One direct consequence of Russia's attack on Ukraine has been skyrocketing oil prices. During past energy shocks, the US had reliable allies in the Gulf to help ease any crisis. As the world faced its latest oil crunch, the US reached out to Saudi Arabia and the UAE, to increase their production. But President Joe Biden didn't get the reaction he might have been looking for.

It was the first face-to-face meeting in 13 years between the foreign ministers of Turkiye and Armenia. Decades of animosity, centered mostly on Armenia's occupation of the Nagorno-Karabakh region, left the two neighbors with a closed border, and no diplomatic ties. But now, changes are in motion. Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu recently met with his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan at the Antalya diplomacy forum. Two separate meetings have already been held this year, along with the resumption of flights between Istanbul and Yerevan. But could the conflict in Ukraine affect stability and Russia's role across the South Caucasus?

As Russia’s attack on Ukraine intensified, oil prices soared to its highest levels in 14 years. The US reached out to Saudi Arabia and the UEA to increase their oil production, but Washington has failed to engage the oil rich countries in direct talks.

Dozens of missiles reportedly struck a Ukrainian military facility near the Polish border, killing at least 35 people and injuring more than one hundred and thirty. Russia's defence ministry said it was targeting weapons supplied by the west. But Moscow also claimed it had killed up to 180 foreign mercenaries who were being trained at the facility. Kiev denies any foreign nationals were killed in the strike. But the attack raises questions about the role of foreign fighters in the conflict.

Sim Tack

Geopolitical and military analyst at Force Analysis

Maya Mirchandani

Senior Fellow at the Observer Research Foundation

As Russia's military assault on Ukraine intensifies, global calls for a ceasefire are growing. And that's the message Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan made as he met with the leaders of Germany and Greece. The worsening conflict in Ukraine was at the centre of President Erdogan's meeting with German chancellor Olaf Sholz, and earlier with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. A statement following their meeting said that Turkiye and Greece have a special responsibility in European security amidst the conflict in Ukraine.

Ali Demirdas

Political Analyst

Tudor Onea

Faculty Member at Bilkent University

After almost a decade of division, Türkiye and Israel are looking to move forward. In a historic two-day visit, Israeli President Isaac Herzog met with his counterpart Recep Tayyib Erdogan in the Turkish capital. The two leaders agreed to revitalise political dialogue as well as to increase collaboration within the energy sector. So could this historic visit pave the way for improved Türkiye-Israel relations?

Guests:

Mithat Rende

Former Turkish Ambassador

Tarik Oguzlu

Professor at Istanbul Aydin University

Nimrod Goren

President of Mitvim

The relationship between Russia and China is being put to the test. The two nuclear neighbors, although having different political and economic interests, have one common goal. To counter the US and its allies. And that was on full display early last month, when the presidents of Russia and China stood side by side in Beijing, pledging to support each other against America's policies. But how far will this partnership go, especially with a conflict raging across Ukraine?

Guests:

Raffaello Pantucci

Senior Associate Fellow at RUSI

Owen Greene

Professor at the University of Bradford

The UN World Food Programme has a grim warning. The fallout from Russia's attack on Ukraine will go far beyond their borders. Russia is the world's number one exporter of wheat and Ukraine is in the top five. This month, the cash crop saw a 40-percent increase in prices. And the expected scarcity in the coming months could put the world's most vulnerable, at further risk.

Guests:

Sevim Seda Yamac

Associate Professor at the Konya Food and Agriculture University

Guido Cozzi

Professor at the University of St Gallen

The escalation in the conflict between Ukraine and Russia is having a domino effect on food insecurity, according to the World Food Programme. Russia is the world’s number one exporter of wheat and Ukraine is in the top five. March saw a 40-percent increase in prices. And the expected scarcity in the coming months could drive those prices even higher. Hadya Al Alawi reports.

The situation in Ukraine remains dire, as Russian troops move closer to the country's biggest cities. Key among them has been the capital Kiev. But Russia's rapid march towards the city couldn't have been possible without the help of another country, Belarus. The former Soviet state was the staging ground for Russia's northern attack on Ukraine. And that role that Minsk played, is already started to bring consequences.

Guests:

Linas Kojala

Director of the Eastern Europe Studies Centre

Eleonora Tafuro Ambrosetti

Research Fellow at ISPI

Arseny Sivitsky

Director of the Centre for Strategic and Foreign Policy Studies