Russia

Zelensky Calls Putin Truce Proposal 'Attempt at Manipulation'

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday branded a three-day truce announced by his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin as an "attempt at manipulation". "Now there's a new attempt at manipulation: for some reason, everyone has to wait until May 8," Zelensky said in his daily address. Putin on Monday ordered the ceasefire on May 8-10, ...

Rubio Tells Russian Counterpart Time to End 'Senseless War'

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov that the United States is committed to working to end the war in Ukraine, the State Department said Monday. "The United States is serious about facilitating an end to this senseless war," State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said in a readout of Sunday's call, which ...

Russia Says Claims Over Annexed Ukraine Regions Key to Peace

Russia said on Monday it was ready to negotiate directly with Ukraine, but that recognition of its claims over five Ukrainian regions including Crimea were "imperative" to resolving the conflict. Since launching its Ukraine offensive in February 2022, Russia has seized large parts of four Ukrainian regions and claimed them as its own, in addition ...

Ukraine: Putin Orders Surprise Three-Day Ceasefire in May

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered a surprise three-day ceasefire in Ukraine from May 8-10, coinciding with Moscow's World War II Victory Day commemorations, the Kremlin said Monday. The announcement came after US President Donald Trump urged Putin to "stop shooting" and "sign a deal" to end the three-year conflict, which the White ...

Brics Set to Meet Over Trump Trade Policies

Senior diplomats from BRICS countries will meet on Monday in Brazil to present a united front in the face of threats emerging from US President Donald Trump's aggressive trade policies. The meeting comes at a critical moment for the world economy after the International Monetary Fund this week slashed growth forecasts over the impact of the ...

North Korea Confirms Troop Deployment to Russia’s Kursk

North Korea confirmed for the first time it had deployed troops to Russia, with state news agency KCNA on Monday reporting that Pyongyang's soldiers helped Moscow reclaim territory under Ukrainian control in the border region of Kursk. The admission comes just days after Russia confirmed the North's participation, with South Korean and ...

US Envoy Witkoff Discusses Possible Direct Ukraine-Russia Talks With Putin

US envoy Steve Witkoff and Vladimir Putin on Friday discussed the "possibility" of direct talks between Russia and Ukraine during a meeting in Moscow, the Kremlin said Friday. Donald Trump is pushing for a ceasefire in the three-year conflict but has so far been unable to extract any meaningful concessions from Putin. Witkoff held a ...

Russian General Killed by Car Bomb Near Moscow

An explosive device ripped through a parked car near Moscow on Friday killing a senior Russian general, the Investigative Committee, which probes major crimes said, adding it had launched a murder probe. Authorities named General-lieutenant Yaroslav Moskalik, deputy head of the main operational directorate of the military's General Staff, as the ...

'White Flag': Pope Leaves Bitter Legacy in Ukraine

As Catholics around the world mourn Pope Francis, many Ukrainians will remember him bitterly for failing to clearly blame Russia for its invasion and calling for Ukraine to raise the "white flag". President Volodymyr Zelensky will be one of the prominent mourners at Saturday's funeral for Francis even though the pope never visited Ukraine and ...

Russia's Lavrov Says 'Ready to Reach a Deal' on Ukraine

Russia's foreign minister said Thursday that Moscow was ready to do a deal on its war in Ukraine after Donald Trump urged Vladimir Putin to halt attacks, in a rare rebuke following the deadliest strikes on Kyiv in months. "We are ready to reach a deal, but there are still some specific points... which need to be fine-tuned, and we are ...

Trump Urges Putin to "Stop" After Deadly Strikes on Kyiv

Donald Trump on Thursday called on Vladimir Putin to halt attacks on Ukraine, in a rare rebuke of the Russian leader after Moscow fired a barrage of missiles and drones at Kyiv, killing at least 12 in the deadliest attack on the capital in months. The direct appeal to Putin came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged his allies to put ...

Russia Allows Taliban to Have Moscow Ambassador

Russia said Wednesday it will allow the Taliban authorities in Afghanistan to have an ambassador in Moscow, in a symbolic move days after it lifted a "terrorist" designation for the militant group. Moscow has taken steps to normalize relations with the Islamist Taliban administration since the group seized power in Afghanistan in 2021 ...