Russian President Vladimir Putin, at a closed meeting with leading businessmen, proposed that they voluntarily contribute funds to the budget to finance the war with Ukraine, according to the Financial Times and The Bell.

The Chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Jim Risch, expressed "grave concern" about the consolidation of power by the Georgian government in the context of a one-party parliament. In an interview with Independence Avenue Media, he made it clear that there is no hope of a warming of relations between Washington and Tbilisi unless Georgia's ruling party changes course.

The third Russian humanitarian convoy, consisting of seven trucks and delivering 140 tons of food, arrived at the Yug-Astara checkpoint on the Azerbaijan-Iran border. After customs clearance, the cargo will be sent to Iran via the North-South International Transport Corridor.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte called on Tbilisi to renew its pro-European policy, including the principles of democracy and the rule of law. He stated that Georgia's current course raises serious concerns.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced a military parade for May 28, the First Republic Day. Acknowledging that the parade could be perceived as a rejection of the peace agenda, he emphasized: "This is not so much a parade as a report to the citizens of Armenia." The head of government assured that the authorities are working with international partners to avoid such a perception.

Russia sent 300 tons of medical supplies to Iran via Azerbaijan. This is the second humanitarian shipment in recent memory.

Adam Kadyrov, the 18-year-old son of the head of Chechnya, made his first public appearance since reports of a possible car accident involving him in mid-January. Ramzan Kadyrov dismissed earlier reports of the accident and Adam's injuries, including a spleen removal, a broken jaw, and the need for a strict diet, as "fakes."

Vice Speaker of the National Assembly of Armenia Ruben Rubinyan confirmed that the negotiation process between Armenia and Turkey is ongoing. According to him, the last contact with Turkish Special Representative Serdar Kılıç took place the day before, but there is currently no new information on this issue.

The European Union has approved the deployment of a rapid response team to Armenia to counter hybrid threats. The mission, consisting of 9 to 14 members, is expected to arrive in late March or early April for a period of 10-15 working days.

Over the past 24 hours, 28 people were evacuated across the border between Iran and Azerbaijan, including two Azerbaijani citizens and two Russians. As of March 23, a total of 2,949 citizens from 76 countries have been evacuated from Iran to Azerbaijan.