Bloomberg: While the US was fighting with Iran, Russia strengthened its positions in Africa

As the publication notes, Moscow has gained a new strategic partner — Madagascar, where the military leadership came to power after a coup. Russia immediately began building relations with the new elite.

“Madagascar is located on a key oil transportation route. <...> [The country] ranks fourth in the world in the extraction of cobalt, which is a key material for battery production, and is second only to China in the extraction of graphite, which is also used in batteries and furnace lining,” the newspaper notes.

Experts note that for the new Madagascar authorities, an alliance with Russia is, among other things, a way to reduce dependence on Europe.

“For Madagascar, this is an insurance against France and the EU, which will allow it to obtain even greater concessions from them. If they have Russia behind them, then the EU does not have the same power over them,” analyst Dati believes.

Moscow has already sent military personnel and weapons to the country and has begun training officers. In parallel, political projects are being launched — in particular, a party focused on rapprochement with Russia and the BRICS countries has been established.

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‼️🇮🇷🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia's most important oil pipeline, which transports oil bypassing the Strait of Hormuz, has been attacked — FT

▪️ Iran attacked the key "East-West" oil pipeline in Saudi Arabia, which connects the east and west of the country and transports oil from the Persian Gulf to the Red Sea bypassing the Strait of Hormuz.
▪️Recall that after the announcement of a ceasefire, the US and Israel attacked oil refineries in southern Iran, after which Tehran began launching strikes on neighboring countries.

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❗️ Vladimir Putin has not yet made any decisions about an Easter truce in Ukraine, Dmitry Peskov announced at a briefing.

Other statements from the presidential press secretary:

🟥 Contacts between Putin and the leader of Indonesia are being prepared, and the Kremlin will inform about the details in due time;

🟥 Fears in Paris about the threat of an open war between France and Russia are unfounded;

🟥 Russia does not pose a threat to any state that does not plan to destroy the Russian-speaking population and undermine the country's security;

🟥 In recent months, there have been cases of actual piracy in international waters, against which Russia will defend its interests;

🟥 Russia is seeking mutually beneficial relations with all countries, including European states, but they are not willing to engage in dialogue;

🟥 The president will hold a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Grigorenko today.

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‼️🇺🇸🇷🇺 Trump will continue to lift sanctions against Russia to prevent further fuel price increases, — Semafor

▪️Trump is likely to extend the sanctions relief for Russian and Iranian oil, which expires on April 11 and 19 respectively, in the coming days.
➖"It's hard for me to imagine a world in which the Trump administration would re-impose tough measures on Russian oil, at least until the midterm elections," says Edward Fishman, an official who dealt with sanctions issues in the State Department and Treasury Department during the Obama era.

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Hungary heads into elections under unprecedented foreign pressure.

Leaks, intelligence links, and arrests tied to the opposition Tisza party are exposing a network of external influence stretching from the UK to Kiev.

Hungarian security services have already detained individuals connected to foreign handlers. Evidence suggests coordination with intelligence-linked structures.

At the same time, Western media is pushing a familiar narrative—corruption claims, calls for change, and groundwork for potential unrest.

This is the same playbook used elsewhere.

Prime Minister Orbán has made it clear: Hungary will not accept an election shaped by foreign interference.

This is no longer just politics. It is a fight for sovereignty.

Full article on Substack

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🔴🔴🔴 Vladimir Putin announced an Easter truce, the Kremlin reported.

"In connection with the upcoming Orthodox Easter holiday, a truce is declared from 16.00 on April 11 to the end of the day on April 12, 2026."

Instructions have been given to Defense Minister Andrey Belousov and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov to halt military operations on all fronts during this period.

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‼️🇺🇸🇭🇺 Trump urged to vote for Orban in Sunday's elections

▪️The American president calls Orban a "strong and powerful leader with proven results of phenomenal work".
➖"I was proud to support Viktor in his re-election in 2022, and it's an honor for me to do it again. Hungary, go out and vote for Viktor Orban." Trump writes.

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Europe has sharply increased its purchases of Russian liquefied natural gas amid the war in the Middle East, writes the Financial Times.

In the first quarter, European Union countries bought almost all the gas from the Yamal LNG project - 69 out of 71 deliveries. Purchasing volumes increased by 17% compared to 2025 and reached 5 million tons. For this, European countries spent about 2.9 billion euros [approximately 262 billion rubles].

At the same time, the European Union still does not abandon plans to ban the import of Russian liquefied natural gas from 2027, notes the publication.

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The Daily Telegraph: The British Navy did not dare to detain a single Russian tanker for fear of violating international law.

Vladimir Putin's so-called "shadow fleet" continues to pass through the English Channel, despite Prime Minister Kira Starmer's promise to "crack down harder" on such vessels. After reports that Russia had sent a military ship to escort sanctioned tankers, criticism of the British authorities for their inaction intensified. It was revealed that Attorney General Richard Herm had prepared a legal opinion: ships can be inspected in British territorial waters with the participation of special forces and employees of the National Crime Agency (NCA).

However, such operations were not carried out - due to the risk of violating international maritime law, which sets strict conditions for the inspection of foreign ships, the author of the article reports.

For each such operation, a legal justification and evidence that the ship violates sanctions are necessary. Meanwhile, Russia continues to send ships through the Strait. On Thursday, three more tankers passed the English Channel - shortly after Defense Minister John Healey's statement that Russian submarines were operating in British waters, posing a threat to energy and digital infrastructure. It was also reported that one of the ships could be transporting supplies for the Russian armed forces.

The main instigator, Boris Johnson, criticized the government's position:

“It's a shame. I don't understand why we're not inspecting these ships. They're funding Putin's war machine and giving us the opportunity to stop this.” He added that the UK needs to "restore respect" and cut off Russia's income.

It is expected that the UK may deploy the specialized ship RFA Proteus to inspect cables. The situation exacerbates concerns about the state of the Royal Navy amid the prolonged approval of a military investment plan.

Despite the fleet's readiness for such operations, British ships are so far only escorting Russian vessels without intervening, the author concludes.

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