3 h. ago Rubio says won’t force deal on Ukraine as Europeans join Miami talks

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday promised not to force Ukraine into any agreement to end Russia’s invasion as European allies joined fresh talks in Miami. The weekend talks come as Russian President Vladimir Putin in an annual news conference vowed to press ahead with his military offensive in Ukraine, hailing battlefield gains nearly four years into his war. US President Donald Trump’s envoys have pressed a plan in which the United States would offer security guarantees to Ukraine,...

Politics

14 h. ago Putin vows new Ukraine offensive as Russia advances and US pushes for deal

Vladimir Putin hailed his troops’ progress in Ukraine during Friday’s annual press conference – a staple of his 25-year rule. The Russian president appeared emboldened by recent battlefield gains as the US pushes for a diplomatic end to the nearly four-year war. Addressing the EU’s failed proposal to use frozen Russian assets to fund Kyiv, Putin labelled the plan “robbery”. He warned that “severe consequences” would have followed for the bloc had they followed through, adding, “Why can’t they...

Politics

14 h. ago Putin warns West as Russia eyes more Ukrainian territory, as peace talks stall

Russia’s Vladimir Putin on Friday said the ball was in the court of the West and Kyiv in talks to end the war in Ukraine, while hailing Moscow’s recent battlefield gains and threatening more. Putin spoke during his annual end-of-year press conference – a staple of his 25-year rule – in which he told Russians Moscow was intent on pressing on in Ukraine, striking a confident tone. The 73-year-old has repeatedly said in recent weeks that Moscow will seize the rest of Ukrainian land he has...

Events

22 h. ago EU agrees US$106 billion loan for Ukraine, but without Russian assets

EU leaders struck a deal Friday to provide Ukraine a €90 billion (US$106 billion) loan to plug its looming budget shortfalls - but failed to agree on using frozen Russian assets to come up with the funds. The agreement - which came after more than a day of talks at a summit in Brussels - offers Kyiv a desperately needed lifeline as US President Donald Trump pushes for a quick deal to end Russia’s war. “We have a deal. Decision to provide 90 billion euros of support to Ukraine for 2026-27...

Economics

63 h. ago Ukraine war: US readies new Russia sanctions if Putin rejects peace deal

The US is preparing a fresh round of sanctions on Russia’s energy sector to increase the pressure on Moscow should President Vladimir Putin reject a peace agreement with Ukraine, according to people familiar with the matter. The US is considering options, such as targeting vessels in Russia’s so-called shadow fleet of tankers used to transport Moscow’s oil, as well as traders who facilitate the transactions, said the people who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private...

Events

4 d. ago US officials say Washington agrees to give Ukraine security guarantees to secure deal

The US has agreed to provide unspecified security guarantees to Ukraine as part of a peace deal to end Russia’s nearly four-year war, and more talks are likely this weekend, US officials said Monday following the latest discussions with President Volodymyr Zelensky in Berlin. The officials said talks with President Donald Trump’s envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, led to narrowing differences on security guarantees that Kyiv said must be provided, as well as on Moscow’s demand that Ukraine...

Politics

1 week ago European allies back Zelensky after Trump accused him of not reading peace deal

Ukraine’s European allies put on a show of support for President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday as they expressed scepticism about parts of the US proposal to end Russia’s nearly four-year invasion. Zelensky first held a meeting in London with the leaders of Britain, France and Germany before heading to Brussels later on Monday for talks with the heads of the EU and of Nato. Afterwards, he was to fly to Rome for a meeting on Tuesday with the Italian prime minister. The discussions came after US...

Politics

1 week ago European allies back Ukraine’s Zelensky after Trump criticism

Ukraine’s European allies put on a show of support for President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday as they expressed scepticism about parts of the US proposal to end Russia’s nearly four-year invasion. Zelensky first held a meeting in London with the leaders of Britain, France and Germany before heading to Brussels later Monday for talks with the heads of the EU and of Nato. Afterwards, he was to fly to Rome for a meeting Tuesday with the Italian prime minister. The discussions came after US...

Politics

1 week ago Chinese firms gear up for Russia’s reopening amid talks aimed at peace deal

Chinese cross-border e-commerce entrepreneur Andy Guo has just opened two warehouses covering a total of 5,000 square metres (53,820 sq ft) on the outskirts of Moscow. He said the move was not about addressing logistical bottlenecks, but preparing his business for a potential geopolitical shift that could reshape his fastest-growing yet most uncertain overseas market if Russia and Ukraine reach a peace deal. US President Donald Trump has continued to push for the end of hostilities between...

Economics

1 week ago India and Russia agree to boost trade to US$100 billion by 2030

Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday at an annual summit and agreed to diversify mutual economic ties, as the United States presses India to revise its decades-old partnership with Russia. The 23rd Russia-India Summit comes at a pivotal moment as the US pushes for a Ukraine peace deal while seeking global cooperation. It will test New Delhi’s efforts to balance relations with Moscow and Washington as the nearly four-year war in Ukraine...

Economics

2 w. ago Russia says no Ukraine compromise reached after Putin meets Trump envoys

Russia and the US did not reach a compromise on a possible peace deal to end the war in Ukraine after a five-hour Kremlin meeting between President Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump’s top envoys, the Kremlin said on Wednesday. Trump has repeatedly complained that ending Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II has been one of the elusive foreign policy aims of his presidency. The US president has at times scolded both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Talks in Moscow between...

Politics

2 w. ago North Korea unveils new missiles, angles for Russian jets amid Ukraine war deal

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s daughter was thrust back into the spotlight late last week at a military spectacle that analysts say was as much about succession planning and extracting concessions from Russia as it was about unveiling new missiles. Ostensibly held to mark the 80th anniversary of the North Korean air force, the ceremony on Friday seemingly served two other purposes: pressing Russia for advanced military technology in return for Pyongyang’s help in the Ukraine war, and acting...

Events

2 w. ago Officials express optimism as US and Ukraine try to work out peace deal

US and Ukrainian officials sat down in Florida on Sunday to discuss outlines of a peace deal with Russia, talks that Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he expected to yield progress towards ending the more than three-year war. “It’s about creating a pathway forward that leaves Ukraine sovereign, independent and prosperous, and so we expect to make even more progress today,” Rubio said in Hallandale Beach, Florida, where the meeting took place. Sunday’s discussions follow roughly two weeks of...

Politics

2 w. ago Rubio sees progress in Florida talks with Ukraine but more work needed for deal

US and Ukrainian officials held what both sides called productive talks on Sunday about a peace deal with Russia, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressing optimism about progress despite challenges in ending the more than three-year war “We continue to be realistic about how difficult this is but optimistic, particularly given the fact that as we’ve made progress, I think there is a shared vision here that this is not just about ending the war it is about securing Ukraine’s future, a...

Economics

2 w. ago US sees progress after Ukraine talks in Florida as Trump envoy heads to Russia

US and Ukrainian officials held what both sides called productive talks on Sunday about a Russia peace deal, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressing optimism about progress despite challenges to ending the more than three-year-long war. Rubio met with a Ukrainian delegation led by a new chief negotiator in Florida, his home state, for talks that he said were meant to create a pathway for Ukraine to remain sovereign and independent. “We continue to be realistic about how difficult this is,...

Politics

2 w. ago US sees progress after latest Ukraine talks as Trump envoy heads to Russia

Diplomats faced an uphill battle to reconcile Russian and Ukrainian positions as a renewed US-led push to end the more than three-year war gathered steam, with Ukrainian officials attending talks in the US over the weekend and a Washington official expected in Moscow this week. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with a Ukrainian delegation led by a new chief negotiator in Florida, his home state, for talks that he said were meant to create a pathway for Ukraine to remain sovereign and...

Politics

3 w. ago China waits in the wings for opportunity as Trump makes Ukraine peace push

While Beijing has remained largely offstage during US President Donald Trump’s latest push to end the war in Ukraine, China still sees significant stakes in how any peace deal could reshape its strategic environment – from the global balance of power to post-war reconstruction opportunities, according to observers. A Trump-brokered peace plan to end the nearly four-year war, first reported last week, remains fluid, but the proposed settlement has reportedly been reduced to 19 points after the...

Politics

3 w. ago Zelensky ready to advance Trump’s Ukraine plan, urges Europeans be included

President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday that Ukraine was ready to advance a US-backed framework for ending the war with Russia and discuss disputed points with US President Donald Trump in talks he said should include European allies. US and Ukrainian officials have been trying to narrow the gaps between them over Trump’s plan to end Europe’s deadliest and most devastating conflict since World War II, with Ukraine wary of being strong-armed into accepting a deal largely on Russian terms,...

Politics

3 w. ago Ukraine and Russia exchange deadly barrages as negotiators race to refine deal

Ukraine and Russia counted casualties on Tuesday after trading deadly overnight strikes, as negotiators scrambled to revise a framework to end the nearly four-year conflict ahead of a US-imposed deadline. US President Donald Trump has given Kyiv until November 27 - the American holiday of Thanksgiving - to respond to his proposal to end the fighting, a timeline and blueprint that European leaders have baulked at. Kyiv and its allies nonetheless spent the weekend hammering away at Washington’s...

Events

3 w. ago Ukraine and Russia exchange deadly strikes as negotiators race to refine deal

Russia rained missiles and drones overnight on Kyiv, killing six people, authorities said Tuesday, as three people died in Russia’s Rostov region in massive Ukrainian strikes. The heightened attacks came after US President Donald Trump initially gave Kyiv until November 27 - the American holiday of Thanksgiving - to respond to his proposal to end the fighting, a timeline and blueprint that European leaders have baulked at. Tymur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv’s military administration, said four people...

Events