President Vladimir Putin said on Friday he had not yet decided whether to run for re-election in 2018, but promised not to change the constitution to allow him to keep on running for Russia's top political post indefinitely.

• July 21, 2017

Germany's Siemens tried to distance itself from a Crimean sanctions scandal on Friday, halting deliveries of power equipment to Russian state-controlled customers and reviewing supply deals.

• July 21, 2017

Moscow and Washington are in talks to create a joint cyber security working group, Russia's RIA news agency reported on Thursday, citing Andrey Krutskikh, a special presidential envoy on cyber security.

• July 20, 2017

NATO should permanently deploy anti-aircraft weapons in the Baltics to deter Russia, Lithuania's president said on Thursday as the United States put Patriot missiles on display after including them in an exercise in the region for the first time.

• July 20, 2017

Prime Minister Theresa May moved to ease concerns over Brexit among British business on Thursday, saying she wanted a "smooth, orderly exit" from the European Union including "a period of implementation in order to avoid any cliff-edges".

• July 20, 2017

Prime Minister Theresa May moved to ease concerns over Brexit among British business on Thursday, saying she wanted a "smooth, orderly exit" from the European Union including "a period of implementation in order to avoid any cliff-edges".

• July 20, 2017

By Fuad Shahbazov, Expert-advisor, Center for Strategic Studies under the President of the Azerbaijan Republic

Baku hosted the first joint gathering of the heads of the railway administrations of Iran, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Ukraine and Poland, on June 19. The meeting was dedicated to the newly-launched “South-West Transport Corridor,” which links into the broader Trans-Caspian International Route project launched in 2016. READ MORE

• July 20, 2017

By Benyamin Poghosyan, PhD, Executive Director, Political Science Association of Armenia

Russia effectively uses the complicated geopolitical situation of Armenia to strengthen its grip on Yerevan, and uses its alliance with Armenia as an efficient tool to further its position in the South Caucasus.
Alliance with Russia is the cornerstone of Armenian foreign and security policy. Armenia is a member of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, the Russia-led military block comprising six former Soviet republics. A Russian military base is deployed in Armenia, and will be there at least until 2044. Armenia has a joint air defense system with Russia, and in 2016 the two countries formed a joint military force. READ MORE

• July 18, 2017