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US lifts Russian diesel sanctions until Apr 7, 2027, after Trump-Putin call

The US on Friday lifted sanctions on the sale of Russian diesel till April 7 next year. The announcement by the US Department of Treasury came minutes after US President Donald Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin and struck a deal to supply diesel to the American and global markets. "...all transactions prohibited by the Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions Regulations that are related to the sale, delivery, offloading, or importation, including importation into the United States, of diesel fuel of Russian Federation origin are authorised through 12:01 am eastern daylight time, April 7, 2027," the Treasury Department said. Earlier, Trump said Russia will immediately supply more than 300,000 tons of diesel, followed by 500,000 tons in November, and one million tons immediately thereafter. Russia will then deliver another 3 million tons of diesel based on the condition of Russia's refineries, Trump said in a post on Truth Social. Diesel prices have surged arou

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.

A spy's guide to fighting AI-driven propaganda and disinformation

A Russia-backed network called Portal Kombat is spreading disinformation across hundreds of websites to influence AI models such as ChatGPT, Grok and Gemini, according to a former CIA officer

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

US sanctions Bill gives Ukraine leverage on Russia, but enforcement looms

Ukraine has long argued that Russia will only negotiate seriously if the cost of continuing the war becomes too high. For Kyiv, punitive sanctions that impose real economic costs on Moscow are a key part of that strategy. This week's passage of a long-sought, sweeping package of US sanctions aimed at cutting off some of the financial resources President Vladimir Putin relies on to fund the war gives Ukraine another potential source of leverage, but its impact may depend on whether and how aggressively the measures are implemented by the United States. The House on Wednesday approved the sanctions package targeting Russian officials and key sectors of the economy. On Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the vote "symbolic," adding that the House passed the bill on the same night Russia launched another large-scale attack across Ukraine, capabilities the full implementation of the deal would derail. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday that if the United

US sanctions Bill: India says energy security for 1.4 bn people a priority

The legislation gives President Donald Trump discretion to impose tariffs of up to 100 per cent on major buyers of Russian energy, including India, but does not trigger them automatically

Russia says new US sanctions would make Ukraine peace deal harder

Moscow called the sanctions package an "unfriendly" move after the US House passed legislation aimed at increasing economic pressure on Russia over its war in Ukraine

India vows to protect energy security, warns US tariffs could hit ties

India remains firmly committed to ensuring energy security for its 1.4 billion people, and it will continue to do so through diversified sourcing, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday while reacting to the US' Russia sanctions legislation. The US House of Representatives has passed the Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act that authorises President Donald Trump to impose sanctions on Russia and steep tariffs on its trading partners such as India and China in the oil and gas sector. "As stated on several earlier occasions, India remains firmly committed to ensuring energy security for its 1.4 billion people," the MEA said in a statement. "It will continue to do so through diversified sourcing and on the basis of evolving market dynamics," it said. The MEA said the issue has been "discussed at high levels in recent months with various US interlocutors". "Its potential implications for not just the bilateral relationship but also the international energy

US bill empowers Trump to target India with 100% tariff over Russian energy

The legislation, passed by the House in a 262-159 vote after Senate approval, gives Donald Trump power to target major Russian energy buyers with tariffs of up to 100 per cent

US House passes Russia sanctions bill; 100% tariff threat looms over India

The US House of Representatives passed a bill that would authorise President Donald Trump to impose sanctions on Russia and steep tariffs on its trading partners in oil and gas, including India and China. The Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, passed by the US Senate last month, was approved by the House in a 262-159 vote on Wednesday evening and will now go to Trump to be signed into a law. Besides 203 Republicans, 58 Democrats and one Independent voted in favour of the legislation. Seven Republicans and 152 Democrats opposed it. Democratic opposition largely centered around the tariff authorities provided to Trump. The bill is named after Senator Lindsey Graham, the South Carolina Republican who died in July after spending more than a year building support for it. "What we're not for is giving more tariff authority to this president," Congressman Richard Neal, a Democrat, said during debate on the bill. The bill seeks to impose sanctions not only on Russi

US confirms it has weapons in space as China, Russia expand military reach

US Air Force secretary Troy Meink has said that the weapons can defend US forces against hostile actions in space, but declined to disclose their type or capabilities

Russia, China take note as Iran conflict depletes US weapons stocks

The Iran war has depleted US weapons stockpiles, resulting in a significant erosion of firepower. A more drawn-out Iran conflict benefits Moscow and Beijing, some analysts say

Trump wants Iran tariffs added to Russia sanctions bill, risking delay

US President urges lawmakers to expand the Russia sanctions legislation to include broad tariff powers against Iran as the measure heads to the House

US fast-tracks Russia-Iran sanctions bill that could target India, China

A bipartisan group of US Senators on Tuesday agreed to fast-track the bill that would allow President Donald Trump to impose sanctions on major purchasers of oil from Russia as well as Iran, a move that would affect countries such as China and India. The provisions of the Russia sanctions bill, originally piloted by the late Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, will now also extend to restrict funding for Iran's energy and weapons sector. "We are proud to announce an agreement on legislation to stop purchasers of Russian oil and gas from fueling Putin's war machine and to continue restricting the Iranian regime's ability to support terrorism and build its nuclear programme," a group of senators from both the Democratic and Republican parties said here. An earlier version of the bill focused only on Russia. Iran has been added to the legislation on the suggestion made by Trump. The announcement was made by Democratic senators Jeanne Shaheen, Richard Blumenthal, and Republicans Darline

Rubio to meet Russia's foreign minister to revive Ukraine peace efforts

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to meet Thursday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in the Philippines, where he's expected to renew the prospect of the US trying to broker an end to the war in Ukraine. The meeting between Rubio and Lavrov is slated to occur on the sidelines of a gathering by Southeast Asian foreign ministers, among the most high-profile side meetings the region's top diplomats were having at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations event in Manila. US efforts to broker an end to the Russia-Ukraine war have dropped off as indirect talks stalled and the Iran war took centre stage. Renewed strikes by Washington and Tehran have been intensifying after an interim ceasefire deal collapsed. Rubio told reporters in Manila on Wednesday that he plans to raise the conflict in Ukraine with Lavrov, saying that the US remained open to playing a role in ending the conflict "if that opportunity presents itself." He acknowledged that those efforts have "kind of

US Senate pushes Lindsey Graham's Russia sanctions bill after his death

Sen. Lindsey Graham's pursuit of a Russia sanctions bill has taken on renewed urgency after his death as colleagues look to pay tribute and build on the progress he made in gaining the White House's support for the measure. Supporters of Ukraine have been working for more than a year to pass a bill that would impose steep tariffs on goods from countries that continue to buy Russian oil, gas and other exports. They unveiled a revised measure Tuesday with the goal of depriving Russia of money it uses to fund its war against Ukraine. Some lawmakers worried the original bill was too broad and could harm the economies of some of the US' strongest allies that have also helped Ukraine. The White House wanted to ensure the president had adequate flexibility to waive sanctions when it is the national interest to do so. The revised bill attempts to address both concerns. The final bill more narrowly applies the tariffs to the world's top five purchasers of Russia oil or natural gas, according

Rubio speaks to Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov; discuss Ukraine, Iran

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and exchanged views on the Russia-Ukraine war and the situation in Iran, the Department of State spokesperson said here. "The parties exchanged views on the Russia-Ukraine war, bilateral relations, and the situation in Iran," State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a statement on Monday. He said the request for the call was made by the Russian foreign minister. A Russian Foreign Ministry statement said that Lavrov conveyed Russia's decision to launch strikes on sites in Kyiv linked to the Ukrainian military. Lavrov said the "systematic and consistent strikes" were in "in response to the continuing terrorist attacks by the Kyiv regime against the peaceful population and civilian sites on Russian territory". Lavrov also drew Rubio's attention to the Russian Foreign Ministry's statement which recommended that the US, along with other countries with diplomatic missions in Kiev, ensure the ..

Russia fires 800 drones at Ukraine despite recent talk of possible peace

Russia fired at least 800 drones in a massive daytime barrage on about 20 regions of Ukraine on Wednesday, killing at least six people and wounding dozens, including children, in one of the longest attacks by Moscow in the 4-year-old war, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. The attack began in midmorning and lasted for hours in the capital of Kyiv, the western city of Lviv near Poland, and the port of Odesa on the Black Sea, among other population centers, Zelanskyy said on the Telegram messaging app. "Our soldiers are defending Ukraine, but Russia's obvious goal is to overload air defences," Zelenskyy said, as the bombardment stretched into the late afternoon. He cautioned that a cruise and ballistic missile attack could follow the drone barrage. It was "one of the longest, massive Russian attacks against Ukraine," he said on social media. It also rattled neighbours. Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar said his new government has summoned the Russian ambassador over a drone atta

Putin marks Victory Day with scaled-down parade after Ukraine ceasefire

The parade passed off without incident after days of spiraling tensions between Russia and Ukraine until Trump unexpectedly announced the ceasefire late Friday