SPIEF Deal-Making: Alfa-Bank and Rostelecom signed two major finance deals at St Petersburg’s forum—RUB 20bn factoring and RUB 11.5bn in bank guarantees—highlighting how telecom and banking are tightening cashflow support. Capital Markets: MTS Bank helped place ALROSA’s 3-year RUB 30bn exchange-traded bonds, with the final spread set at 135 basis points over the Bank of Russia key rate. Armenia-EU vs. EAEU: Russia’s officials say Moscow won’t “foot the bill” for Armenia’s EU integration and warn that Yerevan’s steps create business uncertainty; Putin also said relations will stay normal “whatever” Armenia chooses, while urging a fast referendum. EU Response: EU leaders pledged over €50m in immediate support for Armenia and framed it as solidarity against “economic coercion.” Regional Trade Shift: Russia signals it will redirect some Armenian agricultural volumes to Azerbaijan as import restrictions tighten ahead of Armenia’s June 7 vote. Energy Diplomacy: Serbia’s energy minister called Russia a reliable partner on gas and infrastructure, stressing energy security amid geopolitical pressure. India-Russia Push: Putin reiterated a USD 100bn trade target with India, pointing to energy and Kudankulam nuclear cooperation. Ukraine War Spillover: Insurers are expanding optional coverage for drone and missile-related property risks, pushing up standard premiums by as much as 12%.