Two years after the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine, many in Russia have reason to feel the wartime economy is working well for them in a setback for Western sanctions designed to pit the populace against Putin bloomberg.com/news/articles/… via Bloomberg Politics

Our latest Eastern Europe Edition newsletter: The takeover of a train maker risks getting derailed because of the shadow of Viktor Orban bloomberg.com/news/newslette… via Bloomberg

Some in President Vladimir Putin's own inner circle disagree with his claims that Ukraine may be linked to the Moscow attack that killed 139 people bloomberg.com/news/articles/… via Bloomberg Politics

I often wonder if Putin believes his nonsense, not least because no one questions it. So it's encouraging that this Bloomberg piece ($), he was at meetings where officials ruled out the 'Kyiv connection.' I'm more reassured by cynicism than delusion. bloomberg.com/news/articles/…

Russia and Bulgaria enjoyed a great business relationship for decades, but the invasion of Ukraine changed that bloomberg.com/news/features/… via Bloomberg Politics

Russia’s oil revenue more than doubled in April from a year earlier, despite international sanctions bloomberg.com/news/articles/… via Bloomberg Markets

A planned development north of Budapest's City Park is the latest clash between Orban's nationalist government and the opposition-run capital bloomberg.com/news/articles/… via @citylab

He was an IT entrepreneur. She ran an online art gallery. By all appearances, the young Argentine immigrants with two kids were unremarkable. In fact, they were deep-cover Russian spies. on.wsj.com/3L7S39b

Russia’s richest woman made billions selling everything from brooms to bridal gowns, and now she's helping insulate the economy from sanctions bloomberg.com/news/articles/… via Bloomberg Politics

Russia has sent so many men to join its war in Ukraine that crime levels in the country fell soon after the invasion began. Now their return is starting to unleash a wave of offending bloomberg.com/news/articles/… via Bloomberg Politics

Dubai’s red-hot real estate market may be breaking free from its boom-and-bust cycles bloomberg.com/news/articles/… via Bloomberg Wealth

Zelenskiy, 46, looked stunned when I asked if he could imagine doing his job at 81, even as he chose his words carefully in response to Biden’s debate performance that’s triggered speculation about his cognitive health. More of my takeaways from Kyiv ⬇️ bloomberg.com/news/newslette…

Zelenskiy tells us Ukraine is in talks to send natural gas from Azerbaijan to the EU in place of Russian supplies. “We don’t want to extend the gas contract” with Russia, the president said. “Alternative steps are being considered now on how we can use the pipeline.”

"Oh, I don’t know,” Zelenskiy, 46, laughs when I ask him if he could imagine doing his job at 81.

Hungary calls on the EU to broker a solution with Ukraine after Kyiv decided to bar the transit of crude from a major Russian oil supplier bloomberg.com/news/articles/… via Bloomberg Politics

The European Union is working on a proposal to censure Slovakia over the erosion of democratic norms in a move that could result in the bloc withholding funds earmarked for Bratislava bloomberg.com/news/articles/… via Bloomberg Politics

Until recently, Western banks in Russia held a slim hope that they would be able to sell their operations and exit the country with cash in hand. That possibility is fast disappearing bloomberg.com/news/articles/… via Bloomberg

Rio Tinto’s $2.7 billion project in Serbia has triggered protests, but President Aleksandr Vucic sees it as critical to strengthening ties with Europe bloomberg.com/news/features/… via Bloomberg Politics

Ukraine is struggling to get get enough soldiers to the front line, but one millionaire's approach is boosting the fight against Russia bloomberg.com/news/articles/… via Bloomberg Politics

A Malaysian-backed developer set out to build Australia’s tallest tower. Five years on, the project still doesn’t have a builder. It’s one of the most prominent examples yet of Australia’s building crunch: bloom.bg/43V6XtP