When Vladimir Putin made a four-day trip to visit Xi Jinping in September, he addressed his Chinese counterpart as “dear friend”. Speaking to Xi at a vast orchid exhibition in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People, the Russian president claimed their ties were “at an unprecedented level”. Certainly, on the surface, it appears that China’s … Read more
KIIV, Ukraine (AP) — Initial drafts of U.S. proposals for a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia meet many of Kiev’s demands, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday, although he suggested that neither side in the nearly four-year war will get everything they want in talks to reach a deal. “In general, it seems quite … Read more
Russia has accused Ukraine of carrying out a series of high-profile attacks against prominent Russians since Moscow invaded its neighbor nearly four years ago. While Kiev has hinted at its involvement in some cases, Ukrainian officials have often stopped short of publicly claiming responsibility. In other cases, they denied any involvement. A Russian general was … Read more
Two NATO nations’ intelligence services suspect Russia is developing a new anti-satellite weapon to target Elon Musk’s Starlink constellation with destructive clouds of shrapnel in orbit, with the aim of curbing Western space superiority that has aided Ukraine on the battlefield. Intelligence findings seen by The Associated Press say the so-called “area effect” weapon would … Read more
MOSCOW (AP) — President Vladimir Putin stressed Friday that Moscow’s troops are advancing on the battlefield in Ukraine and expressed confidence that the Kremlin will achieve its military goals if Kiev does not agree to Russia’s terms in peace talks. Speaking at the tightly orchestrated annual news conference, which lasted about 4 1/2 hours, Putin … Read more
In November, a train carrying almost 500 people stopped suddenly in eastern Poland. A broken overhead line broke several windows and the front path was damaged. Elsewhere on the line, explosives detonated under a passing freight train. No one was injured in either case and damage was limited, but Poland, which blamed the attack on … Read more
Russian President Vladimir Putin warned on Wednesday that Moscow would try to extend its gains in Ukraine if Kiev and its Western allies reject the Kremlin’s demands in peace talks. US President Donald Trump has launched a sweeping diplomatic effort to end nearly four years of fighting after Russia’s February 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, … Read more
BERLIN (AP) — European leaders are expected to bolster support for Ukraine on Monday as it faces pressure from Washington to quickly accept a U.S.-brokered peace deal. After talks in Berlin on Sunday between US envoys and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukrainian and European officials are set to continue a series of meetings in an … Read more
BERLIN (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday expressed his willingness to drop his country’s bid to join NATO in exchange for Western security guarantees, but rejected U.S. efforts to cede territory to Russia as he held talks with U.S. envoys on ending the war. Zelenskyy met with US President Donald Trump’s special envoy … Read more
BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union on Friday indefinitely froze Russian assets in Europe to ensure that Hungary and Slovakia, both with Moscow-friendly governments, cannot prevent billions of euros from being used to support Ukraine. Using a special procedure intended for economic emergencies, the EU has frozen assets until Russia abandons its war with Ukraine … Read more