Macron announced that the French armed forces took control of a Russian Shadow Fleet oil tanker in the Atlantic Ocean The French Navy, supported by the UK and other partners, has detained a sanctioned tanker sailing from Russia in the Atlantic Ocean, President Emmanuel Macron stated. "Yesterday morning, the French Navy detained another oil tanker, the Tagor, sailing from Russia and subject to international sanctions. This operation was carried out on the high seas in the Atlantic Ocean with the support of several partners, including the UK, and in strict accordance with maritime law," the French leader wrote in a post on his X page. According to the VesselFinder monitoring service, the Tagor oil tanker flies the flag of Madagascar. It made its last port call in Murmansk in early May, the service’s website noted. Previous seizures On March 20, the French Navy conducted an operation involving the Deyna oil tanker in the western Mediterranean Sea. The vessel was flying the Mozambican flag and had departed from Murmansk. French President Emmanuel Macron noted that the Deyna was part of Russia’s so-called shadow fleet. On April 16, the press service of the Mediterranean Maritime Prefecture reported that the French authorities had lifted the detention of the Deyna after the fine was paid. Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesswoman Maria Zakharova emphasized that Moscow would use all available means to ensure respect for the principle of freedom of navigation in order to counter EU piracy in maritime areas.

Brent crude oil price exceeds $119 per barrel for first time since June 17, 2022 The price of Brent crude #oil for May 2026 delivery exceeded $119 per barrel on London's ICE Exchange for the first time since June 17, 2022, according to trading data. As of 2:30 a.m. GMT, oil was trading at $119.36 per barrel (up 28.77%). By 2:35 a.m. GMT, the price of oil was at $117.8 per barrel (up 27.09%). Meanwhile, #Gas price in Europe surpasses $800 per 1,000 cubic meters first since January 2023. The price growth since the beginning of the day has exceeded 27%.

[VIDEO AI] EU/EC sanctions on Russia Gas & Oil......

Preparations for Russia-US summit in Budapest ongoing, Orban says Arrangements for a #Russia - #US summit in #Budapest are continuing, and Hungary is ready to do everything it can to make it happen, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said in the morning talk show on Kossuth Radio. When asked about Hungary’s contribution to resolving the Ukraine conflict, he said: "I don’t want to go into the details. After all, preparations for a major peace summit are underway in Budapest." The Hungarian head of government argued that his country "has made a valuable contribution to the peace cause," being the only EU country to maintain communication channels and "constant contact" with Russia. "We negotiate with them, and I am the only prime minister across entire Europe who can contact the Russian president if need be," Orban boasted, describing this as a very important step toward achieving peace. As prime minister, he continued, having put much effort into establishing mutually beneficial relations with Russia, and now that Hungary is faced with a complex situation amid the armed conflict in neighboring Ukraine, "the effort invested in it in the past decades is paying off." Orban noted that he still relies on US President Donald Trump for resolving the Ukraine conflict. "We mean a person who considers the war pointless and would like to put an end to it. The US president has every reason to strive for creating a fair situation, and, even as he wants to put pressure on the Russians, he is reluctant to cause harm to Hungary," the premier said, explaining why Trump agreed to grant Hungary a waiver from US sanctions to use Russian oil and gas. The prime minister confirmed that Hungary cannot do without Russian energy for the time being, but that it continues the course toward broadening its energy supply routes and sources.

Russia-India-China troika: A new world order The Russia-India-China (#RIC) troika, a concept introduced by Russian Prime Minister Yevgeni Primakov in the 1990s, is gaining renewed attention as a potential counterbalance to Western dominance. Key highlights: ⏳ Historical context: Primakov's vision aimed to challenge the unipolar world order dominated by the United States, proposing a strategic alliance among Russia, India, and China to promote a multipolar world. 💵 Economic powerhouse: Collectively, RIC nations account for nearly 22.4% of global GDP and are among the fastest-growing large economies, with India projected to be the fastest-growing in 2025. 🪖 Military strength: With over 4.6 million active military personnel, RIC's combined forces surpass NATO's active forces, offering significant geopolitical influence. 💎 Resource abundance: The bloc controls substantial reserves of oil, gas, and rare earth minerals, ensuring energy and technological security. ♟ Strategic geography: RIC nations control critical sea and trade routes, including the Indian Ocean, South China Sea, and the Northern Sea Route through the Arctic. 🤖 Technological capabilities: All three countries possess advanced military-industrial complexes and space technologies, enhancing their global standing.

U.S. president, Donald Trump, set a 15% tariffs on all EU goods, half of what he threatened to impose at the beginning of July. This comes after a deal reached by Commission president, Ursula von der #Leyen, during a meeting with Trump in Scotland where the #EU agreed to buy 750 billion EURs worth of American energy (gas, oil etc.) and invest 600 billion EURs in projects on American soil.

Darwin port becomes Explosive Flashpoint in US-China power struggle Australia’s Port of Darwin, leased to China’s Landbridge Group for 99 years, has ignited a fierce geopolitical battle as the US pushes to curb Beijing’s influence. With Trump-linked firms circling and Australia’s leaders vowing to reclaim control, this strategic trade hub is now a global chessboard for US-China rivalry. Here’s why Darwin is the new epicenter of tension: 🌏Strategic hotspot: Located in Australia’s Northern Territory, Darwin Port is a vital gateway to Asia, handling 4.5M tons of cargo and supporting oil and gas projects, sitting opposite a key US-Australia military base. 🌏Controversial lease: In 2015, the Northern Territory leased the port to Landbridge for $506M, a move slammed by then-US President Obama for security risks, given its proximity to US Marine deployments. 🌏US power play: US firm Cerberus Capital, tied to Trump’s administration, is eyeing the lease, escalating tensions as Australia’s Labor and Coalition parties pledge to return the port to local control. 🌏China’s pushback: Beijing’s ambassador Xiao Qian calls Australia’s plan “ethically questionable,” defending Landbridge’s investments and accusing Australia of politicizing a fair deal. 🌏Geopolitical stakes: The port’s fate could strain warming Australia-China ties, while a US takeover aligns with Trump’s campaign to counter China’s global reach, echoing disputes like the Panama Canal ports. 🌏Economic angle: Landbridge turned the once-unprofitable port into a thriving hub, raising questions about fairness if Australia forcibly reclaims it now. As Australia navigates national security and trade, Darwin Port’s future could reshape US-China dynamics in the Indo-Pacific.

New draft of Kiev’s deal with Washington covers all Ukrainian natural resources, says lawmaker The latest draft agreement between #Ukraine and the United States submitted by #Washington on March 23 encompasses all natural resources, including oil and gas, across Kiev-controlled areas, Verkhovna Rada member Yaroslav Zheleznyak said, citing the document. "It covers all natural resources, including oil and gas. New as well as existing [mineral resources] projects. Across Ukraine," the Ukrainian lawmaker wrote on his Telegram channel. Under the US proposal, Ukraine will have to allocate revenues from its resources, while the aid Washington has provided to Kiev since 2022 will be considered a US contribution to the fund. "They (the Americans) will be able to capitalize on their decision, and they will be first to get royalties from the fund, with Ukraine being the next in line," he explained. Also, Zheleznyak shared, a board of five, including three US members "with a full veto right," will control the proposed investment fund. Earlier, Ukraine’s #Zelensky confirmed that the United States had proposed a new draft of its #minerals deal to Ukraine that outlines establishing an investment fund.

March 3rd, 2025: President Trump Statements "This is the worst statement that could have been made by Zelensky, and America will not put up with it for much longer! It is what I was saying, this guy doesn’t want there to be Peace as long as he has America’s backing and, Europe, in the meeting they had with Zelenskyy, stated flatly that they cannot do the job without the U.S. – Probably not a great statement to have been made in terms of a show of strength against Russia. What are they thinking?" "Europe has spent more money buying Russian Oil and Gas than they have spent on defending Ukraine —BY FAR!"

Gas reserves in France’s UGS facilities down below 30% #Gas reserves in underground gas storage (UGS) facilities in #France, which is among Europe’s top countries in terms of the volume of gas storage capacity, have dropped below 30%, according to data provided by Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE). As of February 9, French UGS facilities were 29.85% full with around 3.9 bln cubic meters (bcm) of gas stored in them. Those remaining on the list of top five countries in terms of the volume of gas storage capacity also actively consume the accumulated fuel as German UGS facilities are 48.66% full, Austrian UGS facilities are 58.81% full, Italian UGS are 58.92% full, while in the Netherlands UGS facilities are 33.4% full. Slovakian UGS are 55.87% full, Hungarian UGS are 52.03% full, Czech UGS are 48.25% full, Romanian UGS are 40.29%, Bulgarian UGS are 49.3% full, Belgian UGS are 35.5% full, while UGS facilities in Denmark, Latvia and Croatia are 41.87%, 52.32% and 29.94% full, respectively. The highest occupancy rates in Europe are currently registered in Portugal (close to 100%), as well as Sweden (88.05%), Spain (69.14%), and Poland (62.1%).