The refinery is the second-largest owned by Lukoil and a key producer of petroleum products in Russia's Southern Federal District.

By tying its defense needs to a major boost for U.S. industry, Ukraine hopes to turn its request into an investment opportunity that appeals directly to American interests. The proposal also includes a separate $50 billion agreement for producing drones with Ukrainian companies.

"The American president spoke with the Russian president on the phone and agreed that there would be a meeting between the Russian president and the Ukrainian president within the next two weeks," German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said.

"That will be part of the discussions, which will now start. We will try to bring them to the next stage of understanding over the coming days and weeks, of course," NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said.

The number includes 890 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.

"And we will come to a resolution today, I think, on almost everything, including probably the security," Trump said in the East Room, speaking alongside Zelensky and European leaders.

"(T)he question of territory is a question that we will leave between me and Putin. Security guarantees will probably be negotiated with our partners," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

Russia launched a wave of missile and drone attacks against Ukrainian cities on Aug. 19, hours after President Volodymyr Zelensky concluded peace talks with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha neither confirmed nor denied the account of the latest attack but wrote on X that Hungary "can now send complaints and threats" to Moscow, not Kyiv.

According to Russian foreign policy advisor Yuri Ushakov, the call took place after midnight Moscow time. Trump reportedly briefed Putin on his negotiations with Zelensky and the European leaders.

Key developments on Aug. 18: * 'We'll give them very good protection, very good security' — Trump says in White House meeting with Zelensky * EU leaders to hold video conference on Ukraine after Washington talks, Costa says * Zelensky says Putin undermines diplomatic efforts after Russian strike on Zaporizhzhia kills 3, injures 30 * Top Russian commander seriously wounded in Ukrainian strike, Dagestan head says * Russia occupied less than 1% of Ukraine's territory since November 2022, moni

Much of recent Western history contains the story of democracy stumbling. Crisis after financial collapse, after war, over the last two decades has fostered a deep dissatisfaction, leading societies toward simpler rules and clearer enemies. It’s an appealing proposition in a world whose rules seem to shift daily, where governments struggle to keep pace. We shouldn’t be surprised that political systems built in the 18th and 19th centuries are buckling under the weight of modern life. We would

In the Oval Office, Zelensky said Ukraine wants to end the war and welcomed Trump's signal of openness to trilateral negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin. "We are ready for trilateral talks. As president said, it's a good signal about trilateral," Zelensky told reporters.

NATO membership for Ukraine is becoming increasingly elusive. The previous U.S. administration silently opposed extending a NATO invitation to Ukraine. The current U.S. administration has made its opposition public. "You can forget about (NATO membership). That's probably the reason the whole thing (war) started," U.S. President Donald Trump said on Feb. 26 when asked about the potential settlement between Ukraine and Russia. Such a policy by Ukraine's main backer has raised eyebrows in the p

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also backed "Article 5-like security guarantees" for Ukraine, saying the country must become "a steel porcupine, indigestible for potential invaders."

Russian President Vladimir Putin has laid out a number of demands that he would require to stop his country's war against Ukraine. Most of these demands are non-starters for Ukraine, analysts say. Russia has demanded a full Ukrainian withdrawal from Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, de jure recognition of the occupied territories as Russian, a special status for the Russian-backed church and the Russian language in Ukraine, Kyiv's demilitarization, and a ban on Kyiv's NATO membership. In exchange,

An EU source told the Kyiv Independent that several EU leaders had expressed interest in such a debrief, particularly those not present in Washington.

TORONTO — In the ancient world, people spoke of "Ultima Thule," a mythical land in the extreme north, at the end of the earth. By venturing north to Alaska to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, U.S. President Donald Trump reached his own Ultima Thule, the arctic endpoint of a foreign-policy dreamworld. For Trump, foreign leaders can be dealt with like Americans, with fantastic promises and obnoxious bullying. But the fantasies do not function beyond America's borders. The empty offer of a "

"Many wounded are in serious condition — right now, doctors are fighting for their lives," regional governor Ivan Fedorov said.

According to CNN, European officials privately voiced concern about his absence in Alaska, calling him the American figure with the deepest understanding of what terms Ukraine might consider in a deal.

Russia, one of the world's largest energy producers, relies heavily on oil exports to fund its full-scale war against Ukraine. Ukrainian forces have increasingly targeted Russian energy facilities that both supply fuel to its military and generate revenue for the Kremlin.

Lieutenant General Essedoulla Abatchev has held senior posts in Chechnya and Dagestan and was named Hero of Russia by President Vladimir Putin in 2022.

Since November 2022, Russian forces have only captured 5,842 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory, accounting for about 0.97% of the country's landmass, according to DeepState.

Just after the sun rises over the sea in Ukraine's southern coastal city Odesa, shirtless men with gold chains flip tractor tires on a beachside blacktop, while women balance on their yoga mats at a pier. As fishermen cast their lines out into the water, cormorants swoop down to hunt for the same prey. By the time the mouth-watering smell of lunch-time kebabs wafts off of seaside grills, it's hard to find a spot on the fine-grained white sand to lay down a towel. The coastal city is on track f

"Russians are using the symbols of the U.S. in their own terrorist, aggressive war involving the killing of civilians," Andriy Yermak, head of Ukraine's Presidential Office, said.

"The goal is to break through our defenses and advance deep into (our) territory. Their goal, of course, is (occupying) the entire region," Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said.

"The army aviation has proven itself very well: helicopters equipped with machine guns are highly effective," Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said.

"I demand a clear assurance that Russia will refrain from any act that could be classified as interfering in Hungary's internal political processes, including disinformation campaigns, cyber operations, or intimidation of political figures and citizens," Hungarian opposition leader Peter Magyar said.

Russia launched a wave of missile and drone attacks against Ukrainian cities late on Aug. 17, mere hours before President Volodymyr Zelensky is scheduled to meet for peace talks with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House.

The strikes come as Moscow continues rejecting calls for an unconditional ceasefire, instead intensifying its use of drones and missiles against Ukraine.

The number includes 940 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.

Donald Trump has stepped up pressure on Zelensky ahead of Aug. 18 peace talks in Washington with European leaders, saying on Truth Social that the Ukrainian president could end the war "almost immediately."