The United Arab Emirates has become a key trade hub for Russian gold since Western sanctions over Ukraine cut Russia's more traditional export routes, Russian customs records show.
Russia and China are set to sign a set of bilateral agreements on 24 May during the Russian prime minister's trip to Beijing as the two powers pledge closer cooperation as the West remains critical of their ties.
Reality is usually much more complicated than we can imagine, this is why ultimately we might see a combination of the scenarios described, writes Roman Rukomeda.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Sunday (21 May) that it was time to reform both the Security Council and Bretton Woods to align with the "realities of today's world".
US President Joe Biden on Sunday (21 June) said he had received a "flat assurance" from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that he would not use Western-provided F-16 fighter jets to go into Russian territory.
Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy held talks with India's Narendra Modi on 20 May and was due to meet other "Global South" leaders at a Group of Seven (G7) summit aimed at broadening support for his country in its war against Russia.
Leaders of the world's richest democracies acted on 19 May to stiffen sanctions against Russia, while a draft communique to be issued after their talks in Hiroshima stressed the need to reduce reliance on trade with China.
A French plane took Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Jeddah on Friday (19 May), where he will to attend an Arab League summit, before going to G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan.
Leaders of the world's advanced democracies were set to unleash new sanctions against Russia as they gathered for a Group of Seven (G7) summit in Japan's Hiroshima, a symbolic backdrop for their efforts to make Moscow end the Ukraine war.
Russian officials on Monday (15 May) denounced comments by French President Emmanuel Macron that Moscow was becoming subservient to China, saying Western countries must get used to a world underpinned by the Kremlin's close ties with Beijing.
Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) nations plan to tighten sanctions on Russia at their summit in Japan this week, with steps aimed at energy and exports aiding Moscow's war effort, said officials with direct knowledge of the discussions.
A standoff over raising the US debt ceiling overshadowed a meeting of Group of Seven (G7) finance leaders starting on Thursday (11 May), heightening US recession fears as central banks seek a soft landing for the global economy.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen lands at Japan's G7 finance meeting this week, with her economic agenda hijacked by a partisan fight over the US debt ceiling that threatens a new financial crisis, and a signature tax deal blocked by Republicans.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has met his commanders in two regions of Ukraine that Moscow claims to have annexed, while Russian forces stepped up heavy artillery bombardments and air strikes on the devastated eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut.
G7 foreign ministers warned Tuesday (18 April) that those helping Russia wage war in Ukraine would face "severe costs", as they offered a united front on another key policy challenge: China.
The G7's top diplomats began talks in Japan on Monday (17 April), looking to project a unified message on concerns about China after controversial remarks by French President Emmanuel Macron.
The Group of Seven rich nations on Sunday (16 April) set big new collective targets for solar power and offshore wind capacity, agreeing to speed up renewable energy development and move toward a quicker phase-out of fossil fuels.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Thursday (2 March) urged China not to send weapons to help Russia's war in Ukraine and instead asked Beijing to exert pressure on Moscow to pull back its forces.
The United States is sounding out close allies about the possibility of imposing new sanctions on China if Beijing provides military support to Russia for its war in Ukraine, according to four US officials and other sources.
The war in Ukraine entered its second year with no end in sight and Russia isolated at the United Nations in a vote demanding its forces withdraw, while G7 leaders are set to coordinate more support for Ukraine.
There is progress in the use of Russian assets to fund reconstruction efforts in Ukraine, and donor countries have established a structure to better coordinate financial assistance, Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis said during the EU executive's visit to Kyiv.
This year's Group of Seven president Japan has joined the bloc's condemnation of Russia's Ukraine invasion, imposing sanctions and agreeing on an oil price cap, with one exception: Moscow's Sakhalin energy projects.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz presented the long-awaited terms for his 'climate club', a platform for countries wishing to protect the climate. However, it may be overshadowed by similar initiatives recently announced.
Russian missiles, artillery and drones hammered targets in eastern and southern Ukraine, the Ukrainian General Staff said, as global economic powers pledged to beef up Kyiv's military capabilities with a focus on air defence.
