Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, met with derision in his attempts to discuss the conflict in separatist-held Donbass with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, has launched new overtures to shore up support in the West in the light of Russia’s buildup of troops and weaponry on his country’s borders.

Kazakhstan revised its 2021 budget and increased spending by 1.3 trillion tenge ($3.045 billion) to 15.3 trillion tenge in a bid to support the country's so-called "real" economy.

A BP-led consortium produces oil at Azerbaijan’s giant off-shore Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli (ACG) oilfields, which account for most of the country’s oil production.