Trump's national security adviser Waltz starts purging NSC, including aides working with Ukraine
During a telephone call on Jan. 22, NSC employees, known as aides or detailees, were told that they were to leave the office immediately.
United States
Depends what 'deal' means — Kremlin responds to Trump's sanctions threats
"It's not merely the question of ending the war ... So we have to see what does the 'deal' mean in President Trump's understanding," Russia's Deputy U.N. Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy said in response to Trump's call for Moscow to make a deal or face sanctions.
US seeks 'sustainable' peace in Ukraine to avoid new war in '2-4 years,' Rubio says
"We are going to engage in making it end in a way that is sustainable, meaning we don't just want the conflict to end and then restart in two, three, or four years down the road," U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on the CBS Mornings program.
Nominee for US ambassador to UN says Trump needs 'maximum flexibility' to end Ukraine war
Elise Stefanik said during her confirmation hearing that she would "use this position at the United Nations to support (Trump's) strategy and give him maximum flexibility to bring this to a resolution."
Indian banks block Russian oil payments after new US sanctions
Following the new restrictions, financial institutions in India began blocking payments for Russian crude, Energy Intelligence reported. India is currently the leading importer of Russian oil.
Trump claims he urged China's Xi to help end Russia's war in Ukraine
"He's not done very much on that," Trump told reporters at the White House on Jan. 21. "He's got a lot of ... power, like we have a lot of power. I said, 'You ought to get it settled.' We did discuss it."
Ukraine's energy grid may suffer from Trump aid freeze, Politico reports
A freeze on USAID funds could affect Ukraine's ability to rebuild damaged energy infrastructure, conduct demining operations, and fund civil society programs, officials said.
Following Trump's inauguration, Russian pundits and politicians show some enthusiasm, some reserve
Donald Trump was long seen as Russian candidate of choice, in Moscow, however, reactions following inauguration are mixed.
‘We want to bring stability’ — State Secretary Rubio’s position on Russia’s war against Ukraine
As state secretary, Marco Rubio will oversee the implementation of the president's foreign policy, including that relating to Russia's full-scale war — which wasn't directly referred to during Donald Trump's inauguration speech.
Ukraine ceasefire is 'top priority' for Trump, US State Secretary Rubio says
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump will begin working on a ceasefire in Ukraine "almost immediately," new U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told journalists on Jan. 20.
Trump pauses US foreign development aid for 90 days, orders review
In the executive order, Donald Trump wrote that "the United States foreign aid industry and bureaucracy are not aligned with American interests and in many cases antithetical to American values," without mentioning specific examples.
US Senate confirms Marco Rubio as new secretary of state
The U.S. Senate confirmed Marco Rubio as the next secretary of state by a rare bipartisan consensus on Jan. 20.
Trump sworn in as 47th US president, says he's taking back Panama Canal; doesn't mention Ukraine
"Golden age of America begins right now," U.S. President Donald Trump said.
Putin congratulates Trump amid inauguration, signals readiness for talks
This comes as reported peace proposals, including freezing the front lines, have been publicly rejected by Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin previously stated that his country would begin peace negotiations if Kyiv agreed to withdraw from the four Ukrainian regions Moscow partly controls.
Trump sees peace in Ukraine as a deal but refuses to play his winning hand
The impending Donald Trump presidency has fueled market speculation that a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine could be reached soon — bolstered by Trump’s campaign trail rhetoric promising to end the war within days of taking office, if not sooner. Ukrainian Eurobonds have been among the best-performing assets in
Trump instructs aides to arrange call with Putin 'in coming days' after inauguration, CNN reports
President-elect Donald Trump has previously said he wants to meet with Putin "very quickly" after his inauguration.
US imposes sanctions against Russian oil tankers under construction for 1st time
The latest sanctions, imposed last week, targeted over 180 oil-carrying vessels of Russia's so-called shadow fleet, a group of aging tankers routinely used for sanction evasion.
Ukraine war latest: Russia, Iran sign strategic partnership deal; Ukraine strikes Russian S-400 radar equipment
Key developments on Jan. 17: * Putin, Pezeshkian sign strategic Russia-Iran partnership agreement in Moscow * Ukraine strikes Russian S-400 radar equipment in Belgorod Oblast, military claims * Biden administration secretly funded Ukraine's drone industry, NYT reports * US assured Putin no nuclear weapons in Ukraine, Biden says * There's no evidence that Australian fighter
'It's not enough' — Ukrainians react to Biden's farewell speech
In his farewell speech from the White House on Jan.15, outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden took the opportunity to highlight his achievements in office in an attempt to help cement his legacy. Yet, despite being one of the world's biggest international crises that spanned much of Biden's term
US assured Putin no nuclear weapons in Ukraine, Biden says
The United States assured Russian President Vladimir Putin it would not deploy nuclear weapons in Ukraine, outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden said in a Jan. 17 interview with MSNBC.
Trump has opportunity to 'negotiate a good deal' in Ukraine, Blinken says
"And President (Donald) Trump talks about having good, strong deals. I think there’s an opportunity to get one," outgoing U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.
Allied support for Ukraine won't suddenly change with Trump's inauguration, top NATO officer assures
NATO has taken over some responsibilities in coordinating aid for Ukraine from the U.S. with Washington's consent, ensuring a stable support mechanism going forward, NATO Military Committee Chief Admiral Rob Bauer said on Jan. 16.
Russian hackers target WhatsApp in new tactic, Microsoft warns
The Russian hacker group Star Blizzard impersonated U.S. government officials in emails directing recipients to join a WhatsApp group that claimed to focus on "the latest non-governmental initiatives aimed at supporting Ukraine NGOs."
Biden administration prioritized sanctions strategies over designating Russia as state sponsor of terrorism, US official says
The Biden administration believes that large-scale sanctions have been more effective politically than designating Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism, Ukrinform reported on Jan. 16, citing U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller.
How Trump could use sanctions in negotiations with Russia
In the run-up to his departure from the White House, President Joe Biden has slapped a number of major new sanctions on Russia’s financial systems and energy sector. The U.S. originally threatened Russia with “the mother of all sanctions” as Moscow prepared to invade Ukraine in February 2022.
'Ukraine is still free' — Biden touts his admin's accomplishments in farewell speech
Outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden briefly mentioned Ukraine during his farewell speech on Jan. 15, saying his administration helped to preserve the country's freedom.
Putin to demand Ukraine never join NATO during talks with Trump, Bloomberg reports
Russia will allegedly demand that Ukraine cut its ties with NATO and become "a neutral state with a limited military" during talks with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, Bloomberg reported on Jan. 15, citing its sources.
Ukraine, Russia have to make concessions to end war, Rubio says
"It is important for everyone to be realistic: There will have to be concessions — made by the Russian Federation, but also by the Ukrainians," said Marco Rubio, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's pick for secretary of state.
US targets China-Russia sanctions evasion scheme with new measures
"Today's actions frustrate the Kremlin's ability to circumvent our sanctions and get access to the goods they need to build weapons for their war of choice in Ukraine," said Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Treasury Wally Adeyemo.
Biden team seeks European support to leverage frozen Russian assets in talks with Moscow, CNN reports
The strategy reportedly aims to pressure Moscow by signaling the funds could only be reclaimed through negotiations with Ukraine.
‘We know who the good guy is’ — Trump’s defense nominee grilled over war in Ukraine
Pete Hegseth’s nomination in November sent shockwaves through Pentagon corridors.
US, Armenia sign strategic partnership agreement
The charter establishes a framework for expanded bilateral cooperation between the U.S. and Armenia in the areas of economic cooperation, security and defense, and democracy.
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