Russia’s war against Ukraine is a continuation of Moscow’s centuries-long goal to obliterate Ukrainian culture and statehood. Over the past three decades, however, the United States has, through missteps and inaction, emboldened Russia’s aggression by failing to confront the looming threat — a failure which, under the administration
Donald Trump previously threatened to impose additional tariffs against Russia, threatening a "25% tariff on all oil, a 25- to 50-point tariff on all oil."
Russia takes U.S. proposals for a ceasefire in Ukraine "seriously" but cannot accept them "as they are now," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said in an interview with Russian outlet International Affairs Journal published on April 1.
"There was an idea from Russia about a temporary administration that was not appreciated by the president," State Department Spokeswoman Tammy Bruce told reporters during a press briefing on March 31. "Ukraine is... a constitutional democracy. Governance in Ukraine is determined by its constitution and the Ukrainian people."
U.S. President Donald Trump threatened on March 31 to impose secondary tariffs on Russian oil exports if Russian President Vladimir Putin does not "make a deal" to end the war in Ukraine.
The U.S. president "has expressed his displeasure with comments that have been made by leaders of both sides of this conflict," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on March 31.
With much fanfare, the U.S. on March 25 announced it had brokered an agreement between Russia and Ukraine to "eliminate the use of force" in the Black Sea after two days of talks in Saudi Arabia. But while Kyiv said it was ready to abide by it straight away,
As the U.S. chooses an increasingly hostile posture toward Europe, the U.K. and France have been gearing up to lead the continent's defense without Washington. French President Emmanuel Macron has coined the term "strategic autonomy," which envisions a self-sufficient Europe that can defend itself and export its agenda
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov downplayed the reports, claiming Trump's comments were paraphrased rather than direct quotes.
Alexander Vindman served as the director of European affairs for the United States National Security Council in 2018-2020, during U.S. President Donald Trump's first administration. The Kyiv Independent's Kate Tsurkan sits down with Vindman to discuss how Washington has historically misjudged Russia, "succumbing to hopes and fears," and why there is no real prospect of peace between Ukraine and Russia now.
"If I think they're (Russia) tapping us along, I will not be happy about it," U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, voicing his belief that the Kremlin's chief "wants to make a deal."
"Rare earth metals are an important area for cooperation, and, of course, we have begun discussions about various rare earth metals and projects in Russia," said Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund.
Strong statements made after a summit of European leaders in Paris on March 27 demonstrated two things — France and the U.K. are determined to send peacekeepers to Ukraine, but the plans are currently hostage to the whims of the Kremlin. "You cannot trust the Russians any further than you
Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund praised Musk as a "great visionary."
"I think you have to make more progress on a technical level," Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.
U.S. President Donald Trump's stated goal of bringing a swift end to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine is looking evermore distant, with only two tentative partial ceasefires to show after several rounds of talks. Ukraine has already agreed to a U.S.-proposed full 30-day ceasefire, saying on March
Asked by a reporter whether he believes Russia "wants to see an end" to the full-scale war, U.S. President Donald Trump said, "I don't know. I mean, I'll let you know at a certain point. But I think that Russia wants to see an end to it, but it could be they're dragging their feet."
The United States is "looking at" lifting additional sanctions on Russia in order to secure a Black Sea ceasefire agreement, U.S. President Donald Trump said on March 25.
"We are talking about technical negotiations. These negotiations are immersed in details, so, of course, the content of these negotiations will definitely not be published. This is not to be expected," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.
Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of the Atlantic, claims he was mistakenly added to a private Signal chat where Trump administration officials discussed strikes on Yemen.
In a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio seen by Reuters on March 24, senators questioned the administration’s willingness to use all available financial tools to pressure Russia into ending its war against Ukraine.
Steve Witkoff's controversial comments on the Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine have prompted criticism from Ukrainian lawmakers.
"The matter of the Black Sea Initiative and everything related to the initiative's renewal are on the agenda today," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said. He added that Russian President Vladimir Putin would be immediately briefed on the results of the consultations.
A Russian diplomatic source told the Moscow Times that time is now playing in Russia's favor, and the Kremlin wants to "make the most of it."
Sources close to U.S. President Donald Trump told the Telegraph that he remains committed to brokering a ceasefire but is growing impatient.
The White House still believes it could achieve a truce by Easter, a symbolic date as both Western and Orthodox celebrations overlap this year, although it's prepared for a delay given the current impasse, sources told Bloomberg.
"I don't think there's anybody in the world that's going to stop (Putin) except me," Trump said shortly before three people were killed in Kyiv by Russian drones.
U.S. negotiators will meet separately with Ukrainian and Russian delegates in Riyadh on March 24, but although contours of a potential partial ceasefire proposal are beginning to form, Kyiv remains skeptical of Moscow's intentions. The upcoming discussions are meant to flesh out technical details on what this ceasefire, either
U.S. special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, who recently emerged as a leading figure in negotiations regarding Russia and Ukraine, revealed insights into ongoing ceasefire talks between Moscow and Washington. In an interview on March 21 with American far-right political commentator Tucker Carlson, Witkoff openly parroted Russian
It's no secret that U.S. officials have been trying to drive a wedge between Russia and its key ally, China. Former United States Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia Keith Kellogg was among the government officials who made the intention public, saying that the U.S. would try to
President Volodymyr Zelensky's statement comes days after reports that the Trump administration was considering recognizing Crimea as Russian territory as part of a broader deal to end Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine.
Russia and the United States will hold consultations in Riyadh on March 24 to discuss the war in Ukraine, Yuri Ushakov said.
