Russia & CIS

The changing global order is reshaping the domestic politics of foreign aid. As many OECD governments shift their focus towards defence spending and narrower national interests, contributions to global public goods and development are declining. Development budgets, in particular, are traditionally among the first casualties of public spending cuts. Germany is no exception. Its core development budget has fallen from €12.4 billion in 2021 to €9.9 billion in 2026 – a decline of around 20 per cent. This decrease is driven by overall pressure on public spending and a decisive shift towards defence. A recent study projects a contested but illustrative estimate, suggesting that aid cuts could lead to an additional 9.4 million deaths by 2030 (da Silva et al., 2026). In January 2026, Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) presented a reform strategy that directly addresses these pressures. The strategy advocates a shift towards a more targeted approach, shaped in part by these budget cuts. However, it also addresses long-standing reform needs that predate them. Three aspects are particularly noteworthy: a clear focus on least developed countries (LDCs), where aid can have relatively high impact; explicit thematic prioritisation that recognises over-fragmentation as a key problem; and a stronger commitment to evidence and results, anchored in the statement that “effectiveness and evidence are central principles for steering German development cooperation” (BMZ, 2026). Possible concrete steps towards achieving these goals can be found in a joint CGD–IDOS policy paper on prioritisation (Hughes, Janus, Mitchell, & Röthel, 2025). However, questions remain about the strategy, most notably the apparent tensions between the focus on LDCs and ambitions to promote German business interests, the vague implementation plans and the fundamental question of political viability: Can these reforms generate meaningful change within the German development cooperation system and its wider political authorising environment?

Voici le top 10 des pays importateurs d'Afrique subsaharienne sur les 42 présents sur la liste du SIPRI.

Russia's oil and gas revenues fell sharply in January-April 2026, according to data released by the Russian Finance Ministry. Compared with the same period last year, revenues from oil and gas exports dropped by more than one-third — down 38.3% to 2.298 trillion rubles. The ministry attributed the decline primarily to lower global oil prices. At the same time, non-oil-and-gas revenues increased by 10.2% to 9.423 trillion rubles. The Finance Ministry expects the federal budget to receive 8.919 trillion rubles in oil-and-gas revenues and 31.365 trillion rubles in non-energy revenues over the course of 2026.

Des donateurs de bonne foi donnent de l'argent pour sauver des animaux en détresse, mais ce sont des escrocs ougandais qui empochent les fonds.

Moscow is preparing for the 81st anniversary of Victory Day. On May 9, 2026, Red Square will host a military parade that reflects current geopolitical realities. The event will serve not only as a ceremony but also as a demonstration of the country's human resources and military readiness under ongoing external pressure. This year, organizers have adjusted the format. Instead of emphasizing heavy military hardware, the parade will highlight personnel actively engaged in military service. Marching Units: Who Will Take Part Officers and cadets from higher military educational institutions will form the core of the marching columns. Representatives from all branches and specialized units of the Russian Armed Forces will participate.

President of Russia Vladimir Putin, during a meeting with government members, spoke about the development of Russia’s Arctic regions, emphasizing the strategic importance of the region. Strategic Importance of the Arctic “I have repeatedly noted the special, strategic importance of this region for our country, for the national economy, for increasing Russia’s industrial potential, for ensuring national security and protecting our sovereignty,” Putin said. He stressed that the role of the Arctic is also growing globally: “For the planet’s ecology, for global fuel, energy, and raw material complexes, and for strengthening the stability of international trade and logistics links.”

Press Secretary of the President of Russia Dmitry Peskov commented on the appeal of blogger Victoria Bonya to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Peskov stated that the Kremlin had seen Bonya's video and emphasized that it had indeed attracted attention and become popular. Kremlin Acknowledges Resonant Issues The presidential spokesperson also added that the blogger touched on highly resonant topics in her video.

Russia's economy resembles an overheated engine into which cheap lemonade has been poured instead of oil. The indicators on the dashboard are going wild: annual data released by Fedresurs carries a chill reminiscent of Arctic winds. In 2025, the army of bankrupt citizens grew by 568,000 people. This is not just a number. It is the population of an entire regional center that has officially declared its financial insolvency. A growth of 31.5% is not evolution — it is the fall of a climber whose safety rope has snapped.

Drei von vier Schweizern nutzen heute KI-Chatbots wie ChatGPT und Gemini. Vor zwei Jahren war es erst jeder Zweite. Doch beim Teilen von den eigenen Gesundheitsdaten bleibt das Misstrauen gross.

La candidature de Madrid au poste de commissaire à l'agriculture risque de diviser encore davantage le projet européen

The post Course à la FAO : l’Espagne ajoute un troisième candidat européen appeared first on Euractiv FR.

Russia could achieve digital sovereignty and build an internet capable of operating independently from the global network by 2028, according to a forecast by the Russian Association for Electronic Communications (RAEC). The forecast suggests that by the end of the decade the Russian segment of the internet — commonly known as the Runet - may function even without access to foreign infrastructure, while domestic technologies replace key foreign platforms. Smart Runet by 2030 According to RAEC, Russia could reach full digital sovereignty by 2028 and approach almost complete technological independence in key sectors by 2030.

IEA member states will distribute 400 million barrels of oil to ease the Iran war-caused supply crunch.

Depuis le coup d’État militaire de 2021 au Myanmar, l’Armée d’indépendance kachin (KIA) a consolidé son emprise sur les principaux sites d’extraction de dysprosium et de terbium dans les régions de Chipwi et Pangwa, générant plus de 200 millions de dollars de revenus annuels en imposant taxes et redevances aux entreprises chinoises opérant sur son territoire. Ainsi, les terres rares birmanes, indispensables aux moteurs électriques et aux éoliennes, sont désormais contrôlées par une entité proto-étatique en guerre ouverte avec son gouvernement central. De ce fait, le contrôle des gisements de terres rares au Myanmar par des groupes armés non étatiques devient une question stratégique majeure pour la sécurité d’approvisionnement en minerais critiques.

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Thursday 12 February

Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

Un an après le massacre d’au moins 55 civils sur le site de déplacés de Djaïba, les familles des victimes dénoncent l’impunité dont bénéficieraient des miliciens de la CODECO, auteurs présumés de ce crime.

Régisssant mardi 10 février à Radio Okapi, elles ont estimé que l’absence de poursuites renforce leur sentiment de traumatisme et d’abandon.

Le gouverneur de la ville de Kinshasa, Daniel Bumba, a personnellement supervisé une vaste opération de démolition des constructions anarchiques érigées le long de la voie ferrée à Pakadjuma, un bidonville de la commune de Limete. Selon lui, cette action s’inscrit dans le cadre de la campagne provinciale « Retour à la norme ».

Les Forces armées de la RDC (FARDC) et l’armée ougandaise (UPDF) ont tenu, mardi 10 février à Beni, chef-lieu provisoire du Nord-Kivu, une réunion d’évaluation de leurs opérations conjointes contre les rebelles des ADF, lancées en novembre 2021. Les échanges ont porté sur le renforcement de la coordination des actions menées dans les territoires de Beni et Lubero, au Nord-Kivu, ainsi qu’en Ituri.

Les députés ont adopté trois textes législatifs destinés à permettre un prêt de 90 milliards d’euros de l’UE en faveur de l’Ukraine, confrontée à la poursuite de l’agression russe.
Commission des affaires étrangères
Commission des budgets
Commission du commerce international
Commission de la sécurité et de la défense

Source : © Union européenne, 2026 - PE

Le Comité de suivi des prix des produits pétroliers (CSPPP) a procédé mardi 10 février à la certification des Pertes et manques à gagner (PMAG) de la zone Ouest pour le quatrième trimestre 2025, couvrant la période du 1er octobre au 31 décembre 2025.