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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

A house burns after a powerful earthquake hit Aomori, northeastern Japan, early on Tuesday last week. Photo: Jiji Press/EPA

Japan tremors raise fears of overdue megaquake killing 199,000

Authorities are urging residents to review evacuation plans as simulations suggest a ‘maximum-class’ winter night quake could trap thousands.

11 minutes agovideocam

Zelensky suggests Ukraine could drop Nato goal for security guarantees

1 hour ago

My Take | The emerging axis of lawlessness – the European Union, United States and Israel

14 Dec 2025 - 10:15PM

China-South Korea relations

Is the US pushing South Korea to the fore in deterring a war over Taiwan?

Washington’s latest strategy urges allies to spend ‘much more for collective defence’ as it backs Seoul building nuclear-powered submarines.

14 Dec 2025 - 12:00PMvideocam

South Korean tanks cross a pontoon bridge over the Namhan River during a river crossing exercise in Yeoju on November 25. Photo: EPA

Hong Kong society

Letters | Hong Kong’s ‘coin carts’ are not serving residents who need them most

Readers discuss the city’s coin collection programme, Hongkongers’ response to the Tai Po fire, and why Russia can’t be framed through a Western or Eastern lens.

14 Dec 2025 - 11:30AM

Europe fears hidden Russian threat in Trump-backed Ukraine peace plan

Europe worries a US plan for a demilitarised zone in the Donbas region may help Moscow to reinvade Kyiv.

14 Dec 2025 - 10:39AMvideocam

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The Philippines

Asian Angle | Is the new Philippines-Germany defence pact built to last?

Rising anxieties over Beijing and Moscow have united Berlin and Manila in an axis that must now be institutionalised to ensure it endures.

14 Dec 2025 - 10:30AM

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius (left) mets his Philippine counterpart Gilberto Teodoro Jnr in Manila last year to discuss defence cooperation. Photo: Reuters

Belarus frees 123 prisoners in exchange for US sanctions relief

Peace prize laureate Ales Bialiatski, opposition figure Maria Kolesnikova and 121 others have been released by one of Russia’s key allies.

13 Dec 2025 - 10:38PM

Over 1 million in Ukraine lose electricity after strikes on infrastructure

Kyiv and its allies say Moscow aims to cripple Ukraine’s power grid to deny residents access to light, heat and running water.

13 Dec 2025 - 9:25PMvideocam

North Korea’s Kim reveals soldiers cleared mines for Russia

The North Korean leader hailed returning troops for displaying ‘mass heroism’ during demining operations in the Kursk region.

13 Dec 2025 - 11:22AMvideocam

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un hugs a soldier from the Korean People’s Army’s 528th Regiment of Engineers in a photo released on Saturday. Photo: KCNA/AFP

EU indefinitely freezes Russian assets so they can be used to help Ukraine

Hungarian PM Orban, a Putin ally, accused the European Commission, which prepared the decision, ‘of systematically raping European law’.

13 Dec 2025 - 3:33AM

Ukrainians hold placards during a protest demanding the use of the frozen Russian assets in Brussels, Belgium, on Friday. Photo: EPA

China-EU relations

EU fears China’s role in Russia’s war on Ukraine is deepening

Multiple sources confirm increase in Beijing backing before China-Russia ties are discussed by ministers from the EU’s 27 members on Monday.

14 Dec 2025 - 4:47PMvideocam

Ukraine retakes Kharkiv areas as Russian troops ‘completely cut off’ in Kupiansk

Disputing Moscow’s claim of controlling Kupiansk, Ukraine retakes villages and isolates Russian troops amid fierce eastern battles.

12 Dec 2025 - 8:59PM

Indonesia weighs costs of closer Russia engagement after Prabowo’s Moscow visit

Analysts said Putin’s offers may align with Jakarta’s ambitions but would carry diplomatic costs and the risk of sanctions from Washington.

12 Dec 2025 - 6:37PMvideocam

Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto ahead of their meeting at the Kremlin on Wednesday. Photo: dpa

Letters | Japan overplayed its hand at the table of great powers

Readers discuss the broader implications of Tokyo’s miscalculation, Hong Kong’s entry requirements for native English-speaking teachers, and whether anything could have been done differently in Tai Po.

12 Dec 2025 - 11:30AM

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi meets the press in Wajima, Japan on December 7. Photo: Kyodo

China-India relations

Trump, Modi have ‘warm’ phone call – but 2025 unlikely to end with a trade deal

Even after calls for India to contribute more in the Indo-Pacific to counter China and deepen defence ties, Trump refuses to budge on trade concessions.

12 Dec 2025 - 7:07AMvideocam

Americas and the Caribbean

Tanker seized off Venezuela to be taken to US port, as threat of war grows

White House justifies targeting ‘black-market oil’ as Russia expresses support for its ally, Nicolas Maduro.

12 Dec 2025 - 10:12AMvideocam

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US-China relations

Senior Democrat urges Rubio to fill Arctic post and halt rise of China, Russia

In a letter, Raja Krishnamoorthi asks US Secretary of State to restore key US role in ‘one of the world’s most strategically vital regions’.

12 Dec 2025 - 11:50PMvideocam

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has come under increasing pressure to fill the State Department’s vacant post for Arctic affairs to help curb China and Russia’s influence in the region. Photo: Xinhua

Zelensky floats referendum on territory, as US pressure mounts to end war

Ukraine’s president says Russia wants ‘the whole of Donbas’ in return for peace, but Ukrainians must have their say.

12 Dec 2025 - 3:35PM

China-Japan relations

Donald Trump left facing ‘dilemma’ as China-Japan spat worsens: analyst

White House navigates backing long-time ally Japan while preserving trade truce with China amid fraying ties between the Asian neighbours.

12 Dec 2025 - 12:29AMvideocam

Opinion | Behind Russia’s show of strength in India lies a fragile partnership

Despite Russia’s display of defiance and India’s quest for autonomy, US policy shifts are pushing both into uncharted geopolitical territory.

12 Dec 2025 - 5:46AM

Illustration: Craig Stephens

Proposals on territorial concessions by Ukraine sent to Trump: Merz

The German chancellor emphasised Ukrainian consent in peace talks amid diplomatic tensions.

11 Dec 2025 - 7:30PM

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz speaks during a press briefing in Berlin, Germany on Thursday. Photo: AFP

China-Japan relations

US military sends show of support to Japan as China’s navy, air drills continue

Japanese fighters train with US B-52s and USS George Washington arrives in Yokosuka amid heightened China-Japan tensions.

11 Dec 2025 - 7:13PMvideocam

China-Japan relations

US joins Japan for military exercise amid Takaichi China row

The Japanese and US air forces flew a training mission over the Sea of Japan in wake of complaints from Tokyo about Chinese military activities in the region.

11 Dec 2025 - 5:18PM

Should Opec worry? China joins US shale oil revolution with new fracking tech

Jimsar shale oil demonstration zone in Xinjiang has reached its annual crude output goal of 1.7 million tonnes 22 days ahead of schedule.

11 Dec 2025 - 12:00PM

China has the largest recoverable shale gas and third largest recoverable shale oil reserves in the world, according to the US Energy Information Administration. Photo: Xinhua

Ukraine sends US a revised peace plan as Trump blasts European allies

US president says ‘pretty strong words’ were used in his discussion with leaders from the UK, France and Germany.

11 Dec 2025 - 2:10PM

A cat protects a boy from a Russian missile with an umbrella, in a mural by Ukrainian artist Andriy Yarmolenko, seen by on Wednesday at a children’s hospital in Kyiv. Photo: EPA

SCMP Highlights

China’s consumer prices rise, fighter jet stand-off audio: SCMP daily highlights

From young Chinese rejecting liberal democracy to a growth in China’s consumer prices in November, here’s a round-up from today’s coverage.

10 Dec 2025 - 9:15PM

Opinion | Why India can’t afford to let relations with Russia crumble

Partnering with Moscow brings New Delhi important leverage on Washington and Beijing as well as support for continued strategic autonomy.

11 Dec 2025 - 5:44AMvideocam

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