Us Russia

US to mediate trilateral talks with Ukraine, Russia in Abu Dhabi next week

US negotiators have been seeking a breakthrough ‌in the long-running conflict before the ​winter sets in

Russia to extend diesel export curbs with exemptions for global markets

Moscow plans to extend restrictions on most diesel exports while allowing limited overseas shipments under a Trump-Putin deal, as Ukrainian refinery strikes threaten supplies

US pushes to restore Russian gas sales to Europe via Ukraine before winter

Washington is supporting a rapid restart of Russian natural gas exports through Ukrainian pipelines as part of talks to secure an energy ceasefire before winter

Putin seeks new tax revenue to fund Russia's war as budget deficit swells

With Russia's invasion of Ukraine intensifying the strain on state finances, President Vladimir Putin is reaching for cash to fund his government and the war, squeezing tax revenue from an economy that's increasingly skewed toward the military - while civilian needs take a back seat. The country's 2027-2029 state budget, which will be taken up Thursday in the rubber-stamp parliament, is accompanied by a string of tax hikes announced after the September parliamentary elections. While last year the Kremlin went for a broad tax increase, raising value-added taxes at the cash register and making more small businesses pay VAT, this cash grab hits a narrower segment: mining companies and better-off citizens with investment income, property sales and bank accounts. The budget deficit this year has swelled beyond forecasts due to lavish military spending and tepid economic growth amid sanctions, high interest rates for non-military companies, labour shortages and Ukrainian strikes on oil ..

US lawmakers warn banks, ports of probe over Russian diesel imports

A bipartisan group of US lawmakers has warned American banks, port authorities and fuel distributors that importing Russian diesel could invite legal action and congressional investigations. In letters to the heads of major financial institutions, ports and fuel distributors, the lawmakers said companies facilitating imports in violation of US law could face criminal and civil liability. The letters came amid reports that shipments of Russian diesel were headed to American shores after President Donald Trump earlier this month granted a waiver allowing Moscow to supply diesel to global markets, including the US. The lawmakers cited Section 2 of the Ending Importation of Russian Oil Act of 2022, which generally prohibits the importation of Russian-origin energy products, including diesel fuel. Such imports are allowed only after the President certifies to Congress that Russia has ceased all military hostilities in Ukraine and that it poses no immediate threat to NATO members. The .

Top executives quit $25 bn US gas project over alleged Russian control

Former executives allege that Russia's Novatek financed and influenced the Alaska gas export venture without US approval, raising sanctions concerns amid Washington's efforts to expand energy exports

First Russian diesel shipment since 2022 heads to US under Trump-Putin deal

A tanker carrying 40,000 tonnes of Russian diesel is expected to reach New York on November 7, marking the first US import of Russian petroleum products since the 2022 ban

US accuses Russia of exhibiting 'threatening satellite behavior' in space

The Trump administration alleged that Russia's Cosmos 2612 military satellite manoeuvred dangerously close to a US-Finnish radar satellite reportedly providing intelligence to Ukraine

Diesel deal aimed to keep peace talks with Russia going, says Trump

Trump also accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of prolonging the Russia-Ukraine war, now in its fifth year, because of the military aid he has gotten from European allies

The mystery of the 'Havana Syndrome'

A new book investigates the mysterious Havana Syndrome, examining alleged Russian involvement, unexplained injuries among US officials and claims of a government cover-up.

Waiving double standards

Mr Trump discovers merits of national interest

Many don't know what my decision is: Trump on Russia sanctions waiver

Facing intense criticism, US President Donald Trump said he had taken a "good decision" to exempt Russia from sweeping sanctions under a new law and asserted that many did not know what it actually meant. "A lot of you don't know what my decision is yet, but we'll figure it out, and you'll figure it out," Trump told reporters at the Mar-a-Lago resort in Miami on Saturday evening. "It's a very good decision, and it's going to be a decision that's good for the country, and I think good for the world because we're really at a world stage," Trump said. On Friday, Trump signed an executive order exempting Russia from a new sanctions measure Graham Act that the US Congress passed last month. The executive order also granted a waiver from 100 per cent tariffs on the top five purchasers of Russian oil and gas, including China and India. The order states that the waivers shall remain in effect until such time as the President or the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary

Zelenskyy criticizes Trump's waiver of sanctions on Russia as 'wrong'

Zelenskyy criticised US President Donald Trump's decision to waive Russia-related sanctions and tariffs, saying the move would encourage Moscow to continue attacks on Ukraine

Trump waives Russia energy tariffs and sanctions under Graham law

Waiving the law avoids a potential clash with the top purchasers of Russian energy products, India, China and Turkey

Germany slams US move to bring Russia back to global stage, backs Ukraine

German Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil said talks with Moscow must not come at Ukraine's expense or bypass President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, amid Donald Trump's efforts to ease sanctions on Russia

Trump on wrong side of history: Zelenskyy criticises US-Russia diesel deal

The Ukrainian president said US risked losing a strong partner by agreeing to a Russian diesel supply deal, as Trump defended the arrangement as a way to boost global supplies and ease energy prices

Russian diesel not for us, but for world markets: Trump amid criticism

Facing criticism over the diesel deal with Russia, US President Donald Trump said the fuel from Moscow's refineries was meant to stabilise the global market, which has been hit by high prices. On October 9, Trump announced that Russia would supply more than 300,000 tons of diesel, followed by an additional 500,000 tons in November and 1 million tons "immediately thereafter." To facilitate the shipments, the US Treasury Department issued a temporary licence easing sanctions on Russian diesel shipments to global markets until April 7, 2027. The move came ahead of November congressional midterms in the US, as diesel prices surged amid supply disruptions caused by the Iran war. "That's a diesel deal. Not for us. That's being released into the world. That's not being released to us," Trump told reporters here on Tuesday, amid a growing chorus against the surprise deal he announced last week after talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Republicans and Democrats hit out at the deal

Trump's diesel deal with Russia irks allies, unlikely to reduce prices

The decisions and the ceasefire are all a bet that lowering fuel prices will be the best way to win more votes next month despite the risk of a backlash from political friends and foes alike

Russia to supply diesel to US, global markets: What it means for India

US President Donald Trump said Russia had agreed to immediately supply more than 300,000 tonnes of diesel to the US and global markets after a discussion with Russian President Vladimir Putin

Republican lawmakers to bring Bill to block Trump's Russian diesel deal

Republican Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick has declared that he would bring a bipartisan Bill to block President Donald Trump's move to lift sanctions on Russian diesel after talks with President Vladimir Putin. Fitzpatrick's move has received support from outgoing Congressman Don Bacon, a Republican from Nebraska, who has decided to co-sponsor the legislation. However, the move appears to be largely symbolic as the US House of Representatives will have a few months to pass as the term of the house expires in January. "We will be introducing bipartisan legislation to block any and all purchases of Russian oil," Fitzpatrick, the co-chair of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus, said in a post on x. "It will be called the 'Ronald Reagan Peace Through Strength Act'. It will be forced to the Floor via discharge and it will pass overwhelmingly," he said. "I've already agreed to be an original cosponsor. Congress must make a stand," Bacon said in a post on X. Bacon is not seeking re-election