Russia

China Hosts Iranian, Russian Defense Ministers Against Backdrop of 'Momentous Change'

China hosted defense ministers from Iran and Russia for a meeting in its eastern seaside city of Qingdao on Thursday against the backdrop of war in the Middle East and a summit of NATO countries in Europe that agreed to boost military spending. Beijing has long sought to present the 10-member Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) as a ...

Zelensky, Europe Rights Body Sign Accord for Ukraine War Tribunal

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday signed an accord with pan-European rights body the Council of Europe for establishing a special tribunal to try top officials responsible for Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The court would prosecute the "crime of aggression" in the invasion, which Russia launched in February 2022, and could, in ...

Zelensky-Trump Meeting Planned Wednesday

Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump are planning to meet on Wednesday on the sidelines of the NATO summit in The Hague, a senior source in the Ukrainian presidency told AFP. The war-time leader has been a central figure at recent summits but given his fractious relationship with Trump, Zelensky has not been invited to the main ...

Russian Drone Attacks Kill three in Northeast Ukraine

Russian drone attacks killed three people near the northeastern city of Sumy, including a five-year-old child, local authorities said on Tuesday. It came a day after Ukraine said Russia carried out dozens of drone and missile strikes on its territory, killing 10 people in the capital Kyiv. Diplomatic efforts to end the three-year war have ...

Russian drone and missile barrage kills eight in Kyiv

  Ukraine said on Monday that Russia had fired dozens of drones and missiles at the country, ripping open a residential building and killing eight civilians in Kyiv. A flurry of diplomatic efforts to end the three-year war have stalled, with the last direct meeting between Kyiv and Moscow almost three weeks ago and no follow-up talks ...

Tactical Nukes Worry Strategists

The Kremlin, via spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, reiterated on Friday its firm opposition to the use of tactical nuclear weapons, describing any potential US strike on Iran as “catastrophic.” Peskov was responding to “media rumors” about a possible nuclear strike aimed at destroying Iran’s uranium enrichment facility at Fordow, stressing ...

G7 Shows Support for Ukraine but Avoids Condemning Russia Amid Trump’s Absence

Group of Seven leaders on Tuesday vowed greater support for Ukraine but stopped short of joint condemnation of Russia for its growing attacks, at a summit missing Donald Trump. The US president had been due to speak at the G7 summit with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky, with whom he has had a volatile relationship, but flew back ...

UK Slaps New Sanctions on Russia's Shadow Fleet

The UK on Tuesday tightened its sanctions on Russia's so-called shadow fleet, slapping bans on 20 more ships and blacklisting 10 other people or bodies involved in energy and shipping. Security analysts say the fleet of aging vessels is used by Russia to circumvent international sanctions that ban it from selling oil. Hundreds of vessels ...

Zelensky Hopes to Press Trump on Russia Sanctions at G7

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday he hoped to press his US counterpart, Donald Trump, to step up sanctions on Russia on the sidelines of the upcoming G7 summit. Trump has spooked Europe and Kyiv by pushing a rapprochement with Moscow, a dramatic reversal after three years of Washington seeking to isolate Russian President ...