Inside Russia-Outside Russia is a news insight by the Federation of the Russian Embassy in Bangladesh on 10.3.25
INSIDE RUSSIA
Putin congratulates women on International Women’s Day
Putin wished success, health, well-being, and all the best to Russian women
MOSCOW, March 8. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has congratulated the country’s women on International Women’s Day, pointing out that much in life depends on their creative energy, love, and utmost responsibility.
“Dear women, we know that so much in life depends on you, on your talents, creative energy, love, and utmost responsibility with which you undertake any job. Once again, we are in awe of your beauty, kindness and grace,” the president noted.
According to him, “today, words of love, gratitude and respect are heard everywhere” as men express their appreciation to women for their contributions “both at home and in the workplace, where they often take on complex professional challenges.”
“You truly do it all: taking care of children and scoring outstanding achievements in various fields, embodying both strength and grace, courage and tenderness, and winning us over again and again with your beauty and charm. You inspire men to strive for greatness, encouraging them to do better, to take bold steps and to be the true defenders of their families and homes, and our Motherland,” the head of state said.
Putin wished success, health, well-being, and all the best to Russian women. “May you always find happiness alongside those you hold dear. Happy International Women’s Day!” he concluded.
Kremlin spokesman accuses France of lying, violating agreements
Dmitry Peskov made the statement in response to comments by French President Emmanuel Macron, who said Russia wasn’t honest about the Ukrainian crisis
MOSCOW, March 8. /TASS/. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov accused France of lying about such issues as the Minsk agreements and guarantees for former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich.
He made the statement in an interview with television host Pavel Zarubin in response to comments by French President Emmanuel Macron, who said Russia wasn’t honest about the Ukrainian crisis.
“There were a lot of lies on the part of France. After all, we remember [former French President Francois] Hollande’s statement when he said that, in fact, no one took the Minsk agreements seriously. We remember that in 2014, among other Europeans, the French foreign minister put his signature under a document that guaranteed the then-legitimate Ukrainian President Yanukovich a political future. That was followed by a coup. That means France, like other countries, did not make good on its guarantees. Was that not a lie? It was a very real lie, and Mr. Macron did not mention that at all,” Peskov said, according to a video that the television host posted to Telegram.
On March 5, Macron said in an address to the nation that he would begin discussions with allies about the possibility of applying the French nuclear deterrence capability to other countries in Europe, in response to an appeal from Friedrich Merz, a candidate for German chancellor. The French president also spoke about rising threats to his country and the rest of Europe, including threats that allegedly emanate from Russia. Macron used them as a reason to call for raising defense spending above the previously approved plan. He also stated his intention to continue supporting Ukraine in the conflict with Russia.
Russia’s export duty on wheat to be $27.42 per metric ton from March 12
The duty on corn will be 1,925.9 rubles ($21.61) per metric ton
MOSCOW, March 7. /TASS/. The duty on wheat exports from Russia will stand at 2,444.4 rubles ($24.427) per metric ton from March 12, 2025, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.
The duty on the export of barley will total 874.8 rubles ($9.81) per metric ton. The duty on corn will be 1,925.9 rubles ($21.61) per metric ton, the Ministry said.
The export duty rate for wheat and meslin (a mixture of wheat and rye) is calculated based on an indicative price of $241.9 per metric ton, for barley – at a price of $204 per metric ton, and for corn – $220.9 per metric ton.
The floating duty on Russian grain exports is effective from June 2, 2021. The Ministry of Agriculture determines the amount of the duty for a period of one week. The calculated fees are published weekly on the ministry’s website. Duties were calculated in dollars before July 1, 2022 and then were converted to rubles. It stands at 70% from the difference between the base price and the indicative price.
OUTSIDE RUSSIA
Russia, US request UNSC consultations on Syria
“We expect the Danish presidency to appoint them at ten in New York (2:00 p.m. GMT) on March 10,” Russia’s First Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Dmitry Polyancky said
UNITED NATIONS, March 9. /TASS/. Russia and the United States have requested closed-door United Nations Security Council consultations on the situation in Syria, Russia’s First Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Dmitry Polyancky said.
“Russia and the United States have requested urgent closed-door UN Security Council consultations over violence against civilians in western Syria. We expect the Danish presidency to appoint them at ten in New York (2:00 p.m. GMT) on March 10,” he wrote on his Telegram channel.
On March 6, clashes broke out in various areas of the Latakia governorate between Syrian security forces and armed groups supporting former Syrian President Bashar Assad. The fiercest fighting took place in Jableh, home to Alawites, representatives of the religious minority, to which the Assad family belongs. Authorities sent army units and armored vehicles to the three provinces, and curfews have been imposed in the main cities. The Syrian Defense Ministry announced on March 7 that it had regained control of the coastal areas. On March 8, Syria’s interim government deployed additional forces to littoral areas to suppress armed resistance from pro-Assad units. On March 9, fighting resumed in several areas.
According to the Shafaq news portal, more than 250 pro-Assad militants have been killed in since March 6. Government forces have lost 231 troops. The death toll among civilians has exceeded 800, with most of the victims belonging to the Alawite community, which makes up 12% of the country’s population.
Russia, Myanmar Intend to Jointly Oppose Destructive Role of ICC – Statement
MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Russia and Myanmar have expressed their intention to work together to counteract the destructive role of the International Criminal Court (ICC), according to a statement issued on Tuesday following talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Myanmar Prime Minister Min Aung Hlaing in Moscow.
“The parties expressed deep concern about attempts by a number of Western countries to exert political pressure on the International Court of Justice, their desire to politicize the international justice system, abusing its mechanisms to fabricate accusations against countries of the multipolar world and shield their supporters. Russia and Myanmar are determined to work together to counter the destructive role of the so-called ICC. We believe that international justice should be based on the principles of neutrality, fairness and equidistance to ensure the peaceful resolution of international disputes,” the statement read.
The ICC jurisdiction is not recognized by countries that are home to more than half of the world’s population. Among them are Russia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Saudi Arabia, the United States, and Turkey.
India signs deal with Russia for T-72 tank engines
India has signed a $248 million contract with Rosoboronexport for T-72 tank engines, including technology transfer
New Delhi signed a $248 million contract on Friday with Rosoboronexport, the Russian state agency for defense exports, to procure engines for the Indian Army’s T-72 tanks. The deal includes technology transfer to support local production under New Delhi’s ‘Make in India’ initiative, which aims to increase self-reliance on domestic defense manufacturing.
The agreement includes the procurement of 1,000 horsepower engines for T-72 tanks, the Indian Defense Ministry said in a statement. It noted that the deal includes transfer of technology from Rosoboronexport to India’s Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited in Avadi, Chennai, which aims to facilitate the integration and licensed production of the engines domestically, in line with the ‘Make in India’ initiative.
The T-72 has long been the mainstay of the Indian Army’s armored fleet, currently equipped with 780 HP engines. Upgrading the tanks with 1,000 HP engines is expected to enhance their battlefield mobility and offensive capabilities, providing a boost to the army’s operational effectiveness, the statement said.
The agreement highlights the longstanding defense partnership between India and Russia. From 2005 to 2025, Rosoboronexport has signed contracts with India worth $50 billion, with total Russian military equipment supplies to the country reaching $80 billion.
Speaking at India’s largest aerospace exhibition in February, Rosoboronexport General Director Aleksandr Mikheev described India as “the most important strategic partner of Russia in the Asia-Pacific region and one of Rosoboronexport’s key partners in the world.”
At the air show, Russia presented over 500 defense products, including advanced aircraft, helicopters, engines, and air defense systems, with the fifth-generation Su-57 fighter jet drawing significant attention.
India continues to be one of the largest importers of weapons globally, with Russia serving as a long-term supplier and technological partner for some of the most advanced platforms, including the Su-30MKI fighter and BrahMos missile, co-developed by the two countries. Around 60% of the Indian military’s hardware is of Russian origin, and the two countries have expressed their willingness to further deepen ties.
On Friday, Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri visited Moscow for high-level consultations. According to New Delhi’s statement, the two sides reviewed bilateral ties and also shared perspectives on regional and global issues of mutual interest. During the visit, Misri held talks with President Vladimir Putin’s foreign policy aide, Yury Ushakov, the deputy head of the presidential administration, Maksim Oreshkin, and the deputy minister of industry and trade, Aleksey Gruzdev.
SPECIAL MILITARY OPERATION IN UKRAINE
Russian military liberates 32 settlements in Kursk Region
On March 8-9 alone, the decisive actions of the Battlegroup North resulted in the liberation of seven settlements, including Malaya Loknya, Cherkasskoye Porechnoye, Kositsa, Lebedevka, Viktorovka, Nikolayevka and Staraya Sorochina
MOSCOW, March 10. /TASS/. Russian servicemen have liberated 32 settlements in the Kursk Region since August 6 last year, according to TASS estimates based on reports from the Russian Defense Ministry.
On March 8-9 alone, the decisive actions of the Battlegroup North resulted in the liberation of seven settlements, including Malaya Loknya, Cherkasskoye Porechnoye, Kositsa, Lebedevka, Viktorovka, Nikolayevka and Staraya Sorochina.
In February, the army regained control of five localities: Pogrebki, Orlovka, Nikolsky, Novaya Sorochina, and Sverdlikovo.
As of January 17, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that 63.2% (801 square kilometers) of the Kursk Region, initially occupied by the Ukrainian army (1,268 square kilometers), had been liberated. During the first two weeks of January, as part of offensive operations, the units of the Battlegroup North liberated four settlements: Alexandriya, Leonidovo, Russkoe Porechnoye, and Kruglenkoe. Additionally, Nikolayevo-Daryino was liberated on January 31.
In December 2024, the army liberated three localities – Plekhovo, Daryino and Novoivanovka.
Last September saw the largest number of settlements returned, reaching 12; these were Uspenovka, Borki, Apanasovka, Byakhovo, Vishnevka, Viktorovka, Vnezapnoye, Gordeyevka, Krasnooktyabrskoye, Obukhovka, Snagost and 10th October.
The Kursk Region came under a massive attack from Ukraine on August 6, 2024. A state of federal emergency is in effect in the region. Civilians are being evacuated from the border areas. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Kiev has lost more than 64,000 troops since fighting began in the Kursk area. The operation to destroy Ukrainian troops continues.
INSIGHTS
Fyodor Lukyanov: Trump’s America is no friend – Russia must stay the course
Moscow must resist the illusion of a new romance with Washington
When Vladimir Putin launched Russia’s military operation in February 2022, he made it clear that the conflict was not merely about Ukraine. It was about Moscow’s broader struggle against the “entire so-called Western bloc,” shaped in the image of the United States. In his speech that day, he described Washington as a “systemically important power,” with its allies acting as obedient followers, “copying its behavior and eagerly accepting the rules it offers.” Three years later, the nature of this Western order has become central to the outcome of the conflict.
The return of Donald Trump to the White House has shaken the transatlantic alliance. Trump’s America is no longer playing by the old rules. It is dismantling decades-old structures that defined Western dominance. His aggressive rhetoric against Western Europe, his attacks on NATO, and his open disdain for Ukraine have left European leaders scrambling. Some analysts, such as Stephen Walt, believe that America’s allies will eventually unite against Trump’s unpredictability. Putin, however, maintains that these European leaders will ultimately “stand at their master’s feet and wag their tails,” regardless of their grievances. The question is: what does this shifting dynamic mean for Russia?
Good with evil
Trump’s radical foreign policy moves have stunned observers. The American president has openly dismissed Ukraine, reducing it to a “burden” that Washington should no longer carry. For Trump, Western Europe is a parasite living off American largesse. His rhetoric, infused with anti-elitist populism, turns the usual Western mantras of democracy and human rights against the very nations that long championed them. The spectacle is grotesque, even for seasoned political analysts.
Trump’s disdain for Ukraine is not driven by geopolitical strategy but by domestic calculations. His focus is China, not Eastern Europe. He wants to redirect American attention to trade imbalances, the Arctic, Latin America, and the Indo-Pacific. Yet, Ukraine, framed by Joe Biden’s administration as the defining battle between “good and evil,” has become an ideological lightning rod. The Biden White House staked everything on a victory over Russia. Trump, in typical fashion, seeks to destroy that narrative, turning it inside out.
A West at war with itself
The Trump phenomenon has thrown the Western alliance into turmoil. Western Europe is grappling with its dependence on the United States. Some European leaders talk of “strategic autonomy,” yet they lack the means to achieve it. Others hope to outlast Trump and return to familiar ground. But the old order is crumbling. Washington’s interference in European elections – once a tool of Western hegemony – is now being deployed by Trumpists to push their own agenda. For Trump’s allies, the European Union is an extension of “Biden’s America,” and their mission is to dismantle it from within.
The transatlantic crisis mirrors past ideological battles. In some ways, this resembles the Kulturkampf of 19th-century Germany – the struggle between Otto von Bismarck’s secular state and the Catholic Church. In today’s world, globalist liberals play the role of the papacy, while populists like Trump assume Bismarck’s mantle.
For Russia, this internal Western fracture offers an opportunity – but also a trap. Moscow finds itself ideologically closer to Trump’s America than to the liberal EU. But aligning too closely with Trump carries risks. The upheaval in the United States is not about Russia; it is about America’s own identity crisis. Moscow must be careful not to become a pawn in Washington’s domestic battles.
The ‘world majority’ and Russia’s role
The past three years have brought a geopolitical shift: the emergence of what some call the “world majority” – countries that refuse to take sides in the Ukraine conflict and seek to benefit from the West’s decline. Unlike during the Cold War, Washington has failed to rally the Global South against Russia. Instead, many non-Western nations are deepening ties with Moscow, unwilling to follow Washington’s lead.
Meanwhile, within the Western bloc, a new shift is unfolding. Trump’s America is no longer the same force it was during the Cold War. Russia and the US now speak with a degree of mutual courtesy unseen in years. The timing is symbolic, coinciding with the anniversary of the Yalta Conference, where Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin shaped the post-war world. But while this thaw is notable, Russia must be wary of overcommitting to a new alignment with Washington.
Avoiding the temptation of a new ‘partnership’
The West is locked in an existential struggle over its future. Russia must recognize that one faction – the Trump administration – has found it useful to engage with Moscow, but only temporarily. Aligning too closely with Trump’s America risks alienating the very “world majority” that has bolstered Russia’s position globally.
Historically, Russia has often sought Western recognition, sometimes at its own expense. The perception that Moscow always seeks to be acknowledged by the West persists. If Russia rushes to embrace Trump’s overtures while turning its back on its non-Western partners, it will reinforce the stereotype that it craves Western validation above all else. This would be a strategic blunder.
The Ukraine conflict is not about creating a new world order; it is the final chapter of the Cold War. A decisive Russian victory would solidify Moscow’s place as a key power in a multipolar world. But if Russia fails to capitalize on this moment – if it falls into the trap of a new Western engagement – it risks losing its strategic gains.
A new global order in the making
The world is not returning to the old Cold War dynamic. Trump’s attempts to redefine Western alliances are part of a broader, chaotic transformation of global politics. China, the European Union, and Russia all face internal and external pressures that will shape the coming decade. The United States, despite Trump’s ambitions, cannot reshape the world alone.
For Russia, the challenge is clear. It must maintain its independence, avoid entanglements in the West’s ideological battles, and continue building relationships with the non-Western world. Russia has weathered three years of Western sanctions, diplomatic isolation, and economic warfare. Now, as the West fractures, Moscow must chart its own course – resisting the pull of a “new romance” with Washington.
In this unpredictable landscape, only nations with internal stability and strategic patience will emerge as winners. Russia’s path forward lies not in returning to the past, but in shaping a future where it stands as a sovereign force in an increasingly fragmented world.
