Latest Updates on Ukraine peace talks

US, Russia discuss Nord Stream gas flows to Europe amid Ukraine war

US and Russian officials discuss bringing a US investor into Nord Stream pipelines, raising the prospect of renewed Russian gas flows to Europe after the Ukraine war.

Ukraine grapples with shortage of troops at front after over 4 years of war

Ukraine's advances in drone technology and tactics have captured the world's attention. Despite those innovations, one problem has plagued the country since the start of Russia's invasion: a shortage of combat-ready troops. Ukraine has always been outmanned by Russia, but as the war drags through its fifth year, the need for personnel is increasingly acute, commanders and analysts say, with some units at only half strength. There just aren't enough forces to fully exploit the battlefield advantages resulting from the drone innovations. "Based on the equipment and the number of people we have today, we barely have enough to hold the sector we currently have," said a deputy commander of the Da Vinci Wolves battalion in eastern Ukraine's Pokrovsk area, a focus of Russia's offensive. "To move forward would inevitably mean greater losses," said the deputy commander, who insisted on identifying himself only as "Afer" because of military rules. Long-standing mobilisation problems, includi

23 Indians rescued after oil tanker attacked off Russia's Black Sea coast

A Liberia-flagged vessel carrying oil, with a crew of 23 Indian nationals, came under attack by drone boats off Russia's Black Sea coast, Russian authorities said. "The crew has been saved and evacuated to shore," a spokesman for the Russian transport ministry told state-run TASS news agency. The Aframax Rio tanker came under attack on Tuesday by unmanned surface vessels (USVs), and open fire is raging in the Black Sea waters, the Russian transport ministry said. The ministry said the vessel's all Indian crew of 23 was saved and none was hurt according to preliminary data. The incident took place near Sochi, Russia's popular resort city on the Black Sea coast. Russia's Transport Minister Andrey Nikitin held a headquarters meeting on eliminating the consequences of the attack on the tanker Aframax Rio off the Black Sea coast. According to the report, the fire was so intense that firefighting could not begin initially. Open burning of oil is currently taking place in the Black Sea

Kautilya Conclave: Need multi-alignment to navigate world, says Jaishankar

External Affairs Minister says India is working towards a limited resolution on grain and fertiliser shipments, while rejecting the idea of a global trading system without the US

'India has moved beyond advocacy, towards resolution of Russia-Ukraine war'

The External Affairs Minister spoke of the need for middle and emerging powers to cooperate on connectivity, supply chains and defence

Russia strikes key Kyiv bridge, logistics hub in latest attacks on Ukraine

Traffic on Kyiv's Northern Bridge was halted after the strike damaged its surface and trolleybus power lines, while Moscow said it also hit a logistics centre and a cargo vessel

Putin lauds Modi's peace push, says PM has 'good ideas' to end Ukraine war

Russian president says Modi repeatedly presses for a peaceful settlement, while India signals readiness to use its ties with both sides to support dialogue

Russian envoy Dmitriev discussed peaceful resolution to end Ukraine war: US

Putin envoy arrived "to continue ​constructive discussions on a peaceful resolution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict ‌and possible US-Russia energy initiatives ‌after the war ends," the US official said

US pitches trilateral meeting with Ukraine, Russia in UAE: Zelenskyy

"The American side has proposed... meeting at a technical level in a three-way format," Zelenskyy told reporters.

Trump suggests Ukraine deal could be close while meeting with Zelenskyy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with his US counterpart Donald Trump and said he trusted that the White House can help end Russia's 4-year war on his country - even as attacks from both sides keep escalating. "I hope that we will end this war, and President Trump will help us help us end this war," Zelenskyy said on Tuesday, joining Trump at the UN General Assembly in New York, where the Ukrainian president was meeting with world leaders. That meeting occurred after Russian missiles and drones struck at least four Ukrainian regions overnight, strikes that officials said killed five people. Zelenskyy also said that his country's forces had damaged two more Russian oil refineries in their latest long-range strikes. The continuing exchange of aerial attacks, even as front-line positions remain largely unchanged. Trump previously had called on Zelenskyy to halt strikes on Russian oil refineries and other infrastructure used to produce and distribute diesel, saying the attac

Global diesel squeeze may stretch into 2027 as stocks hit historic lows

Global diesel supplies are tightening as fuel stocks fall to historic lows, refinery capacity remains limited and wars disrupt trade, raising the risk of high prices into 2027

Russian strikes destroy millions of books, Ukraine's literary future hangs

More than 13 million books -- a third of the country's annual print run -- were destroyed in two months this summer, causing at least USD 39.3 million (1.75 billion hryvnias) in damage

Zelenskyy, Trump agree to meet in New York to advance Ukraine peace push

The meeting is expected to take place in New York during the upcoming UN General Assembly session

Two killed after Ukrainian drone attacks hit oil refinery in Moscow

Ukraine and ​Russia have continued attacks on each other's energy infrastructure despite an announcement by US ​President Donald Trump on Monday that they had agreed to stop

Russia holds parliamentary vote in areas seized from Ukraine in war

Russia's parliamentary election for the first time includes residents of regions that Moscow illegally annexed from Ukraine after the start of its full-scale invasion more than 4 1/2 years ago, part of Kremlin efforts to cement its gains. Officials in Kyiv vigorously denounced the action as illegal, and a human rights activist described residents there as being coerced to participate in the election. While the vote across Russia started Friday and lasts until Sunday to help boost turnout, balloting actually has been underway in the annexed parts of Ukraine and some areas on the Russian side of the border since the end of last month. Officials cited security reasons for the extended period. Russian authorities say the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia territories, often referred to by Moscow officials as the "new regions," have over 3.5 million voters. They were annexed by Russia in September 2022, despite not fully being under Moscow's control. The move has not been ...

Macron orders plan to protect French infra amid growing Russian threat

French President Emmanuel Macron said Friday he had asked his government to prepare a plan to protect critical infrastructure, including sensitive defence industry sites, against drone attacks and cyberattacks amid what he described as an intensifying Russian hybrid threat. "In recent weeks, the threat -- particularly the Russian hybrid threat -- facing Europeans and France has intensified," Macron told reporters at the Elysee Palace after meeting political party leaders. Macron specifically cited drone attacks and cyberattacks against critical infrastructure. The European Union describes Russian hybrid activities as including sabotage, cyberattacks, disinformation and interference in democratic processes. Macron warned that the attacks would not go unanswered and accused Moscow of trying to intimidate Europeans into weakening their support for Ukraine. "We are not intimidated," he said, arguing that Europe's present and future security was at stake in Ukraine. Macron also said he

Russia holds parliamentary vote in regions seized from Ukraine during war

Russia's parliamentary election for the first time includes residents of regions that Moscow illegally annexed from Ukraine after the start of its full-scale invasion more than 4 1/2 years ago, part of Kremlin efforts to cement its gains. Officials in Kyiv vigorously denounced the action as illegal, and a human rights activist described residents there as being coerced to participate in the election. While the vote across Russia started Friday and lasts until Sunday to help boost turnout, balloting actually has been underway in the annexed parts of Ukraine and some areas on the Russian side of the border since the end of last month. Officials cited security reasons for the extended period. Russian authorities say the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia territories, often referred to by Moscow officials as the "new regions," have over 3.5 million voters. They were annexed by Russia in September 2022, despite not fully being under Moscow's control. The move has not been ...

Trump signs Russia sanctions bill, opens door to new tariffs on oil buyers

The new law gives Trump authority to impose tariffs of up to 100 per cent on major buyers of Russian energy, including India and China, as Washington seeks to pressure Moscow

Nestle weighing all options after Kremlin moves to seize Russia business

The maker of Nescafe coffee and KitKat chocolates said it took note of the decision, announced in a presidential decree on Thursday, and was assessing the situation

Russia's wartime economy faces strain from debt, military spending

The frictions in Russia's wartime economy are growing, as massive military spending balloons the budget deficit. Consumers and businesses are gloomier. Growth has slowed. None of that, however, signals an imminent financial crisis or economic collapse, economists say. With crucial oil export revenues holding up due to high prices from the Iran war, the government is able to find the money to pay for its four-and-a-half-year-old invasion of Ukraine, at least for now. Meanwhile, low unemployment and government largesse in poor regions help keep a lid on consumer grumbling. That picture suits the Kremlin's narrative of stability ahead of Russia's stage-managed parliamentary election that got underway Friday and concludes Sunday. But economists warn that longer-term problems are gnawing at the foundations - and could one day result in a crisis. Consumers and businesses are more pessimistic --------------------------------------------------------- Indicators of consumer sentiment hav