In the middle East after Israel's peace agreements with the UAE and Bahrain

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s visit to the Persian Gulf states in late March concluded with the signing of a series of key agreements on cooperation in air defense with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar, underscoring Kyiv’s growing role as a provider of security solutions.

A sharp escalation in geopolitical tensions at the end of February triggered one of the fastest oil price rallies in recent years. Over the following five weeks — from February 28 to April 5 — benchmark crude prices rose from around $70 per barrel to $110–120, according to Reuters.

The ongoing disruption of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is accelerating plans to develop new pipeline routes to export oil while bypassing the strategic waterway, the Financial Times reported.

Heads of government of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) gathered in Baku on April 2 with a familiar message and an increasingly pressing question: can a bloc built on shared identity evolve into a force with tangible economic impact?