Crude oil futures held steady on Friday as mixed U.S. economic news offset worries the European Union's latest sanctions against Russia for its war in Ukraine could reduce oil supplies.

President Trump’s plan to impose a 100 percent tariff on Russian goods could raise the cost of urea, a key fertilizer in corn and other row crops.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused "neocolonial" Western powers of modern "robbery and looting" in the pursuit of rare earth metals to gain an advantage in the artificial intelligence race.

The UK joined the European Union’s efforts to diminish Russia’s revenues further by lowering the price cap on its crude oil, extending a broader push to pressure the Kremlin for continuing the war in Ukraine.

The European Union on Friday agreed an 18th package of sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukraine, including measures aimed at dealing further blows to the Russian oil and energy industry.

TALLINN, Estonia — A snappy tune by a blogger that mockingly laments his poor internet connection in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don has gotten over a half-million views on Instagram in two weeks.

Former Russian President Medvedev calls for preemptive strikes while Trump gives Putin a 50-day ultimatum to reach peace with Ukraine or face sanctions.

WhatsApp should prepare to leave the Russian market, a lawmaker who regulates the IT sector said on Friday, warning that the messaging app owned by Meta Platforms was likely to be put on a list of restricted software.