Despite the absence of diplomatic relations and an unfinished peace process, trade between Azerbaijan and Armenia continues to grow. In the first six months of 2026, Azerbaijan exported goods worth $17.1 million to its neighbor. These figures come from Azerbaijan's State Statistical Committee.

In a column for the conservative publication *Townhall*, American political commentator Brian Leib described the current stage of US-Azerbaijan relations as the most successful in the republic's history of independence.

An attempt by the Georgian opposition to unite may have been derailed by interference from the ruling party. Salome Zourabichvili, the fifth President of Georgia, voiced this suggestion while speaking to viewers during a live Facebook broadcast.

North Ossetia–Alania Head Sergey Menyaylo has criticized a draft law on the republic’s state languages after it introduced the terms “Literary Iron” and “Literary Digor.” According to the regional leader, these provisions are the “pitfalls” that risk dividing society, whereas the law should unite the people of the republic and strictly comply with the Constitution.

Moscow considers Azerbaijan’s position on the Ukraine conflict to be mistaken but does not intend to let the disagreement affect bilateral relations, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday.

Instagram accounts linked to Muslim Murdiev’s relatives have published a video of his release. The footage shows the young man walking out of the penal colony, where he is met by his mother and other family members.

On July 14, the Bank of Russia issued a commemorative silver coin with a face value of 2 rubles, dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the birth of Akhmat-Khadzhi Kadyrov, the first president of the Chechen Republic.

Chechen midfielder Lechi Sadulaev has been included in the list of the 33 best players of the Russian championship for the 2025/26 season. The ranking was approved by the Bureau of the Executive Committee of the Russian Football Union (RFU).

Kakha Kaladze, the General Secretary of Georgia’s ruling party and Mayor of Tbilisi, has once again spoken about the influence of the so-called "Deep State" on global politics. His remarks were prompted by a resolution from the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly that raised concerns regarding Georgia.

Russia, which remains Armenia's largest trading partner, saw its position in the republic's foreign trade decline significantly during the first five months of 2026. According to data from the Statistical Committee of Armenia, trade turnover between the two countries fell by 20.5% compared to the same period last year.