Trump & Russia
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Russian, Chinese intelligence seek to recruit fired US federal employees, CNN reports
Russia and China are attempting to recruit U.S. federal national security employees impacted by the Trump administration's layoffs, CNN reported on March 1, citing four sources and a document.
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Letter to the editor: The Oval Office fiasco was a calculated setup to humiliate Ukraine and undermine democracy
The recent Oval Office meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wasn’t just a diplomatic disaster — it was a setup. From the moment Zelensky walked into that room, the stage had already been set. This wasn’t about serious discussions on aid or strategy.
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Kremlin officials tout Zelensky-Trump clash as 'historic'
Kirill Dmitriev, special envoy to Vladimir Putin, and former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev applauded the tense Oval Office meeting, calling it "historic."
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We asked Americans about Trump’s Ukraine policy. Here’s what they said
The Kyiv Independent invited its American readers to share their thoughts on U.S. President Donald Trump’s policy on Ukraine and Russia on Feb. 24, the third-year anniversary of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine. In less than a day, we received over 400 emails, expressing views that ranged from
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Zelensky, Trump get into heated argument while speaking with journalists in Oval Office
President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Donald Trump held a 45-minute-long press briefing in the Oval Office that ended in a heated argument about American aid to Ukraine.
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Trump says he's 'for both Ukraine and Russia' during meeting with Zelensky
Talking about his role in negotiations to end Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Trump said he was "in the middle."
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Washington approves new Russian ambassador to US, Russian Foreign Ministry says
Alexander Darchiev, a veteran diplomat with a half-decade of experience in Washington, previously served as Russia's ambassador to Canada from 2014 to 2021 and later as the director of the North American Department at the Russian Foreign Ministry.
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Russia proposes resuming direct flights with US during talks in Turkey, Reuters reports
Russia has suggested resuming direct air travel with the United States during diplomatic talks in Istanbul, Reuters reported, citing the Russian Foreign Ministry.
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Is Donald Trump a Russian asset? This US author is 'completely certain' he is
Questions about U.S. President Donald Trump's possibly shady relationship with Russia and the country's security services have long swirled, even culminating in a special counsel investigation during his first term in office. Though that investigation found evidence of "extensive criminal activity" by Trump, his associates, and some of his
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Trump extends some sanctions against Russia until 2026
The decision comes amid Trump's renewed engagement with Russia, including talks on Feb. 18 on ending the war in Ukraine and the potential reopening of embassies in Washington and Moscow.
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Ukraine war latest: Trump says he 'can't believe' he called Zelensky 'dictator'
Key developments on Feb. 27: * Trump says he 'can't believe' he called Zelensky 'dictator' * First contacts with Trump administration 'inspire certain hopes,' Putin says * Russia to lose 'chance for world leadership' if it doesn't get out of war by 2026, Budanov says * Turkey considers sending peacekeepers to Ukraine, Bloomberg
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‘Trump likes what Putin does,' Bernie Sanders says in exclusive interview
As Ukraine enters the fourth year of Russia's full-scale invasion, shifting political dynamics in the U.S. threaten to influence the course of the war. U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly misrepresented the war’s origins, excluded Ukraine from initial negotiations, and advocated for what many see as an
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Ukraine war latest: Trump says he will meet Zelensky on Feb. 28 in Washington to sign agreement on minerals
Key developments on Feb. 26: * Trump says he will meet Zelensky on Feb. 28 in Washington to sign agreement on minerals * No security guarantees in US minerals deal, to be discussed later, Zelensky says * US, Russia to meet again tomorrow in Istanbul, Lavrov says * No sanctions relief for Russia pre-deal
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No sanctions relief for Russia pre-deal and Ukraine 'can forget about' NATO, Trump says
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Feb. 26 that Ukraine will not be allowed to join NATO as part of a future peace agreement with Russia and ruled out lifting sanctions on Moscow before a deal is reached.
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Trump says sanctions against Russia to be lifted 'at some point'
"No, we haven't lifted any sanctions on anybody… I guess it will be at some point, but right now, we haven't agreed to lift sanctions on anybody," Donald Trump said.
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Trump says Russian oligarchs could be eligible for $5 million US 'gold card'
"I know some Russian oligarchs that are very nice people," Trump told reporters on Feb. 25.
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Taurus missiles, stronger Europe — what can Ukraine hope for after German elections
The victory of the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) led by Friedrich Merz was met with relief in Ukraine. The conservative leader has long criticized the supposedly cautious Ukraine strategy of outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz, whose government collapsed last November, triggering the snap vote. Merz's likely coalition with the Social
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Ukraine war latest: Ukraine, US reach agreement on minerals deal
Key developments on Feb. 25: * Ukraine, US reach agreement on minerals deal * Russia's war objectives 'not yet achieved,' Kremlin's ambassador says * Reclaiming occupied territories possible but 'not easy' for Ukraine, Trump claims * Ukraine needs $524 billion for recovery, reconstruction after 3 years of Russia's full-scale war * Russia's Ryazan oil
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Russia's war objectives 'not yet achieved,' Kremlin's ambassador says
"The constitutional territories of Russia have not been liberated," Russian Foreign Ministry's Ambassador-at-Large Rodion Miroshnik said on Feb. 25.
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In calling Zelensky a ‘dictator without elections,’ Trump misunderstands democracy
After the top diplomats of Moscow and Washington met in Riyadh to discuss “peace” in Ukraine — without Ukraine at the table — the conversation quickly shifted to elections, as if they were the only topic discussed and the sole reason the war continues. And once again, U.S. President Donald Trump
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In talks with Russia, Trump repeats his Afghanistan playbook
Donald Trump is elected U.S. president after criticizing a war abroad and calling for its end. He negotiates a deal with an adversary of the United States under heavy sanctions, cutting an ally out of their own country’s peace talks. The disastrous deal is viewed as a surrender
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Russia will not be readmitted to G7, German finance minister says, rebuffing Trump
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Feb. 13 that he would "love" to see Russia readmitted into the G7, calling Russia's 2014 expulsion from the group a "mistake."
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Trump refuses to label Putin a dictator
"I don't use those words lightly... I think we're going to see how it all works out," U.S. President Donald Trump said on Feb. 24 when asked if he would call Vladimir Putin a dictator the same way he labeled President Volodymyr Zelensky.
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'Nobody can demand anything from Russia' — Putin talks about renewed US-Russia contacts, rare earth metals
The Kremlin leader said Russia has significantly larger reserves of rare earth metals than Ukraine and is open to working with foreign partners on developing rare earth deposits, including in the occupied parts of Ukraine, which Putin called "newly controlled regions."
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Ukraine war latest: War in Ukraine could end 'within weeks,' Putin open to peacekeepers, Trump claims
Key developments on Feb. 24: * War in Ukraine could end 'within weeks,' Putin open to peacekeepers, Trump claims * UN adopts Ukraine's resolution condemning Russia's invasion — US, Russia, Belarus vote against * European leaders arrive in Kyiv on 3rd anniversary of full-scale war * Around 165,000 Russian troops killed in Ukraine,
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War in Ukraine could end 'within weeks,' Putin open to peacekeepers, Trump claims
U.S. President Donald Trump said that Washington supported sending European troops to monitor a ceasefire and that he had discussed the proposal with Putin, who “would accept it.”
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Zelensky sent Trump list of all 'ceasefires' violated by Russia
"When General (Keith) Kellogg was in Kyiv, I handed him and the U.S. president a document with all ceasefires, along with specific dates, that Russia had violated," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
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Hungary playing role in spreading disinformation about rationale for Russia's invasion to Trump's team, Zelensky says
"I know that there are people from this Hungarian leader who have contact with people in President Trump's orbit, and are constantly raising questions... in regards to not expanding NATO into eastern Europe," President Volodymyr Zelensky said, criticizing Kremlin talking points that NATO was at fault for Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
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Trump team could strike a deal to end war 'this week,' White House says
"The president, his team are very much focused on continuing negotiations with both sides of this war to end the conflict, and the president is very confident we can get it done this week," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Feb. 22.
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Trump-Putin meeting preparations already underway, Russia claims
The two leaders could discuss a broad range of global topics in addition to the war in Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said. The meeting would be a step toward "normalizing relations" between the U.S. and Russia.
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Trump admits Russia attacked Ukraine
"Russia attacked, but they shouldn't have let him attack," U.S. President Donald Trump said on Feb. 21, after previously blaming Ukraine for starting the war.
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How Trump is helping Putin achieve the original aim of his full-scale invasion of Ukraine
U.S. President Donald Trump's claim that Ukraine's president is an illegitimate "dictator" aligns with Kremlin war objectives and puts Volodymyr Zelensky in an almost impossible situation, experts and analysts have told the Kyiv Independent. "In the last few days we’ve seen how closely Trump has aligned himself with
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Taurus missiles, stronger Europe — what can Ukraine hope for after German elections
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Explainer: Did Trump lie about $350 billion aid to Ukraine, and does Kyiv have to repay it?
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In talks with Russia, Trump repeats his Afghanistan playbook
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