Global Affairs
Introduction A dramatic escalation in the Ukraine war’s fourth year unfolded on Friday, April 25, 2025, as a senior Russian general was killed in a car bombing outside Moscow just as U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in the Russian capital for high-stakes peace talks with President Vladimir
Global Affairs
Introduction On April 24, 2025, Russia launched its deadliest aerial assault on Kyiv in nearly a year, killing 12 civilians and injuring over 90, including six children and a pregnant woman. The attack, involving a coordinated barrage of drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic weapons, reduced residential buildings to rubble, ignited
Global Affairs
Global Affairs
Introduction On April 19, 2025, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared a unilateral Easter ceasefire in Ukraine, marking the first significant pause in hostilities since the full-scale invasion began over three years ago. The announcement, framed as a humanitarian gesture for Orthodox Easter, coincided with the largest prisoner exchange of the
Global Affairs
Global Affairs
Introduction On April 11, 2025, Estonian authorities detained the oil tanker Kiwala in the Gulf of Finland, marking the first time Estonia has seized a vessel linked to Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet.” The Kiwala, sanctioned by the EU, UK, Canada, and Switzerland, was found to be stateless and in
Global Affairs
Global Affairs
Introduction The global oil market has plunged into turmoil following U.S. President Donald Trump’s aggressive tariff policies, with prices dropping 15% since April 2, 2025. For Russia, which derives 30% of its state budget from oil and gas revenues, this collapse threatens its ability to sustain military operations
Global Affairs
Introduction Despite mounting resource constraints from its protracted war in Ukraine, Russia has intensified efforts to bolster its military presence in the Pacific, prioritizing nuclear submarine capabilities to assert itself as an Indo-Pacific power. This strategic pivot underscores Moscow’s ambition to counterbalance U.S. influence, secure energy-rich Arctic routes,
Global Affairs
In the early hours of April 6, 2025, Russian forces launched one of the most extensive missile and drone attacks on Kyiv in weeks, killing one civilian and injuring three others. The assault caused widespread destruction across multiple districts, including Darnytskiy, where fires broke out and emergency responders discovered the
Global Affairs
On April 4, 2025, a Russian missile strike on the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih, the hometown of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, resulted in one of the deadliest attacks of the year. The assault killed at least 19 people, including nine children, and injured over 70 others. Among the injured
Global Affairs
As the war in Ukraine enters its fourth year, diplomatic efforts to broker a ceasefire have intensified, marked by a high-stakes visit to Washington by Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev and a stern warning from U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio that Russia must soon prove its commitment to peace.