5 d. ago Why timing may be right for China to press North Korea on denuclearisation

The Ukraine war and Donald Trump’s return to the White House have significantly altered northeast Asia’s geopolitical landscape. North Korea’s defence treaty with Russia and leader Kim Jong-un’s decision to deploy troops to support Moscow have shattered any remaining illusions of strategic restraint. While Russia is believed to be supplying North Korea with finance and technology, Japan and South Korea are accelerating military spending and preparing for long-term confrontation, potentially –...

Events

1 week ago Trump says Ukraine did not target Putin residence, disputing Russian claim of drone attack

US President Donald Trump on Sunday told reporters that US officials have determined that Ukraine did not target a residence belonging to Russian President Vladimir Putin in a drone attack last week, disputing Kremlin claims that Trump had initially greeted with deep concern. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov last week said Ukraine launched a wave of drones at Putin’s state residence in the northwestern Novgorod region that the Russian defence systems were able to defeat. Lavrov also...

Events

2 w. ago Trump ‘not thrilled’ with Putin, says too many people dying in Ukraine war

US President Donald Trump expressed fresh frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday, bristling at the Kremlin’s continuing military operations even as the US leader seeks to bring an end to the war in Ukraine. “I’m not thrilled with Putin, he’s killing too many people,” Trump said on Saturday during a news conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. Trump spoke hours after a brazen US strike that captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, who is now en route to the US to...

Politics

2 w. ago Russia says Ukraine tried to attack Putin residence, but Zelensky calls it ‘lies’

Russia accused Ukraine on Monday of trying to attack President Vladimir Putin’s residence in northern Russia, although it provided no evidence to back up an assertion that Kyiv dismissed as baseless and designed to undermine peace negotiations. The angry exchanges – including a statement by Russia that it was reviewing its stance in negotiations in response to the attack – dealt a new blow to prospects for peace in Ukraine. US President Donald Trump said Putin had told him about the alleged...

Politics

2 w. ago Russia says Ukraine tried to attack Putin residence, but Zelensky denies it

Russia accused Ukraine on Monday of trying to attack President Vladimir Putin’s residence and vowed retaliation, providing no evidence for a claim Kyiv dismissed as baseless and aimed at derailing arduous peace talks. The angry exchanges between the warring neighbours on Monday – including a statement by Russia that it was reviewing its stance in negotiations in response to the attack – dealt a new blow to prospects for peace in Ukraine. US President Donald Trump said Putin had told him about...

Politics

2 w. ago Putin signs law allowing Russia to ignore foreign court rulings on Ukraine

President Vladimir Putin on Monday signed into law changes that give Russia the right to ignore judgments in criminal cases issued by foreign and international courts amid Ukrainian and European attempts to punish Moscow for its actions in Ukraine. The move, which comes as US President Donald Trump is trying to broker a peace deal in Ukraine, appears to be a response to several initiatives to go after Russian officials and military officers for alleged war crimes in Ukraine, something Moscow...

Politics

2 w. ago Trump says Zelensky and Putin ‘serious about peace’ in war talks sprint

US President Donald Trump said on Sunday he believed the leaders of Ukraine and Russia were serious about peace as he spoke to them both in what he called the final stages of his efforts to end the war. Trump, who had promised to finish the war on day one of his presidency, said he had no deadline but is embarking on a year-end diplomatic sprint as he welcomed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to his Florida estate. Much like when Zelensky last met Trump in October, Russian President...

Politics

2 w. ago Trump says Zelensky and Putin ‘serious about peace’ in Ukraine war talks sprint

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met US President Donald Trump on Sunday, hoping to forge a plan to end the war in Ukraine, but the American leader’s call with Russian President Vladimir Putin just before the meeting suggests obstacles to peace remain. Zelensky has said he hopes to soften a US proposal for Ukrainian forces to withdraw completely from the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, a Russian demand that would mean ceding some territory held by Ukrainian forces. Just before Zelensky...

Politics

2 w. ago Trump predicts end to Ukraine war will be decided within ‘weeks’

US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky were “getting a lot closer, maybe very close” to an agreement to end the war in Ukraine, though both leaders acknowledged that some of the thorniest details remain unresolved. The two leaders spoke at a joint press conference late Sunday afternoon after meeting at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. Trump said it will be clear “in a few weeks” whether negotiations to end the war will succeed. Zelensky...

Politics

3 w. ago Zelensky looks to secure Ukraine peace deal at Trump meet as Russian offensive mounts

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will sit down on Sunday with Donald Trump and seek to secure the US president’s stamp of approval for a new proposal to end the nearly four-year conflict with Russia. The 20-point plan, which emerged from weeks of intense US-Ukraine negotiations, lacks Moscow’s approval, and the face-to-face in Florida comes in the wake of a massive Russian missile and drone attack on Kyiv. The meeting, hosted by Trump at his opulent Mar-a-Lago residence, will be the pair’s...

Politics

3 w. ago Trump says Ukraine’s Zelensky ‘doesn’t have anything until I approve it’ ahead of talks

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he expects to meet US President Donald Trump in Florida on Sunday in pursuit of a deal to end Russia’s nearly four-year invasion, though the latest comments from Moscow raise doubts about how close a final agreement really is. Zelensky told reporters on Friday that he would discuss sensitive issues with Trump including the future of the Donbas region in Ukraine’s east and the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. The Ukrainian leader said he plans to...

Politics

3 w. ago Zelensky to meet Trump in Florida to discuss ‘90% ready’ Russia peace plan, Ukraine security

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday that he will meet with US President Donald Trump in Florida over the weekend. Zelensky told journalists that the two leaders will discuss security guarantees for Ukraine during Sunday’s talks, and that the 20-point plan under discussion “is about 90 per cent ready”. The announced meeting is the latest development in an extensive US-led diplomatic push to end the nearly four-year Russia-Ukraine war, but efforts have run into sharply...

Politics

3 w. ago UK’s Starmer discusses Ukraine peace efforts in call with Trump

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer discussed efforts to achieve a “just and lasting end” to the war in Ukraine on Sunday with US President Donald Trump, Starmer’s Downing Street office said in a statement, after talks between officials in Florida. “The two leaders began by reflecting on the war in Ukraine,” Starmer’s office said in a readout of the call, adding they had discussed the work of the so-called Coalition of the Willing countries that have pledged to support Ukraine. “The Prime...

Politics

3 w. ago Starmer and Trump discuss Ukraine, Gaza and new UK ambassador in call

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer discussed efforts to achieve a “just and lasting end” to the war in Ukraine on Sunday with US President Donald Trump, Starmer’s Downing Street office said in a statement, after talks between officials in Florida. “The two leaders began by reflecting on the war in Ukraine,” Starmer’s office said in a readout of the call, adding they had discussed the work of the so-called Coalition of the Willing countries that have pledged to support Ukraine. “The prime...

Politics