Zelenskyy rejects FT’s May 2026 election report, cites need for ceasefire
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Wednesday (11 February) that his government will only hold national elections once a ceasefire with Ru...
As President Putin intensifies strikes against civilians in Ukraine, the UK is stepping up pressure with a new package of 100 sanctions, stated the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.
Today, UK has announced wide-ranging sanctions on Russia as Putin launches his biggest ever drone attack against Ukraine. On Saturday, Russia fired 273 drones at Ukrainian cities, the biggest drone onslaught of the war. A strike on a bus in Sumy killed 9 civilians.
"Putin’s latest strikes once again show his true colours as a warmonger. We urge him to agree a full, unconditional ceasefire right away so there can be talks on a just and lasting peace. We have been clear that delaying peace efforts will only redouble our resolve to help Ukraine to defend itself and use our sanctions to restrict Putin’s war machine," - stated Foreign Secretary, David Lammy.
The UK’s latest sanctions action comes as the EU prepares to announce its 17th package of sanctions against Russia, in a co-ordinated effort to secure a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.
They include entities supporting Russia’s military machine, energy exports and information war, as well as financial institutions helping to fund Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
Today’s measures sanction the supply chains of deadly Russian weapons systems, including Iskander missiles.
"This will protect Ukrainian lives, and our collective security by disrupting Russia’s military machine. Putin has repeatedly fired Iskander missiles into crowded civilian areas with a callous disregard for life. He used these weapons during the strike against Sumy on 13 April that killed 34 civilians including children, some of them heading for Palm Sunday services," - reads the statement.
Today’s sanctions also target 14 more members of the Social Design Agency (SDA), which carries out Kremlin-funded information operations that are designed to undermine sovereignty, democracy, and the rule of law in Ukraine and across the world.
The UK previously sanctioned the SDA and several of its leaders in 2024. Now it targets all levels of the organisation.
The sanctions also target 46 financial institutions that help Russian attempts to evade sanctions, as well as the St Petersburg Currency Exchange, and the Russian Deposit Insurance Agency which insures Russian banks. These new sanctions will further isolate the Russian economy and disrupt Russia’s revenue streams.
Finally, the UK will also sanction 18 more ships in the ‘shadow fleet’ carrying Russians oil, along with the fleet’s enablers. The Prime Minister announced 110 shadow fleet related sanctions ahead of his visit to Kyiv earlier this month.
Additionally, the UK is working with partners to tighten the Oil Price Cap that limits the price that Russia can charge for its oil if transported using G7 services like insurance and shipping. We are reviewing the $60 crude price level, with a view to lowering the cap closer to the cost of production and hitting Putin where it hurts by striking at his oil revenues.
The United States and Azerbaijan signed a strategic partnership in Baku on Tuesday (10 February) encompassing economic and security cooperation as Washington seeks to expand its influence in a region where Russia was once the main power broker.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis arrived in Ankara on Wednesday, where Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held an official welcoming ceremony at the Presidential Palace, marking the start of high-level talks between the two NATO allies.
Europe heads into the Munich Security Conference, 13 February, amid deepening unease over U.S. policy, as President Donald Trump’s hard-line stance on defence, trade and territory fuels doubts about Washington’s long-term commitment to transatlantic security.
The European Union is preparing a further expansion of its sanctions against Russia, with Central Asia emerging for the first time as a distinct point of focus.
A senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader said on Tuesday that negotiations with the United States must remain focused on the nuclear issue and be grounded in realism, as Washington and Tehran prepare to resume talks mediated by Oman.
Türkiye’s national energy company, TPAO, has struck a new cooperation deal with U.S. energy giant Chevron, signing a memorandum of understanding to explore joint oil and gas exploration and production opportunities, the Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Ministry announced on Thursday.
Wall Street ended sharply lower on Tuesday as investors worried about artificial intelligence (AI) creating more competition for software makers, keeping them on edge ahead of quarterly reports from Alphabet and Amazon later this week.
U.S. stock markets finished mixed on Wednesday (28 January) as investors reacted calmly after the Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged, a decision that had been widely expected and largely priced in.
The S&P 500 edged to a record closing high on Tuesday, marking its fifth consecutive day of gains, as strong advances in technology stocks offset a sharp selloff in healthcare shares and a mixed batch of corporate earnings.
Chevron is in talks with Iraq’s oil ministry over potential changes to the commercial framework governing the West Qurna 2 oilfield, one of the world’s largest producing assets, after Baghdad nationalised the field earlier this month following U.S. sanctions imposed on Russia’s Lukoil.
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