After the President of the United States called Putin “crazy” over Russia’s recent attacks on Ukraine, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said that Donald Trump’s statement was strong and appropriate.
Republican Senator Chuck Grassley called on U.S. President Donald Trump to impose tough sanctions on Russia following the latest attacks on Ukraine.
The European Commission and the most influential EU member states are pushing to lower the price cap on Russian oil to $45 as part of strengthened sanctions against the Russian Federation.
South Korea’s Samsung Display has halted purchases of Russian gold, tungsten, and tantalum.
In Azerbaijan, the website of the Russian propaganda TV channel "Tsargrad" has been blocked for spreading false and provocative information against the country.
Russia’s coal industry, plunged into deep crisis following the embargo on fuel supplies to EU countries and falling global prices, will not recover within the next five years. By 2030, coal exports by sea — which account for more than 80% of total exports — are expected to decline by 10% compared to 2024, amounting to 150 million tons. In 2024, maritime coal exports already dropped by 7.5% year-on-year, and total exports by 9%.
The decline in housing demand turned out to be worse than expected. Only 44% of developers were able to meet their sales targets in the first quarter, compared to 59% a year ago. In April, housing sales were 23% lower than the same month last year, and over the first four months, the decline amounted to 10%. Developers are responding by launching fewer new projects: construction starts between January and April fell by 18% year-on-year. Only 59% of companies met their launch plans, down from 68% last year. Builders expect no improvement in the near future, with outlooks largely pessimistic.
Russia’s central bank has called on commercial banks to restructure business loans to prevent a wave of bankruptcies.
Russian Railways (RZD) is preparing a cost-cutting plan for 2025 due to a sharp decline in freight traffic and revenue. The investment program, initially set at 1.3 trillion rubles and later cut to 890 billion, will be reduced by another 32.5 billion rubles. RZD plans to abandon expenditures on upgrading infrastructure and modernizing locomotives and railcars.
Due to financial losses, Gazprom is being forced to sell a business center in the Novomoskovsky Administrative District of Moscow.
One-third of graduates with degrees in radio electronics in Russia do not work in their field and instead go into retail.
Russian federal TV channels, state news agencies, and government-controlled online outlets have avoided covering U.S. President Donald Trump’s remarks calling Putin “crazy.”
The Russian National Guard (Rosgvardia) is officially removing footwraps from military uniforms, recognizing them as outdated. Soldiers will now be issued socks instead.
Russians have started buying up moonshine stills amid upcoming restrictions on their sale. Between January and April, 37% more units were sold compared to the same period in 2024.
Government-imposed mobile internet shutdowns during massive drone attacks have sharply increased demand for fixed internet services in Russia. Between May 19 and 25, the number of requests to install home internet rose by about 20% compared to April. This trend is seen not only in Moscow and the surrounding region but also in other areas where mobile internet is being jammed.
In Russia’s Altai Krai, schoolgirls will be encouraged to become pregnant with payments of 100,000 rubles, according to the regional Ministry of Social Protection. Altai Krai is now the eighth region in Russia to introduce such payments.
In the State Duma, it has been proposed — as part of a campaign against "destructive content" — to protect Russian children from "flawed characters" such as Shrek, Cheburashka, and Baba Yaga.
The pressure of illegal migrants coming from Belarus and Russia may continue for several more years, according to the head of Latvia’s State Border Guard, General Guntis Pujāts.
The Lithuanian authorities are counting on EU assistance to modernize equipment and strengthen security measures on the border with Russia and Belarus, where 27 engineering support hubs are planned, said the country’s Minister of Internal Affairs, Vladislav Kondratovič.
In April, the number of officially employed people in the Belarusian economy dropped by 10,400 compared to March. The job vacancy bank now contains 208,000 positions, an increase of 2,000 from the previous week.
In the first quarter, Belarus imported $625 million more in goods and services than it exported.
In April 2025, Russia recorded the highest increase in prices for food and non-food products within the Eurasian Economic Union.
