Ukraine war

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, right, and China's Director of the Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission Wang Yi speak before a meeting in Moscow on Feb. 22. 
Ukraine war

China issues fresh call for cease-fire in year-old Ukraine war

Beijing abstains from U.N. vote calling on ally Russia to withdraw forces

24 February 2023
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24 February 2023
U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen holds a news conference as G-20 finance leaders gather on the outskirts of Bengaluru, India, on Feb. 23.
International relations

Yellen to press China on Sri Lanka debt, Russia sanctions at G-20

In India, U.S. Treasury chief urges more aid for Ukraine against 'brutal assault'

24 February 2023
Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to host her G-20 counterparts this week in Bengaluru. (Nikkei montage/Getty Images)
International relations

G-20 finance heads to meet in India with debt, Ukraine top of mind

Analysts expect tug of war over how much Russia's invasion should factor in talks

23 February 2023
The dollar and the euro accounted for 34% and 19% of Russia's export payments as of September, down from 52% and 35% in January, before the sanctions took effect.
Currencies

Russia speeds shift to ruble and yuan as sanctions bite

Response to Ukraine war fuels move away from export payments in dollars and euros

23 February 2023
Fumio Kishida speaks to reporters after a phone call with Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Jan. 6: If the Japanese prime minister cannot accept the invitation to go to Kyiv, it will be a blow to Ukraine.
Opinion

It is time for Kishida to make a trip to Kyiv

As G-7 president, Japan shouldn't be only member not to show support in person

23 February 2023
China's President Xi Jinping, center, is caught between a rock and a hard place. Any military assistance for Russian President Vladimir Putin would aggravate international tensions, but he also does not want to bow to threats from U.S. President Joe Biden. (Nikkei montage/Getty Images/Reuters)
China up close

Analysis: Xi ponders ramifications of supporting Russia

Could the US come to regard China as a state sponsor of terrorism?

23 February 2023
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama after an interview with Nikkei in Tokyo on Feb. 22: He stressed it is important for all countries to talk to one another. (Photo by Yuki Kohara) 
Interview

Albania sees 'zero' benefits from China's '17+1' but will stay: PM

Edi Rama emphasizes dialogue with all as he explores granting NATO naval base

22 February 2023
Export traffic is expected to slow at Taiwan's Keelung Port in 2023.
Economy

Taiwan cuts GDP growth forecast for 2023 after exports slow down

Predicted export growth down over 5% in wake of rate rises and Ukraine

22 February 2023
A sign in Lviv urges Ukrainians to sign up for the armed forces. "Ukraine needs you now!" it says. (Photo by Takeshi Kumon)
Ukraine war

Hope for Ukrainian victory burns strong in Lviv, one year on

Western hub bustles with activity despite shadow of war

22 February 2023
The graves of unidentified victims fill a cemetery in Bucha, northern Ukraine, on Feb. 19, almost one year into the nation's war with Russia. (Photo by Paula Bronstein)
The Big Story

'Fear for our families': A year of Putin's war through the eyes of Ukrainians

Twelve months on from invasion, Western arms shift balance of war as Russia hopes to outlast NATO

22 February 2023
Top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi spoke Feb. 18 at the Munich Security Conference, where he met with counterparts from the U.S. and Ukraine.
International relations

China's top diplomat set to meet Putin with Moscow summit in cards

Wang Yi's trip on eve of Ukraine invasion anniversary sends message to U.S.

22 February 2023
Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang on Feb. 21 voiced concern the Ukraine war could escalate and urged "certain countries to ... stop fueling the fire." 
Politics

China warns against 'fueling fire' in Ukraine war

Beijing also releases paper on Xi's wide-ranging flagship security plan

21 February 2023
The U.S. imported far less Russian crude oil in 2022, with shipments down 90%. China's imports of Russian crude, by contrast, rose 30%, while India's surged seventeenfold over the same period.
Commodities

Commodity prices dip in year since Russia's Ukraine invasion

Prices down from prewar level for 14 of 19 items in widely tracked index

21 February 2023
U.S. President Joe Biden arrives at a military airport, in Warsaw, Poland, on Feb. 20.
21 February 2023
Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin meet via video link on Dec. 30, 2022: The problem for Russia is that its dependence on China keeps getting deeper.
Opinion

China's embrace of Russia is mostly for show

Rhetoric about close ties is not translating into cooperation on tangible goals

20 February 2023
U.S. Ambassador to NATO Julianne Smith said the bloc will give Ukraine "everything they need." (Photo by Ryo Nakamura)
Defense

NATO won't let 'foot off the gas' on Ukraine aid: U.S. ambassador

Alliance members rush to increase ammunition output amid shortage concerns

18 February 2023
Russian President Vladimir Putin holds talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping via a video link from Moscow on Dec. 30, 2022: The sanctions are bringing America's two main adversaries closer together.
Opinion

Russian war sanctions show why U.S. must rethink its strategies

Trade penalties have tended to benefit China, Washington's top rival

17 February 2023
An oil refinery in Mumbai: India has become a top buyer of bargain crude from Russia.
Trade

India's Russian imports soar 400% as U.S. offers little resistance

China seen behind Washington's soft touch; New Delhi optimistic on rupee trade

17 February 2023
Attendees at the NATO summit in Madrid greet each other on June 29, 2022.
International relations

NATO eyes joint summit statement with Japan and South Korea

Australia, New Zealand also to be included in show of unity against Russia, China

16 February 2023
The transfer of Russia's reserve assets into yuan does not eliminate geopolitical risk. 
Opinion

Russia's embrace of yuan cannot bring financial stability

Reliance on the Chinese currency brings new risks and complications

14 February 2023
Financial markets will be waiting to see whether the Bank of Japan dials back monetary easing under a new leader. (Photo by Karina Noka)
Your Week in Asia

BOJ new governor, Singapore budget, Hong Kong population

Your weekly lineup of Asia's biggest business and political events

12 February 2023
Left: U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill chat aboard a warship off the coast of Canada in August 1941. Right: The leaders of Australia, the U.S., India and Japan meet at the Quad summit in Tokyo in May 2022.  (Source photos by AP)
Comment

Why the world needs Indo-Pacific Charter

Japan must play key role in drawing up new global security framework

11 February 2023
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attends an online meeting Feb. 10 with sport ministers from 35 countries to discuss a ban of Russian and Belarusian athletes from the 2024 Olympics. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via Reuters)
Ukraine war

Olympics row deepens as 35 nations demand ban for Russia, Belarus

U.S., U.K., Australia among those wanting athletes barred from 2024 Paris Games

11 February 2023
Russian President Vladimir Putin has never accepted the dissolution of the Soviet Union, says former U.S. Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan.
Interview

Putin plays long game with West over Ukraine: former U.S. diplomat

Moscow prepared to see conflict through to bitter end, former envoy to Russia says

9 February 2023