Russia

February 20, 2025 8:26 PM

Zelenskiy calls for US pragmatism after Trump calls him a ‘dictator’

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he was counting on Ukrainian and European unity and U.S. pragmatism as Kyiv faces a mounting crisis in relations with its hitherto key U.S. ally under the leadership of President Donald Trump. In an extraordinary rift, Trump said on Wednesday that Zelenskiy was a "dictator without elections" who should act quickly or lose his country, unthinkable rhetoric from a U.S. leader for most of Russia's three-year-old all-out war. Trump is pushing for a quic...

February 20, 2025 9:13 AM

Trump calls Zelenskiy a ‘dictator’, warns him to move fast or risk losing Ukraine

U.S. President Donald Trump denounced Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy as a "dictator" on Wednesday and warned he had to move quickly to secure peace or risk losing his country, deepening a feud between the two leaders that has alarmed European officials. The extraordinary attacks - a day after Trump claimed Ukraine was to blame for Russia's 2022 invasion - heightened concerns among U.S. allies in Europe that Trump's approach to ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict could benefit Moscow. ...

February 18, 2025 10:53 AM

Europe talks up more defence spending as Ukraine peacekeeper plan divides

European leaders meeting in Paris for emergency talks on Monday called for higher spending to ramp up the continent's defence capabilities but remained split on the idea of deploying peacekeepers to Ukraine to back up any peace deal. The leaders also agreed it would be dangerous to conclude a Ukraine ceasefire without a peace agreement at the same time, and that they were ready to provide security guarantees to Ukraine "depending on the level of American support," a European official said. "...

February 17, 2025 10:08 AM

Ukraine, Europe will be part of ‘real’ peace talks, says Rubio, as US weighs Putin’s motives

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday said Ukraine and Europe would be part of any "real negotiations" to end Moscow's war, signaling that U.S. talks with Russia this week were a chance to see how serious Russian President Vladimir Putin is about peace. America's top diplomat played down European concerns of being cut out of the initial talks between Russia and the United States set to take place in Saudi Arabia in the coming days. In an interview with CBS, Rubio said a negotiation pro...

February 14, 2025 4:50 PM

Vance warns Moscow on Ukraine, urges Europe to spend more on defence

U.S. Vice President JD Vance warned Russia that Washington could hit Moscow with sanctions if it does not agree to a good peace deal with Ukraine, while urging Europe to spend more on defence as he arrived for the Munich Security Conference. Ukraine, and prospects for peace talks, preoccupied many at the high-profile global gathering after Donald Trump startled U.S. allies by calling Russian President Vladimir Putin and announcing the start of talks to end the war in U...

January 23, 2025 11:52 AM

US sanctions on Russia to have minimal impact on India’s energy supply: IOC Chairman

The recent sanctions imposed by the United States on Russia, coupled with warnings of further punitive measures by the new Trump administration, are expected to have limited impact on India's energy security, according to Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) Chairman Arvinder Singh Sahney. Speaking from Davos, Sahney emphasized that India has diversified its energy sources and is well-prepared to navigate any disruptions. “It is not a very difficult thing to handle because it has a very limited effec...

January 23, 2025 12:21 PM

Trump threatens Russia, others with tariffs if Ukraine deal not reached

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he would add new tariffs to his sanctions threat against Russia if the country does not make a deal to end its war in Ukraine, and added that these could also be applied to "other participating countries." In a post on Truth Social, Trump modified comments he made on Tuesday that he would likely impose sanctions against Russia if President Vladimir Putin refused to negotiate an end to the nearly three-year conflict. "If we don't make a 'deal,' ...

January 20, 2025 7:08 PM

What Trump’s presidency could mean for Russia’s rouble

With Donald Trump's pledge to quickly end the war between Ukraine and Russia, market players are starting to look at what impact that could have on the rouble, which became an outcast following sanctions. HOW HAS THE ROUBLE FARED IN RECENT MONTHS? The rouble started the year slumping to its weakest mark since March 2022 but has strengthened by about 10% since, becoming the best performing currency across emerging markets in 2025. Despite U.S. energy sanctions imposed on Jan. 10, the currency ...

January 9, 2025 10:47 PM

Kremlin, on Trump remarks on Greenland and Canada, says Russia has Arctic interests

The Kremlin on Thursday said that Russia had strategic national interests in the Arctic when asked to comment on U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's remarks about acquiring Greenland, absorbing Canada and taking control of the Panama Canal. Trump, who takes office on Jan. 20, has refused to rule out using military or economic action to pursue acquisition of the Panama Canal and Greenland, part of a broader expansionist agenda he has promoted since winning the Nov. 5 election. Trump has also fl...

January 7, 2025 10:54 AM

Battle rages in western Russia as Moscow reports gains in Ukraine

Russia said on Monday its forces had made important gains in eastern Ukraine while continuing to fend off a new Ukrainian offensive inside the Kursk region of western Russia, where a second day of fierce fighting was under way. The Russian defence ministry said its forces had captured the town of Kurakhove, 32 km (20 miles) south of Pokrovsk, a Ukrainian logistics hub toward which Russian forces have been advancing for months. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Moscow had suffered bi...