Natural gas prices in Europe fell after the region’s leaders agreed on measures to contain the energy crisis, including a proposal to set price caps. European Union (EU) leaders called on the European Council and the European Commission to “urgently” submit decisions regarding “a temporary dynamic price corridor on natural gas transactions to immediately limit…

Russian citizens are increasingly searching for pirated Microsoft products online after the company stopped in-country sales following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. Google searches for Windows 10 activation methods in Russia have risen by 80 to 250 percent during the past 90 days, according to a June 27 report by Kommersant newspaper. One of the fastest-growing…

Brent crude oil prices rose as OPEC+ members met Thursday to discuss production policy for July amid a decline in Russian output. The oil market kept a close eye on the meeting, which includes the 13 Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) nations and 10 non-OPEC partners, including Russia. August futures of Brent crude, the…

The first shipments of Russian coal and crude oil, paid for in yuan, will arrive in China in April and May, respectively. Chinese state media used the opportunity to denigrate the United States, claiming that the international status of the U.S. dollar is “at risk.” However, financial expert Albert Song believes that it will not…

Moscow has announced that it intends to increase its Government Reserve Fund by 273.4 billion rubles ($3.23 billion), with a major portion coming from oil and gas sales. The funds will be used to implement measures to ensure the stability of the Russian economy as it faces extensive international sanctions, the Kremlin said in an…

Western aircraft lessors have taken back only a limited number of planes from Russia following international sanctions that set a March 28 deadline for such repossessions. Of the 515 aircraft owned or managed by Western lessors that were placed with Russian carriers before its invasion of neighboring Ukraine, only 79 have been repossessed, according to…

Russia’s currency, the ruble, has recovered from much of the devaluation suffered in the aftermath of Western sanctions imposed due to Moscow’s attack on Ukraine. The recovery has put additional pressure on Washington for a stronger response. On Feb. 24, when Russia invaded Ukraine, the ruble was trading against the U.S. dollar at an exchange…

Following international sanctions, tankers from Moscow carrying oil and other petroleum products are increasingly going dark—the practice of switching off the ship’s transponders—and vanishing from tracking systems. “We’re seeing a spike in Russian tankers turning off transmissions deliberately to circumvent sanctions,” Ami Daniel, CEO of predictive intelligence company Windward, said in an interview with CNN….

The government of Japan is seeking to revise its foreign exchange laws to block Moscow from evading sanctions by using cryptocurrencies. A revised version of the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act will be presented by the government at the current session of parliament, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said at a press conference. At…

Russia is open to being paid for its energy products in gold, local currencies, and even Bitcoin, Pavel Zavalny, head of the energy committee in the lower house of the Russian Legislature, said during a March 24 press conference. The minister pointed to China and Turkey as “friendly” nations who have not yet applied sanctions on…