Washington and Kyiv are holding fast to separate assumptions about the prospect of ending the ongoing war — but both could be wrong.

President Trump jabs at the Russian leader with threats; Vladimir Putin responds with flattery. But there are notable signals in their jousting, including a revived discussion about nuclear arms control.

Since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia’s economy has surpassed expectations. But some experts say this image of resilience is a mirage crafted by the Kremlin.

Belarusian leader and Russian ally Alexander Lukashenko extended his 31-year rule on Monday after electoral officials declared him the winner of a presidential election that Western governments rejected as a sham.

BRUSSELS — For years, Germany and its austerity-loving allies were Europe’s fiscal buzzkills. Their motto was simple: No joint debt, no budgetary free-for-alls and absolutely no blank checks for Brussels.

Vladimir Putin has gone from being a lieutenant colonel in the KGB to the president of Russia, but besides the fact that he is one of the longest-serving European leaders, there isn't much that is known about the Russian politician.

The Siberian city has a population of approximately 1.6 million people and is the third largest in Russia. It has been beset by frequent problems with its utilities, including heating and power outages, leaving residents shivering in the freezing cold over the winter.

The Kremlin says a settlement in Ukraine can't be facilitated by a drop in global oil prices as U.S. President Donald Trump has suggested.

Any conversation between the two would mark the first time a sitting U.S. president and Putin have spoken since the war in Ukraine began, although former President Joe Biden held phone calls with Putin multiple times in the leadup to Moscow's invasion to urge Putin against it.

"As the risk of a financial crash rises, Russia’s imperiled economy is about to pose serious constraints on Putin’s war."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Monday that the rigours of nearly three years of war did not allow for changes in mobilisation rules because if soldiers left for home en masse, Russian President Vladimir Putin "will kill us all".