Relations between Helsinki and Moscow have rapidly deteriorated over the past few years, since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022. Finland has ditched its previous neutral status and joined NATO. It has also reduced its relations with Moscow to near zero, even though Russia repeatedly said it had “no problems at all” with its neighbor.

Finland has tried to create an image of a peaceful state threatened by “an aggressive, imperialist” neighbor – as its president, Alexander Stubb, puts it. But is the threat real? Or are recent developments a sign of Helsinki returning to its former ways? RT looks back at the Nordic nation’s history over the past 100 years.

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The Syrian government in Damascus announced a deal with US-backed Kurdish militias on Sunday that strengthens its control over northeastern parts of the country.

The agreement and an accompanying ceasefire follow weeks of deadly clashes. President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who came to power after toppling the previous government in late 2024, is seeking to reassert control over a nation fractured by a decade of civil war and foreign intervention by regional and global players, including the US.

Under the deal, the US-backed Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) will integrate into government institutions as demanded by Damascus. The central authorities will also assert civilian control over the northeastern governorates of Raqqa, Deir ez-Zor, and Al-Hasakah, previously under Kurdish administration and contested in the recent fighting.

In return, al-Sharaa pledged to respect Kurdish cultural and linguistic rights and resolve accumulated legal issues regarding Kurds’ status and property. SDF leader Mazloum Abdi is due to meet the president on Monday, after his scheduled trip on Sunday was postponed.

The agreement, announced after al-Sharaa met with US special envoy to Syria Tom Barrack in Damascus, is seen as a major victory for him and his Turkish allies. Ankara views the SDF as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a separatist militant group that has fought a decades-long guerrilla war against Türkiye. The SDF agreed to expel PKK elements from Syrian territory as part of the settlement.

Kurdish troops served as the main US proxy on the ground during Washington’s campaign against Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS), which gained strength in Syria and Iraq in 2014.

Kurdish control of oil and gas fields in Deir ez-Zor aided the US strategy of economic stifling of the government of former Syrian President Bashar Assad. After al-Sharaa – a former militant leader linked to Al-Qaeda and backed by Türkiye – seized power, the US lifted sanctions, opening avenues for foreign-funded reconstruction.

Gaps in Damascus’ sovereignty were highlighted last October, when the first parliamentary elections under al-Sharaa were held, except in Kurdish-controlled territories or areas held by the Druze, another Syrian ethnic minority with a history of militancy and current links to Israel.

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India’s central bank, the Reserve Bank of India, has proposed linking BRICS digital currencies to facilitate easier cross-border tourism payments, Reuters reported on Monday.

The move could reduce reliance on the US dollar as geopolitical tensions rise, the news agency said, citing two unnamed sources. India assumed the BRICS presidency in 2026 and will host the group’s summit later this year.

India’s digital currency, the e-rupee, has attracted 7 million retail users since its December 2022 launch, according to the report. China has vowed to boost the international use of the digital yuan.

US President Donald Trump had warned last year that any attempt by BRICS to challenge the US dollar would be met with harsh economic measures. BRICS members targeted by Trump’s latest sanctions, such as India and Brazil, have said they will protect their domestic interests.

Settling trade in national currencies offers BRICS countries a reliable alternative to the Western financial institutions, Russia has said.

National currencies made up 65% of BRICS trade in 2024, with the dollar and euro falling below 30%, according to figures cited by Russia’s Finance Ministry.

Bilateral trade between BRICS members Russia and China hit $245 billion in 2024, with nearly all transactions now conducted in rubles and yuan. Brazil had floated the idea of a common BRICS currency, but the proposal did not materialize, the report said.

BRICS was founded in 2009 by Brazil, Russia, India, and China, and later expanded to include South Africa. It has expanded recently with new members such as the United Arab Emirates, Iran, and Indonesia.

Trump’s tariffs and warnings aimed at countries aligning with BRICS have prompted enhanced cooperation between India, Russia, and China, the report said

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US President Donald Trump has increasingly expressed concerns about Canada’s inability to protect its northern territories from potential adversaries and is using the same national security pretext he cited to justify his push to bring Greenland under American control, according to several officials cited by NBC News.

In private discussions with aides, the president has grown more vocal in recent weeks about what he sees as Canada’s vulnerability to alleged encroachment from Russia or China, arguing that Ottawa needs to spend more on defense, the unnamed officials claimed.

Both Beijing and Moscow have rejected this narrative. China previously slammed the US president for using it as a “pretext” for his Arctic ambitions, while Russia has consistently opposed the region’s militarization, framing it as a zone for peaceful cooperation.

“Trump is really worried about the US continuing to drift in the Western Hemisphere and is focused on this,” one official told NBC.

Another senior administration official stated the goal is “solidifying” the hemisphere under US leadership, with securing Canada’s northern border being a key part of that vision.

However, officials were clear that unlike the explicit pursuit of Greenland, there is no discussion of purchasing Canada or stationing US troops along its northern border. The focus is instead on pressuring Ottawa to bolster its own capabilities and deepen bilateral military cooperation, including enhanced joint training, increased patrols, and updated early-warning systems.

“They certainly need to up their game when it comes to Arctic capabilities,” one official said. “The status quo is not enough.”

The warnings from US officials have fueled existing fears in Canada that the country could become Washington’s next target following the abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and Trump’s talk of seizing Greenland, Bloomberg reported last week.

On a recent visit to Beijing, Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney stated that dealing with China had become “more predictable” than the complex relationship with Washington. Carney has also publicly echoed European allies, stating Greenland’s future is a matter for Greenland and Denmark alone and expressing “concern” over Trump’s tariff threats related to the island.