Stories from moscow · Russia

Russian citizens believe President Vladimir Putin performed poorly in mid-May, marking his worst performance of the year. Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly traveled less within Russia than at any time since the COVID-19 pandemic.

A Bloomberg report indicates that an increasing number of Kremlin officials believe the ongoing war has reached a stalemate.

Akie Abe met with President Putin and stated that Russia is an neighbor. Russian President Vladimir Putin is reportedly seeking negotiations to secure a Russian victory, despite ongoing military challenges. Some Russians believe the war would end if troops returned home.

Russian authorities are discussing new regulations for cryptocurrency operations. The Central Bank of Russia has proposed expanding liability for cryptocurrency transactions. Businesses have suggested allowing pawnshops to accept cryptocurrency. Russian authorities are considering new regulations for digital currency operations, with proposals including allowing pawn shops to accept cryptocurrency. Legislatures in various countries are passing measures and proposing bills to regulate cryptocurrency. The proposed framework aims to align the regulation of the crypto market with the logic of taxing stocks and securities. GDELT data indicates legislative action to protect residents from fraud and the establishment of a separate prudential regulatory regime for banks dealing with cryptocurrency.

Moscow Exchange plans to launch cryptocurrency trading by the end of 2026. The exchange aims to begin cryptocurrency operations in 2027. Separately, a man in Mumbai was arrested for a cryptocurrency investment scam. Russian authorities have outlined cryptocurrency regulation, and the head of the Central Bank believes crypto and digital financial asset circulation should converge. This follows Fannie and Freddie warming to cryptocurrency in the mortgage market. ZyAlpha has launched an AI cryptocurrency quantitative trading system designed to capture positive trends and help investors achieve profit growth. Separately, a Bedford man has been barred from conducting any securities business in New Hampshire. This move comes amidst market squeezes and tougher regulations in the crypto industry. Separately, Minnesota may ban crypto kiosks, and authorities seized €30 million in cryptocurrency.

Approximately $5 billion in international loans from the World Bank and IMF were reportedly stolen upon arrival in Russia. This occurred on the eve of the country's economic meltdown.

The facade of a residential building on Mira Avenue in Moscow is crumbling, with residents reporting that the building has been cracking for two years.

Russian lawmakers acknowledge the increasing burden of the war economy, with approximately 40% of the federal budget allocated to defense and security. This comes as regions are experiencing financial depletion.

Russia's financial monitoring agency, Rosfinmonitoring, has included Vladimir Milov in its list of terrorists and extremists.

Dmitry Peskov stated that the Kremlin does not foresee fuel shortages resulting from drone attacks on oil refineries. He asserted that Russia's fuel balance remains stable. This comes amid ongoing drone strikes targeting Russian energy infrastructure.