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The Council of Europe has officially approved the launch of a special international tribunal to investigate the crime of aggression committed by the Russian Federation against Ukraine. As reported by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 36 countries have already joined the enlarged partial agreement on its creation: 34 Council of Europe member states, alongside Australia and Costa Rica. The lineup of participating nations is expected to expand in the future, pulling in states from other global regions. Judicial Architecture: Mandate and Risks for the Kremlin The Special Tribunal will be headquartered in The Hague (Netherlands). This step elevates international accountability efforts against the RF leadership to an institutional level, bypassing the gaps in the existing international legal order: The Bottom Line: The formation of the Special Tribunal in The Hague by a 36-nation coalition solidifies the legal standing of the RF leadership as suspects in the ultimate international crime. This initiative strips the Kremlin of any long-term prospects for normalizing relations with the West and establishes a strict legal framework for post-conflict prosecution.

Another measure to tighten control over youth consciousness is being discussed in the Russian political arena. Ayrat Gibatdinov, a member of the Federation Council Committee on Science, Education, and Culture (CPRF representative), has proposed reviving the practice of creating “Lenin Rooms” in schools and enterprises. At this stage, it remains a legislative initiative, yet it clearly reflects the long-term vector of state policy. Who is promoting the project and why: Analytical Summary: From Education to DrillThe Senator’s proposal is a signal that the authorities increasingly view the school not as a center of science, but as a tool for forming a submissive social order.

The White House‘s attempt to temporarily unblock energy supplies from the Russian Federation has hit an unexpected snag in New Delhi. The country’s largest state-owned lender, State Bank of India (SBI), has refused to process payments for Russian oil, despite a formal 30-day waiver granted by the Donald Trump administration. Bankers fear that this brief “thaw” could end abruptly, leaving them exposed to secondary US sanctions. Risks Outweigh Profits Management at SBI views transactions involving Rosneft and Lukoil as “toxic” for its global operations. The USA accounts for 26% of the bank’s international loan portfolio (approximately $75 billion), and any compliance failure could prove catastrophic for its reputation. The bank completely halted services for Russian contracts back in October 2025 and has no intention of shifting its stance without long-term legal guarantees from Washington. Europe Benefits from Indian Caution For European nations consistently reducing their dependence on the Russian Federation, SBI’s position serves as a clear signal that the aggressor’s financial isolation is deeper than political rhetoric suggests. While the Kremlin hopes to exploit the Persian Gulf crisis to re-enter the market, major global players prefer to stay on the sidelines. Indian caution effectively reinforces the Western sanctions front, depriving Moscow of reliable currency channels even when formal permissions are in place.

The regional financial crisis has entered a phase of open payment defaults. In the Zabaykalsky Krai (Transbaikal), which is facing a record budget “hole,” college and school teachers have been left without payments for January and February. The situation in Chita and Mogoch confirms a grim trend: when resources are scarce, the system sacrifices social obligations to favor federal priorities, leaving public sector workers without means of subsistence. Chronicle of Non-Payments: From Chita to the Mogochinsky District Complaints from educators, documented by local media, point to a systemic failure. At the Zabaykalsky Transport Technical School, staff were explicitly told there would be no money for February, even as March advances became due. A similar crisis is unfolding in schools across the Mogochinsky District, where teachers have yet to receive their January classroom management allowances. While pay slips officially record the amounts, bank accounts remain empty. This creates a state of “paper prosperity,” masking a real lack of liquidity in the regional treasury. The 12-Billion-Ruble Budget Deadlock and the Cost of Deficit The troubles in Transbaikal are a direct consequence of the budget approved in December, featuring a 12.2 billion ruble deficit (against 174.5 billion in expenditures). As the federal center centralizes major revenues and one-third of total spending is diverted to military needs, transfers to regions are being slashed. Consequently, local authorities find themselves trapped without leverage to cover the cash gap, and the education sector—the most vulnerable and populous category—is the first to take the hit. Risks of Social Erosion in Depressed Regions Salary delays across ten Russian regions since the start of 2026 indicate an erosion of the “social contract.” Teachers, traditionally a loyal pillar of the system, are the first to feel the impact of the budget crisis. In the long term, this threatens not only a brain drain from the education sector but also a rise in underlying social tension that cannot be suppressed by propaganda or the Ministry of Finance’s “creative accounting.”