Tag: russia

Russia-China Summit Advances Multipolar Vision, Analysts Say

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping concluded a two-day summit in Beijing on May 20, 2026, signing roughly 40 cooperation documents and adopting a joint declaration on a multipolar world order, according to state media reports [1]. The declaration rejects the idea of a single ideological center and advocates for civilizational diversity, according to analysis by Ladislav Zemanek, a non-resident research fellow at the China-CEE Institute and expert of the Valdai Discussion Club [2]. Zemanek wrote that the partnership “is not a crusade against the West. It is a revolt against unipolarity — against the idea that one civilization, one ideology, and one political model should dominate the entire planet indefinitely” [2]. The summit came just days after Xi hosted U.S. President Donald Trump, a timing analysts described as deliberate [3].

Background of the Partnership

Russia and China first issued a joint declaration on multipolarity in 1997, according to historical records cited by analysts [2]. At that time, the Soviet Union had collapsed and American unipolarity seemed unchallenged, but both powers sensed the instability of a world organized around a single ideological center, Zemanek wrote [2]. The current partnership is rooted in opposition to unipolarity and perceived Western dominance of international institutions, officials said. Zemanek described the partnership as “a revolt against the idea that one civilization should dominate the planet indefinitely” [2].

Scholar Glenn Diesen notes that the relationship has evolved despite a historical power imbalance, including Russia’s appropriation of more than 1.5 million square kilometers of Chinese territory during the Qing Dynasty [4]. However, Diesen also observes that confrontation without established rules has spiraled from Ukraine to Syria, underscoring the need for major powers to consult on consequential issues [4]. The 2026 summit marked the 25th anniversary of the Russia-China Treaty of Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation, which laid the foundation for the strategic partnership [1].

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BEGINNING OF THE END: Russians Storming Konstantinovka, Fortified Bastion in the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk Agglomeration, Last Donetsk Stronghold Still Held by Ukraine

Konstantinovka is the key to the fortress belt.

The cradle of the war in Ukraine are the Oblasts of Donetsk and Luhansk – two majority Russian-speaking regions that have since voted to be part of Russia.

By now, the Luhansk region has been completely conquered by Russians, and Donetsk is being fought inch by inch, with Kiev still retaining around 15% of the territory.

The last Ukrainian bastions are the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk fortress belt, a formidable group of fortified cities who have been preparing for this day ever since 2014.

Even though the pace of Russian advances is somewhat lackluster compared to the rapid conquests of 2025, we have arrived to the point where the Russian forces have broken through to Konstantinovka, the first bastion of the region.

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Putin Envoy Dmitriev Says Design Agreement for Tunnel Across the Bering Strait, Linking US and Russia, Will Be Signed During Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum

US and Russia linked at the top of the world.

From June 3 to 6, Russia is holding the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum that hey describe as a ‘key platform for dialogue between governments, business and the expert community’.

Even though smoke billows can be seen at a distance where Ukraine sent kamikaze drones against Oil facilities, the forum is ongoing – and reportedly will host an agreement between the US and Russia on a project that is bound to literally unite the two countries.

UPDATE: The signing will NOT be between Russia and the US, but with the company designing the tunnel.

Kommersant reported (translated from the Russian):

“The tunnel through the Bering Strait, which will connect Russia and Alaska, will be built, and an agreement to continue the design will be signed on June 5 at SPIEF. This was stated by the special representative of the [Russian] president, the head of the RDIF Kirill Dmitriev.

‘As for the tunnel. We will have news tomorrow: we are signing an agreement that we will continue the design of the tunnel. There will be a tunnel’, said Mr. Dmitriev (quoted on the Zvezda TV channel). According to him, this ‘will be one of the big infrastructure projects between our countries’.”

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Zelensky Pens Lengthy Letter To Putin: ‘Enough Of War, I Am Proposing A Meeting’

On Thursday Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky proposed a face-to-face meeting with Vladimir Putin in a rare open letter sent to the Russian leader. It said Ukraine is also ready for a “full ceasefire.”

“Ukraine proposes ending this war through direct engagement between us – and you. I am proposing a meeting,” Zelensky said in the letter. “Ukraine is ready for a full ceasefire for the duration of the negotiations,” he added.

The letter, which is somewhat lengthy at one point says, “The choice is yours now. Enough of war” and then spells out that “Ukraine proposes to end this war.”

“This must be done honestly, with dignity, and with guarantees that the war will not be reignited,” Zelensky added. And then interestingly, “We see that the United States is fully focused on the issue of Iran, and it would be wrong to simply wait until the war in Europe returns to the center of its attention.“

The new letter was issued just Europe’s most influential powers of Germany, France, and the United Kingdom are trying to again jump-start Ukraine war peace talks, collectively operating as the E3 group.

They seek to implement a new framework aimed at engaging Russian President Vladimir Putin in direct negotiations to end the war. Reuters on Wednesday reports that “A window for dialogue is slowly opening between Russia and Europe on Ukraine, ​although it is likely to be months before talks can ‌begin, a German government official said at a briefing on Wednesday.”

It seems this window of opportunity is based to some degree on perceptions that the war tide and momentum is finally shifting in Ukraine’s favor, given the increasing effectiveness of Ukraine’s devastating cross-border drone attacks of late.

European leaders apparently view the current battlefield and political dynamics as having strengthened Kiev’s bargaining position, creating what they believe is the optimal moment to press Moscow for talks. It seems that Zelensky agrees, and believes that it’s time to get back to the negotiating table.

Putin on sidelines of the ongoing St. Petersburg International Economic Forum: We can control whole Donbass region AND strike a deal. One thing doesn’t contradict the other, why would you think that it does? — Putin to AP News Director

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BETRAYAL: House Bucks Trump, Passes Ukraine Aid Package with $9 BILLION to Ukraine and Sanctions on Russia – Here Are the 18 Republicans Who Voted Yes

The House of Representatives passed a bill approving an additional $9 billion in aid to Ukraine and placing harsh sanctions on Russia. 

Meanwhile, Trump is pushing for both Russia and Ukraine to make compromises, and Zelensky calls for face-to-face negotiations with Putin in a letter sent to the Russian President.

Trump addressed the letter on Monday, saying, “I think it would be great if they met” and calling on them to “get it done.”

When asked later about what compromises he wants to see made, the President declined to say but said that “they’re going to make both make compromises,” which he suggested.

“I’ve been very strong on the fact that they’ve got to get that over with,” he said. “I want them each to make certain compromises. I think they’re going to do that.”

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NATO Propagandists Again Proclaim That Ukraine Is on the Verge of Winning the War

NATO partisans in both Europe and the United States are perpetual optimists about Ukraine’s prospective fortunes in its war against Russia.  Lately, there has been yet another inundation of such accounts in Western news media outlets.  Many of them emphasize that Moscow’s latest military offensive against Ukrainian ground forces has come to a halt with inconclusive results.  The lack of a decisive breakthrough, members of Ukraine’s fan club contend, means that Russian president Vladimir Putin has again failed in his quest to conquer Eastern Europe’s resilient “democratic” frontline state.  That version of recent developments contains just enough truth to gain credibility among gullible opinion shapers and political leaders in the United States and in most other NATO countries.

In fact, even if Kyiv continues to receive extensive financial and military support from Alliance members, Ukraine is no closer to defeating Russia than it was before.  Over the long run, Moscow is still likely to prevail against its weaker, less populous neighbor and Ukraine’s NATO supporters.  Moreover, Russia’s geostrategic position remains formidable.  It is especially significant that Putin’s diplomatic and military ties with China’s president, Xi Jinping, continue to be robust.

The West’s stubborn optimism about Ukraine’s victory prospects is reminiscent of the attitude of Chicago Cubs fans who spent more than a century of futility insisting that “this will be THE YEAR” their team would finally win the world series.  Their optimism did finally pay off in 2016, some 108 years after the team’s previous championship.  Unfortunately, neither Ukraine nor NATO has the luxury of waiting 108 years for their strategy to pay off.

Yet, excessive optimism has been the norm in Western capitals since the earliest weeks of Russia’s February 2022 enlarged military incursion into Ukraine.  The unexpected failure of the Kremlin’s invading forces to capture Kyiv led to widespread predictions in U.S. and European media circles and some NATO foreign ministries that Ukraine was poised to score a stunning upset victory.  Indeed, some Western analysts speculated that Kyiv would prevail in a matter of months or even weeks.

Similar flares of optimism and predictions of Ukraine’s imminent triumph have occurred on several occasions since then.  Examples include Kyiv’s initial successes in launching attacks using cheap drones against Russian targets, and the spectacular June 2025 assault deep inside Russia on the country’s strategic bomber fleet.  There were also spikes of optimism throughout NATO whenever a Ukrainian military ground offensive scored even the most limited gains or a Russian offensive bogged down.  Lost in all the hoopla on the multiple occasions, though, was mounting evidence that Russia was slowly making gains in this meat grinder of a war.  That fundamental reality has not changed despite recent developments.

Indeed, the latest events signal more of the same in terms of the conflict’s trajectory and ultimate outcome.  Russia has made new territorial advances into Ukrainian territory, but the gains are minimal.  Both sides have made larger and more lethal attacks than before with drone and missile strikes.  Despite being more destructive than previous assaults and inflicting more suffering on already traumatized civilians, however, the latest blows have not been large enough to produce a decisive military outcome.

New predictions throughout the NATO countries that Kyiv is finally poised to prevail in the war are based on little more than wishful thinking.  The expectation seems to be that because Ukraine has been able to hold out this long against a larger opponent, Moscow cannot continue to sacrifice money, armaments, and manpower at this pace much longer.  Either Putin will seek a face-saving exit that includes making major concessions to Ukraine, the optimistic scenario concludes, or Russia’s oligarchs will finally replace their country’s aging, flailing leader.

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Ukraine Strikes St Petersburg As International Economic Forum Commences

Ukrainian forces have struck an oil facility in St. Petersburg, only hours before the start of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, an event highlighted by Russian leadership as a flagship conference on Russian world leadership.

The Kremlin declared, “The “Special Military Operation” is continuing precisely to prevent attacks like the attack on Saint Petersburg from occurring. Putin will speak at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.”

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Russia Bans Jet Fuel Exports As Ukrainian Attacks Cripple Refining

Russia is banning exports of jet fuel through November 30, 2026, as it seeks to ensure domestic supply amid intensifying Ukrainian drone attacks on the Russian refining infrastructure, OilPrice.com reported.

Russia on Monday announced it is temporarily banning jet fuel exports until the end of November to keep sufficient domestic aviation fuel supplies. Supplies under intergovernmental agreements are exempted from the ban, the Russian government said today.

The decision comes after drone strikes on refineries pushed Russia’s crude-processing rate to the lowest in more than 16 years. In an effort to curb the flow of petrodollars into the Kremlin’s coffers, Ukraine has targeted a wide range of energy assets including sea ports and pipelines. 

The ban is not expected to be felt on the tight international jet fuel market as Russia is a small exporter of aviation fuels.  Last year, it exported an average of 30,000 barrels a day, or less than 2% of the global supplies, according to data compiled by Bloomberg from analytics firm Vortexa Ltd. Daily average exports slipped to 28,000 barrels in the first four months of 2026, with Turkey being the main buyer, the data show. 

But the ban on kerosene exports follows a ban on gasoline exports, in force since April 1, as Russia has seen its refining capacity and capability crippled in recent weeks by intensifying drone attacks from Ukraine.

Kyiv has targeted several major refiners and oil export terminals since the war in Iran began, aiming to cripple Russia’s ability to take advantage of the soaring international oil and fuel prices.

Last month, Ukraine targeted the 300,000-barrels per day Yaroslavl oil refinery in Russia, escalating the drone attacks on Russian refining and oil exporting assets, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

“We are bringing the war back home – to Russia – and that’s only fair,” Zelenskyy said in May.

The attack on the Yaroslavl oil refinery, co-owned by Gazprom Neft, was the fourth on the facility in one month, as Ukraine looks to diminish Russia’s refining and export capabilities amid soaring international oil and fuel prices.

Since international crude oil prices surged following the war in the Middle East, Russia has boosted its oil revenues as not only prices have jumped, but Russian oil was made desirable in India again, thanks to U.S. waivers for sales of Russia’s crude already loaded on tankers.

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French Commandos Board & Seize 4th Russian ‘Shadow Fleet’ Vessel Since September

France announced Monday another weekend interdiction of a Russian “shadow fleet” vessel in international waters near its coast. The French Navy boarded and detained a sanctioned oil tanker, President Emmanuel Macron announced Monday, in an operation which had the assistance from the UK Royal Navy and other allies.

This marks the fourth time since September that French commandoes have intercepted a boarded a sanctioned Russian vessel in regional waters.

The vessel, identified as the Tagor, originated from Murmansk, Russia, and was taken by French authorities while it traversed around 400 nautical miles (740 km) west of the tip of Brittany.

“It is unacceptable for ships to circumvent international sanctions, violate the law of the sea and fund the war that Russia has been waging against Ukraine for more than 4 years,” Macron wrote in a post on X.

The apparent legal justification France’s navy has relied on for such actions is the practice of “flag-hopping” – which involves a crew repeatedly changing displayed flags, along with often invalid registrations to thwart international tracking monitors.

At the time of boarding, via soldiers rappelling from helicopter, the ship was falsely flying a Cameroonian flag while reportedly en route to the coastal African city of Limbe, Cameroon.

Macron confirmed further on X: “This operation took place in the Atlantic Ocean, on the high seas, with the support of several partners, including the United Kingdom, in strict compliance with the law of the sea.”

The Kremlin again condemned such ‘unlawful’ seizures in international waters, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying, “We consider these acts as illegal, they border on international piracy … Russia is taking measures to ensure the safety of its cargo.”

The vessel’s captain is a Russian citizen, according to an embassy disclosure from Paris. According to more:

Guillaume Le Rasle, a spokesperson for the prefecture, said the tanker was under EU and US sanctions. “It is a vessel that was known and tracked,” he told AFP.

“The decision to divert it was taken Sunday evening. The objective of the diversion is to verify the validity of its flag,” Le Rasle said, adding that the tanker, which has frequently changed flags, was “almost empty” at the time of boarding.

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Zelensky Insists on Demanding Air Defense Missiles From the US, Even After His Previous Pleas Were Ignored

His repeated pleas are not having the desired effect.

Kiev regime leader Volodymyr Zelensky must miss the ‘good old days’ when he got money and military equipment out of feeble Joe Biden’s administration in phenomenal quantities.

‘Vova’ refuses to acknowledge the new reality and still attempts to publicly embarrass Donald J. Trump and his team into resuming help for his war effort.

He pretends not to understand how little regard Trump has for him, as we have reported more than once before.

A quick look back shows that Trump has called Zelensky ‘a Dictator without elections’ since his presidential mandate ended back in 2024.

Trump also called him a ‘modestly successful comedian’ who was ‘the greatest salesman on Earth’ and ‘P.T. Barnum’, for conning feeble Joe Biden into giving him hundreds of billions.

He called him ‘disrespectful’ for his antics in the Oval Office.

The US president said ‘Vova’ has ‘done a terrible job’, with a country that is ‘shattered’, where ‘millions have unnecessarily died’.

Trump has panned him for ‘refusing to hold elections’, and ‘not being ready for peace’, despite the fact that he ‘has no cards’ (in the negotiations with Russia).

So, despite Ukraine having a good number of advocates in the US government and a large number among the Dems in opposition, Trump has basically shut the door on him.

But Zelensky is still trying, and publicly pleading and demanding, even though his latest effort was met with silence from the Trump administration.

He came out on US television to say that Kiev is ‘in urgent need of anti-ballistic missiles’ from the US to defend itself from an increasing number of attacks from Russia.

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