Vladimir Putin

Zelenskyy, not Putin, is delaying Ukraine peace agreement, says Trump

At times, Trump has been more willing to accept Putin's assurances at face value than the leaders of some US allies, frustrating Kyiv, European capitals and US lawmakers

Vasili Mitrokhin, the lowly clerk who tried to bring down the mighty KGB

Vasili Mitrokhin's lonely defiance inside the KGB reveals how a rotting security state hastened the Soviet collapse - and how its ghosts still haunt Russia today

Russia harshly condemns US seizure of oil tanker, warns of rise in tensions

Russia has strongly condemned the US seizure of an oil tanker, heralding a new chill in relations between Moscow and Washington that could spread to other areas and affect President Donald Trump's efforts to persuade Russia to end its nearly four-year war in Ukraine. The seizure Wednesday of the Russian-flagged tanker in the North Atlantic "can only lead to a further escalation of military and political tensions in the Euro-Atlantic region, as well as a visible lowering of the threshold for the use of force' against peaceful shipping, the Russian Foreign Ministry said. Russian President Vladimir Putin hasn't yet commented on the seizure of the tanker and has remained silent about the US capture of Venezuelan leader Nicols Maduro, which his diplomats have denounced as a blatant act of aggression. But while the Russian president has avoided any criticism of Trump, the seizure of the tanker by the US military represents a new challenge for the Kremlin. Hawkish commentators in Moscow .

Zelenskyy meets Witkoff, Kushner for talks to end Russia-Ukraine conflict

The Ukrainian President thanked the United States for its readiness in providing a backstop in areas like security guarantees and reconstruction

Ukraine didn't target Putin residence in drone strike, says Trump

President Donald Trump on Sunday told reporters that US national security officials have determined that Ukraine did not target a residence belonging to Russian President Vladimir Putin in a drone attack last week, disputing Kremlin claims that Trump had initially greeted with deep concern. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov last week said Ukraine launched a wave of drones at Putin's state residence in the northwestern Novgorod region that the Russian defence systems were able to defeat. Lavrov also criticised Kyiv for launching the attack at a moment of intensive negotiations to end the war. The allegation came just a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had travelled to Florida for talks with Trump on the US administration's still-evolving 20-point plan aimed at ending the war, and had Zelenskyy quickly denied it. I don't believe that strike happened," Trump told reporters as he travelled back to Washington on Sunday after spending two weeks at his home in ...

Russia shares evidence of alleged drone attack on Putin's residence with US

The drone strike earlier this week targeted the presidential residence located in the Novgorod region

CIA rejects Russia's claim of Ukraine targeting Putin's residence

Moscow alleged Kyiv targeted Putin's residence, a claim he raised with Donald Trump during a phone call. The CIA later briefed Trump that such an attack was unlikely to have occurred

Russia's nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile system enters active service

Russia's nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile system has entered active service, Russia's Ministry of Defence said Tuesday, as negotiators continue to search for a breakthrough in peace talks to end Moscow's war in Ukraine. Troops held a brief ceremony to mark the occasion in neighbouring Belarus where the missiles have been deployed, the ministry said. It did not say how many missiles had been deployed or give any other details. Russian President Vladimir Putin said earlier in December that the Oreshnik would enter combat duty this month. He made the statement at a meeting with top Russian military officers, where he warned that Moscow will seek to extend its gains in Ukraine if Kyiv and its Western allies reject the Kremlin's demands in peace talks. The announcement comes at a critical time for Russia-Ukraine peace talks. US President Donald Trump hosted Zelenskyy at his Florida resort Sunday and insisted that Kyiv and Moscow were closer than ever before to a peace settlement. Howeve

'Avoid actions that undermine peace': PM Modi on reported Putin home attack

PM Modi expressed deep concern over reports of an attack on Vladimir Putin's residence, for which Russia has accused Ukraine

Russia accuses Ukraine of drone attack on Putin's residence; Trump reacts

Russia has said it will not pull out of negotiations despite the Ukrainian armed forces' attack on the presidential residence

Trump meets Zelenskyy amid renewed US push to end Ukraine conflict

Security guarantees and economic proposals for Ukraine have seen progress, though the future of eastern Donbas remains unresolved and key territorial issues are still under negotiation

Elections and diplomacy set to shape New Delhi's packed 2026 calendar

As India enters a busy election year in 2026, Archis Mohan explains how domestic politics and foreign engagement will intersect

Zelenskyy calls Putin 'man of war' after Russia's deadly attack on Kyiv

Speaking in Halifax, alongside Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Zelenskyy linked the prolonged assault to Russia's intentions, a day before his meeting with US President Donald Trump i

Key issues unresolved in US-Ukraine talks on ending Russia war: Zelenskyy

Several key issues remain unresolved in ongoing negotiations between Ukraine and the United States over a potential framework to end Russia's war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said last week. Speaking about a 20-point plan under discussion, Zelenskyy outlined the most difficult points, noting that Ukraine has already conveyed its position to Washington, which is expected to communicate it to Moscow. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Friday that the Kremlin had already been in contact with US representatives since Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev recently met with US envoys in Florida. However, he did not reveal any details, saying only: It was agreed upon to continue the dialogue. The unresolved issues include: Security guarantees ----------------------- Zelenskyy said talks continue over the nature and scope of security guarantees that would be provided to Ukraine under any agreement. He said several technical issues remain, including how ..

Putin's India visit reaffirms strategic alignment and mutual trust: Russia

Agreements reached during Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent India visit reaffirmed the alignment of strategic goals and the "steadfastness" of the two countries' "time-tested mutual trust, the Foreign Ministry here said on Friday in its year-end statement. Putin visited India for a two-day state visit earlier this month for the 23rd India-Russia annual summit, during which the two countries unveiled a raft of measures, including a five-year roadmap to build a robust economic partnership. The visit was named one of the key achievements of Russian foreign policy by the ministry in its statement. The agreements reached during the Russian President's December visit to India confirmed the alignment of strategic goals and the steadfastness of the time-tested mutual trust between the two countries," it said. "A comprehensive joint statement was adopted, along with a package of 28 documents, including a programme for developing strategic areas of Russian-Indian economic cooperatio

US, Russia were concerned about Pak's nuclear weapons: Declassified files

Putin told Bush that uranium of Pakistani origin had been found in Iranian centrifuges, pointing to possible illegal transfers

Russian court jails Putin critic Udaltsov for 6 years on terrorism charges

A court in Russia on Thursday convicted a pro-war activist and critic of President Vladimir Putin of justifying terrorism and sentenced him to six years in prison. Sergei Udaltsov, the leader of the Left Front movement that opposes Putin and is affiliated with the Communist Party, was arrested last year. According to Russian independent news site Mediazona, the charges against him stem from an article Udaltsov posted online in support of another group of Russian activists accused of forming a terrorist organisation. Those activists were convicted earlier this month and handed sentences ranging from 16 to 22 years in prison. Udaltsov has rejected the charges against him as fabricated. On Thursday, he denounced the verdict as shameful and said he was going on a hunger strike, Mediazona reported. According to the court ruling, the activist will be serving his sentence in a maximum security penal colony. Udaltsov was a prominent opposition figure during the 2011-12 mass protests in ..

Zelenskyy sounds alarm over Russia's sanctions dodging, security risks

In a post on X, Zelenskyy said that Ukraine is tracking these moves and collaborating with partners to maintain pressure on Russia

World@2025: Trump torrent and global tides drive an unpredictable year

The year unfolded unpredictably: Trade relations were upended, Trump's tariffs unsettled markets, GenZ took to the streets, Japan saw its first woman Prime Minister, and a museum was left poorer

Russian President offers no compromise on Ukraine, says EU 'robbery' failed

Putin set out the Kremlin's stance on the war in the opening moments of his annual end-of-year press conference, a marathon event that typically runs for some four hours