move. Hungary and Slovakia have been locked... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3351197/eu-approves-us106-billion-loan-ukraine-after-hungary-lifts-veto?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3351197/eu-approves-us106-billion-loan-ukraine-after-hungary-lifts-veto?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 12:41:17 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham Sven Biscop is a Belgian political scientist and strategist specialising in the foreign affairs and security of the EU and its relations with great powers. He is a director at the Egmont Royal Institute for International Relations in Brussels and a professor at Ghent University. He is also a senior research fellow at Renmin University in Beijing, where he teaches in the summer. Biscop is the author of many books, including 2024’s This Is Not a New World Order: Europe Rediscovers Geopolitics,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350626/saying-youre-geopolitical-actor-doesnt-make-it-so-sven-biscop-europe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350626/saying-youre-geopolitical-actor-doesnt-make-it-so-sven-biscop-europe?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 22:00:19 +0000 Reuters Reuters The Kremlin on Friday denied that ⁠President Vladimir ⁠Putin was insulated from ⁠bad news after a celebrity blogger accused unidentified top officials of not telling Russia’s paramount leader the truth about the country’s problems. Viktoria Bonya, a social media influencer who ‌is well known inside Russia for her appearances on reality TV shows, said this week that she supported Putin and listed five problems which she said officials were not briefing him on honestly. Her video was watched more... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3350519/kremlin-denies-putins-isolation-russias-woes-amid-bloggers-criticism?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3350519/kremlin-denies-putins-isolation-russias-woes-amid-bloggers-criticism?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:47:25 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier Russia and China’s top envoys met in Beijing on Tuesday to discuss the Iran war, Ukraine and Taiwan as Beijing stepped up its Iran war diplomacy and tensions with Washington increased. In a jab at Washington and US President Donald Trump that did not mention either by name, a Chinese readout of the meeting between Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov noted that the world is increasingly marked by turmoil and instability. The two top diplomats also discussed plans... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350099/top-russian-and-chinese-envoys-meet-beijing-discuss-iran-ukraine-and-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350099/top-russian-and-chinese-envoys-meet-beijing-discuss-iran-ukraine-and-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 19:59:47 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow With millions of Indonesians at risk of being pushed into poverty amid a deepening global energy crisis, President Prabowo Subianto arrived in Moscow this week seeking something straightforward but increasingly scarce: cheap oil. Prabowo’s trip, which got under way on Monday, comes at a moment of acute regional anxiety. Global oil prices have skyrocketed since the United States and Israel launched their war on Iran more than six weeks ago amid the near-total closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350002/why-indonesias-prabowo-russia-and-what-he-needs-putin?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350002/why-indonesias-prabowo-russia-and-what-he-needs-putin?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 06:04:30 +0000 dpa dpa Former British prime minister Boris Johnson has hit out at the “delay” and “timidity” in helping Ukraine after travelling through the country unprotected during a 72-hour trip for a documentary. The former prime minister travelled beyond the capital Kyiv to the so-called kill zone near the city of Zaporizhzhia where he witnessed first-hand the war between Russia and Ukraine. The 61-year-old said Ukraine can and will win the war, but that “we are risibly failing to live up to our pledges” to the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3349952/ex-uk-pm-boris-johnson-criticises-timidity-over-ukraine-after-visit-film?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3349952/ex-uk-pm-boris-johnson-criticises-timidity-over-ukraine-after-visit-film?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 15:34:27 +0000 Jill Lander Jill Lander April marks the Dragon Month from April 5 to May 4. The third solar month of 2026 is influenced by the energy of the Metal Dragon, geng chen. The elements of the month are yang water and earth, which focus on power, mysticism and nobility. The Dragon is dynamic, lively, creative, hardworking and spirited – perhaps sometimes a little anarchic or eccentric. Watch out for heart health, especially if you sleep within the southeast of your home. The south is also rather vulnerable for the bladder... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/lifestyle/leisure/article/3349838/horoscopes-whats-your-luck-april-2026-metal-dragon-month?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/lifestyle/leisure/article/3349838/horoscopes-whats-your-luck-april-2026-metal-dragon-month?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 04:00:13 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A truce between Russia and Ukraine to mark the Orthodox Easter formally expired on Monday, both sides having accused each other of thousands of violations, despite a lull in Russian air raids. The truce lasted 32 hours, from 4pm on Saturday until the end of the day on Sunday. Both sides had agreed to observe the ceasefire, which Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered on Thursday and which Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky proposed more than a week earlier. But as with a similar... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3349820/russia-and-ukraine-accuse-each-other-violating-putins-easter-ceasefire?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3349820/russia-and-ukraine-accuse-each-other-violating-putins-easter-ceasefire?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Apr 2026 19:44:53 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A temporary truce between Russia and Ukraine entered into force on Saturday, with Kyiv warning it would respond “immediately” if Russia violated it. Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the ceasefire on Thursday to coincide with Orthodox Easter, more than a week after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky first made the proposal. Both sides have agreed to observe it. The ceasefire is due to last for 32 hours, from 4.00pm on Saturday until the end of the day on Sunday, according to the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3349757/russia-and-ukraine-begin-32-hour-ceasefire-orthodox-easter?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3349757/russia-and-ukraine-begin-32-hour-ceasefire-orthodox-easter?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Apr 2026 13:25:14 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Ukrainians on Friday were wary of Russia’s pledge to pause fighting for an Orthodox Easter ceasefire – first proposed by Kyiv – this weekend. The Kremlin said it had ordered a temporary truce to be in effect from Saturday afternoon until the end of Sunday, a 32-hour period during which Russia would stop fighting “in all directions”. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky – who has repeatedly called for a ceasefire in the four-year war – said Kyiv was willing to reciprocate. But in Kyiv there was... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3349710/ukrainians-sceptical-russias-putin-orders-easter-truce?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3349710/ukrainians-sceptical-russias-putin-orders-easter-truce?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 17:06:03 +0000 Reuters Reuters Russian ⁠President Vladimir Putin’s special ⁠envoy Kirill Dmitriev is currently in the United States and is meeting members of US President Donald Trump’s administration for ‌discussions on a peace deal for Ukraine and US-Russia economic cooperation, sources with knowledge of the visit said on Thursday. The visit comes before the US decision on ⁠whether to extend sanctions relief on Russian oil, ‌which expires on April 11 and could also be on the agenda. The ‌United States issued a 30-day waiver... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3349572/russian-special-envoy-us-meet-trump-administration-officials?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3349572/russian-special-envoy-us-meet-trump-administration-officials?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 20:00:23 +0000 dpa dpa Russia has formally designated Nazi crimes against the Soviet population during World War II as genocide and criminalised their denial, after President Vladimir Putin signed amendments to the country’s criminal code, the Kremlin said on Thursday. The term “genocide of the Soviet people” has increasingly been used in Russia in recent years. Authorities have also proposed repurposing a closed museum dedicated to the Soviet-era Gulag system into one focused on victims of Nazi crimes. Moscow has... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3349569/russia-criminalises-denial-soviet-genocide-nazis-during-world-war-ii?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3349569/russia-criminalises-denial-soviet-genocide-nazis-during-world-war-ii?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 18:21:17 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Britain said on Thursday it had tracked and deterred three Russian submarines on an alleged month-long “covert operation” in UK waters in the North Atlantic near vital undersea cables and pipelines. Disclosing details of the joint mission with Norway and other unspecified allies, British Defence Secretary John Healey said there was no evidence the Russian vessels had damaged the subsea infrastructure. The UK minister said he was revealing the operation, which involved British warships and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3349565/uk-tracked-russia-submarines-alleged-atlantic-covert-operation-defence-secretary?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3349565/uk-tracked-russia-submarines-alleged-atlantic-covert-operation-defence-secretary?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 16:55:12 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo It might have made a good April Fool’s joke. Unfortunately, it was not. “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the F***in’ Strait, you crazy b*****ds, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah. President DONALD J. TRUMP.” Really, who writes like that? Even a tinpot dictator from some godforsaken hellhole would have written a less expletive-laden post to retain some personal dignity as a leader of... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3349114/why-donald-trump-now-needs-forever-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3349114/why-donald-trump-now-needs-forever-war?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 12:30:08 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed concern that a prolonged US-Israeli war on Iran could further erode America’s support for Ukraine as Washington’s global priorities shift and Kyiv braces for reduced deliveries of critically needed Patriot air-defence missiles. Ukraine desperately needed more US-made Patriot air defence systems to help it counter Russia’s daily barrages, Zelensky said, speaking to The Associated Press in an exclusive interview on Saturday in Istanbul. Russia’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3349073/ukraines-zelensky-fears-iran-war-may-lead-less-support-fight-russias-invasion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3349073/ukraines-zelensky-fears-iran-war-may-lead-less-support-fight-russias-invasion?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 06:25:11 +0000 Junaid Kathju Junaid Kathju As Russia comes to India’s aid amid the global energy crisis, a familiar mantra has resurfaced among officials and political analysts – that Moscow is New Delhi’s “all weather-friend”. Such a stance is anchored by deep strategic interests, with both countries viewing each other as vital to their balancing between China and an increasingly erratic United States, according to observers. On Friday, Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov said Moscow was well-positioned to ramp up oil and... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349063/india-turns-trusted-friend-russia-oil-lng-supply-iran-war-energises-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349063/india-turns-trusted-friend-russia-oil-lng-supply-iran-war-energises-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 04:29:34 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Russia and Ukraine traded deadly strikes overnight and on Saturday morning, killing 10 people and wounding several dozen more, officials on both sides said on Saturday. The attacks came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky travelled to Istanbul for talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He will also meet with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the spiritual leader of Eastern Orthodox Christians. “We are working to strengthen our partnership to ensure the real protection of lives,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3349053/russia-ukraine-strikes-kill-10-zelensky-travels-turkey-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3349053/russia-ukraine-strikes-kill-10-zelensky-travels-turkey-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 15:48:49 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Russian strikes killed at least eight people across Ukraine on Friday, including in a “massive” missile and drone attack near the capital, local authorities reported. Ukrainian officials claim the Kremlin is changing its tactics to increase civilian suffering, shifting to daytime barrages and preparing to target more key infrastructure. President Volodymyr Zelensky has signalled Kyiv’s openness to a potential Easter truce. The holiday is celebrated on April 12 in Ukraine and Russia. Zelensky... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3349002/8-die-ukraine-russian-strikes-kyiv-holds-door-open-easter-truce?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3349002/8-die-ukraine-russian-strikes-kyiv-holds-door-open-easter-truce?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 15:57:46 +0000 Vanessa Cai Vanessa Cai China’s flagship airline resumed direct flight services to Pyongyang on Monday, a symbolic and logistical development that marks warming bilateral ties and comes just weeks after passenger train services were restored for the first time in six years. The Air China flight arrived at Pyongyang Sunan International Airport on Monday morning. China’s ambassador to North Korea, Wang Yajun, and other embassy diplomats welcomed passengers at the airport, according to Chinese state news agency... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348370/china-steps-north-korea-connections-regular-beijing-pyongyang-flights-resume?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348370/china-steps-north-korea-connections-regular-beijing-pyongyang-flights-resume?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 07:09:20 +0000 Amber Wang,Dewey Sim,Laura Zhou Amber Wang,Dewey Sim,Laura Zhou Vladimir Putin is expected to visit China soon after Donald Trump’s trip in May in a diplomatic double-header that would be the first time Beijing has hosted the leaders of the US and Russia in the same month outside a multilateral event. According to Chinese analysts, the back-to-back visits highlight Beijing’s strategic effort to manage relations with both major powers amid rising global turbulence. Trump’s long-planned trip to Beijing was expected to take place from May 14 to 15, the White... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348148/what-does-it-mean-china-if-donald-trump-and-vladimir-putin-visit-back-back?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348148/what-does-it-mean-china-if-donald-trump-and-vladimir-putin-visit-back-back?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 15:00:10 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse North Korea and Belarus’ strongmen leaders signed a “friendship and cooperation” treaty on Thursday after Kim Jong-un gave a lavish welcome to President Alexander Lukashenko on his maiden visit. Besides supporting Russia’s war against Ukraine - around 2,000 North Korean soldiers are thought to have died - both nations are under Western sanctions and are accused of gross human rights violations. The two men met last year in China. “In the modern realities of global transformation - at a time when... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/diplomacy/article/3348067/north-korea-and-belarus-sign-friendship-treaty-lukashenkos-first-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/diplomacy/article/3348067/north-korea-and-belarus-sign-friendship-treaty-lukashenkos-first-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 02:08:08 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang The scramble in Asia to secure Russian energy supplies – coupled with the temporary lifting of US sanctions – in the wake of the war in Iran has created a growing sense that Moscow might prove the main winner from the conflict. Earlier this week, Russian President Vladimir Putin told a meeting of oil and gas suppliers that they should use the “additional revenues” generated by the spike in energy prices as a result of the war and the effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Putin has also... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347967/russia-really-shaping-biggest-winner-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347967/russia-really-shaping-biggest-winner-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 22:00:09 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The Iran war has deflected global attention from Russia’s all-out invasion of its neighbour Ukraine as Europe’s biggest conflict since World War II enters its fifth year and an emboldened Kremlin undertakes a spring offensive. The past week showed that neither side was easing up. Russia on Tuesday fired almost 1,000 drones and 34 missiles at Ukraine in one of the war’s biggest bombardments. The following day Ukraine launched almost 400 drones in the largest reported overnight attack on Russian... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3347956/iran-war-deflects-attention-ukraine-russia-starts-spring-offensive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3347956/iran-war-deflects-attention-ukraine-russia-starts-spring-offensive?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 06:08:22 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse North Korea and Belarus’ strongmen leaders signed a “friendship and cooperation” treaty on Thursday after Kim Jong-un gave a lavish welcome to President Alexander Lukashenko on his maiden visit. Besides supporting Russia’s war against Ukraine – around 2,000 North Korean soldiers are thought to have died – both nations are under Western sanctions and are accused of gross human rights violations. The two men met last year in China. “In the modern realities of global transformation – at a time when... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3347922/lukashenko-greeted-kim-jong-un-belarus-leaders-first-visit-north-korea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3347922/lukashenko-greeted-kim-jong-un-belarus-leaders-first-visit-north-korea?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 23:33:07 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A major Russian drone and missile attack on civilian areas of Ukraine killed six people and injured at least 46, officials said on Tuesday, while Moscow’s army stepped up efforts to break through Ukrainian frontline defences in what could be the start of an anticipated spring ground offensive. Russia fired almost 400 long-range drones at Ukraine overnight, Ukraine’s air force said, in its biggest attack in weeks. The onslaught continued into Tuesday as dozens of drones targeted the capital Kyiv... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3347764/4-dead-russia-fires-nearly-400-drones-ukraine-signs-spring-offensive-has-begun?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3347764/4-dead-russia-fires-nearly-400-drones-ukraine-signs-spring-offensive-has-begun?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 16:48:16 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong He accused the United States of “state terror”. He vowed North Korea would never surrender its nuclear weapons. And yet Kim Jong-un’s address to the Supreme People’s Assembly contained one notable omission: any direct attack on Donald Trump. That absence was an attempt to leave the door to diplomacy ajar, analysts said, even as North Korea’s supreme leader slammed it shut on the notion that his nuclear-armed nation could be pressured, coerced or subdued like other US adversaries. “The United... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3347683/north-koreas-kim-slams-us-state-terror-spares-trump-third-term-address?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3347683/north-koreas-kim-slams-us-state-terror-spares-trump-third-term-address?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 06:55:43 +0000 Agencies Agencies Most of Ukraine’s northern Chernihiv region was ‌left without power on Saturday after a Russian drone attack, local governor Viacheslav Chaus said. He ⁠said repair works were under way ‌to fix the damage. The region, which ‌borders Russia and Belarus, ⁠had ⁠a pre-war population of nearly ‌a million. The regional capital, also called ‌Chernihiv, ‌was fully without power, ‌the city administration there ⁠said. Russia has conducted a vast ⁠bombardment campaign against Ukrainian energy facilities... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3347437/most-ukraines-chernihiv-region-has-no-power-after-russian-attack?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3347437/most-ukraines-chernihiv-region-has-no-power-after-russian-attack?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Mar 2026 12:15:29 +0000 Reuters Reuters Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko freed 250 prisoners on Thursday - the biggest batch to be released so far - in return for a further easing of US sanctions, the US embassy in neighbouring Lithuania said. The releases were part of a bargaining process in which Lukashenko was seeking a normalisation of ties with Washington after years of isolation and sanctions, in exchange for easing repression in the former Soviet state he has led since 1994. Belarusian ‌human rights group Viasna said... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3347236/belarus-frees-250-political-prisoners-us-removes-more-sanctions-latest-signs-thaw?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3347236/belarus-frees-250-political-prisoners-us-removes-more-sanctions-latest-signs-thaw?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 03:05:20 +0000 Reuters,Bloomberg Reuters,Bloomberg A pro-Kremlin figure who unexpectedly denounced Russian President Vladimir Putin and the war in Ukraine in a social media post this week that went viral has been placed in a psychiatric facility, Russian media reported on Thursday. Ilya Remeslo made a career denouncing Putin’s critics until he became one himself, posting a manifesto late on Tuesday to his 90,000 followers on ⁠Telegram entitled: “Five reasons why I stopped supporting Vladimir Putin.” He said Putin had prosecuted a “failing war”... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3347211/pro-kremlin-russian-blogger-who-turned-putin-sent-psychiatric-unit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3347211/pro-kremlin-russian-blogger-who-turned-putin-sent-psychiatric-unit?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Mar 2026 14:46:04 +0000 Agencies Agencies European Union experts have arrived in Ukraine to assess the condition of the Druzhba oil pipeline, state energy firm Naftogaz said, after its closure in January caused a row with Hungary that is blocking an EU loan to Kyiv. The EU last week proposed sending a mission to inspect the pipeline. Ukraine later said it had accepted the EU offer of technical support and funding to restore oil flows through the damaged pipeline. Hungary and Slovakia have been cut off from Russian oil deliveries via... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3347183/eu-inspects-druzhba-pipeline-bid-unclog-hungarys-block-ukraine-aid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3347183/eu-inspects-druzhba-pipeline-bid-unclog-hungarys-block-ukraine-aid?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Mar 2026 10:26:56 +0000 Reuters Reuters Peace talks between the United States, Russia and Ukraine on ending the Ukraine war, the deadliest European conflict since World War II, were on a “situational pause”, the Kremlin said on Thursday. Moscow’s statement followed a report by Russia’s Izvestia newspaper that the Iran war had temporarily ‌halted negotiations between ⁠Moscow, ⁠Washington and Kyiv. Kremlin ‌spokesman Dmitry Peskov said ‌Russia hoped ‌the ‌pause would end and ⁠another round of ⁠negotiations can be held. US President... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3347151/russian-report-says-ukraine-peace-talks-paused-amid-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3347151/russian-report-says-ukraine-peace-talks-paused-amid-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Mar 2026 08:27:27 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday urged the European Union to overcome a veto by Hungary on a €90 billion (US$103 billion) loan vital for his country. Zelensky, during a visit to Madrid to meet Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, said he considered that the “main issue” of an EU summit to be held Thursday and Friday in Brussels. “We are really counting on the countries and the EU to find ways to resolve this issue,” he said. Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban – Russian... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3347075/zelensky-urges-eu-bypass-hungarys-blackmail-veto-vital-us103-billion-loan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3347075/zelensky-urges-eu-bypass-hungarys-blackmail-veto-vital-us103-billion-loan?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 14:35:57 +0000 Charmaine Yu Charmaine Yu If he had to pick one word, Jean-Claude Van Damme says he would describe his oil paintings as “simple”. The star of Bloodsport (1988) had swaggered into his art exhibition 40 minutes late, clad in full black, including the sunglasses he wore indoors. At 65 years old, the “Muscles from Brussels” still has a similar physique to the one at the height of his martial arts acting fame, though his hair is sparser and his gait less brazen. A long-time admirer of Sylvester Stallone, the Belgian-born... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3346726/jean-claude-van-damme-talks-art-hong-kong-filmmakers-and-good-friend-vladimir-putin?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3346726/jean-claude-van-damme-talks-art-hong-kong-filmmakers-and-good-friend-vladimir-putin?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2026 23:15:10 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The UK will “welcome” Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday, British Defence Secretary John Healey told parliament, with the Ukrainian leader expected to travel to Madrid, Spain the next day. “Our total determination to stand with Ukraine remains steadfast and we will welcome President Zelensky to this country tomorrow,” Healey said on Monday. Healey’s announcement came hours after UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he would be meeting the Ukrainian leader “soon”. Ukraine’s European allies have vowed... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3346802/zelensky-visit-uk-starmer-says-it-vital-continue-supporting-ukraine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3346802/zelensky-visit-uk-starmer-says-it-vital-continue-supporting-ukraine?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2026 18:24:41 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Japan and Germany said on Wednesday they would tap into their oil reserves to tackle the rise in crude prices due to the Middle East war, with Berlin saying the IEA global energy body had asked member states to release 400 million barrels. France, the current chair of the Group of Seven countries, said nations were coordinating their steps as G7 energy ministers said they stood ready to take “all necessary measures”. The latest announcement came as leaders of the Group of Seven advanced... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3346251/germany-japan-unblock-oil-reserves-g7-stands-ready-act?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3346251/germany-japan-unblock-oil-reserves-g7-stands-ready-act?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2026 12:29:15 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Russian and Ukrainian officials are making contradictory claims of battlefield successes in their four-year-old war, with Ukraine saying it has pushed Moscow’s forces back in some places on the front line but the Kremlin insisting that Russia’s invasion of its neighbour is making progress. At the same time, Russia’s almost daily aerial attacks on civilian areas of Ukraine continue. Three powerful glide bombs struck the centre of the eastern Ukrainian city of Sloviansk, killing four people, the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3346143/russia-ukraine-both-claim-frontline-success-while-us-led-talks-remain-hold?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3346143/russia-ukraine-both-claim-frontline-success-while-us-led-talks-remain-hold?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Mar 2026 15:46:43 +0000 Laura Zhou Laura Zhou China will resume passenger train services to North Korea for the first time in six years – the latest sign of warming ties between the two countries as Pyongyang grapples with increasing tensions with the South and Donald Trump’s unpredictability. From Thursday, passenger trains between Beijing and Pyongyang will run four times a week – on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday, China Railway Group (CREC) said on social media Tuesday night. The train will depart from Beijing at around 5.30pm... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346128/china-north-korea-rail-services-restored-neighbours-try-get-relations-back-track?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346128/china-north-korea-rail-services-restored-neighbours-try-get-relations-back-track?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Mar 2026 13:00:12 +0000 Lucy Quaggin,Teresa Elena Frontado Lucy Quaggin,Teresa Elena Frontado US President Donald Trump claimed on Monday that American military objectives in Iran were nearly complete and the conflict could be nearing an end - a declaration met with a defiant vow from Tehran that the war would end on its own terms. Speaking at a news conference in Florida on the same day he discussed the war in a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump claimed the US was “achieving major strides towards completing our military objective”, adding that “some people could say... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346023/trump-and-putin-discuss-quick-ending-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346023/trump-and-putin-discuss-quick-ending-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Mar 2026 20:21:18 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The Milano-Cortina Winter Paralympics start on Friday, but the atmosphere at the opening ceremony has been dampened by Ukraine leading a boycott against the presence of a handful of Russian competitors in the competition. Ukraine’s team will skip the ceremony in Verona in protest against the International Paralympic Committee’s decision to allow six Russian and four Belarusian athletes to compete under their respective national flags rather than as neutrals. Russia and Belarus had been banned... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3345564/milano-cortina-winter-paralympics-start-icy-blast-ukraine-lead-ceremony-boycott?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3345564/milano-cortina-winter-paralympics-start-icy-blast-ukraine-lead-ceremony-boycott?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Mar 2026 23:00:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters Russia could halt gas supplies to Europe right now amid a spike in energy prices triggered by the Iran crisis, President Vladimir Putin warned on Wednesday, linking the possible decision to the European Union wanting to ban purchases of Russian gas and liquefied natural gas. Oil and gas prices have soared following the ‌US and Israeli attack on Iran and Tehran’s strikes on Gulf Arab neighbours. The conflict has paralysed shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and forced the shutdown of Qatar’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3345484/russia-may-halt-gas-supplies-europe-amid-iran-energy-spike-putin-warns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3345484/russia-may-halt-gas-supplies-europe-amid-iran-energy-spike-putin-warns?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 20:44:53 +0000 Reuters Reuters When US President Donald Trump returned ⁠to the White House last year, some Russian hardliners were cautiously optimistic, hoping his unpredictability ⁠and transactional nature might benefit Moscow on Ukraine. But his attack on Iran means many now see him as a growing threat to Russia itself and are questioning if Trump is the pragmatic, potentially pro-Moscow strongman ready to deal in realpolitik that they thought he was. Some hawks are publicly demanding that Moscow abandon US-brokered peace... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3345434/trumps-iran-attack-sparks-calls-russia-abandon-ukraine-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3345434/trumps-iran-attack-sparks-calls-russia-abandon-ukraine-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 10:37:13 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg A protracted war in the Middle East could reduce the availability of air defences for Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky said, acknowledging potential ripple effects from the US-led bombing campaign in Iran. Washington has all but stopped providing military aid to Kyiv since President Donald Trump returned to the White House last year, but the US continues to sell weapons financed by Ukraine’s allies, mainly from Europe. Zelensky said that he had discussed military assistance with German... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3345176/long-iran-war-could-hurt-ukraines-fight-against-russia-says-zelensky?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3345176/long-iran-war-could-hurt-ukraines-fight-against-russia-says-zelensky?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 13:47:45 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The US military said on Saturday that it has been using single-use drones to attack Iran for the first time in combat, signalling adoption by the world’s wealthiest military of a technology already surging to prominence in the Ukraine-Russia war. “Task Force Scorpion Strike employed low-cost one-way attack drones for the first time in combat,” US Central Command (Centcom) said in a statement posted on social media. Centcom said the drones, which are expendable but cheaper than traditional... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3345000/us-says-it-used-drones-based-irans-own-shaheds-attack-american-made-retribution?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3345000/us-says-it-used-drones-based-irans-own-shaheds-attack-american-made-retribution?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Feb 2026 21:20:22 +0000