Russia

Armenia Tilts Toward EU as Russia Warns Against Breaking Alliances

The EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas urged Armenia to protect its democratic values amid "hybrid threats" from Russia on a visit to Yerevan on Monday. Ties between Armenia and its traditional ally Russia have been strained since Azerbaijan's 2023 offensive on Nagorno-Karabakh, in which Moscow did not intervene. Russia has for years been the main ...

Russia’s Population Plummets as War, Alcoholism, and Low Birth Rates Collide

Freshly married to a policeman, office manager Angelina Alexeyeva has been motivated by President Vladimir Putin's plea for Russians to have more children, part of the Kremlin's ultra-patriotic drive as its Ukraine offensive drags on. Russia's dwindling birth rate has been one of Putin's main worries during his 25-year rule. And with Moscow ...

Germany Accuses Russia of Wanting to Impose Kiev's "Capitulation"

Russian President Vladimir Putin wants Ukraine to surrender, Germany's top diplomat said on Monday as he visited Kyiv after weeks of stepped-up Russian bombardments of the country. Amid stalled peace talks to end the more than three-year war, "Putin is not ceding on any of his maximalist demands – he doesn't want negotiations; he wants a ...

Russian Strikes Wound 12 in Ukraine

Russian strikes targeting Ukraine overnight Saturday to Sunday wounded at least 12 people, according to local authorities, prompting Kyiv to renew calls for new air defense systems. Since its invasion in February 2022 Russia has launched near-nightly bombardments of Ukrainian towns and cities, sending barrages of drones and missiles against ...

China's Top Diplomat to Visit EU, Germany, France Next Week

China's top diplomat Wang Yi will head to Europe next week for talks with counterparts from the European Union, Germany and France, Beijing said on Friday as it seeks to shore up fraught ties with the bloc. Beijing has sought to improve relations with Europe as a counterweight to superpower rival United States, though frictions remain over trade ...

US Envoy Leaves Russia as Detente Faltering

The US ambassador to Russia, Lynne Tracy, is departing Moscow, leaving Washington without a top envoy in the country as a rapprochement being pushed by US President Donald Trump falters. Moscow earlier this week accused Washington of not being "ready" to take steps to restore the normal functioning of their embassies, hobbled by years of ...

Russia Warns Against Iran Suspending IAEA Cooperation

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Thursday spoke out against Moscow's key ally Iran suspending cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), after Iranian lawmakers voted in favor of halting work with the UN nuclear agency. "We are interested in continuing cooperation between Iran and the IAEA, so that everybody respects ...

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 ...