North Asia

The U.S. must intervene more aggressively to stop a Syrian offensive which has gained key territory from Kurdish militants in the past few days, according to the leader of 'the main kurdish forces. Officials and security sources reported that government troops launched an offensive Saturday in territory controlled by semi-autonomous Kurdish authority for the past decade. They captured towns on both side of the Euphrates as well as the largest oilfield as well as a gas field. Sipan Hamo, commander of the People's Protection Units(YPG), said that a meeting held on Saturday between U.S. envoy Tom Barrack (and Kurdish officials)...

Trade data revealed that India's Russian imports in December fell to the lowest level since?two? years, as Western sanctions pushed refining companies to look for alternatives. This boosted OPEC?s?share?of imports?to an 11-month peak. The lower imports of Russian crude oil at a discounted price will likely hit the profits of refiners and consumers in the third largest oil consuming and importing nation in the world and force them to look for suppliers in the Middle East and the U.S. The data shows that tighter U.S. sanctions and European Union sanctions have slowed Russian oil exports to India. Imports dropped by...

After meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz suggested that the European Union could sign a Free Trade Agreement with India as soon as this month. Merz, during a trip to Ahmedabad in western India, said that the presidents of the European Commission and European Council will travel to India to sign the agreement at the end 'January' if the deal is completed by then. Merz, who was visiting India for the first time since his appointment as chancellor, said that they would "in any case" take a major step to ensure this free-trade agreement is...

Germany is looking to work more closely with India on security matters, in order to reduce India's dependence on Russia. On Merz's maiden visit to South Asia, Merz signed a memorandum to this effect, along with agreements on critical minerals and the health sector, as well as an artificial intelligence innovation center. "India and Germany?work together to build resilient, secure and trusted supply chains. Modi said at a joint news conference that the?MoUs signed today will give a new'strength and momentum to our cooperation. India is still closely involved in the security policy of Russia, from where it gets much...

The Financial Times reported that the U.S. oil giant Chevron, along with private equity group Quantum Energy Partners, are teaming up to bid on the international assets of Russian oil company Lukoil, valued at $22 Billion. Chevron's exploration and production portfolio is diverse, globally. The company continues to evaluate potential opportunities. "In all of its activities, Chevron adheres to a code of ethics for business and follows?laws that are applicable to our business." Quantum, Lukoil, and the White House didn't immediately respond to comments. Reports in November said that Chevron was examining options to purchase Lukoil’s global assets. This would...

Reliance Industries announced on Tuesday that it does not expect any Russian crude oil deliveries for January, and has not received any such cargoes over the last?three? weeks. The private refiner that used to be India’s largest buyer for Russian oil published a statement in X denying a Bloomberg article based on Kpler information stating that three vessels laden up with Russian oil 'are headed to its Jamnagar refining facility. India became the largest buyer of discounted Russian crude seaborne after the Ukraine War?in 2022. These purchases have sparked a backlash by Western nations who have imposed sanctions on Russia's...

As part of its efforts to increase pressure on Moscow over the conflict in Ukraine, Britain imposed sanctions Thursday on additional Russian oil companies and Canadian-Pakistani Murtaza Lakhaani. The government has targeted 24 individuals, entities and companies, including what they describe as Russia's biggest remaining un-sanctioned oil firms: Tatneft, Russneft, NNK-Oil, and Rusneftegaz. The latest measures aim to make it more difficult for Russia to sell its oil globally. In October, Britain sanctioned Rosneft and Lukoil, two of Russia's largest oil companies. On Thursday, the EU sanctioned?41 ships of Russia's?shadow fleet? that tries to circumvent Western trading restrictions. Russia dismissed...

The European Parliament approved Wednesday the plan to phase out Russian imports of gas by the end of 2027. This is the last legal hurdle that needs to be cleared before the ban can become law. The EU has agreed to legislation that will cut ties with Russia, Europe's former largest gas supplier. They had vowed to do this after Moscow's full-scale invasion in Ukraine 2022. The vote was 500 for, 120 against, and 32 abstained. The EU Ministers will still need to formally?approve the ban, which is expected in early?2019. Officials expect that countries will?approve the deal without any...

Three people with knowledge of the matter claim that Saudi Arabia's?Midad Energy?is one of the top contenders for the international assets of Russian?oil giant?Lukoil, taking advantage deep political ties between Moscow and Washington. Sources have confirmed that the assets, which are valued at around $22 billion, include oilfields, refineries, and thousands of fuel station worldwide. About a dozen investors have made bids for these assets, including U.S. major oil companies Exxon Mobil, Chevron, and private equity firm Carlyle. Lukoil wants to sell off its foreign operations, which were crippled by the U.S. sanctions that were imposed on October to pressure...

Turkmenistan’s President hinted on possible political reforms Friday, ahead of an international meeting that he will be?hosting, with counterparts from Russia and Turkey as well as?Iran. The comments were made in the state newspaper Turkmenistan Today to mark the 30th anniversary since the declaration of neutrality by the former Soviet nation. Berdymukhamedov stated in the article that "we are undertaking extensive work to transform our neutral 'country into a powerful democratic and rule of law state where citizens can live happy lives." He did not provide any further details. The article was released on the eve a forum to be...

The Kremlin announced on Thursday that Russia is interested in attracting more foreign investment. This comes after the Wall Street Journal reported that the U.S. peace plan in Ukraine included proposals to invest in Russian rare Earths and energy. The Journal reported that the plans, which were detailed in the appendices of peace proposals drafted by U.S. president Donald Trump's administration and given to European counterparts during recent weeks, included proposals to restore Russian supplies to Europe. The Journal reported that U.S. firms would also invest in Russian strategic areas such as rare earth extraction and oil drilling in the...

Petromarket 'consultancy' said that Russia could increase its liquefied gas supply to China next year by 40%, to?1.125 millions metric tons, as Moscow pivots towards the East. In response to Western sanctions regarding its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia has redirected oil flows from Europe towards China and India. The European Union's sanctions against Russia's LPG?took effect December 20, 2024. Russia now aims to increase its natural gas and LPG exports?to China. LPG (or propane and butane) is used primarily as fuel in?cars and heating systems, and for the production of other petrochemicals. Russia also supplies LPG to:?Turkey and...

Ukraine officials reported that Russia had launched a barrage drone strikes overnight on Monday on Ukraine's infrastructure, cutting power to five regions in the country due to freezing temperatures and high demand. The Ukrainian air force said that Russian troops launched 145 drones. It said that air defence units destroyed 126 drones. The energy ministry issued a statement saying that consumers in Sumy and Odesa regions, Dnipropetrovsk region, Kharkiv region, and Chernihiv region are currently without power. If the security situation permits, emergency repair work is underway. The regional governor stated that the energy and gas infrastructure in southern Odesa...

Vitali Klitschko, the mayor of Kyiv, said that Ukraine's capital Kyiv only has about?half as much electricity as it needs?as it is facing its worst wartime energy crisis after waves of Russian attacks against its infrastructure. Klitschko stated that Kyiv is one of Eastern Europe’s largest cities and requires 1,700 Megawatts to power its services for 3.6 million residents. Klitschko stated that the current energy crisis is the greatest challenge the capital has faced in the almost?four years following the Russian invasion of February 2022. In an interview at his office in the heart of Kyiv, Klitschko, the former heavyweight...

Denys Schmyhal, Ukraine's Energy Minister, told the parliamentary on Friday that the country has enough fuel to last more than 20 days. He described the 'energy situation' in the nation as very challenging following a number of Russian missile and drone attacks on the power infrastructure. Shmyhal who was appointed earlier this week said that the worst situation is still in Kyiv's capital, in the regions of Dnipropetrovsk and Kharkiv, as well as in towns close to the frontline where thousands have been living without heat and electricity for days in temperatures below zero. Winter preparations have failed in some...

The?government announced on Thursday that Vietnam's PM Pham Minh Chinh wanted talks with Russia about building a nuclear plant to be completed?this month. He also urged officials to seek out new?partners, after Japan pulled its support from a second project. Vietnam restarted its nuclear energy programme in 2017 after it was suspended in 2016. Hanoi has negotiated agreements with Russia and Japan for the construction of two power plants, each with a combined capacity between 4 and 6.4 gigawatts. The aim is to sign the agreements with Russia in September and the agreement with Japan by the end last year....

The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station in Ukraine, which is owned by Russia, has a restored external power connection after repairs were completed. This was announced on Monday by the Russian management of the plant. The statement stated that the line had been taken out of service by "fire from Ukrainian armed forces". The International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog was present to monitor the repairs. The International Atomic Energy Agency said that the situation was under control at the plant, and radiation levels were normal. Two lines connect the station to the grid. The second line was still...

Russia is planning to build a nuclear plant on the Moon 'within the next ten years to power its lunar space program and a joint Russian/Chinese research station, as major powers race to explore Earth's only natural satellite. Since 1961, when Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin was the first person to enter space, Russia has been a leader in the space exploration field. However, in recent years, it has fallen further behind the United States, and increasingly China. Elon Musk revolutionised space vehicle launches, which were once a Russian specialty. Is that a nuclear reactor on the Moon? Roscosmos, the Russian...

Two sources with knowledge of the case said that Italian prosecutors who were investigating suspected Russian drone flight over an EU space-research centre had concluded that their suspicions weren't based and asked for the case to be dropped. The Milan prosecutor's office found that the interference caused by a private GSM signal booster in Ispra near Italy's Lake Maggiore, which is near the European Joint Research Centre (JRC), was actually responsible for 21 alleged overflights. Flights are banned over the JRC. The JRC was established in 1960 to conduct nuclear research. In March, after receiving alerts from the facility's security...

Odesa, Ukraine's southernmost port city, and the surrounding area suffered major blackouts on Saturday following a massive overnight?Russian assault?on power grid which left more than one million households without electricity. Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the president of Ukraine, said that Russia attacked Ukraine using more than 450 drones as well as 30 missiles. Zelenskiy, a Telegram user, wrote that the attack had a major impact on our energy system in the south, and particularly on Odesa. He added that thousands of families across Ukraine were without electricity. Yulia Svyrydenko, the Prime Minister of Ukraine, said that it was a major attack on...

The outgoing U.S. President Donald Trump’s Ukraine envoy stated that a deal for the end of the Ukraine war is "really close". It now depends on the resolution of two major outstanding issues: the future in Ukraine's Donbass region and the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. After eight years of fighting in the Donbas region, which includes the Donetsk-Luhansk region, between separatists backed by Russia and Ukrainian troops, Russia invaded Ukraine on February 20, 2022. The Ukraine War is the deadliest European Conflict since World War Two. It has also triggered the largest confrontation between Russia and Western since the Cold...

Rafael Grossi, the chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said that a peace agreement would require a special status for Zaporizhzhia and an agreement on cooperation between Russia and Ukraine. In the first few weeks of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russian forces captured the plant, Europe’s largest with its six reactors. Although the plant does not produce electricity, both sides accuse each other of military action that compromises nuclear safety. He said that "whatever the outcome, you'll need to have a collaborative arrangement or a co-operative atmosphere." Grossi's remarks come at a time when the...

The Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu, along with a large delegation that included senior nuclear and arms officials, arrived in Cairo Sunday to hold military discussions with Egypt's leaders. RIA reported. RIA reported that Shoigu will meet with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Egypt's National Security Advisor, the Foreign and Defence Ministers, and other senior intelligence and security officials. The Russian Security Council press service said that "priority topics" included the prospects of implementing agreements made at the highest levels, including those in military and military technical cooperation. Shoigu is a close ally of Vladimir Putin, and was the...

The Russian operators of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine have confirmed that a second external powerline has been restored. The plant, Europe's biggest with six reactors, was taken by Russian troops during the first few weeks of the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Russia and Ukraine accuse each of other's military actions which compromise nuclear safety. The plant does not produce electricity at the moment, but it needs external power in order to cool down the nuclear fuels and prevent the possibility of a meltdown. In a statement cited by Russian news agencies the station's Russian operators...