Meduza: Iran War Delays Ukraine-Russia Peace Talks; Russia Emerges as Energy Market Beneficiary

The Abu Dhabi peace meeting was postponed at US request as the Iran conflict consumed diplomatic bandwidth. Russia's Urals blend climbed above $70/bbl -- well above the $59 budgeted by Moscow -- providing windfall revenue while its seaborne routes avoid Hormuz entirely. However, Iran's drone industry, which Russia depends on for Ukraine operations, faces degradation from coalition strikes, creating a strategic vulnerability Moscow cannot easily mitigate.