| CONCISE | Brief caught working with Russia and its allies before start of election |
| EASTERNBLOC | Informally, Russia and its allies, especially during the Cold War |
| IRAN | Country in discussion with Russia and European nations about resuming talks on its nuclear program. (4) |
| OPERATIONDESERTSHIELD | Codename for operations by the US and allies before the combat stage of the Gulf War |
| NOMINEE | Candidate has no source of wealth before start of election (7) |
| EASTERN | The term used for the Soviet Union and its allies during the Cold War, ... bloc |
| ARISTOS | Comes up having to move in for start of election counts, maybe |
| KARELIA | Finnish region fought over with Russia, immortalised by Sibelius (7) |
| UKRAINE | Country in dispute with Russia over Crimean peninsula (7) |
| FARRAGO | Confusing mix-up with Russia in distant past (7) |
| CHEERED | Comforted revolutionary commie around start of election |
| TSHIRTS | Tops this cryptic with Russia Today's (1-6) |
| HOHENLINDEN | Battle of ?, 1800 conflict of the French Revolutionary Wars that took place east of Munich and resulted in victory for France over Austria and its allies |
| SLEAZE | Zeal's unusual before start of election - MPs should avoid it (6) |
| PEEVE | Irritate Kamala Harris, say, on retirement before start of election (5) |
| CASTASIDE | Get rid of scoundrel controlling secret police before start of elections (4,5) |
| LENDLEASE | US provision of military equipment to the UK and its allies in World War II (4-5) |
| CONFECTIONERY | Candy caught working with ferocity travelling around Newcastle area (13) |
| THEWESTEND | NATO and its allies stop where Sunset Boulevard could be seen (3,4,3) |
| CONJUROR | Entertainer caught working with one on panel (8) |
