Putin

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz chokes the Chinese economy. Its only energy solution is a historic pact with Putin

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“一日不见，如隔三秋” (A day without seeing you is like three autumns). Using the Russian translation of this ancient Chinese proverb, President Vladimir Putin wanted to begin his meeting with Xi Jinping. The gesture of extreme closeness was not accidental. Tiananmen Square was dressed up with a 21-gun salute, a military band and dozens of children waving flags to welcome the Russian president. On the face of it, Beijing displayed the same diplomatic theatrics and pageantry it had offered to US President Donald Trump just days earlier, as detailed Bloomberg. However, the background was diametrically opposite: if with Trump the red carpet sought to appease and choreograph stability with a volatile rival, with Putin the authority and support for a cornered partner was staged. The Chinese leader addressed his counterpart as an “old friend,” a term unusually reserved in the Party bureaucracy for highly regarded foreigners. The visit, which marks the 25th anniversary of the signing of the friendship treaty between both countries and represents Putin’s 25th trip to China, represents a vital alliance at the most critical moment of the decade. Behind the walks through the imperial gardens and the closed-door meetings, there is a suffocating urgency. The global board is burning due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz derived from the war between the United States and Iran, a blockade that has cut off Asia’s energy arteries and has turned this summit into a geopolitical lifeline. The Siberian lifeguard. The response to the crisis has a clear name on the agenda of both leaders: the Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline. According to the estimatesOnce completed, this colossal 2,600-kilometer-long infrastructure will transport up to 50 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas per year from the Russian Arctic fields of Yamal to northern China, passing through Mongolia. Moscow and Beijing have already reached a “general understanding” on the project, encompassing consensus on the layout and construction methods, as stated Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov told journalists and spokesman Dmitri Peskov confirmed. Additionally, both governments have signed a legally binding supply memorandum to boost construction. But all that glitters is not gold. As newspapers such as he Financial Times and CNBCthe agreement has been stumbling over the same rock for years: the price, financing and delivery schedule. China, aware of its position of strength, demands that the rate for the new gas pipeline be equal to the price of the heavily subsidized Russian domestic market (between $120 and $130 per 1,000 cubic meters), conditions that would drastically reduce the profit margins for the Russian state giant Gazprom. Furthermore, secrecy and caution reign in Beijing: as pointed out Reuterswhen Gazprom announced the memorandum last September, China did not issue any official statement on the matter. And even if the agreement is closed now, Russian salvation will not be immediate; from the research unit of China National Petroleum Corp. (CNPC) has already has warned that gas projects of this magnitude require at least eight to ten years for their construction. The Hormuz factor: a geopolitical accelerator. If the gas pipeline had been on the drawing board for years, the Third Gulf War has stepped on the accelerator. The de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz has caused a real cataclysm in the Indo-Pacific region. This maritime blockade has suddenly interrupted the arrival of half of China’s oil imports and almost a third of its liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply. The consequences they have been immediate: The Asian giant has already reported a rebound in inflation and an abrupt weakening of its domestic economic activity during the month of April. Faced with maritime vulnerability, securing a land supply route is vital for Beijing’s survival. As experts in German Welleinstability in the Gulf has triggered China’s desire for a pipelined energy flow that is immune to Western sanctions or American naval blockades. Still, China faces this crisis with homework done. Far from improvising, Beijing took advantage of the previous years to buy heavily sanctioned crude oil from countries such as Russia, Venezuela and Iran. Thanks to this, China today has colossal strategic reserves, also supported by a fleet of Iranian oil tankers that function as a floating warehouse off its coasts. A deeply strained and asymmetrical relationship. Although official statements speak of “mutual respect” and a “limitless” partnership, economic reality depicts a deeply unequal relationship. President Putin himself has declared that Russia and China want to be equal partners, but the gap is evident: the Chinese economy is almost eight times larger and much more technologically advanced. Without China’s money and technology, the very survival of the Russian regime would be in question. The data is devastating. According to him Financial TimesRussia has suffered a 38% year-on-year drop in its energy export revenues. To survive Western isolation, Moscow has turned China into its lifeline. At the end of last year, more than 99% of bilateral trade was settled in rubles and yuan to circumvent the SWIFT system, and Beijing currently supplies 90% of imports of sanctioned Russian technology, including semiconductors, microelectronics and dual-use goods, essential for its war machine. For his part, Xi Jinping carries out a delicate diplomatic balancing act. His meeting with Putin comes just days after his summit with Donald Trump. This synchronicity allows Russia a key tactical move: as reported EuronewsPutin’s trip serves to receive direct information and exchange views with Beijing on recent negotiations with Washington. Simultaneously, China does not hesitate to invoke its “Blocking Rules” to order its domestic refiners to ignore US sanctions and continue buying Iranian crude. But at the same time, as the newspaper highlights Asahi Shimbunthe Chinese Ministry of Commerce confirmed the purchase of 200 Boeing aircraft just after Trump’s visit, in a clear gesture to stabilize its economic ties with the West. A new world epicenter. The current crisis and the negotiations in Beijing certify an irreversible paradigm shift. The entry into operation of “Power of Siberia 2” is not just a commercial agreement, it is the chronicle of an announced breakup. … Read more

We believed that nothing would surpass the Russian robot that ended up on the ground. Until they made one dance in front of Putin

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When it seemed that the humanoid robotics board was dominated by the United States and China, with proposals such as Neo from 1X startup or the Unitree G1 —which even starred in a moment at the Xataka NordVPN 2025 Awards—, Russia decided to make a move with AIDOL, presented as “the country’s first domestic anthropomorphic robot with AI.” The problem was that its debut did not exactly show technological stability: the robot began to wobble, lost its balance and ended up falling face down in front of the cameras. All this with the music of ‘Rocky’ playing in the background. The scene went viral in a matter of hours, overshadowing any technological message that the manufacturer intended to convey. The explanations came quicklybut the public conversation was filled with parodies and memes. In a context where every step in robotics is also measured in terms of reputation, Russia needed a response that showed more than just a failed prototype. Green, the technological replica of Russia. Now, the images arriving from Moscow show a project of a very different nature. Green is an AI-powered humanoid robot that, according to its creators“can move independently and interact with targets in real space.” All development, from mechanical design and electronics to GigaChat-based artificial intelligence, has been carried out by Sberthe country’s largest bank and an increasingly visible player in the Russian technological ecosystem. The humanoid that danced in front of Putin. His debut was very different from that of AIDOL: Green was presented at the conference Artificial Intelligence Journey 2025where he spoke a few words and then, as we can see on YouTubedanced in front of the Russian president, Vladimir Putin. “My name is Green. I am the first humanoid Russian robot that has embodied artificial intelligence. This means that I am not just a program on a screen, but a physical embodiment of technology. I was created by Sber engineers,” the robot said before beginning its demonstration. According to Sber, Green incorporates more than a hundred motors and a large number of sensors, allowing it to maintain balance even during rapid and coordinated movements. This time, the presentation did not only seek to surprise, but rather to convey control, stability and a more mature image of the Russian commitment to humanoid robotics. What it means for AI to become embodied The idea of ​​embodied artificial intelligence, according to Sber, goes beyond running models on a screen. It is not just about responding to what a user writes, but about interpreting the environment through sensors, cameras and microphones, processing that information in real time and physically acting. It means providing technology with perception, movement and the ability to make decisions in real situations. That approach proposes a model where hardware is built around artificial intelligence, and not the other way around. What is Russia looking for with humanoid robots? It remains to be seen whether humanoid robots will end up integrating into everyday life, as anticipated by Elon Musk and other figures in the sector. But, should that scenario materialize, Russia wants to ensure that it will have models developed within its borders. Its strategy aims to build technological sovereignty not only in the hardware of the automata, but also in the AI ​​models that drive them and in the infrastructure necessary to train and execute them. For now, there is no information on whether Green will ever become a commercial product or how much it might cost. It is still a technological demonstration and not a robot designed for the market. It is also not easy to place Russia within the global race for humanoids, because there is still no clear data on their real development, their autonomy or their possible applications. What it does seem is that, for the moment, the United States and China are setting the pace in this industry, with more consolidated and visible projects. Images | Kremlin In Xataka | Satya Nadella made the world love Microsoft again. AI is making people hate it again

Putin has ordered to launch a Russian version of Eurovision. The last time the nation voted on lighting the light of the living room

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In geopolitics, very few things are left to chance, much less if what it is about is to extol the national values. Let’s put as an example Europe and “your” Eurovisionthat strange mixture of cultural exaltation of the peoples of the continent through music, a formula Martian that continues to awaken passions and quite the opposite for decades. In fact, even Russia has signed up for the formula. It is called interview, and in reality its history is older. Relive Russian music. As we said, Vladimir Putin has ordered the return of the Musical Interview contestthe ancient Soviet response to Eurovision, After the exclusion of the nation of the European contest in 2022 Due to the invasion of Ukraine. The event, which will apparently will be held in Moscow this fall, seeks to promote cultural and humanitarian cooperation among the allied countries of Russia, with the participation of nations such as Brazil, China, India and Cuba. The origin of interview. Released in 1977 in the middle of the Cold War, Interview It developed as A platform to promote cultural unity within the communist bloc and compete with the popularity that Eurovision already had then. It was also sought to show aval after Stalin’s death. However, if the event is remembered for something, it was for an unusual event. A peculiar vote. The lack of phones in Soviet homes forced The implementation of an unprecedented voting method: The spectators had to light the light of their house if they liked a song, or remain dark if not, allowing the electric company to register the consumption peaks and determine the winner. The success of the program resulted in surreal situations, with much of the nation in the dark at times, or totally illuminated. During its four editions, The contest managed to attract non -European countries like Cuba and Mongolia (or Finland, who was the only country he can say with “pride” that he has participated in the fever Kitsch In both blocks), standing out as a propaganda event that sought to project an image of diversity within the socialist block. End to the first stage of interview. The sunset came as the Soviet Union began to weaken at the beginning of the 80s. The contest was canceled in 1981 And since 1984 it would be Polish television TVP that resumed the organization of the festival With the old name of Sopot. In 2009, Putin proposed to restart interviewthis time between Russia, China and the countries of Central Asia, mostly members of the Shanghai cooperation organization, although it did not crystallize. Eurovision and rupture with Russia. From his first participation in Eurovision in 1994, Russia became one of the most competitive nations of the contest, although achieving its only victory in 2008 with Dima Bilan. However, Kremlin’s rejection of the evolution of the festival, where messages of diversity and visibility LGBTQ+ have won prominence, led to great tensions. Conchita Wursst’s victory in 2014 marked a breakdown: while Europe celebrated its inclusion message, In Russia the reaction was outragedwith Putin and his allies condemning the “moral degeneration” of the contest. As we said, the invasion of Ukraine in 2022 sealed the definitive exclusion of Russia, which has now promoted the search for its own alternative. The “new” interview. The Guardian told this week That unlike the current Eurovision, which celebrates diversity and inclusion, this “remake” interview will adopt a conservative approach. Planning documents have revealed that Artists must respect “traditional spiritual and family values” and avoid any political content or “humiliate the honor and dignity of society.” In fact, Russian officials have affirmed that the contest will serve to promote “real music”, as opposed to what they consider “false” Western influences. International support and doubts. Apparently, Putin has discussed the initiative with Xi Jinping, receiving the support of Chinawhich suggests that the program could become an emblematic event for the geopolitical alliances of Russia. That said, doubts persist about its success, since Moscow has failed in previous initiatives to replace Western events, Like friendship gameswhich sought to rival the Olympic Games. In a world where entertainment is a weapon of mass influence, Putin’s commitment to a festival with its own seal is a declaration of intentions: Russia not only wants to challenge the West in the military and geopolitical field, but also in the cultural. That Eurovision is prepared. Image | Flowcomm, Serge Serebro In Xataka | Film rooms are becoming “show rooms” of all kinds. The best example: Eurovision In Xataka | China is filling with Russia products. The problem is that many of these products come from China itself

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