Author: RFE/RL staff

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was at the Elysee Palace in Paris on December 1 for talks with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, kicking off another week of intense diplomacy aimed at ending nearly four years of fighting in Ukraine follo…

Top US and Ukrainian officials wrapped up their talks in Florida, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio calling the session “very productive” but saying additional work was needed in the effort to thrash out a plan to end Russia’s war on Ukraine. “We had…

Ukraine’s deep-strike drone campaign targeting Russia’s oil and gas production facilities has already cost its enemy 10 percent of its refining capacity, according to industry experts — and Kyiv is committed to stepping things up. “Ten percent, it’s n…

The United States said it is halting all immigration requests relating to Afghanistan after an Afghan national shot two members of the National Guard, one of whom died a day after the shooting near the White House. President Donald Trump said on Novemb…

The White House’s lead envoy is heading to Russia for a sixth time. Ukraine fears a peace that heavily favors Moscow. A leaked phone call shows the US envoy advising a Kremlin official on how to sweet-talk the White House.And Russia’s invasion — now i…

White House envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to Moscow next week, the Kremlin said, amid accelerating efforts to cement a US-backed peace proposal that many Ukrainians — and European leaders — are wary of.The meeting in Moscow, confirmed by foreign po…

When a 25-year-old Chinese construction worker died at a vast solar power plant site in Bosnia-Herzegovina this summer, few expected the incident to snowball into one of the most significant legal blows against Chinese-backed projects in the country. T…

When a 25-year-old Chinese construction worker died at a vast solar power plant site in Bosnia-Herzegovina this summer, few expected the incident to snowball into one of the most significant legal blows against Chinese-backed projects in the country. T…

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is in Kyrgyzstan as part of a three-country tour of Central Asia to reaffirm Beijing’s status as the region’s top trading partner following US diplomatic inroads at a high-profile summit in Washington earlier this month…

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is set to meet top US Defense Department officials in Kyiv on November 20 amid reports that Moscow and Washington have drawn up a peace plan that calls for Ukraine to make major concessions. The new US-drafted proposal to …

Poland suspects Russian intelligence services were behind an explosion on a major Polish railway line used to transport military goods and aid to Ukraine, an act Prime Minister Donald Tusk called an “unprecedented act of sabotage.” In the first comment…

Ukraine has reached a 10-year deal with France for the supply of 100 Rafale fighter jets to bolster its defenses as the Kremlin said it hopes for a new summit with the United States to discuss a possible resolution to end the war in Ukraine. President …

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowed to overhaul the country’s scandal-ridden energy sector as he looks to stem outrage following accusations of wide-spread corruption that have included an old friend and former business partner. Zelenskyy sai…

Decades of mismanagement compounded by prolonged drought have pushed Iran to the brink of what experts call water bankruptcy. With reservoirs running on empty and rainfall at a record low, the authorities have begun rationing water supplies in the Iran…

The central figure in the corruption scandal shaking Ukraine, Tymur Mindich, is an old friend and former business partner of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.Law enforcement sources say Mindich left the country shortly before police searched his home.And …

Ukraine has been rocked by a corruption scandal in which suspects allegedly discussed millions of dollars worth of kickbacks on protection for energy plants, even as Russian bombs raining down on them plunged citizens into cold and darkness. But it’s n…

US strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites in June slowed down the nuclear program, likely buried Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium, and effectively paused enrichment activities. The attacks prompted Iran to reevaluate its nuclear strategy, an…

Ukraine’s anti-corruption watchdog has announced a “large-scale operation” exposing tens of millions of dollars of graft in the energy sector in the midst of Russia’s full-scale invasion. The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) said the j…

Kyiv and many Ukrainian regions faced extensive power cuts and outages as crews struggled to repair infrastructure battered by Russian air attacks. Power was reduced in most regions for eight to 16 hours on November 9, state energy provider Ukrenergo s…

US President Donald Trump unveiled a slew of trade, diplomatic, and mineral deals as he hosted Central Asia’s five leaders for a summit and dinner meant to shore up Washington’s influence in the region. Flanked by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and …

There will be plenty of warmth on display as US President Donald Trump welcomes Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban at the White House on November 7, but alongside the strong personal chemistry there will be a full plate of issues as they sit down to…

In June 2019, the director of the Pentagon’s main intelligence agency made an eyebrow-raising allegation about Russia and its nuclear programs: Moscow is testing its atomic weapons.”The U.S. government, including the Intelligence Community, has assesse…

Iraq’s parliamentary election on November 11 arrives as Tehran’s regional hand weakens and the outcome could determine whether it preserves a vital anchor in its sphere of influence, financing, and deterrence or slides into a costlier, fragmented game …

It may be happening again. In 2019, the United States backed an opposition leader seeking to unseat Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro. Russia opposed the push, providing diplomatic assistance and a modicum of military support for a government that may be Mosc…

A Ukrainian drone attack hit Russia’s Black Sea port of Tuapse on November 2, setting an oil tanker ablaze and damaging port infrastructure, in the latest of a series of strikes on Moscow’s crucial oil sector. A source in Ukraine’s Security Service (SB…

US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping held talks in South Korea where they discussed the war in Ukraine and agreed to walk back elements of their bruising trade war. Speaking aboard Air Force One following the October 30 sit down, Tru…

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged Donald Trump to press China to end its support for Russia in its war against Ukraine when the US President meets his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, during a tour of Asia this week. In wide-ranging comments made…

Russian President Vladimir Putin received North Korea’s top diplomat at the Kremlin on October 27 as Russian forces continued their push in eastern Ukraine, penetrating a key city amid fierce fighting. North Korean media said Foreign Minister Choe Son …

US President Donald Trump said he is not going “to be wasting my time” by meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin if the Kremlin leader is not ready to make a deal to end his war on Ukraine. “You have to know that we’re going to make a deal. I’m …

The war economy that has fueled Russia’s all-out assault on Ukraine for 45 months has been funded by Moscow’s exports of oil and gas and, critics say, the West’s unwillingness — as well as China and India’s disinterest — to fully turn off the spigot….

Russian drones attacked the Ukrainian capital for the second night in a row on October 22, injuring four people, officials said within hours of an announcement from Washington imposing sanctions on Russia’s two largest oil companies. Tymur Tkachenko, h…

EU leaders will task the European Commission on October 23 with drawing up a legal proposal to leverage 176 billion euros ($204 billion) of frozen Russian state assets for a loan to Ukraine — a move that could cover most of Kyiv’s financial needs for …

A Ukrainian drone attack on a gas plant in Russia’s Orenburg, one of the largest facilities of its kind in the world, continues to impact production in neighboring Kazakhstan as the European Union moves to phase out Russian gas imports by the end of 20…

The European Union kicked off a high-level summit with top officials from Central Asia, the Caucasus, and other neighboring countries on October 20 as the bloc aims to make new inroads in a region where China and Russia wield longstanding influence. At…

US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, have agreed to meet in Budapest following a phone call held a day before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is due to visit Washington. “We agreed that there will be a meeting …

Russia is grappling with fuel shortages and price hikes after a string of Ukrainian attacks on its oil refineries. To protect supplies in Russia, where long lines at gas stations have been reported in some regions, Moscow has banned or restricted the e…

In late 2015, the Kremlin achieved a key victory when it launched a military intervention in Syria to rescue the fast-sinking regime of then-Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and enshrine its role as a leading player in the Middle East. But 10 years lat…

Russia is grappling with fuel shortages and price hikes after a string of Ukrainian attacks on its oil refineries. To protect supplies in Russia, where long lines at gas stations have been reported in some regions, Moscow has banned or restricted the e…

China’s latest export controls on rare-earth minerals risk not only reigniting a trade war with the United States, they could also come with far-reaching implications for efforts to rearm Ukraine and infrastructure development in Central Asia. Tensions…

US President Donald Trump’s arrival in the Middle East marks what could be a turning point in diplomacy in the region. But will that success renew a push to end Russia’s war against Ukraine? Trump is expected to be greeted with emotional scenes in Jeru…

The US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said sanctions against the Russian-owned Oil Industry of Serbia (NIS), Serbia’s sole crude oil refiner, have taken force after several delays, a move that could hit the Balkan nation hard.NIS said on Octob…

A Russian air attack early on October 10 triggered a fire in a high-rise apartment building in central Kyiv and hit Ukrainian energy sites, officials said. A drone set apartments on fire on the 6th and 7th floors of a high-rise block in a central distr…

Russian President Vladimir Putin last week signed a decree that appears to target the assets of foreign companies that continue to operate in Russia and that have not yet been seized by the government. The decree calls for the accelerated privatization…

Russian forces struck several sites across Ukraine, including a medical facility in the northeastern city of Sumy, after Kyiv carried out a massive drone attack on Russia’s Belgorod region, knocking out power to thousands of homes. Oleh Hryhorov, the h…

The election victory this weekend of right-wing populist Andrej Babis risks turning the Czech Republic into another Central European problem child for Brussels after he campaigned on vows to slash support for Ukraine and confront the EU over immigratio…

Ukrainian emergency crews were battling to restore power to northern parts of the country as Russian forces continued to attack crucial civilian infrastructure with drone and rocket attacks, while Ukraine’s strategic Pokrovsk region remained under pres…

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is working to restore offsite power to the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine, the head of the UN agency said on September 30. IAEA Secretary-General Rafael Grossi said he was working …

With the United States indicating that it may not be willing to finance Ukraine’s defense needs for much longer, the European Union is looking into various ways of footing a larger part of the bill in 2026 and 2027, assuming — as most people in Brusse…

Iran has slammed what it called “failed diplomacy” after a last-minute diplomatic push failed to stop the United Nations from officially reimposing sanctions on Tehran over its nuclear program. Britain, France, and Germany — the European 3 (E3) forces…

Poland has reopened its border with Belarus after a nearly two-week closure tied to the Zapad-2025 joint military exercises held by Russia and Belarus, with Beijing playing a quiet but crucial role in the decision. Within the first few minutes of Septe…

European leaders said Iran has not done enough yet to fend off so-called snapback sanctions related to Tehran’s nuclear program as a deadline looms, although the sides agreed to continue talking while the clock ticks down. On September 24, French Presi…

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says US President Donald Trump told him Kyiv could respond to Russia’s attacks on its energy infrastructure with tit-for-tat strikes, as Ukraine continues to pound Russian refining operations. “If they attack our…

In an abrupt change showing his frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin, US President Donald Trump said Ukraine could win back all of its territory from Russia with the help of its European allies. Trump has previously said both sides would h…

US President Donald Trump has clinched more than $12 billion in trade deals with Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan amid a White House push to deepen economic ties with the strategic Central Asian region. Uzbekistan agreed to buy up to 22 aircraft from Virginia…

Two days after an unprecedented drone incursion by Russia on Polish territory on September 10, NATO unveiled its response — Operation Eastern Sentry. The mission kicked off immediately on September 12 but will be fleshed out further in the coming week…

The first time was in Avdiyivka in January 2024, when Russian troops used a partially flooded water outflow tunnel to creep into a quiet, wooded district in the Ukrainian-controlled city, helping pave the way for the city’s capture weeks later. The sec…

For decades, most major US tech companies and investors steered clear of the Pentagon. Some were turned off by the labyrinth of contracting rules that left most business in the hands of giants like Lockheed Martin and RTX. Others balked at the ethical …

US President Donald Trump has said NATO countries should stop buying Russian oil if they want Washington to tighten sanctions on Moscow — but achieving this could be time consuming and challenging. Only three NATO nations currently import Russian crud…

US President Donald Trump has said NATO countries should stop buying Russian oil if they want Washington to tighten sanctions on Moscow — but achieving this could be time-consuming and challenging. Only three NATO nations currently import Russian crud…

Driving a taxi in the Russian capital was never very lucrative for Said, a Tajik migrant living in the Moscow region, but it paid the bills. Now, he says, gasoline has jumped by more than 30 percent in recent weeks – from 45 rubles a liter to 60. All t…

Russia and Belarus have kicked off major joint military drills as tensions in the region spiked after Russian drones entered Polish territory, prompting Warsaw and NATO allies to scramble their defenses. The Zapad-2025 drills that began on September 12…

The shock of Israel’s first-ever strike on Qatari soil is reverberating in Tehran, where the attack is fueling doubts over the very purpose of negotiations with the West. For many Iranian pundits, the timing of the strike — hitting Hamas leaders as th…

Amid the fanfare of back-to-back diplomatic gatherings in China last week hosted by Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Beijing and Moscow appeared to secure a massive breakthrough by unveiling a deal to build the long-awaited Power of Siberia-2 gas pipeline. T…

Russia over the weekend launched its largest aerial attack on Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022, while maintaining pressure on Kyiv’s forces at the front line. The future of direct peace talks is uncertain, with hopes for a mee…

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy demanded a “strong” US response to the latest massive drone strike by Russia on Kyiv, one in which a government building was hit for the first time since the start of Moscow’s full-scale invasion in February 2022…

US President Donald Trump appeared to take a combative tone with Kyiv’s key European supporters, telling them they should put more financial pressure on Russia and its main ally, China, to force the Kremlin to end its war on Ukraine, a White House offi…

US President Donald Trump told his Polish counterpart the United States was ready to increase its military presence in the Central European nation, one of the countries on NATO’s so-called “eastern flank” warily watching Russia’s actions. Trump welcome…

European nations could face a trillion-dollar rearmament bill in the face of a looming Russian threat and an imminent US defense review that could see Washington dramatically draw down forces on the continent, according to a report released on Septembe…

Ukraine urged China to pressure Vladimir Putin to move toward peace as the Russian president arrived in Beijing following his participation in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit — where he defended the war that has killed tens of thous…

Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and other leaders from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) are attending a two-day summit in China where Xi Jinping will aim to hone his vision of an alternative world order…

Kyiv’s European allies are working on “pretty precise plans” and a “clear road map” for a potential deployment of troops to Ukraine should a peace deal be struck between Kyiv and Moscow, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said. Von der …

It’s been a busy few weeks up on the windswept Russian archipelago of Novaya Zemlya: people, earthmoving trucks, shipping containers, temporary housing, heavy-lift aircraft, helicopters, cargo ships. The activity shows up in satellite imagery, aircraft…

Britain, France, and Germany have triggered the so-called snapback mechanism of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal to reinstate UN sanctions against Tehran. The European trio, known as the E3, wrote to the UN Security Council on August 28 to initiate the proce…

The Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, was hit by a “massive” Russian air strike early on August 28, causing multiple deaths, while senior Ukrainian leaders were making a diplomatic dash to drum up support ahead of talks with US officials in New York later this …

US President Donald Trump again played down the likelihood of a quick meeting of the Russian and Ukrainian leaders and raised the possibility of new sanctions on Moscow, although he also said the Ukrainian side is not without blame. “I want to see that…

When a swarm of 39 Russian drones attacked a compressor station in southern Ukraine this month, it was a sign of how Russia has shifted the focus of its attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. The attack came less than two weeks after Ukraine signe…

A fire broke out at the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant in Russia after Russian military forces shot down a Ukrainian drone flying near the plant, the press service of the plant said. The drone — one of several reported on August 23 by Russian authorities -…

The outline of a military component of security guarantees for Ukraine is already taking shape, a top Ukrainian official said as the United States reiterated that European countries will have to shoulder most of the burden in providing the guarantees. …

Russia launched 270 drones and 10 missiles against Ukraine on August 19, in a kinetic response to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s White House talks with US President Donald Trump and key European allies. Ukrainian regional officials said that…

Russia launched 270 drones and 10 missiles against Ukraine on August 19, in a kinetic response to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s White House talks with US President Donald Trump and key European allies. Ukrainian regional officials said that…

Security guarantees for Kyiv are a key issue at the heart of efforts to bring an end to fighting amid Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, and now White House special envoy Steve Witkoff has put the term “Article 5-like” center stage. Witkoff told CNN…

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, bolstered by the presence of key European allies, is set to meet President Donald Trump in a session that could help decide his embattled nation’s future, even as Trump appeared to shift the burden to Zelenskyy …

As Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump prepare to meet in Alaska for a high-stakes summit to discuss ending the 43-month-old war in Ukraine, a deep feeling of unease is gripping European capitals, especially Kyiv. The August …

In the spring of 2024, the Belarusian government placed the Manalit radio components plant in Vitsebsk on its Republican Honor Board for “outstanding economic results.” It was the second time in a row the plant had received this recognition. The recogn…

Just two days ahead of a summit with President Vladimir Putin, US President Donald Trump has warned Russia of “very severe consequences” if it doesn’t halt its war against Ukraine. Trump gave no details on what consequences Moscow could face if it does…

The planned meeting in Alaska between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, has left Europe scrambling. The European Union, and most other European nations, are seeking to prevent the United States from “falling into a …

The European Union is on the beach for most of August. No European Parliament plenary sessions, council meetings, or committee gatherings. In short, nothing much is discussed, let alone decided on, these weeks. But as soon as the diplomats and official…

Washington appeared to be preparing Kyiv and Moscow for major compromises to end the long, bloody war ahead of a face-to-face meeting of the US and Russian presidents, with US Vice President JD Vance warning that any peace deal will likely leave both s…

US officials keep expressing enthusiasm for expanding trade in critical minerals with Central Asian states. But while Washington talks, China is taking substantive action to expand its hold over Central Asia’s abundant resources.  During her recent Sen…

The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan are expected to sign a US-brokered peace deal that could end decades of conflict when their leaders are hosted by US President Donald Trump in the White House on August 8. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian an…

At a press conference on July 31, Kazakhstan’s First Deputy Prime Minister Roman Sklyar revealed that China will build Kazakhstan’s third nuclear power plant, further deepening Beijing’s growing influence over the Central Asian country’s nuclear future…

A top Kremlin aide says President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump will meet in the “coming days” after the Russian leader had “useful and constructive” talks with a US special envoy in Moscow over bringing more than three years of war in U…

Ahead of an August 8 deadline set by US President Donald Trump for the Kremlin to stop the fighting in Ukraine, Washington is looking to squeeze Moscow economically and has found a new target: Russian oil sales to China. Reining in how much oil China b…

Earlier in July, an agreement was reached for European NATO allies to purchase American weapons, including Patriot missiles, for Ukraine. While Germany recently announced that two Patriots would head to Kyiv shortly, questions remain if this deal reall…

Ukrainian forces continued to hit military-linked infrastructure deep inside Russia, as Kyiv and Moscow traded strikes ahead of a deadline set by US President Donald Trump for the Kremlin to accept a peace deal with Ukraine. Russian authorities in the …

Private beachfronts, million-dollar bathtubs, evenings of wine, whiskey, cigars, and karaoke – or performances by Russian pop stars whose fame stretches back to the 1990s. Those are some of the trappings of an “ultraluxe” villa complex in Dubai where S…

The United States on July 30 imposed sanctions on a major shipping network controlled by the son of a top aide to Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in what the Treasury Department said was its “largest Iran-related action” since 2018. The …

On July 31 and August 1, hundreds of officials and politicians will gather in Finland to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act. That agreement was something of a high-water mark of the Cold War detente, with 35 countries — including…

A Serbian military special operations brigade has completed joint training with a Chinese brigade in China despite strong objections from the European Union and the United States. The joint training ran from July 19-28 and took place in Hebei Province …

US President Donald Trump’s announcement that he was shortening the deadline for Russia to agree to a cease-fire in Ukraine from 50 days to “10-12 days” has been met with near-silence from the Kremlin and a fresh wave of deadly attacks on Ukrainian cit…

When predicting which country would be the next to join the European Union, the smart money seems to be on Montenegro given that it has been negotiating for years and has advanced the furthest of all candidates. Others point to Albania, which is curren…

The arrest of two Chinese nationals in Ukraine on espionage charges this month has punctuated a shift in Kyiv’s tone toward Beijing, whose support for Russia’s war is becoming harder to ignore. Ukraine’s intelligence service on July 9 said a 24-year-ol…

Russia is “now producing three times as much ammunition in three months as the whole of NATO is doing in a year,” NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte recently told the New York Times. RFE/RL and the Conflict Intelligence Team (CIT), an open-source intell…

A poster held by a protester in Kyiv captured the anger and disbelief many Ukrainians are feeling after parliament passed a bill -– swiftly signed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy -– that critics say will curb the independence of two key anti-corruptio…

The United States on July 23 announced the approval of $322 million in arms sales to bolster Ukraine’s air defenses and its armored combat vehicles. The sale of HAWK air defense equipment and sustainment will cost up to $172 million, while Bradley Infa…

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa will meet with the Chinese president and prime minister in Beijing on July 24 in what is expected to be a tense EU-China summit with the war in Ukraine and …

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a fresh round of peace talks with Moscow is set for July 23 in Turkey as the West steps up pressure on the Kremlin to agree to a cease-fire, even while Russian forces continue to launch deadly air strikes on…

Iran is set to meet with officials from Britain, France, and Germany — the so-called European three (E3) — on July 25 in Istanbul to discuss the country’s nuclear program as Western nations turn up the pressure on Tehran to reach a settlement or face…

The European Commission has put forward its vision for the next long-term (2028-2034) European Union budget — a record-high 2-trillion-euro ($2.3 trillion) framework, with a doubling of funds for both Ukraine and EU foreign policy in general, and a fi…

Syrian interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa’s visit to Baku last weekend highlighted a dramatic shift in regional alliances, prompting a mix of concern, suspicion, and strategic recalculation across Iranian media. Official statements following Sharaa’s me…

As Russia remains preoccupied with its war in Ukraine, its influence is weakening along its southern border, particularly in Armenia and Azerbaijan. This power shift is opening the door for other players, including Turkey, the European Union, and the U…

Publicly, Beijing has presented itself as a neutral party in the war sparked by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, claiming it respects the territorial integrity of Ukraine while also highlighting the need to address Russia’s security concerns. B…

When US President Donald Trump said he would make a “major statement” on Russia, it led to speculation he might tap nearly $4 billion in unused US military aid for Ukraine or finally slap sanctions on Moscow and its major trading partners. Instead, Tru…

Silence from Kyrgyz officials is adding to international concerns about alleged transactions worth billions of dollars on a cryptocurrency exchange registered in the Central Asia country. Grinex, the platform at the center of the controversy, reportedl…

US President Donald Trump has pledged to send additional Patriot air-defense systems to Ukraine, a policy shift coinciding with what he promised would be a “major statement” regarding Washington’s approach to Russia. In comments late on July 13, Trump …

The United States is sending weapons to Ukraine through NATO, US President Donald Trump said on July 10, a week after the Pentagon said some weapons deliveries to the war-torn country were being paused. Trump also said he would make a “major statement”…

The United States and Iran are poised to return to the negotiating table at a moment when tensions between the two are high and trust is low. The talks were initially planned for July 10 in Oslo, according to RFE/RL’s sources, who now say the meeting h…

As Pakistan’s military leaders met recently with US President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and special envoy Steve Witkoff at the White House, its regional ally Iran was being hit with a missile barrage from Israel — Islamabad’s main …

The European Union is edging closer to finally adopting its latest sanctions package, the 18th since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine over three years ago. But two items still remain to be negotiated. Firstly, the price cap on Russian oil. It…

US President Donald Trump on July 7 said the United States will send more weapons to Ukraine to help the war-torn country defend itself against Russian attacks. “We’re going to send some more weapons. We have to,” Trump told reporters at the White Hous…

At one point during a grueling 110-day tour in the obliterated frontline Ukrainian city of Toretsk, Dmytro, a soldier with Ukraine’s 100th Separate Mechanized Brigade, listened in to the radio traffic among Russian soldiers. “We repeatedly heard comman…

Russian President Vladimir Putin told his US counterpart, Donald Trump, that Moscow would not give up its objectives in Ukraine, dimming White House hopes for a cease-fire in a war now in its fourth year. During a July 3 phone call, Putin told Trump th…

Denmark has taken over the six-month rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union as questions swirl over Europe’s security and trade and a war still raging on its eastern flank. “Europe is at a defining moment in time,” Danish Prime Minist…

The war with Israel last month decimated a senior echelon of Iran’s military leadership, crippled its air defenses, and exposed the vulnerability of its air force. Within days, Israel had established aerial superiority, paving the way for US air strike…

US President Donald Trump urged Iran-backed Hamas militants to agree to what he called a “final proposal” for a 60-day cease-fire with Israel in Gaza. “I hope, for the good of the Middle East, that Hamas takes this Deal, because it will not get better …

At Russia’s annual marquee event for business investment, a Kremlin-funded bubbly celebration of promise and opportunity, the country’s top economic minister poured cold war on the party. “According to the numbers, yes, we’ve got a cooling down now,” M…

Iran could resume producing enriched uranium within months despite significant damage inflicted on its nuclear facilities by recent US and Israeli air strikes, the head of the UN’s nuclear watchdog said. “The capacities they have are there. They can ha…

The dust has settled over Fordow, Iran’s remote mountain nuclear facility, and two other locations the United States says it “obliterated” over the weekend in a dramatic escalation of its efforts to hamstring Tehran’s nuclear program. That program, to …

This could have been a momentous week in Ukraine’s long-term wish of joining the European Union and NATO. In the end, it wasn’t. As leaders of the two institutions met for key summits in Brussels and The Hague respectively, Kyiv’s eventual membership o…

NATO leaders agreed to a sharp increase in defense spending at their June 25 summit in The Hague, delivering a big win for US President Donald Trump while reaffirming their “ironclad commitment” to come to each other’s aid if attacked. Here are the mai…

Iranian lawmakers have overwhelmingly voted to suspend Tehran’s cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) after the country’s nuclear sites were bombed over the weekend in the 12-day conflict with Israel. The bill, which state medi…

A day after the NATO summit in The Hague ends, EU leaders will take the short journey south to Brussels for their regular summer European Council. Kicking off on the morning of June 26, this summit may continue into the next day as there are plenty of …

Europe is still looking for a role in the Israel-Iran conflict after it was caught by surprise following the United States’ strikes on Iran over the weekend. But it is fair to say they say there is a sense of humiliation as the American attack on vario…

Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed he is ready “to find a solution” to his war with Ukraine and to potentially meet with the Ukrainian leader, even as the death toll from Russia’s latest attack on Kyiv rose to 28 people. “We need to find a soluti…

Amid an escalating Israeli air campaign against Iran, calls are mounting in Tehran to withdraw from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and close the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical oil routes. The archenemie…

President Donald Trump said the United States is not involved in the conflict between Iran and Israel, but as the archenemies launched a fresh barrage of air strikes at each other, he admitted it’s “possible” that will change. Speaking to reporters bef…

Israel’s strikes against Iran’s nuclear complex and military leadership have sent shock waves around the globe, raising fears of escalation and a wider war in the region. But the shock-and-awe campaign also reverberated in Moscow, where Russian Preside…

The International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) Board of Governors has passed a resolution formally declaring Iran noncompliant with its nonproliferation obligations for the first time since 2005, a move Tehran immediately condemned. The resolution, wh…

Diplomacy between the United States and Iran over the future of Tehran’s nuclear program has hit a new snag — not over uranium enrichment or sanctions, but over the simple matter of when to meet. As US President Donald Trump insists the next round of …

Iran and the United States on June 9 indicated that talks on Iran’s nuclear program will continue but the two side gave different dates for the next round of negotiations. Iran said the next round of talks is planned for June 15 in Muscat, while US Pre…

The head of the UN’s nuclear watchdog has called on Iran and the United States to find a “diplomatic solution” in talks over Tehran’s nuclear program as a crucial quarterly meeting at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The IAEA’s board of g…

Iran has vowed to take strong action against Western nations pushing a resolution at a quarterly meeting of the UN nuclear watchdog that would find the Islamic republic in noncompliance with its safeguards obligations for the first time in 20 years. In…

US President Donald Trump on June 5 compared Russia’s war against Ukraine to children fighting in comments during a visit by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, telling reporters at the White House that “sometimes you’re better off letting them fight for…

The European Commission has given Bulgaria the go-ahead to join the eurozone single currency region as of January 1, 2026, the country’s second major step in just one year on its path to full integration into the European Union. The commission, which m…

US President Donald Trump says his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, warned him “very strongly” of Russia’s intention to respond to Ukraine’s drone attack, which struck dozens of long-range bomber aircraft across Russian regions over the weekend. In…

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has warned about the ongoing risk of a nuclear accident in Ukraine, saying the “dangers to nuclear safety continue to be very real and ever-present.” The presence of IAEA officials at nuclear fa…

When the European Commission started briefing EU states last month on the next sanctions package expected to be imposed on Russia, the 27 member nations expected concrete written proposals to follow. They’re still waiting. Normally these sorts of docum…

Iran has substantially increased its stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels in recent months, multiple media outlets cited a report from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as saying, likely raising further doubts about a …

Delegations from Ukraine and Russia have begun to meet in Istanbul for a second round of direct peace talks amid low expectations of a breakthrough as air attacks by both sides continue in Europe’s largest and deadliest conflict since World War II. Rus…

 So far, Russia has resisted Western calls for a cease-fire in its war on Ukraine. And so far, US President Donald Trump has resisted calls by Kyiv and European countries to impose additional sanctions on Moscow in response. Trump has threatened to use…

The US representative to the United Nations told the UN Security Council on May 29 that the deal now on offer to end the war in Ukraine is the best possible outcome for Russia and that President Vladimir Putin should take it. Prolonging the war is in n…

The European Union says China, including Hong Kong, is responsible for “approximately” 80 percent of the circumventions of sanctions against Russia even though Beijing continues to deny it. According to a classified report by the German Foreign Ministr…

As the fifth round of nuclear talks between Iran and the United States wrapped up in Rome earlier this month, the public saw little sign of breakthrough. But there have been reports about proposals to break the deadlock as Washington is insisting Iran …

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for increased international pressure on Russia after a meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin where the leaders announced plans for Ukraine and Germany to jointly produce long-range weapon…

US President Donald Trump again lashed out at his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin after Russia capped a three-day bombing spree with its biggest aerial attack of the more than three-year war, which the Kremlin responded to by saying its defending it…

On May 27, the European Union formally approved its 150 billion-euro ($170 billion) scheme to boost defense spending in the bloc. The so-called SAFE (Security Action For Europe) regulation was first proposed in March by the European Commission in respo…

On May 27, the European Union formally approved its 150 billion-euro ($170 billion) scheme to boost defense spending in the bloc. The so-called SAFE (Security Action For Europe) regulation was first proposed in March by the European Commission in respo…

On May 27, the European Union formally approved its 150 billion-euro ($170 billion) scheme to boost defense spending in the bloc. The so-called SAFE (Security Action For Europe) regulation was first proposed in March by the European Commission in respo…

Preparations are under way for what could be the most delicate NATO summit in years — and Mark Rutte’s first real test as secretary-general. Fittingly for the longest-serving Dutch prime minister in history, it will take place in familiar surroundings …

US President Donald Trump said Vladimir Putin “has gone absolutely crazy!” following a series of deadly attacks, and warned that — if he attempts to conquer all of Ukraine — it will lead to Russia’s “downfall.” Ukrainian officials said on May 26 that…

Successive US administrations have long lobbied European allies to shoulder their fair burden for joint defense, but US President Donald Trump has taken a more bottom-line driven approach to NATO, publicly questioning why the United States should pay f…

Finance ministers and central bank governors from the Group of Seven democracies agreed during a meeting in western Canada that Russia could face further sanctions if it resists a push toward a cease-fire in its war in Ukraine. The G7 finance chiefs co…

A flurry of intense diplomacy over Russia’s war against Ukraine, centered around the first direct peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow in three years and a long phone call between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, end…

With the ink still drying on the European Union’s freshly printed 17th sanctions package on Russia, work is already under way on a next step that European leaders say will be “massive.” But some analysts warn that, in many ways, the EU has already play…

US President Donald Trump said that Moscow and Kyiv will “immediately” begin cease-fire talks following his latest call with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. In a post on TruthSocial, Trump said his May 19 call with Putin lasted two hours and went “very …

US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff declared that the Donald Trump administration’s “red line” in the nuclear talks with Iran is Tehran’s ability to enrich uranium at any level, prompting Iran to say it will continue enrichment “with or without a deal.”…

Iran has put forward a proposal to the United States and its Gulf Arab neighbors in an attempt to accelerate negotiations and ease concerns about its nuclear program. The plan, presented by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi during a fourth round o…

Delegations from Russia and Ukraine arrived in Turkey for the first direct face-to-face peace talks in more than three years, though the teams will be composed of lower-level technocrats after President Vladimir Putin stayed home. The delegations are s…

All of a sudden, Ukraine and Russia are preparing for what could be their first direct peace talks since the spring of 2022, when negotiations launched shortly after Moscow’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor broke up. The path to the talks expected …

A surprise offer by US President Donald Trump on May 12 to join Ukraine-Russia talks later this week in Istanbul prompted a call between US and European diplomats who continue to seek a path leading to an end to the war in Ukraine. “Don’t underestimate…

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, NATO arms and ammunition factories have struggled to ramp up output, while many European countries have depleted their stockpiles to meet the frontline needs of an ally under attack. The escalation of the …

Iran’s continued struggle with electricity shortages has led to the implementation of rolling blackouts in the capital, Tehran. Power cuts have become a fixture of both summer and winter months, but rolling blackouts this year have started earlier than…

US President Donald Trump says the goal of the negotiations with Iran is to ensure the “total dismantlement” of Tehran’s nuclear program, but would consider allowing Iran to maintain a civilian nuclear energy program. In an interview with NBC on May 4,…

Since June 2022, the European Union has granted Ukraine full trade liberalization to help support the war-torn country’s economy. These measures — suspending import duties and quotas — are known as Autonomous Trade Measures (ATMs), and they appear to…

Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers were shunned by foreign governments after seizing power in 2021, but recently the hard-line militants have notched up some big wins in their diplomatic efforts to forge international ties. This week, Indian special envoy An…

China and the European Parliament are in the “final stages” of discussions about removing sanctions on its lawmakers as part of a move to open the door for mended relations between Beijing and the bloc. “Discussions with the Chinese authorities are con…

An Easter truce that wasn’t. The United States threatening to walk away from peace talks. Washington considering recognizing Russian control over Ukraine’s Crimea. Russia and Ukraine ramping up new spring offensives. The Kremlin signaling no let-up in …

Top-level Ukraine peace talks that were set to take place in London have been abruptly postponed, Britain’s Foreign Office said, after several top diplomats pulled out at the last minute. The announcement was made just hours before the April 23 meeting…

Ukrainian authorities reported dozens of Russian missile and drone attacks on April 21, just hours after US President Donald Trump voiced hope that an agreement would be reached between the two countries this week. Strikes were reported in Kyiv and oth…

French officials have praised talks held between key European countries, Ukraine, and the United States, the first involving the three sides since US President Donald Trump took power, as they look to end Europe’s largest conflict since the end of Worl…

Their names are difficult to pronounce, they’re essential for modern manufacturing, and they’re increasingly at the center of the escalating trade war between the United States and China. The global supply of these rare earths — an essential group of …

High-level officials from key European countries, the United States, and Ukraine are gathering in Paris, days after the latest direct talks between Washington and Moscow that are aimed at ending the war between Russia and Ukraine, Europe’s biggest conf…

Military leaders from several nations are quietly holding under-the-radar talks at the headquarters of the Turkish Navy in Ankara this week, focusing on Black Sea security in the event of a cease-fire between Russia and Ukraine. The meetings come days …

Tehran is ready to ease US concerns over its nuclear activities but scrapping uranium enrichment is off the table, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said as the two sides prepare for a second round of talks this weekend over Iran’s nuclear program. Araqch…

Chinese leader Xi Jinping called for upholding multilateral trade as he landed in Vietnam as part of a high-stakes tour of Southeast Asia’s most export-reliant economies as he looks to capitalize on global trade tensions with the United States. The thr…

Extending sanctions against Russia has been one of the most pressing issues for the European Union — especially this year. And Hungary’s record of holding out against such sanctions has officials in Brussels worried about what will happen when the nex…

Nuclear talks in Oman marked the first formal engagement between Iran and the United States in years, and though progress may have been slight, it was enough to signal a willingness to temper tensions through diplomacy rather than military action. Iran…