All posts tagged: Russia

Trump says Ukraine peace deal could restore U.S.-Russia ties: Kremlin

Trump says Ukraine peace deal could restore U.S.-Russia ties: Kremlin

Published by Sam Flores

U.S. President Donald Trump (R) walks with Russian President Vladimir Putin as they arrives at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson on August 15, 2025 in Anchorage, Alaska. Andrew Harnik | Getty Images News | Getty Images U.S. President Donald Trump told Russian President Vladimir Putin that a swift resolution to the Ukraine war could pave the way for the countries to fully restore trade and economic ties, according to a Kremlin readout of a call between the two leaders. Trump and Putin were said to have exchanged views on the results of the recent visits to Moscow and Kyiv by U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who have sought to revive stalled diplomatic talks to bring an end to the conflict. Russia has resumed air attacks on major Ukrainian cities after a brief pause for the visit of U.S. peace negotiators over the weekend. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Wednesday that there has been “too little response” from the international community to the latest deadly strikes. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said Trump and Putin spoke to …

In maps and charts: Russian and Ukrainian attacks on civilian targets | Russia-Ukraine war News

In maps and charts: Russian and Ukrainian attacks on civilian targets | Russia-Ukraine war News

Published by Sam Flores

Russia and Ukraine paused strikes on each other’s capitals over the weekend to allow United States President Donald Trump’s envoys to visit Moscow and make their first trip to Kyiv since the war began, as Washington attempts to revive talks that have been stalled since February. The trip by Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner comes after a Russian air campaign battered Kyiv for 10 consecutive days, killing at least 53 people. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the war will likely continue into winter, with no breakthrough announced after the talks. As the war grinds on through its fifth year, Al Jazeera visualises how each side has come to rely on drones over artillery, with attacks reaching further and further beyond the front line and civilian infrastructure and cities increasingly caught in the crossfire. Attacks on civilian infrastructure more than doubled The war, which began with the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, has seen both sides increasingly targeting civilian infrastructure. According to an analysis by Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED), Russian forces …

Missiles or mediation? Trump envoys shuttle between Russia and Ukraine – The Debate

Missiles or mediation? Trump envoys shuttle between Russia and Ukraine – The Debate

Published by Sam Flores

Exactly two months ago, Ukraine’s momentum was all the talk at a Nato summit in Turkey. What with its long-range drones and Donald Trump’s surprise announcement that the US would allow Kyiv to produce Patriot anti-ballistic missiles on home soil. That was then. This is now: Trump’s deal’s yet to materialize, Russia’s ramped up cruise missile launches and Ukraine’s run out of air defenses to stop them. Moscow’s also failing to stop incoming missiles. What happens in war when for both sides, offense proves better than defense? Could this lose-lose situation make mediation efforts like the one undertaken in the past days by Donald Trump’s emissaries more relevant? We’ll ask what it will take for Ukraine and Russia to get serious about a lasting settlement, Russia which still calls it a special military operation. Moscow must looking beyond the battlefield… to the momentum enjoyed by Putin-friendly populists in France and Germany to the US midterms and to Nato’s resolve. On that score, we’ll ask about Berlin’s calibrated response to a drone attack at Leipzig Airport. …

NATO scrambles war planes during ferocious Russian attack as WW3 fears explode | World | News

NATO scrambles war planes during ferocious Russian attack as WW3 fears explode | World | News

Published by Sam Flores

NATO war planes were forced to scramble overnight as Russia hit Kyiv with brutal missile and drone strikes. At least two people were killed and seven wounded, signalling the end of a three-day ceasefire coinciding with US peace negotiators visiting Kyiv. Russia staged new strikes involving drones, followed by fearsome Tu-95MS and Tu-160 strategic bombers, which targeted civilians. The upper floors of a 26-storey tower block in Holosiivskyi district were hit, and ten residents were trapped in a five-story building in Solomianskyi. A major fire also ignited at the Tetra Pak multinational food packaging and processing factory in northern Kyiv following overnight Russian Iskander-M/Kn-23 ballistic missile strikes. Mr Zelensky said: “The attack was complex, and the Russians deliberately planned it to cause as much damage as possible to people’s lives, using ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, anti-ship missiles, and Shahed drones. “There is significant damage to residential buildings and other civilian infrastructure in the capital.” The Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces said: “Due to the activity of long-range Russian air forces conducting strikes on …

Russia and North Korea open the first road across their shared border : NPR

Russia and North Korea open the first road across their shared border : NPR

Published by Sam Flores

In this photo released by the Government of Primorsky Krai Region on Monday, Sept. 7, 2026, vehicles drive across the new bridge between Russia and North Korea named after the Soviet officer Yakov Novichenko, who is credited with saving North Korea’s founding leader, Kim Il-sung, over the Tumannaya River in Primorsky Krai Region of Russia. Dmitry Ignatenko/Government of Primorsky Krai Reg/via AP hide caption toggle caption Dmitry Ignatenko/Government of Primorsky Krai Reg/via AP Russia and North Korea opened the first road bridge across their shared border Monday, a development that both countries hailed as boosting their deepening ties. The bridge over the Tumen River is 1 kilometer (0.6 mile) long and has two lanes and will allow up to 300 vehicles a day to pass through a newly built border crossing point, the Russian government said in a statement. The bridge links North Korea’s Rason and Russia’s Khasan, border cities of the two countries. The bridge’s inauguration ceremony took place simultaneously in the two cities, with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and North Korean Premier …

U.S. envoys make first Kyiv visit amid Ukraine war peace push

U.S. envoys make first Kyiv visit amid Ukraine war peace push

Published by Sam Flores

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky (L) welcomes US Special Envoys Steve Witkoff (R) and Jared Kushner (C) prior to their talks in Kyiv on September 6, 2026, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Photo by Genya Savilov / AFP via Getty Images) Genya Savilov | Afp | Getty Images U.S. peace envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Sunday as the Trump administration renewed its push to end Russia’s four-and-a-half-year war in Ukraine. Kushner and Witkoff traveled from Moscow, where they held three hours of talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday but did not appear to secure a breakthrough. Previous rounds of U.S.-mediated peace talks encouraged by President Donald Trump, who campaigned on a promise to quickly end the war, have yielded few results. He suggested on Friday that the U.S. had a fresh proposal, though he did not elaborate. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov described Saturday’s meeting as “highly useful,” while a White House official told Reuters that next steps would be announced in the coming …

After meeting with US envoys in Kyiv, Zelensky says war likely to ‘continue in winter’

After meeting with US envoys in Kyiv, Zelensky says war likely to ‘continue in winter’

Published by Sam Flores

06/09/2026 – 23:52 US envoys have left Kyiv after talks with Zelensky US President Donald Trump’s two envoys have left Kyiv after talks with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, the country’s rail service operator said Monday. “We sent off Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner’s special train,” Ukrainian Railways said in a post on Telegram. 06/09/2026 – 21:02 Zelensky holding more talks with Witkoff, Kushner over ‘more effective’ proposals US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff brought new, possibly more workable proposals on ending the war with Russia to Kyiv and President Volodymyr Zelensky is holding another meeting with them in a trio format, a senior Ukrainian presidential official said. “It’s not the same as it was before. This one now is more effective,” the source said, adding: “They’re still talking. This is actually the most important part. There are three of them now.”  06/09/2026 – 20:45 Zelensky thanks US envoys for Kyiv visit 06/09/2026 – 19:53 Video: ‘Cordial’ meeting with US envoys, but Zelensky ‘talking as though war will continue’ The meetings between Donald Trump’s special …

Kremlin says Ukraine talks with U.S. envoys were useful

Kremlin says Ukraine talks with U.S. envoys were useful

Published by Sam Flores

In this pool photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin (R) welcomes US special envoy Steve Witkoff (2nd L) and US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner (L) prior to their talks in Moscow on September 5, 2026. (Photo by Gavriil GRIGOROV / POOL / AFP via Getty Images) / *** Editor’s note: This image is distributed by the Russian state owned agency Sputnik *** Gavriil Grigorov | Afp | Getty Images Russian President Vladimir Putin held more than three hours of “highly useful” talks on Saturday with two U.S. envoys seeking a deal to end the Ukraine war, a Kremlin aide said, but he gave no indication of any breakthrough. The aide, Yuri Ushakov, said Americans Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner “outlined a number of ideas regarding possible avenues for a settlement”. Ushakov did not say what these ideas were. He said Putin had told the pair that Russia was making “real progress” on the battlefield and was confident of achieving its goals, while stressing the necessity of addressing “all the …

Russia burns as oil refinery on fire after drone attack and explosions heard in major city | World | News

Russia burns as oil refinery on fire after drone attack and explosions heard in major city | World | News

Published by Sam Flores

A huge fire erupted overnight at the oil refinery in Ryazan, as reports of drone strikes emerged across Russia overnight. Residents reported hearing explosions as a fire broke out at one of Russia’s largest oil-processing facilities following an attack that Ryazan Region Governor Pavel Malkov attributed to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Malkov said: “Debris caused a fire at one of the facilities; preliminarily, there are no casualties. Emergency services are on the scene.” The facility is of critical strategic importance to Russia, with the capacity to process 17 million tonnes of oil annually, accounting for approximately 4.9% of the country’s total oil refining capacity. Following the strikes numerous operations at the facility were suspended. The facility has been repeatedly hit by Ukrainian strikes and drone attacks, including in May, July and September 2026. Earlier attacks caused significant damage to processing units, forcing prolonged shutdowns of both primary and secondary refining operations and triggering fires across the plant. Explosions were also recorded in Rostov-on-Don is a city in southern Russia where eyewitnesses say drones circled for …