Editor's note: The article was updated on Feb. 14 to include the Latvian Foreign Ministry's comments. European nations, particularly Ukraine’s neighbors and the Baltic states, were stunned when the U.S. President Donald Trump suddenly announced the start of peace negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the
Key developments on Feb. 13: * Russia preparing delegation for U.S. talks on war with Ukraine, consider Minsk "experience," Kremlin says * Russia's largest steel mill reportedly targeted by "massive" Ukrainian drone strike * NATO "taking over" Ukraine's security assistance, military training, Umerov says * Ukrainian drones again hit oil pumping station in
"I think realism is an important part of the conversation that hasn't existed enough inside conversations amongst friends, but simply pointing out realism like the borders won't be rolled back to what everybody would like them to be in 2014 is not a concession to Vladimir Putin," U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said.
"I don't perceive this call as it was a priority that he (Trump) talked to Russia first. Although it's not very pleasant," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
"Great talks with Russia and Ukraine yesterday. Good possibility of ending that horrible, very bloody war," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that "work will be started quickly."
The White House declined to confirm whether it had received China's proposal but reportedly dismissed it as "not viable at all."
There are still many questions about what to expect from the Trump administration’s approach to ending Russia’s war in Ukraine. With some in Congress questioning continued military aid and loans for Ukraine, the application of economic statecraft measures —such as sanctions, export controls, and tariffs — could be used
Oil prices dropped more than 2% on Feb. 12 after U.S. President Donald Trump took a significant step toward ending the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, which has contributed to higher oil prices due to concerns over global supply disruptions.
Senator Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. said on Feb. 12 that "to prevent Putin from dining in Kyiv, we need to mobilize the bipartisan Congressional coalition standing with Ukraine."
In 2024, Russia’s total defense expenditures surged by 42% in real terms, reaching 13.1 trillion rubles. When adjusted for purchasing power parity—which accounts for differences in what money can buy in different countries—this amounts to $462 billion.
"We'll meet in Saudi Arabia," U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House following his conversation with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky.
As diplomatic efforts between the U.S. and Russia have kicked off to end Moscow's war in Ukraine – without Kyiv at the table – it is becoming increasingly clear that Ukraine will most likely be pressured by Washington to make concessions to Russia. U.S. President Donald Trump and his team
"This is impossible. Russia has never discussed and will never discuss the topic of exchanging its territory," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.
The commission resumed work in December 2024, focusing on nine key sectors and over 2,000 enterprises, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said.
"There's good will in terms of the war," U.S. President Donald Trump said when asked if Fogel's release could lead to a peace deal.
Russia's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said the meeting focused on "the activities of foreign agencies." The last reported meeting of this kind was in December 2022.
Key developments on Feb. 10: * Russia massing troops for new assaults in Chasiv Yar, military warns * Drones reportedly target key Russian oil refinery in Krasnodar Krai * Trump claims 'progress' on ending Russia-Ukraine war, confirms contact with Putin * Ukraine approves high-speed Baton drones for battlefield deployment * Ukraine to receive Patria 6x6
"If we are talking, I don't want to tell you about the conversations. I do believe we're making progress," U.S. President Donald Trump said.
Chinese President Xi Jinping also invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to China to commemorate Japan's surrender and the conclusion of World War II, Russian Ambassador to Beijing Igor Morgulov said.
Speaking at a televised meeting with Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin on Feb. 7, Putin noted that consumer prices in Russia rose by 9.5% in 2024 and have climbed further to 9.9% year-on-year this month.
A draft law approved this week by the Russian government's legislative commission lays out the procedure for seizing foreign property in retaliation for freezing Russian assets abroad.
Russia's ability to retain its naval base in Tartus and airbase in Khmeimim will depend on what Moscow offers in return, Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra said.
Before leading Roscosmos, Yury Borisov played a key role in Russia's military-industrial sector, overseeing the state rearmament program since 2011.
"Mr. Zelensky has big problems de jure in terms of his legitimacy, but even so, the Russian side remains open to negotiations," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov claimed.
Russia has been banned from participating in the Eurovision Song Contest since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
"If that is the only setup in which we can bring peace to the citizens of Ukraine and not lose people, definitely, we will go for this setup ... What does it matter, my attitude to him?" Zelensky told U.K. journalist Piers Morgan on Feb. 4.
More than a decade after Ukraine’s pro-democracy EuroMaidan Revolution, the false — but persistent — claim that the movement was a Western-backed "coup" refuses to die. Elon Musk on Feb. 2 boosted to his more than 215 million followers a post on X which parroted Russian disinformation, claiming without evidence that
Presidential Office head Andriy Yermak said the children who returned home include a 16-year-old girl who lost her mother, a 17-year-old boy who had been issued a summons to join the Russian army, and an eight-year-old girl.
"Let's leave the judgment to the historians. I am a politician, and we have an EU decision. It obliges me to speak of 'Russian aggression,'" Prime Minister Viktor Orban told Neue Zurcher Zeitung.
Senior Russian officials have allegedly visited both Saudi Arabia and the UAE in recent weeks, according to Reuters.
NATO Chief Mark Rutte also insisted Ukraine was not losing the war against Russia.
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