Page 61 - Latest Updates on Ukraine peace talks

Russian forces seen advancing towards strategic city in Ukraine's east

Russia controls a chunk of Ukraine about the size of the American state of Virginia and is advancing at the fastest pace since the early days of the 2022 invasion, according to open source maps

Moldova declares emergency for 60 days as risk of Russian gas cutoff looms

56 members in 101-seat chamber backed measure in the vote just after midnight following Prime Minister Dorin Recean's call for approval to ensure Moldova's separatist Transdniestria region secured gas

Rosneft, Reliance agree on biggest ever India-Russia oil supply deal

The 10-year agreement amounts to 0.5 per cent of global supply and is worth roughly $13 billion a year at today's prices

Russia may soon launch another hypersonic missile at Ukraine: Warns US

Putin has claimed that the Oreshnik, or hazel tree, is impossible to intercept and that it has destructive power comparable to that of a nuclear weapon, even when fitted with a conventional warhead

Ukraine's Zelenskyy asks for security guarantees at Paris meet with Trump

Zelenskiy believes Putin fears only Trump and possibly China in the international arena and that any lasting peace would require Washington to be 'truly strong'

Toll rises to 6 from Russian strike on Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia: Official

Ukraine's State Emergency Service of Ukraine said its rescuers were able to pull out two women overnight from underneath the ruins of the building

Industrial facility, cars damaged in attack on Russia's Taganrog: Official

Slyusar said 14 cars had caught fire, but he did not disclose details on what else was hit or how big the attack was

Biden is rushing aid to Ukraine as all sides are bracing for Trump

The grinding war between Ukraine and its Russian invaders has escalated ahead of Donald Trump's inauguration, with President Joe Biden rushing out billions of dollars more in military aid before US support for Kyiv's defences is thrown into question under the new administration. Russia, Ukraine and their global allies are scrambling to put their side in the best possible position for any changes that Trump may bring to American policy in the nearly 3-year-old war. The president-elect insisted in recent days that Russia and Ukraine immediately reach a ceasefire and said Ukraine should likely prepare to receive less US military aid. On the war's front lines, Ukraine's forces are mindful of Trump's fast-approaching presidency and the risk of losing their biggest backer. If that happens, those people who are with me, my unit, we are not going to retreat," a Ukrainian strike-drone company commander, fighting in Russia's Kursk region with the 47th Brigade, told The Associated Press by ...

Priority should be lowering Russia's military potential, says Zelenskyy

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy highlighted that Ukraine's focus should be on reducing Russia's military capabilities and preserving lives

Russia open to negotiations on Ukraine, welcomes peace initiatives: Kremlin

We have carefully read the statement by US President-elect Donald Trump, made after his meeting with Macron and Zelensky in Paris, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov added

Zelenskyy asks to deploy foreign troops to Ukraine before Nato membership

Ukraine, which has made a concerted push to obtain an invitation to join Nato, has insisted throughout the war that it needs security guarantees to prevent Russia launching another invasion

Kremlin to discuss future of Russian bases with Syria's new rulers

The Tartous facility is Russia's only Mediterranean repair and replenishment hub, and Moscow has used Syria as a staging post to fly its military contractors in and out of Africa

Trump calls for urgent ceasefire in Ukraine, says US' exiting Nato possible

Donald Trump on Sunday pushed Russian leader Vladimir Putin to act to reach an immediate cease-fire with Ukraine, describing it as part of his active efforts as president-elect to end the war despite being weeks from taking office. Zelensky and Ukraine would like to make a deal," Trump wrote on social media, referring to Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. In a television interview that aired Sunday, Trump also said he would be open to reducing military aid to Ukraine and pulling the United States out of NATO. Those are two threats that have alarmed Ukraine, NATO allies and many in the US national security community. Asked on NBC's Meet the Press if he were actively working to end the nearly 3-year-old Ukraine war, Trump said, I am. He refused to say if he had spoken to Putin since winning the election in November. I don't want to say anything about that, because I don't want to do anything that could impede the negotiation, Trump said. Trump's call for an immediate cease-fi

Assad left Syria after giving orders for peaceful power handover: Russia

Russia's Foreign Ministry claimed Sunday that Bashar Assad had left Syria after negotiations with rebel groups, and gave instructions to transfer power peacefully. In a post on the Telegram messaging app on Sunday, the ministry said Moscow had not directly participated in these talks. It also said it has been following the dramatic events in Syria with extreme concern". It also said Russian troops stationed in Syria have been put on high alert and that as of early afternoon Sunday, there was no serious threat to the security of Russia's military bases there. Russia has waged a military campaign in Syria since September 2015, teaming up with Iran to allow Assad's government to fight armed opposition groups and reclaim control over most of the country. While Russia now concentrates the bulk of its military resources in Ukraine, it has maintained a military foothold in Syria and keeps troops at its bases there.

Russia's abandonment of Syria's President Assad led to his downfall: Trump

Trump, who has said he will seek to halt the Ukraine war rapidly, met Ukraine's President Zelenskiy on Saturday in Paris where they were both attending a ceremony to reopen Notre-Dame Cathedral

US announces nearly $1 bn more in longer-term weapons support for Ukraine

The United States will provide nearly USD 1 billion more in longer-term weapons support to Ukraine, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Saturday as the Biden administration rushes to spend all the congressionally approved money it has left to bolster Kyiv before President-elect Donald Trump takes office next month. The latest package will include more drones and munitions for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS, that the US has provided. While these weapons are critically needed now, they will be funded through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which pays for longer-term systems to be put on contract. The weapon systems purchased are often intended to support Ukraine's future military capabilities, not make an immediate difference on the battlefield. The USD 1 billion package is on top of an additional USD 725 million in US military assistance, including counter-drone systems and HIMARS munitions, announced on Monday that would be drawn from the ...

Zelenskyy condemns Russian strikes on St. Nicholas Day, cites heavy toll

He also highlighted the events that unfolded on St. Nicholas Day, underscoring the need for strength

Russia's FM Lavrov signals readiness to use any means in Ukraine conflict

Lavrov said Ukraine had lost the opportunity to maintain its territorial integrity by twice rejecting proposals for a deal, once before full-scale war began and then in talks in April 2022 in Turkey

US continues to exploit other economies for their benefit: Vladimir Putin

Addressing the VTB Investment Forum in Moscow on Wednesday, Putin said that the opponents of the US did a lot to undermine the fundamental basis of dollar as their international reserve currency

UK dismantles massive money laundering operations tied to Russian oligarchs

British authorities have dismantled two massive money laundering operations linked to Russia that were used by oligarchs, organised crime groups, cybercriminals and drug dealers, the National Crime Agency said Wednesday. The international sting, known as Operation Destabilize, seized 20 million pounds (USD 25.4 million) in cash and cryptocurrency and arrested 84 suspects. It was revealed on the same day the US announced new sanctions against several people at the top of the money laundering networks. For the first time, we have been able to map out a link between Russian elites, crypto-rich cybercriminals and drug gangs on the streets of the UK," said Rob Jones, NCA director general of operations. We have identified and acted against the Russians pulling the strings at the very top, removing the air of legitimacy that enabled them to weave illicit funds into our economy. Networks known as Smart Group and TGR Group allowed criminals and wealthy Russians to convert cash to ...