How are recent sanctions, oil embargoes, and rising military expenditures affecting Russia and Ukraine?

The European Union and Ukraine have asked Azerbaijan to facilitate negotiations with Russia on a gas transit agreement, which expires at the end of this year. Hikmet Hajiyev, adviser to the President of Azerbaijan, told the world agencies Reuters and Blumberg about this.

President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus visited Azerbaijan, resulting in the bolstering of bilateral ties and unveiling new horizons for cooperation between the two former Soviet republics. This visit highlights the strategic alliance and shared interests of Belarus and Azerbaijan, both of which maneuver adeptly in the face of geopolitical challenges.

Over the past year, Kyiv's diplomatic front has been bustling with activity centered on President Volodymyr Zelensky's "Formula for peace." This ten-point plan, according to the Ukrainian leadership, is the blueprint for a fair resolution to the ongoing conflict, with Zelensky consistently emphasizing that any peace must adhere strictly to these terms, excluding alternative proposals.

In a significant development poised to reshape regional dynamics, the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia will convene in Almaty on May 10 for the first talks on the Kazakh platform, an initiative proposed by Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev during his recent diplomatic visits to Baku and Yerevan.