Russia & Caucasus

The wholesale price of crab in Japan has fallen by as much as half since last year. (Photo obtained by Nikkei)
Fisheries

Crab meat prices drop in Japan as Russian imports flood market

Seafood being diverted to Asian markets after U.S. imposes ban

3 December 2023
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks in a group interview in Kyiv: "There will be an understanding of peace and security in the future only if Russian troops are not on our territory." (Photo courtesy of Public Interest Journalism Lab)
Ukraine war

Zelenskyy says no Ukraine peace talks until full Russian withdrawal

President worries Israel-Hamas war will sap aid to his beleaguered country

30 November 2023
A machine engraves a palladium ingot at a plant in the Russian city of Krasnoyarsk. Russia produces 40% of the world's palladium. 
Commodities

Palladium, nickel prices fall as supply chains cut Russia exposure

Manufacturers turn to alternative materials and sources

23 November 2023
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visits an artillery training center amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, at an undisclosed location in Ukraine on Nov. 3. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via Reuters)
Ukraine war: Free to read

Ukraine from Nov. 6 to Nov. 13: Zelenskyy warns of Russian attacks in winter

Lawyers seek release of Russian artist who staged antiwar price tag protest

13 November 2023
Myanmar Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, in center of front row, attends a Nov. 6 ceremony held before a joint naval exercise with Russia. (Military True News Information Team via AP)
Myanmar Crisis

Myanmar and Russia stage first-ever joint naval drills

Countries step up cooperation as Western economic sanctions bite

9 November 2023
Former U.S. President Donald Trump, who is seeking reelection in 2024, has been sharply critical of Washington's support for Kyiv.
6 November 2023
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, right, met with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, left, on the sidelines of the Nov. 3 summit of the Organization of Turkic States.
International relations

Turkey and France jostle for Central Asia influence as Russia declines

Ankara leads Turkic state summit while Macron visits Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan

4 November 2023
Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa plans to invite Central Asian counterparts to attend an upcoming G7 gathering online.
2 November 2023
Thailand's PTTEP holds a substantial stake in Myanmar's Yadana gas field. (Photo courtesy of PTTEP)
Myanmar Crisis

Myanmar state energy company MOGE snared in U.S. sanctions net

Washington targets regime's funds, risks deepening tilt toward China and Russia

2 November 2023
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met with Russia's Vladimir Putin in September. (KCNA via Reuters)
N Korea at crossroads

North Korea prepares to launch spy satellite with Russian aid

South Korea intelligence service says North likely traded shells for rocket tech

2 November 2023
Anti-corruption campaigners have gone easy on the Ukrainian government since Russia's invasion, but attitudes are changing. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by AP and Getty Images) 
Ukraine war

Ukraine fights two-front war against Russia and graft

Civil society, quiet since Moscow's invasion, has started speaking up

28 October 2023
Russia has named a new chief of the nation's aerospace forces to replace Sergei Surovikin, who was relieved of his duties earlier this year. 
Ukraine war: Free to read

Ukraine from Oct. 22 to Oct. 28 : Russia names new head of aerospace forces

Russian central bank raises key interest rate to 15% in fourth straight hike

28 October 2023
The second summit this year between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, pictured here in Beijing on Oct. 17, underscored their close ties.
The Nikkei View

China-Russia challenge to the global order cannot be allowed

Autocratic countries overlook violence while undermining stability and freedom

25 October 2023
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also discussed the situation in the Middle East in a call with Turkey's president.
Ukraine war: Free to read

Ukraine from Oct. 15 Oct. 22: Zelenskyy, Erdogan hold talks on food security, peace deal

Missiles strike Ukraine postal center; Putin meets battlefront commander in Russia

22 October 2023
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks during a video message to the Mount Fuji Dialogue in Tokyo on Oct. 21. (Photo by Suzu Takahashi)
International relations

Japan PM Kishida says international order in 'grave crisis'

At Tokyo forum, U.S. official stresses importance of export controls

21 October 2023
The expansion at the Tangguh facility had been delayed from the initial timeline of 2020, in part by COVID-19. (Photo obtained by Nikkei)
Energy

Japan-backed LNG project in Indonesia boosts output 50%

Mitsubishi, Inpex among investors in BP-operated Tangguh facility

20 October 2023
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping meet on the sidelines of the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing on Oct. 18.
Belt and Road

Xi meets 'old friend' Putin and emphasizes 'deepening' trust

Russian president catches up with other leaders in Beijing, agrees to visit Vietnam

18 October 2023
Russia's President Vladimir Putin arrives at Beijing Capital International Airport to attend the Belt and Road Forum on Oct. 17.
Belt and Road

Putin, in China for Belt and Road Forum, brings high hopes for deals

Russian leader trumpets energy ties, Xi friendship amid shadow of wars

17 October 2023
Russia's wheat exports have kept up with rising global demand, particularly from developing countries.
Commodities

Russia drives wheat prices to near 3-year low with export push

Bumper crop staves off supply fears but feeds concerns about overreliance

17 October 2023
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, pictured at a reception in Moscow in March 2023, are set to meet again at the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing.
Belt and Road

China's Belt and Road Forum to illuminate scope of Russia ties

Any Putin-Xi deals could signal whether a long-term strategic alliance exists

16 October 2023
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi meet in Beijing on Oct. 13.
Ukraine war: Free to read

Ukraine from Oct. 10 to Oct. 14 : EU's Borrell urges China not to supply arms to Russia

Russian forces pound Avdiivka for 4th straight day; Netherlands to supply more Patriot missiles to Ukraine

14 October 2023
Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, shakes hands with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on Oct. 12.
International relations

Russia, China, U.S. and more woo Central Asia with summit diplomacy

Moscow's fading influence in its backyard opens door for Western charm offensive

14 October 2023
Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to make his first known foreign trip since he was hit with an international arrest warrant in March.
International relations

Russia woos Central Asia with Putin's first trip under ICC warrant

CIS summit in Kyrgyzstan follows regional leaders' meetings with U.S., Europe

12 October 2023
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, center, poses for a photo with participants of the informal meeting of European Union foreign ministers in Kyiv on Oct. 2.
The Nikkei View

Democracies must keep Ukraine aid flowing

Standing up to Russia key to protecting rule of law, international order

11 October 2023
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attends a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, following Hamas' attack on Israel.
10 October 2023