Economie: Latest news, analysis, video interviews, video reports

FAKE NEWS: Ukraine is taking over the Romanian industry with money taken from Romanians
FAKE NEWS: Ukraine is taking over the Romanian industry with money taken from Romanians

Ukraine is buying up Romania “piece by piece” with money given by Romanians to the government in Kyiv, according to a false narrative carried by the sovereignist media.

Cezar Manu
18 May 2026
Putin is stomping on the online freedom. It's a new blow to the Russian economy
Putin is stomping on the online freedom. It's a new blow to the Russian economy

Russia’s struggle with the open proves that the Kremlin is trying to reorganize everyday life around the logic of security, control and dependence on state-approved infrastructure. The paradox is that this attack is directed against one of the few spheres where Russia had real modernizing potential: its digital economy.

Putin’s war is devouring Russia’s future
Putin’s war is devouring Russia’s future

Russia, like other oil-rich countries, saved some of its oil revenues for future generations and stability. After 2022, Moscow started to use the National Wealth Fund to finance a war that creates future instability.

Sanctions, Shadow Trade and the Limits of Decoupling EU from Russia
Sanctions, Shadow Trade and the Limits of Decoupling EU from Russia

Four years into the war, the EU - Russia trade relationship has been radically reshaped but not extinguished.

Can Russia Afford Its Own “Victory”?
Can Russia Afford Its Own “Victory”?

Russia invaded Ukraine to bring it back into its orbit. After years of war, the Russians would be content with even gaining some territory. But that would be a Pyrrhic victory, as Russia lacks the resources to effectively rebuild and administer war-torn areas.

The Unbearable Lukewarmness of Being: How Viktor Orbán put risk at the top of the ballot
The Unbearable Lukewarmness of Being: How Viktor Orbán put risk at the top of the ballot

Hungarian communism was tolerated because it offered people security and a few small freedoms. This gave rise to a mentality in which it is better to opt for what is familiar and tolerable than to risk something that could be worse. Channeling this instinct sits at the core of Viktor Orbán's election campaign.

Daniel Nolan
27 Mar 2026
FAKE NEWS: Ukraine hasn’t been destroyed yet because the pro-Russians laid a solid foundation for it
FAKE NEWS: Ukraine hasn’t been destroyed yet because the pro-Russians laid a solid foundation for it

Ukraine still exists as a state because the former pro-Russian government created a solid economic foundation and infrastructure for it—which the current leadership is destroying through war, according to pro-Kremlin propaganda.

Marin Gherman
25 Mar 2026
Orbán’s Connectivity vs Magyar’s Credibility: Hungary’s Looming Choice
Orbán’s Connectivity vs Magyar’s Credibility: Hungary’s Looming Choice

Viktor Orbán’s policy of doing business with Russia and China, and turning Hungary into a beacon of “illiberal democracies”, alienated the country’s EU partners and that came with an economic cost. Orbán’s main rival Péter Magyar shares some of Orbán’s views, but he promises to make amends with Brussels.

Daniel Nolan
26 Feb 2026
War casualties: Russia’s economy
War casualties: Russia’s economy

Over the past four years, Russia's economy has been reoriented to support the war effort and, for a time, seemed able to withstand sanctions. But now Moscow is facing economic stagnation as its financial reserves continue to dwindle.

WAR PROPAGANDA: Ukraine is being destroyed by its leaders, not by war
WAR PROPAGANDA: Ukraine is being destroyed by its leaders, not by war

Ukraine's leadership is leading the country toward a widespread catastrophe, but is hiding its incompetence by blaming the war for the existing problems, according to a false narrative taken up by pro-Kremlin propaganda.

Marin Gherman
11 Feb 2026
Maduro’s fall is both a geopolitical setback for Russia and a warning for Putin
Maduro’s fall is both a geopolitical setback for Russia and a warning for Putin

Russia suffered a geopolitical setback following Maduro’s fall. More than that, there are lessons to be drawn from Venezuela shake-up: oil (and gas) cannot save an economy, and the regime can survive without its top man.

FAKE NEWS: Russia has destroyed European transport by closing its airspace
FAKE NEWS: Russia has destroyed European transport by closing its airspace

According to pro-Russian propaganda, the European economy is collapsing as a result of Russia's decision to close its airspace to commercial flights from countries supporting Ukraine.

Cezar Manu
30 Dec 2025
Why, in the event of a falling out with Europe, the USA would stand to lose the most
Why, in the event of a falling out with Europe, the USA would stand to lose the most

The Trump administration's distancing from the EU, which transpires in the new US national security strategy, could lead to a “rupture” within the Western family. This is a scenario in which the USA would stand to lose enormously, including in the context of the global competition with China. The EU, on the other hand, has the potential to emerge unscathed from such a crisis.

Russia’s new social contract: why sanctions hit everyone except those who decide
Russia’s new social contract: why sanctions hit everyone except those who decide

Why have neither the weight of sanctions nor the scale of losses on the battlefield pushed the Kremlin toward compromise.

Russia’s economy is not doing as well as the Kremlin would like you to believe
Russia’s economy is not doing as well as the Kremlin would like you to believe

Behind the façade of resilience lies a system increasingly driven by asset seizures, political loyalty, and the enrichment of a new elite.

FAKE NEWS: Moldova’s EU accession would Destroy the EU economy
FAKE NEWS: Moldova’s EU accession would Destroy the EU economy

Pro-Kremlin propaganda claims that Moldova’s EU accession would collapse the EU economy, conveniently ignoring the fact that Moldova’s economy amounts to just 0.1% of the EU’s.

Veridica
29 Nov 2025
Belarus’ industry is increasingly involved in supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine
Belarus’ industry is increasingly involved in supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine

Hundreds of Belarusian companies support Russia's war effort, supplying it with, among other things, shells, drones, chassis for military vehicles, and components imported from the West.

The Russian Budget as a Window into a Wartime Economy
The Russian Budget as a Window into a Wartime Economy

The budget sends a clear message – Russia is preparing to live, and fight, as a besieged fortress for years to come, even if doing so slowly drains the vitality of its economy and society.

The Economic Stalemate: Who Can Afford to Fight Longer?
The Economic Stalemate: Who Can Afford to Fight Longer?

Ukraine faces increasing dependence on Western support. Russia will likely face critical fiscal constraints within 12-24 months. Meanwhile, China, the United States, and some third countries are extracting gains from the conflict.

Russia’s Digital Transformation: From Technological Pride to Instruments of Control
Russia’s Digital Transformation: From Technological Pride to Instruments of Control

The networks, platforms, and services that once promised convenience and openness are now increasingly shaped by state control, geopolitical isolation, and the exodus of skilled talent.

FAKE NEWS: Money disappears through successive bank transactions
FAKE NEWS: Money disappears through successive bank transactions

Influencer Andrew Tate claims that money can "disappear" from the economy after going through several successive bank transactions, due to fees and commissions.

Cezar Manu
04 Aug 2025
Returning from War: Russia’s Looming Challenge of Reintegrating its Veterans
Returning from War: Russia’s Looming Challenge of Reintegrating its Veterans

As the war in Ukraine drags into its third year, a critical question grows increasingly urgent: how will Russia reintegrate the ever increasing number of citizens who return from the front lines or who have become economically dependent on the war effort?

“Potato Führer” without potatoes: how Belarus came to a food crisis
“Potato Führer” without potatoes: how Belarus came to a food crisis

A crisis in potatoes, which are a staple food in Belarus, is showing the failure of the economic model imposed by dictator Aleksandr Lukashenko.

Since the war began, Russians have been drinking, and dining out more
Since the war began, Russians have been drinking, and dining out more

For many it is a coping mechanism, in some cases it reflects newfound war-related income, in others a switch away from big spending.

The war in Ukraine is taking a heavy economic toll on Russia’s regions
The war in Ukraine is taking a heavy economic toll on Russia’s regions

Behind the polished facade of Moscow and official statistics lies a federation increasingly fractured—socially, economically, and politically.

FAKE NEWS: Moldova is using EU funds to pay off its debts
FAKE NEWS: Moldova is using EU funds to pay off its debts

The EU is helping the Republic of Moldova pay off its external debts, instead of developing its economy, actually undermining it by blocking its products, according to narratives promoted by Kremlin-linked media.

Veridica
05 Jun 2025
Can we really call Russia's economy a war time economy?
Can we really call Russia's economy a war time economy?

Russia’s economy is not yet a wartime economy – but it is drifting dangerously close. Whether it crosses the threshold will depend not just on military needs, but on the political will to sacrifice economic interests for geopolitical ambitions. So far, Moscow has tried to avoid making that choice. But the clock is ticking.

The Illusion of Return: Western Brands, Russian Hopes, and the Mirage of Normality
The Illusion of Return: Western Brands, Russian Hopes, and the Mirage of Normality

Russians are hoping for an easing of sanctions and the return of big Western brands to the Russian market. Is this a real prospect – or simply a collective wish disguised as news?

Why ending the war may be more dangerous for Russia than continuing it
Why ending the war may be more dangerous for Russia than continuing it

In today’s Russia, ending the war in Ukraine may bring economic and social turmoil so profound that peace could pose greater risks to Kremlin than the conflict itself.

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The "Potemkin" Economy: How Moscow Masks Its Economic Problems with Statistics

Official statistics show that Russia's economy is growing despite war and Western sanctions. In fact, economic problems are piling up and Russia risks recession.

The war in Ukraine is making Russia dependent on migrants
The war in Ukraine is making Russia dependent on migrants

As young Russians are sent to the front or fleeing the country, Russia’s economy needs migrants. But the latter are a target for extremists and populist politicians.

The war is making pro-Putin elites richer, while it deepens inequality in Russia
The war is making pro-Putin elites richer, while it deepens inequality in Russia

The war in Ukraine is increasing the gap between Russia’s wealthy elites and the majority of the population. There is also a drive to redistribute wealth and channel it towards those loyal to Putin’s regime.