Russian Digest
Top weekly stories I'm keeping an eye on
U.S. Pushes Kyiv to Kill Its U.N. Resolution Marking War’s Anniversary
In a new rift, Washington and Kyiv pitch competing texts, with Europe backing Ukraine and the U.S. refusing to blame Russia for the war
The diplomatic rift between the Trump administration and Ukraine over Russia’s invasion escalated Saturday after the U.S. pushed to kill a United Nations resolution that Ukraine had crafted with European support marking the war’s third anniversary. Instead, the U.S. submitted its own draft resolution.
The clash pits the U.S. and Russia on one side against Ukraine and Europe on the other, in the most dramatic display of trans-Atlantic tensions in years.
In a note to capitals, seen by The Wall Street Journal, U.S. diplomats told European counterparts over the past day that Washington would oppose the Ukrainian resolution if it advances and pressed the Europeans to persuade Kyiv to withdraw its text.
Two European diplomats said that until the past few days, the U.S. had been working with Europe on the Ukrainian draft, suggesting some minor changes. While Washington wasn’t eager to push for the resolution, it had given no indication it would oppose it.
Read More at Wall Street Journal
US could cut Ukraine's access to Starlink internet services over minerals
U.S. negotiators pressing Kyiv for access to Ukraine's critical minerals have raised the possibility of cutting the country's access to Elon Musk's vital Starlink satellite internet system, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.
Ukraine's continued access to SpaceX-owned Starlink was brought up in discussions between U.S. and Ukrainian officials after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy turned down an initial proposal from U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, the sources said.
Read More at Reuters
U.S. Pressing Tough Demands in Revised Deal for Ukraine’s Minerals
The Trump administration wants revenues from Ukraine’s natural resources, according to a draft obtained by The New York Times, with no security guarantee in exchange.
Ukraine on Saturday was seriously considering a revised American proposal for its vast natural resources that contains virtually the same provisions that Kyiv previously rejected as too onerous, according to a draft document of the new proposal.
Some of the terms appear even tougher than in a previous draft.
The proposed agreement would significantly shift onto a mercantile footing the United States’ three-year alliance with Ukraine in the largest war in Europe since World War II. The conflict to date has largely been seen as a struggle to secure Ukraine and the European continent from an authoritarian threat from Russia.
The Trump administration’s terms could also strip Ukraine of funds that are now mostly invested in the country’s military and defense industry, and that could help rebuild the country once the war is over.
Read More at The New York Times
Kremlin Offers Trump Russian Oil and Arctic Access
While Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was considering signing a deal with the United States on mineral resources, the Kremlin offered the Donald Trump administration a deal on Russian natural resources.
Russia believes that American oil companies may return to the country, and is also interested in joint projects with the United States in the Arctic, Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, said before the talks in Saudi Arabia.
According to Dmitriev, one of three delegates selected by Vladimir Putin to meet with the Americans in Riyadh, Moscow considers it important to resume economic cooperation with the United States.
Major oil companies from the United States had “very successful business” in Russia, Dmitriev said: “We believe that at some point they will return, because why would they refuse the opportunity to access Russian natural resources that Russia gave them?”
“We also need to do joint projects, including, for example, in the Arctic, and in other areas, joint projects will allow us to be more successful,” Dmitriev continued. According to him, American companies allegedly lost $300 billion from sanctions against Russia, and the Biden administration "gave a lot of wrong messages" about the state of the Russian economy (quotes from Interfax and TASS).
Via The Moscow Times
Americans, Russians have held undisclosed talks on Ukraine in Switzerland, sources say
U.S. and Russian participants have met in Switzerland for unofficial talks about the Ukraine war in recent months, including as recently as last week, three sources with knowledge of the matter said.
While the attendees have diplomatic and security experience, they are not government officials and it was not immediately clear if any were sent by their governments, two of the sources said. The sources declined to identify the attendees.
Read More at Reuters
As Trump Turns Toward Russia and Against Ukraine, Republicans Are Mum
Congressional Republicans have mostly tempered their criticism or deferred to the president as he topples what were once their party’s core foreign policy principles.
As President Trump makes an abrupt pivot toward Russia, upending generations of American foreign policy, he is also defying members of his own party in Congress, many of whom have spent their careers arguing for a hawkish stance against Moscow and strong backing for allies in Europe facing its most immediate threats.
But the response from Republicans on Capitol Hill has been muted, in some cases to the point of silence. There has been little G.O.P. pushback on Mr. Trump’s efforts to draw closer to President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia or blame Ukraine as he seeks to bring a quick end to the war that began when Russia invaded the country.
While some Republicans have expressed dismay at Mr. Trump’s moves and statements, there has been no concerted effort to challenge him from G.O.P. leaders or senators who play pivotal roles in overseeing military and foreign policy in Congress.
Read More at The New York Times
US refusing to co-sponsor UN motion backing Ukraine ahead of war anniversary, diplomats say
The U.S. is refusing to co-sponsor a draft U.N. resolution marking three years since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine that backs Ukraine's territorial integrity and again demands Russia withdraw its troops, three diplomatic sources told Reuters, in a potential stark shift by Ukraine's most powerful Western ally.
Washington has also objected to a phrase in a statement the Group of Seven nations was planning to issue next week that would condemn Russian aggression, two other sources told Reuters.
The U.S. refusal to agree to language that has been regularly used by the U.N. and G7 since February 2022 comes amid a widening rift between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and U.S. President Donald Trump.
Trump is trying to rapidly end the war in Ukraine and sent a team to hold talks with Russia this week in Saudi Arabia without the involvement of Kyiv.
Ukraine's allies have used the previous two Feb. 24 anniversaries of the war to reiterate their condemnation of Russia's invasion but this year it is unclear how the United States will approach it.
Read More at Reuters
NATO to reportedly extend jet fuel pipeline to Czechia, Poland in case of war with Russia
NATO is planning to build a pipeline system from Germany to Poland and the Czech Republic to ensure a rapid supply of jet fuel for fighter aircraft in the event of a war with Russia, weekly German magazine Der Spiegel reported.
The existing Cold War-era pipeline system of the military alliance currently ends in western Germany.
Der Spiegel cited an internal memo from the Bundeswehr - Germany's armed forces - as stating that there are "significant problems in the sustainable fuel supply for forces that would need to be deployed to the eastern border in case of emergency".
Read More at Reuters
Russian arrested in Germany for plotting terrorist attack on Israeli embassy
In Germany, in the federal state of Brandenburg on the border with Berlin, police detained an 18-year-old native of Chechnya on suspicion of preparing an attack on the Israeli embassy, Der Tagesspiegel reports.
Ahmad I. was arrested on Thursday afternoon by federal police officers at Berlin Brandenburg Willy Brandt Airport in Schönefeld. He was taken into custody the following day. According to the newspaper, Ahmad I. lived permanently in Potsdam and planned to fly to Istanbul after the attack failed. According to investigators, he had two accomplices who managed to leave the country.
Law enforcement officials believe that Ahmad I. was a radical Muslim and planned to join the terrorist organization Islamic State. German authorities learned of the planned attack from foreign intelligence services. Berlin police spokesman Benjamin Gendro said that the likelihood of terrorist attacks would be particularly high on Sunday when elections to the Bundestag are scheduled to take place. "It is likely that terrorist organizations and foreign dictatorships will again try to destabilize our democracy with targeted attacks," Gendro warned.
Via The Insider
Europe targets homegrown nuclear deterrent as Trump sides with Putin
Germany’s Merz says Britain and France may need to “share” their nuclear weapons as America can’t be relied on to defend NATO.
Europe's politicians are openly discussing how they could tackle the threat of nuclear attack without American help, in a dramatic sign of the deep crisis engulfing the transatlantic alliance under Donald Trump.
In what would be a huge shift in position, the runaway favorite to be Germany’s next leader said the continent must find new ways to defend itself without the U.S. military underpinning its nuclear protection through NATO.
Friedrich Merz, whom polls suggest is on course to become chancellor after Sunday’s German elections, said his country would need to look beyond the U.S. to Britain and France for nuclear safeguards. Under Trump, he said, America could no longer be relied on.
Read More at Politico EU
Raiffeisenbank may be sold to son-in-law of Hungarian Prime Minister Orban
The son-in-law of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Istvan Tiborc, is showing interest in acquiring the Russian Raiffeisenbank, which is a subsidiary of the Austrian group Raiffeisenbank International (RBI). This was reported by Der Standard, citing informed sources. According to the publication, Tiborc is actively negotiating with representatives of RBI, as well as with the Russian Central Bank and the Russian presidential administration. In addition to him, the Hungarian OTP Bank, the parent structure of the Russian OTP Bank, is named as a possible participant in the deal.
According to Der Standard's sources, the issue of a possible sale of Raiffeisenbank was raised at a meeting of the RBI Supervisory Board in Vienna, chaired by the head of Raiffeisen-Holding Niederösterreich Wien, Erwin Hameseder. This issue caused heated debate among the participants of the meeting, the publication writes.
The RBI Group itself did not confirm or deny the information about the negotiations, noting that the transfer of shares of JSC Raiffeisenbank is currently impossible due to the decision of the Russian court of September 5, 2024. OTP Bank also stated that it has nothing to do with the possible deal. Representatives of Tiborc, in turn, emphasized that his investment holding BDPST Group does not operate in Russia and does not consider the country as an investment destination.
In September 2024, the Kaliningrad Region Arbitration Court seized Raiffeisenbank shares as a security measure in a lawsuit filed by Rasperia Trading Limited. The plaintiff accused the defendants of removing its representatives from the management of the Austrian construction company Strabag, as a result of which its share was diluted and the required dividends were not paid. In January 2025, a Russian court ordered Raiffeisenbank to pay Rasperia €2.044 billion. The bank said it intended to challenge the decision.
According to Hungarian Forbes, Istvan Tiborc's fortune is 151.5 billion forints (€370 million), making him one of the 15 richest people in Hungary. The businessman is married to the daughter of Hungarian Prime Minister Rachel Orban.
Viktor Orban himself has repeatedly spoken out with pro-Russian narratives and criticized the EU's policy towards Ukraine. In particular, he stated that support for Kyiv and sanctions against Russia are effectively drawing Europe into the conflict, and expressed concerns that arms supplies to Ukraine could lead to escalation. Orban also emphasized that Brussels' policy towards Kyiv does not meet the interests of European citizens.
Via The Moscow Times
Putin orders ministers to prepare for Western companies' return to Russia
Russian President Vladimir Putin instructed his Cabinet of Ministers on Feb. 21 to prepare for the return of Western companies, saying Russian firms should have "certain advantages" over those re-entering the market.
"We can adjust accordingly the return to our market of those who want to return," Putin said during a speech at the Future Technologies Forum plenary session, suggesting potential restrictions or conditions for Western firms looking to resume operations in Russia.
"External problems, sanctions, with all the challenges and difficulties for us, have played an important stimulating role," he added.
The comments come amid a rapprochement between Russia and the U.S.
Read More at Kyiv Independent
Russian state hackers spy on Ukrainian military through Signal app
Russian state-backed hackers are increasingly targeting Signal messenger accounts — including those used by Ukrainian military personnel and government officials — in an effort to access sensitive information that could aid Moscow’s war effort, researchers warn.
Google’s security team said in a report on Wednesday that Signal’s popularity among military personnel, politicians, journalists and activists has made it a prime target for espionage operations. However, other messaging apps, such as WhatsApp and Telegram, have also been targeted by pro-Russian hackers for similar purposes.
Ukrainian state cybersecurity officials have previously warned that Russian hacker groups actively exploit Signal to attack government and defense officials. In these attacks, hackers typically use phishing messages to infect targeted devices with spying malware.
Google has observed similar techniques used by Russian threat actors in attacks on Ukrainian Signal users.
Read More at The Record
Trump’s confidential plan to put Ukraine in a stranglehold
Panic in Kyiv as US president demands higher share of GDP than Germany’s First World War reparations
Donald Trump’s demand for a $500bn (£400bn) “payback” from Ukraine goes far beyond US control over the country’s critical minerals. It covers everything from ports and infrastructure to oil and gas, and the larger resource base of the country.
The terms of the contract that landed at Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office a week ago amount to the US economic colonisation of Ukraine, in legal perpetuity. It implies a burden of reparations that cannot possibly be achieved. The document has caused consternation and panic in Kyiv.
The Telegraph has obtained a draft of the pre-decisional contract, marked “Privileged & Confidential’ and dated Feb 7 2025. It states that the US and Ukraine should form a joint investment fund to ensure that “hostile parties to the conflict do not benefit from the reconstruction of Ukraine”.
Read More at The Telegraph
Trump administration presses Romania to lift restrictions on Andrew Tate
Brothers Tristan and Andrew Tate have been charged with sexual misconduct, organised crime and money laundering
Donald Trump’s administration has pressed Romanian authorities to lift travel restrictions on the self-described misogynist influencer Andrew Tate, a champion of the US president who is facing criminal charges in Bucharest. Andrew and his brother Tristan Tate, who are dual US and UK nationals, have become a cause célèbre in rightwing social media after having been arrested in Romania in 2022 and charged with human trafficking, sexual misconduct and money laundering, as well as starting an organised crime group. They have denied wrongdoing. The Tates’ case was first brought up by US officials in a phone call with the Romanian government last week and then followed up by Trump’s special envoy Richard Grenell when he met the Romanian foreign minister at the Munich Security Conference, said three people familiar with the matter.
Read More at FT
Commercial airlines warned as Chinese navy holds live fire exercise off Australia
Airlines have been contacted by Australia’s air traffic control agency warning them of reports of live fire off the country’s east coast where a Chinese navy task group has been operating, the agency and Australian officials said.
A People’s Liberation Army Navy frigate, cruiser and replenishment vessel last week entered Australia’s maritime approaches, and travelled down Australia’s east coast this week, monitored by the navies and air forces of Australia and New Zealand.
“The Civil Aviation Authority and Airservices Australia are aware of reports of live firing in international waters,” air traffic control agency Airservices Australia said in a statement on Friday.
“As a precaution, we have advised airlines with flights planned in the area,” it added.
Qantas and its low-cost arm Jetstar are monitoring the airspace and have temporarily adjusted some flights across the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand.
Read More at CNN
Abramovich's money unfrozen in Israel after Trump's arrival
US President Donald Trump's policy shift could ease sanctions on wealthy Russians. Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich has received a slight easing of sanctions. Tel Aviv District Court Judge Yarden Serossi has ordered Bank Mizrahi Tevahot to transfer 8 million shekels from his account to the Israeli humanitarian organization ZAKA. The judge made this decision despite the bank's initial refusal due to EU and UK sanctions against Abramovich, the Jerusalem Post reports.
The case attracted attention because it contradicted the position of Israeli Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miar, who found the bank’s initial refusal justified. Judge Serossi also criticized the bank for investigating Abramovich and ordered it to cover legal costs – NIS 15,000. Abramovich’s lawyer Shmulik Kassuto said: “We thank the court for the decision that allowed Mr. Abramovich to donate NIS 8 million to ZAKA.” He said the purpose of the lawsuit was to allow ZAKA to continue its holy work for the benefit of the Israeli people, and an exception should be made because the money was going to a noble cause.
The bank had previously argued that Abramovich's account should remain frozen. The judge noted that the transfers were between bank accounts in Israel: "Is it reasonable for a bank to apply European sanctions that do not apply in Israel? Especially if it is a donation to a charity that helps Israel in difficult times. The bank's refusal is unreasonable."
The Russian oligarchs have also seen things go their way in the United States. President Donald Trump this week shut down the KleptoCapture task force and the Kleptocrat Asset Recovery Initiative (KARI), which was created to identify the assets of Russian oligarchs in 2022. Resources will be redirected to combat drug cartels and international gangs due to changing priorities among prosecutors and the Justice Department. The disbanding of the KleptoCapture task force has raised questions about the confiscation of yachts and jets belonging to Russians, including two of Abramovich's seized jets worth about $300 million.
Via The Moscow Times
Crossroads of conflict
Across the breadth of Africa, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea, stretches a belt of turmoil. Nowhere else have Islamist extremists recorded such stunning gains since the defeat of the Islamic State in the Middle East, with this swath emerging as the new epicenter of jihadist activity.
Nowhere on Earth is seeing such a dramatic reversal of democracy, with military strongmen carrying out eight coups since the start of the decade. Nowhere, outside of the war in Ukraine, has Russia proved so determined to expand its influence as Africa becomes another front in Vladimir Putin’s competition with the West.
And as the dictators, militants and Russians press forward, the United States has seen its influence in this part of Africa wane. These powerful and violent forces are converging in a new crossroads of conflict, with potential consequences well beyond this region and high stakes for much of the world.
Over the past year, Washington Post journalists have repeatedly visited the countries at the heart of the region — isolated, highly restrictive and often forbidding places — and spent extensive time with individuals writing this history.
Religious extremists, military officers and Russian mercenaries have all trained their ambitions on this broad belt of Africa known as the Sahel, wedged between the Sahara to the north and the woodland savannas to the south. At the vortex of these forces are the countries of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.
Read More at The Washington Post
Baltic region prepares for war as Russia and US debate Ukraine's fate
As Russia and the US debate Ukraine’s future, countries on the Baltic Sea are ramping up preparations for a military conflict amid fears that Russia is preparing for a future war with NATO.
As Russia and the US held talks in Saudi Arabia this week over the future of the conflict in Ukraine, countries on the Baltic Sea released a flurry of intelligence reports warning of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s plans to expand military conflict further into Europe.
Estonia’s Foreign Intelligence Service warned that Russia is expanding its armed forces in a way that “prepares for a potential future war with NATO”. Danish intelligence, meanwhile, have forecast that Russia would be ready to wage a "large-scale war" in Europe within five years, if it perceived NATO as weak.
A weakening of the trans-Atlantic alliance now feels inevitable. Following a withering attack on Europe delivered by US Vice President JD Vance at the Munich Security Conference last week, and Russia-US talks on Ukraine in Saudi Arabia this week, rumours swirled that the US under new President Donald Trump planned to pull its NATO troops from the Baltic States.
Read More at France 24
Spain, Portugal Bust Russian-Led Money Laundering Ring
Spanish and Portuguese police take down a multimillion-euro money laundering ring linked to organized crime across Europe.
Spanish and Portuguese authorities have dismantled a criminal network, primarily composed of Russian nationals, that allegedly laundered millions of euros for organized crime groups across Europe, law enforcement authorities said Wednesday.
The Spanish National Police arrested 14 people suspected of running a money laundering operation that processed several million euros per month. The network reportedly charged a two to three percent fee for its services, catering to criminal organizations from Albania, Serbia, Armenia, China, Ukraine, Colombia, and other countries.
According to Europol—which coordinated the operation—the group primarily laundered cash from drug trafficking using the hawala system, an informal, cashless money transfer network based on trusted brokers. Common in the Middle East and South Asia, hawala allows depositors to hand over cash to a broker in one location, who then directs a counterpart elsewhere to distribute the equivalent sum.
Read More at OCCRP
Musk is a terrorist and it’s time the ENTIRE WORLD stop being such cowards.
Good Post Olga... Frightening... DJT is now Putin's Best Friend... I Fear for the Brave, Brave Ukrainians... The DJT/Putin Team is hastening the end of the USA as we have known it... May We All Survive This...