MOSCOW, June 27. /TASS/. NATO’s summit declaration makes no mention of its open-door policy for the first time in three decades; the Serbian Parliament seeks to probe into alleged arms exports to Ukraine; and the EU summit in Brussels indicates that Moldova, not Ukraine, is currently poised to move forward with accession negotiations. These stories topped Friday’s newspaper headlines across Russia.
Izvestia: NATO summit declaration omits commitment to enlargement policy, first time since 1990s
For the first time since the 1990s, NATO did not include a reference to its commitment to the open-door policy in its final summit declaration, Izvestia writes. For over 30 years, this provision had consistently appeared in all of the alliance’s concluding documents. Experts believe the omission was a tactical decision aimed at avoiding provoking US President Donald Trump, who opposes Ukraine’s accession to the bloc. Nonetheless, NATO has not abandoned the open-door policy. The alliance continues to expand cooperation with post-Soviet states, including Armenia, Russia’s ally in the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). Russia is firmly opposed to NATO enlargement, Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Mikhail Galuzin told Izvestia.
"Everything at the NATO summit was done so as not to antagonize Trump. NATO has a long history. The alliance has outlasted many politicians and will outlast Trump. This is not a rejection of the open-door policy," Associate Professor in the Department of Politics and Governance at the Higher School of Economics Mikhail Mironyuk told Izvestia.
Thomas Graham, Distinguished Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and former Special Assistant to President George W. Bush for Russia and Eurasia, told the newspaper that the situation simply arises from the fact that the United States was opposed to including such a provision in the declaration, and this should not be interpreted as signalling a change in the other allies' position.
However, some experts do not rule out that NATO’s enlargement policy may shift in the future. After all, opposition to Ukraine’s accession is not limited to Washington - several European nations, primarily Hungary and Slovakia, are also against it.
"For now, it’s mainly about not contradicting Trump. But many in Europe also don’t want to admit Ukraine. So, a tactical move could evolve into a strategic one," Andrey Kortunov, an expert with the Valdai Discussion Club, told Izvestia.
"Russia’s position was clearly articulated by the president on June 14 of last year during his address at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs: one of the key elements of a future settlement of the Ukrainian crisis must be the consolidation of Ukraine’s non-bloc, neutral, and non-nuclear status," Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin told Izvestia.
Izvestia: Serbia to carry out inquiry into arms shipments to Kiev
The Serbian Parliament has initiated hearings on the issue of Belgrade’s military supplies to Ukraine, Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on the Diaspora and Serbs in the Region and a member of the "We - Voice from the People" parliamentary group Dragan Stanojevic told Izvestia. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has already halted arms exports and pledged to establish oversight of future shipments. Experts believe Vucic will make good on these commitments. Belgrade has previously been repeatedly linked to supplying weapons to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, including mortar shells.
"We have initiated a hearing within the Defense Committee in Parliament on this matter. There has been no response yet. Our parliamentary group ‘We - Voice from the People’ made a statement in Parliament in which we included two matters: arms deliveries and Vucic’s trip to Odessa to meet with Zelensky (on June 11, for the Ukraine-Southeast Europe Summit)," Stanojevic told Izvestia.
The issue of the Moscow-Belgrade-Kiev triangle gained prominence in late May, when the press office of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service reported that, contrary to Belgrade’s declared "neutrality," Serbian defense enterprises continued supplying munitions to Kiev, Izvestia writes. These actions, according to the report, were being disguised through schemes involving falsified end-user certificates and intermediary countries, primarily the Czech Republic, Poland, and Bulgaria.
On June 23, Vucic announced the suspension of all munitions exports. The Serbian leader stated that henceforth, all deliveries would require authorization from the National Security Council.
The additional control measures presented by President Vucic could yield the desired outcomes, Program Manager at the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC) Milan Lazovic told Izvestia.
"There has been a certain degree of tension in bilateral relations, but both sides have promptly engaged in addressing the sensitive issues. Belgrade’s reaction was immediate, and there was a dialogue with Moscow. The Serbian side pledged to strengthen its oversight of military-industrial exports to ensure they do not reach the Kiev regime. In turn, Moscow affirmed that it trusts Belgrade on this matter but will continue to monitor the situation independently," the expert noted.
Nezavisimaya Gazeta: EU poised to move Moldova ahead in accession process as Ukraine left hanging
The two-day European Union summit that opened on Thursday, June 26, in Brussels confirmed that Ukraine should not expect swift progress toward European integration. European leaders are unlikely to make any such promises while the Russian-Ukrainian conflict continues, Nezavisimaya Gazeta writes. Among all post-Soviet states, Moldova currently holds the strongest prospects for entering substantive negotiations on EU accession. In the meantime, the European Union is bracing for a prolonged standoff with Russia - a confrontation that, according to one summit participant, may extend at least through 2028.
The Brussels summit was preceded by a NATO leaders’ meeting in The Hague, which concluded on Wednesday. The timing of these events suggests a seamless transition from one to the other - particularly since, following the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the EU has effectively transformed into a military bloc, according to the newspaper. It is within the EU, more so than at NATO meetings, that critical decisions are now made on supplying military aid to Ukraine, and it is there that the West’s strategic posture toward Russia is increasingly defined.
As a result, the first day of the EU summit was heavily focused on security matters - albeit in a distinct context. Vladimir Zelensky has repeatedly stated, from various platforms, that the only reliable guarantee for his country’s security lies in membership in NATO or the EU, ideally both. However, there is still no clarity as to whether this goal is even attainable, Nezavisimaya Gazeta writes.
When it comes to Ukraine’s EU prospects, there appears to be somewhat more specificity - Hungary remains categorically opposed to Ukraine’s accession. The Hungarian veto is currently blocking the opening of a negotiation cluster with Ukraine. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban reassured other summit participants that Budapest’s stance is unwavering.
By contrast, talks on Moldova’s potential accession to the EU seem likely to begin. Speaking to journalists ahead of the summit, Romanian President Nicusor Dan stated that negotiations are underway across 33 chapters, and at the summit scheduled to take place in Chisinau on July 4, talks will also take place along these lines. According to the newspaper, it is now clear there will be no further delays, and Moldova, which had previously advanced toward the EU at the same pace as Ukraine, is now poised to outpace its neighbor.
Vedomosti: Platinum prices surge by over 50% in 2025 due to supply deficit
The global price of platinum has climbed to its highest level since September 2011, surpassing $1,400 per troy ounce, according to data from Comex, a division of the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX). On June 26, the metal rose another 4.5% compared to the previous session’s close, reaching $1,415 per ounce. At its peak during trading, platinum touched $1,418 per ounce, representing a 5% gain. Since the beginning of the year, platinum prices have surged by 54%. Experts interviewed by Vedomosti attribute platinum’s sharp price rally to a persistent global supply deficit exacerbated by declining production and geopolitical tensions.
According to the June report from the World Platinum Investment Council (WPIC), the primary driver behind this price rally is geopolitical instability, particularly ongoing trade wars that continue to disrupt global commerce, including supply chains. Global platinum production this year is projected to reach 5.4 mln ounces, which is a 6% decline from 2024. An additional 1.6 mln ounces are expected to enter the market through recycling, which is 3% higher than last year, WPIC data show.
Platinum is one of the rarest naturally occurring metals. It is highly resistant to corrosion, has a very high melting point, and is widely used as a catalyst in chemical processes. The largest platinum producer in Russia is Nornickel, which, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources, accounts for over 90% of the country’s platinum output.
Alexander Potavin, an analyst at Finam Investment Group, noted that a "strong price rally" has begun due to the persistent supply deficit amid shrinking output. He pointed out that in recent years, platinum prices have significantly lagged behind gold and silver. For instance, in 2024, according to Comex, gold rose 27% to $2,641 per ounce, silver increased 21% to $29.20 per ounce, while platinum prices fell by 8.5% to $910.50 per ounce.
Kommersant: India’s imports of Russian coal hit two-year high in May thanks to competitive pricing
India, one of the key buyers of Russian thermal coal, increased its imports from Russia in May to the highest level in two years. Analysts interviewed by Kommersant attribute this trend to the flexible pricing strategies adopted by Russian coal exporters, as well as the quality of the fuel itself. While a significant increase in Russia’s market share in India is unlikely due to rising domestic production and high port inventories, experts believe that maintaining current shipment levels is entirely feasible.
According to a report from the Center for Price Indices (CCI), Russian thermal coal deliveries to India rose by 52% in May 2025 compared to April, reaching a two-year high of 1.3 mln metric tons. Since June 2023, monthly exports from Russia had not exceeded 1 mln tons.
India’s total thermal coal imports in May increased seasonally by 10% month-over-month to 17.4 mln tons, the highest level since June 2024, CCI noted, citing data from Bigmint. Russia accounted for approximately 7.5% of India’s total coal purchases. Indonesia remained the country’s top supplier, expanding shipments by 16% over the previous month to 9.8 mln tons.
Russian coal exporters likely increased volumes within the bounds of existing contracts, Director of the CCI Evgeny Grachev. "In India, the monsoon season began earlier this year, which means hydropower generation will put pressure on thermal generation and coal consumption," he noted.
According to Nariman Taiketayev, Director of the Corporate Ratings Group at National Credit Ratings (NCR), favorable market conditions prompted India to reduce its imports of lower-calorific-value Indonesian coal in favor of higher-grade Russian coal, which is offered at competitive prices. Russian suppliers, he added, are generally more amenable to flexible pricing. He also emphasized that India’s future demand for coal will depend on a combination of price dynamics and weather-related factors.
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