Russia
Background
Russia, officially the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country in Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the largest country in the world by area, spanning eleven time zones and bordering fourteen states by land. With a population of more than 140 million, it is the most populous country in Europe and the ninth-most populous in the world, and its capital and largest city is Moscow.
The country plays a major role in regional and global affairs because of its size, population, military capacity, and resource base. It is a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council and a member of international groupings including the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Collective Security Treaty Organization, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. Russia has the world’s largest stockpile of nuclear weapons, one of the highest military budgets globally, and an economy that relies heavily on oil and natural gas production.
Modern Russian statehood developed from East Slavic polities such as Kievan Rus’, followed by the rise of Moscow, the Tsardom of Russia, and the Russian Empire. After the Russian Revolution of 1917, Russia became the core of the Soviet Union, and the Russian Federation emerged in 1991 after the Soviet collapse. Since the early 21st century, Russia has been shaped by Vladimir Putin’s leadership, the 1993 constitutional order, military involvement in conflicts including Georgia in 2008 and Ukraine since 2014, and continued diplomatic and security activity reflected in recent official statements and interstate meetings.
Timeline
Russia discussed the Iran crisis and bilateral relations with Pakistan during a meeting between Deputy Foreign Minister A.Yu. Rudenko and Ambassador F.N. Tirmizi.
On the Meeting Between Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia A.Yu. Rudenko and the Ambassador of Pakistan to Moscow F.N. TirmiziRussia’s Foreign Ministry condemned the March 3 drone attack on the LNG carrier Arctic Metagaz in the Mediterranean as an act of terrorism and a war crime.
Comment by Official MID Spokesperson Maria Zakharova Regarding the Attack on the Civilian Commercial Vessel Arctic MetagazRussia noted that no European state had condemned the attack on the civilian commercial vessel Arctic Metagaz.
Comment by Official MID Spokesperson Maria Zakharova Regarding the Attack on the Civilian Commercial Vessel Arctic MetagazRussia’s federal budget posted a 3.449 trillion ruble deficit in January–February 2026.
Preliminary Assessment of Federal Budget Execution for January–February 2026Federal budget revenues fell 10.8% year-on-year to 4.767 trillion rubles in January–February 2026.
Preliminary Assessment of Federal Budget Execution for January–February 2026
Documents
Comment by Official MID Spokesperson Maria Zakharova Regarding the Attack on the Civilian Commercial Vessel Arctic Metagaz
Russia's Foreign Ministry condemned the March 3 drone attack on LNG carrier Arctic Metagaz in the Mediterranean as an act of terrorism and war crime, noting no European state has condemned the incident.
On the Meeting Between Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia A.Yu. Rudenko and the Ambassador of Pakistan to Moscow F.N. Tirmizi
Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Rudenko met with Pakistan's Ambassador Tirmizi to discuss the Iran crisis and bilateral relations.
Preliminary Assessment of Federal Budget Execution for January–February 2026
Russia's federal budget ran a 3.449 trillion ruble deficit in January–February 2026, as revenues fell 10.8% year-on-year to 4.767 trillion rubles due to a 47% drop in oil and gas revenues, while spending rose 5.8% to 8.216 trillion rubles.
Congratulatory Message to Servicemembers and Veterans of the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Russia
Putin congratulated Russia's Special Operations Forces on their professional holiday, praising their combat performance and singling out troops conducting missions in the Ukraine war zone.
Meeting of the Supreme State Council of the Union State
Putin and Lukashenko held the Supreme State Council of the Union State in Moscow, signing a package of documents including directives on mutual legal protection, cross-border rail links, and a new Standardisation and Quality Committee, marking 30 years of Russian-Belarusian integration.