Elections in Russia on 9 September may present surprises

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s visit to Moscow last week has triggered a new round of tensions in Armenian-Russian relations. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s attempt to persuade Pashinyan to abandon rapprochement with the European Union and the United States failed, despite arguments presented by the Russian side. Pashinyan, according to his public statements, reaffirmed Armenia’s commitment to an independent foreign policy.

Russia has sharply escalated its criticism of the proposed “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity” (TRIPP), with senior officials signalling that Moscow views the initiative as both illegitimate and strategically destabilising for the South Caucasus.

When Vladimir Putin addressed participants at the congress of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs on March 26, he struck a familiar tone: resilience in the face of sanctions, adaptation to geopolitical pressure and a steady movement toward economic independence.

Kazakhstan is gradually increasing its oil exports through Azerbaijan, strengthening the country’s role as a key transit energy hub in the Caspian region and reflecting broader changes in Eurasian energy logistics.