MOSCOW, August 27. /TASS/. Ukraine’s economic and energy burdens are weighing on its ties with Central Europe; Iran is negotiating with the EU3 to avoid renewed UN sanctions; and Russia is developing Arctic transport routes to bypass Western restrictions. These stories topped Wednesday’s newspaper headlines across Russia.
Izvestia: EU divisions surface as Central Europe pushes back against Ukraine’s growing burden
Europe is increasingly worn out by the burden Ukraine places on its financial and energy security - a view steadily gaining support across the continent, Izvestia writes. In Poland, legislators have already blocked a bill extending benefits for Ukrainian refugees, while Budapest has described strikes against the Druzhba oil pipeline as attacks harming Hungary and Slovakia rather than Russia. A Slovak parliamentary representative told Izvestia that Bratislava will avoid taking harsh retaliatory measures solely because of its commitments to provide assistance to Ukraine under EU obligations. Both Budapest and Bratislava had earlier appealed to the European Commission regarding Ukrainian military attacks.
The growing frustration in Europe with the Ukrainian conflict is now manifesting in tangible political actions, even in countries traditionally among the most aggressively anti-Russian, according to Izvestia. On August 25, the newly elected Polish president vetoed the extension of a law granting social payments to unemployed Ukrainians. Both Hungary and Slovakia have long opposed Ukraine’s accession to the EU. Tensions peaked in August when Ukrainian forces attacked the Druzhba oil pipeline at least three times. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto declared that these strikes amounted to an assault by Ukraine on Hungary and Slovakia.
Brussels’ silence following these pipeline attacks, without applying any pressure on Kiev, can be interpreted as EU solidarity with Ukraine, leading analyst at the National Energy Security Fund Igor Yushkov told Izvestia. According to him, Brussels aims to pressure Hungary and Slovakia into abandoning Russian oil imports, forcing them to turn instead to Middle Eastern suppliers.
"Brussels wants Hungary and Slovakia to fear such interruptions in oil transit and ultimately stop buying Russian oil. In this respect, Brussels and Ukraine are in the same boat," Yushkov remarked.
The analyst also argued that the EU seeks to derail peace talks between Moscow and Kiev, dissatisfied with the secondary role assigned to Brussels in this process. "Harsh actions by Russia are needed by Ukraine to convince Trump that Moscow is not ready for negotiations, that no diplomatic effort is worthwhile, and that Washington should simply continue financing Ukraine, supplying it with weapons, and giving it diplomatic backing, nothing more," Yushkov added.
Vedomosti: Iran pursues deal with EU3 on nuclear program as UN sanctions threat looms
On August 26, negotiations began in Geneva between Iran and the so-called EU3 (France, the United Kingdom, and Germany) over Tehran’s nuclear program. This is their second round of talks, following the June 13-24 Israeli airstrikes, conducted with US support, which caused serious damage to Iranian nuclear facilities. Ahead of the Geneva meeting, the Europeans threatened to restore UN Security Council sanctions through the snapback mechanism, stipulated by the 2015 nuclear accord, if Tehran failed to resolve the dispute diplomatically by the end of August. Experts interviewed by Vedomosti believe the Geneva talks are unlikely to deliver any major results, serving mainly as a signal of Iran’s potential readiness for future US dialogue.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told a press conference that the substance of the talks would not differ from the previous round, as the main focus remained on lifting Western sanctions against Iran. He stressed that the European states have neither ethical nor legal grounds to activate the snapback mechanism, since they themselves have failed to fulfill their obligations under the 2015 nuclear deal.
The Geneva meeting is seen as a test run for the possible resumption of US-Iran negotiations, according to Rajab Safarov, Director General of the Center for the Study of Contemporary Iran. He noted that the Europeans, given their limited global influence, play only a minor role in dialogue with Tehran. Thus, the meeting should be interpreted as a signal of Iran’s readiness to eventually sit at the negotiating table with Washington. For their part, European powers are interested in clarifying Tehran’s position after the conclusion of the recent 12-day war. "In this sense, I do not expect any breakthrough in Geneva. At best, the parties will align their initial positions and prepare the ground for renewed US-Iran contacts," Safarov said.
However, senior research fellow at the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies Yuri Lyamin cautioned that it is too early to speak of returning to "the old negotiating track" between Washington and Tehran. In his view, after recent hostilities, neither side has shown real progress toward dialogue. "Washington still insists that Iran halt uranium enrichment, a demand Tehran categorically rejects," Lyamin noted.
For the Iranian leadership, he continued, it is now important to preserve the "opacity" of its nuclear program, which emerged after the June war. Tehran reasonably believes that prior cooperation with the IAEA neither secured sanctions relief nor prevented Israeli and US strikes, Lyamin concluded.
Izvestia: Russia boosts Arctic transport potential with new route to counter Western blockade risks
Russia is developing a new Arctic logistics corridor to bypass Western restrictions, with cargo flows through Western Siberia alone potentially reaching 100 mln tons, Izvestia reported citing the Maritime Board. Presidential Aide and chairman of the Maritime Board Nikolay Patrushev stated that Russia would guarantee the security of the Northern Sea Route. According to him, the Transarctic transport corridor, via the Ob-Irtysh basin, could be integrated with China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
"For our country, the Arctic region has always carried profound economic, scientific, cultural, and political significance. Rational development of Arctic resources, strengthening regional infrastructure, and transforming the Northern Sea Route into a safe, year-round, and competitive national transportation artery are the main goals of national maritime policy," Patrushev emphasized.
Currently, Yamal LNG and Sakhalin-2 are the only sector projects not under Western sanctions, due to foreign participation in them, Igor Yushkov from the National Energy Security Fund told the newspaper.
At the same time, the successful development of new economic ventures in the Arctic will depend largely on secure and reliable maritime connections.
"First and foremost, it is necessary to ensure a high level of readiness to respond to emergencies of both natural and man-made origin. Measures should also be taken to advance domestic communication and hydrometeorological support systems," Patrushev underlined.
The Arctic is, in many ways, Russia’s future, holding immense reserves of natural resources. While the exact scale of these reserves is still unknown, scientists are confident that the region’s resource potential is vast, Deputy Director of the Institute of History and Politics at Moscow State Pedagogical University Vladimir Shapovalov told Izvestia.
For the Northern Sea Route to compete with Baltic ports, infrastructure expansion is essential, Yushkov added, while also noting the seasonal limits of navigation. Shapovalov further stressed that the Arctic is Russia’s frontier territory, bordered by unfriendly NATO states, including the US, Canada, Norway, and Denmark, all of which maintain hostile stances toward Moscow. Safeguarding Russia’s Arctic interests is therefore a top national priority.
Kommersant: Acron raises fertilizer sales to US market 1.7 times amid trade realignment
Major Russian fertilizer producer Acron expanded sales to the United States by 1.7 times in the first half of 2025, with the country’s share in group revenues climbing to 28%. Analysts interviewed by Kommersant attribute this growth to US import tariffs that undermined Middle Eastern and North African suppliers. If current trade conditions remain, Russia is set to further consolidate its position in the American market.
In January-June 2025, Acron’s US sales rose 1.7-fold year-on-year to 34.9 bln rubles ($433.48 mln), according to the company’s financial statements. The US accounted for 28% of the group’s total revenue during this period, representing the fastest growth rate and shipment volume among all markets. Sales to other countries increased 1.8-fold to around 3 bln rubles ($37.26 mln).
The Price Index Center pointed to shifts in trade flows caused by changes in US customs and tariff policy as the key factor. "The introduction of differentiated import tariffs by the US in April hit Middle Eastern and North African suppliers hard, while Russian producers, excluded from the new tariff schedule, maintained access to the US market under stable conditions," analysts explained.
Nina Adamova from Gazprombank’s Center for Economic Forecasting told Kommersant that Washington’s protectionism toward other suppliers effectively created new openings for Russian exports of urea, ammonium nitrate, and other fertilizers.
According to the Price Index Center data, Russian nitrogen fertilizer exports to the US rose 30% year-on-year in the first half of 2025, strengthening Russia’s position as the largest supplier. Analysts believe that if current trade arrangements persist, this trend will continue.
Kommersant: Bitcoin’s retreat challenges market resilience as investors pin hopes on Fed policy shift
Bitcoin, the world’s most widely traded digital currency, fell below $109,000 for the first time in six weeks, losing more than 12% in two weeks after speculative investors locked in profits from a 60% rally that began in early April. According to Kommersant, investors remain hopeful for a Federal Reserve rate cut, which they believe could push Bitcoin back toward $120,000.
The correction followed a prolonged period of growth, during which Bitcoin gained more than 60% since April. From mid-May onward, it regularly set new records, the last of which was on August 14, when it reached $124,500. "We are witnessing a classic market pattern: whenever key psychological and price thresholds are hit, selling pressure intensifies," Alexander Krayko, senior analyst at crypto broker Cifra Markets, told the newspaper.
Despite the correction, experts express cautious optimism, noting that the peak of selling has passed and a tentative buying trend has returned. "After corrections, the number of buyers waiting for a 'discount' always increases, and we are now seeing higher activity at support levels," Chief Analyst at Bitget Research Ryan Lee said. Still, he warned against expecting a sharp rebound, instead predicting fluctuations within the $110,000-120,000 range for Bitcoin.
A potential rate cut by the Federal Reserve in September could provide strong support. Fed Chair Jerome Powell hinted at the possibility of such a move at the annual Jackson Hole conference last Friday.
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