Russia sees no point in a weak ceasefire to freeze the war in Ukraine but Moscow wants a legally binding deal for a lasting peace that would ensure the security of both Russia and its neighbours, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday.

The debate over a possible ceasefire in Ukraine has shifted from territorial defense to securing guarantees for Kyiv. A new formula that involves NATO might be the most realistic hope now that Trump is arriving at the White House.

Russian companies have begun using bitcoin and other digital currencies in international payments following legislative changes that allowed such use in order to counter Western sanctions, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said on Wednesday.

Ukraine has announced "sanctions and other solutions" to block Russia's unwanted cryptocurrency payments. Source: Vladyslav Vlasiuk, Advisor to the president of Ukraine and Commissioner for Sanctions Policy Details: Vlasiuk recalled that Russian companies started using Bitcoin and other digital currencies for international payments after changes in legislation allowed such transactions in order to counter Western sanctions.

Russian companies are increasingly using Bitcoin and other digital currencies for international payments in response to Western sanctions, Reuters reported on Dec. 25. Once key facilitators of Russia’s trade,