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'Microsoft & Zoom should be throttled': Putin bats for 'Atmanirbhar Russia'

Putin says Microsoft and Zoom should be restricted in Russia as part of a push to develop domestic software, amid ongoing sanctions and tensions with the West over Ukraine

Russia and Ukraine complete largest prisoner exchange of war, says Trump

The prisoner swap involving 1,000 captives from each side follows direct talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul, their first face-to-face peace negotiations since 2022

Putin heads into Trump call confident Russia has upper hand against Ukraine

Putin is confident that his forces can break through Ukraine's defenses by the end of the year to take full control of four regions that he has claimed for Russia

Rubio, Lavrov discuss Ukraine ceasefire talks, prisoner exchange deal

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday called his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov to discuss the outcome of Friday's direct negotiations between delegations of Kiev and Moscow in Istanbul. In the first ever direct talks in three years, Russian and Ukrainian delegation at their meeting lasting less than two hours agreed to swap 1,000 prisoners of war from each side and draft their respective proposals for a ceasefire to end the fighting which has entered into its fourth year. At Friday's talks, Ukraine demanded a direct meeting between Volodymyr Zelenskyy and President Vladimir Putin. Marco Rubio welcomed the agreements reached on the exchange of prisoners of war and the intention of each side to prepare its own proposals outlining the conditions necessary for a ceasefire. "He reaffirmed Washington's readiness to continue supporting efforts towards a negotiated settlement, a Russian Foreign Ministry statement posted on its web portal said. From his side, Minister Lavrov ..

Ukraine-Russia political drama masks on ground realities as war continues

Since US-brokered talks began in March, Ukraine's strategy has been to convince the Trump administration that Vladimir Putin is unreliable and that Kyiv is serious about peace. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has few options, analysts and officials say, but to draw US President Donald Trump's ire against Putin, while depending on Europe's united and stalwart support. In the latest round, Zelenskyy not only accepted Putin's offer to hold direct talks in Turkiye, after the US endorsed the idea, but raised the stakes and challenged the Russian leader to a face-to-face. The gesture failed to move Putin and the Istanbul talks were demoted to a technical meeting Friday that failed to yield substantial results on ending the war. The US has expressed frustration with the stalled talks and threatened to withdraw if results aren't achieved. On Friday, Trump told reporters after boarding Air Force One to return to Washington from Abu Dhabi that he may call Putin soon. He and I will me

Long-range Russian strikes kill civilians amid ceasefire deadlock

Two months ago, following high-level talks between Ukrainian and American delegations in the Saudi city of Jeddah, the United States proposed an unconditional 30-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy publicly announced on that same day that Ukraine was ready to accept the proposal, provided Russia did the same. The Russian leader balked, saying a temporary break in hostilities would only benefit Ukraine and its Western allies by letting them replenish their arsenals. Since then, Russia has continued its military campaign, maintaining attacks along the roughly 1,000-mile (1,600-kilometer) front line and targeting civilian infrastructure. In some cases, it has stepped up its attacks on residential areas with no obvious military targets. An Associated Press tally based on reports from Ukrainian authorities found at least 117 civilians have been killed and more than 1,000 wounded in Russian aerial attacks since Ukraine announced on March 11 it

Russia, China reaffirm comprehensive partnership against US moves

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday reaffirmed their resolve to jointly counter US plans for a "Golden Dome" missile shield and NATO's eastward expansion, which they said are aimed at containing Moscow and Beijing. Xi arrived here on Wednesday for a four-day official visit and will take part in celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany, including the Victory Parade at Red Square on Friday. After over seven-hour-long talks, Putin and Xi signed a joint statement and a package of bilateral intergovernmental and interagency documents. According to the Kremlin, the documents signed include joint statements on global strategic stability, and strengthening cooperation to maintain the authority of international law. In the joint statement on global strategic stability, the two countries said they are convinced that the Golden Dome programme of the US is "deeply destabilising". The recently announced large-scale pro

1 killed as Russia strikes Ukraine on first day of self-declared ceasefire

One person was killed early Thursday in Russian attacks in northeast Ukraine, in the opening hours of a 72-hour ceasefire called by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Another two people were injured after Russian forces dropped guided air bombs in the northeast Sumy region. The bombs were dropped on residential areas near the border, the regional prosecutor's office said on Thursday. Ukraine's Air Force alerted launches of glide bombs and at least one missile in the Sumy region starting at 02:39 am and until early morning on Thursday. Large-scale missile and drone attacks, which have been a near-daily occurrence in Ukraine in recent weeks, were not recorded since 8:30 pm the previous night, according to the Ukrainian Air Force. The ceasefire came into force at midnight on Thursday Moscow time. But smaller-scale Russian attacks persisted elsewhere in the country closer to the frontline, causing civilian casualties. A 55-year-old woman was killed in her home in Mykolaivka community

How Putin uses USSR's victory in WWII to rally support for war in Ukraine

Hardly any other country marks the end of World War II with the same fanfare and fervour as Russia, for which the victory over Nazi Germany 80 years ago remains a source of immense pride and a defining moment of history. Victory Day, celebrated on May 9, is Russia's most important secular holiday, reflecting its wartime sacrifice. But it's also used by the Kremlin to bolster patriotism and regain the superpower prestige it lost when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. President Vladimir Putin, who has ruled Russia for 25 of those 80 years, has turned Victory Day into a key pillar of his tenure and has tried to use it to justify his 3-year-old invasion of Ukraine. He has also sought to underline the failure of Western efforts to isolate Moscow by inviting Chinese President Xi Jinping and other leaders to the festivities, which this year have been overshadowed by reports of Ukrainian drone attacks targetting Moscow and severe disruptions at the capital's airports, as well as cellphone

Ukrainian drones hit Moscow as foreign leaders gather for Red Square parade

Attacks by Ukrainian long-range drones caused flight disruption at Moscow's main airports for a third straight day on Wednesday as Russia prepared to receive the Chinese president and other foreign leaders for the annual Victory Day military parade in Red Square. Russian flag carrier Aeroflot on Wednesday morning cancelled more than 100 flights to and from Moscow. More than 140 Aeroflot flights also were delayed because of what officials described as the Ukrainian drone threat and amid heightened security measures around the Victory Day events. Russian air defenses repelled an attack by nine drones close to the Russian capital, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said in the early hours of Wednesday. In the evening, Sobyanin reported thwarting 15 more drones targeting Moscow, as flights were restricted in Moscow's airports once again. Though Ukrainian drones have targeted Moscow in the past, the sustained attacks appeared designed to disrupt preparations for the 80th anniversary celebratio

Russian missile-and-drones attack kills 2 people in Ukraine's capital

Russia launched a missile and a barrage of drones targeting the Ukrainian capital before dawn on Wednesday, leaving at least two people dead, Ukrainian officials said. Eight people were also wounded in the attack, including four children, the Kyiv City Military Administration said in a post on Telegram. The attack came ahead of a planned unilateral 72-hour ceasefire in the more than three-year war announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin to coincide with celebrations in Moscow marking Victory Day in World War II. Ukraine has unsuccessfully sought a longer and immediate truce. The Kremlin said the truce, ordered on humanitarian grounds, would start on Thursday and last through Saturday to mark Moscow's defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945. At least one ballistic missile and 28 Russian drones were recorded in the airspace of the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, the administration said. Air Defence forces shot down the missile and 11 drones. A five-story residential building in the ...

Ukraine set to sign major minerals deal with US amid ceasefire talks

Ukraine is set to sign a major rare earth minerals deal with the US, amid ongoing ceasefire talks as both sides push for faster negotiations and a potential ceasefire

Trump urges Ukraine, Russia to meet, says they are 'close to deal'

President Donald Trump on Friday called for Ukraine and Russia to meet for "very high-level talks", saying they are "very close to a deal" on ending the bloody three-year war. Trump posted on his Truth Social site shortly after arriving in Rome for Pope Francis' funeral that it was a "good day in talks and meetings with Russia and Ukraine". His envoy, Steve Witkoff, had made a visit to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday. "They are very close to a deal, and the two sides should now meet, at very high levels, to finish it off," Trump wrote. "Most of the major points are agreed to. Stop the bloodshed, NOW. We will be wherever is necessary to help facilitate the END to this cruel and senseless war!" Trump's announcement followed him saying in an interview published on Friday that "Crimea will stay with Russia", the latest example of how he has been pressuring Ukraine to make concessions to end the war while the country remains under siege. He also earlier ..

Russia ready to reach a deal with US on Ukraine war, says Sergey Lavrov

Foreign Minister of Russia Sergey Lavrov's remark comes after Russia launched a deadly barrage of attacks in Ukraine's capital city Kyiv that killed 12 people and left more than 70 injured

US may recognise Russian control of Crimea under proposed peace deal

The potential concession is the latest signal that President Donald Trump is eager to cement a ceasefire deal

US may 'move on' from Russia-Ukraine peace talks if no progress soon: Rubio

The Trump administration has spent weeks trying to mediate a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, but so far those efforts have not ended the ongoing conflict

US State Dept closes office that flags disinformation from Russia, China

The State Department has shut down its office that sought to deal with misinformation and disinformation that Russia, China and Iran have been accused of spreading. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement Wednesday that he had closed what had been known as the Global Engagement Center because it had taken actions to restrict freedom of speech in the United States and elsewhere. The centre has been a frequent target of criticism from conservatives for calling out media and online reports that it said are biased or untruthful. At times, it has identified US websites and social media accounts that it argued were amplifying misinformation, particularly related to the Russia-Ukraine war. It is the responsibility of every government official to continuously work to preserve and protect the freedom for Americans to exercise their free speech, Rubio said, charging that the office worked "to actively silence and censor the voices of Americans they were supposed to be serving. Rub

Ukraine war wouldn't have happened if 2020 election wasn't rigged: Trump

Earlier in March, Trump had also criticised Biden's handling of the Russia-Ukraine war, suggesting that under Biden, Russia attempted to take control of all of Ukraine

Kremlin says no quick fix as Trump pushes for Ukraine war progress

Trump, who says he wants to be remembered as a peacemaker, has repeatedly said he wants to end the bloodbath of the three-year war in Ukraine

Ukraine talks going 'ok', but it's time to 'put up or shut up', says Trump

Trump has shown signs of losing patience and has spoken of imposing secondary sanctions on countries that buy Russian oil if he feels Moscow is dragging its feet on a deal