U.S. and Russian officials concluded more than four hours of talks in Riyadh on Tuesday in their first high-level discussion aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. The meeting, closely watched by Kyiv and its European allies, saw Moscow introduce a significant new demand.
Russian negotiator Yuri Ushakov told Interfax that the talks went well and included discussions on conditions for a future meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. However, Ushakov noted that a summit was unlikely to take place as early as next week.
During the session, Russia signalled a hardening of its position. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated from Moscow that preventing Ukraine’s NATO membership is not sufficient. “It is not enough for NATO not to admit Ukraine as a member,” she said, insisting that the alliance must also disavow its 2008 promise at the Bucharest summit that Kyiv would eventually join NATO. Zakharova warned that failing to address this issue could continue to “poison the atmosphere on the European continent.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has consistently argued that NATO membership is essential to secure Kyiv's sovereignty and independence. Meanwhile, European leaders expressed concern that a rushed deal between the United States and Russia might ignore Ukraine’s security interests, reward Russia for its military actions, and leave Moscow with greater leverage in the region.
Critics have pointed out that President Trump’s team appears to have already ruled out NATO membership for Ukraine and questioned the feasibility of Kyiv regaining all of its lost territory. U.S. officials, however, maintain that their position is a realistic acknowledgment of current circumstances.
As talks continue to evolve, Ukrainian officials have reiterated that no agreement can be reached on their behalf without Ukraine’s direct involvement. The international community now awaits further developments as diplomatic efforts to halt the conflict advance.
The Trump administration may roll out a $1,000 fee to fast-track visa interviews, raising legal concerns from within the State Department.
A U.S. federal judge ruled Wednesday that hundreds of Venezuelans deported to El Salvador under an 18th-century wartime law must be granted the right to challenge their detention—dealing a blow to the Trump administration’s controversial immigration crackdown.
A U.S. district judge has temporarily blocked the deportation of the wife and five children of the suspect in a recent firebombing attack in Boulder, Colorado, citing concerns over due process and potential irreparable harm.
Wall Street closed mostly flat on Thursday as investors weighed renewed trade dialogue between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping against a batch of disappointing economic data, just ahead of a closely watched U.S. jobs report due Friday.
The Congressional Budget Office says Trump’s tax-slash megabill will balloon the federal deficit by $2.4 trillion over 10 years—and leave nearly 11 million more Americans without health insurance, largely due to cuts in Medicaid and tighter eligibility rules.
Albania’s Parliament has approved a bilateral agreement to enhance security cooperation and provide long-term support to Ukraine, marking a new phase in Tirana’s alignment with Kyiv amid ongoing regional instability.
In a sweeping new proclamation issued late Wednesday night, President Donald Trump has announced an immediate ban on the enrollment of new Chinese and other foreign students at Harvard University.
In a rare direct call, U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping addressed escalating trade tensions and a critical minerals dispute that threatens global supply chains. The hour-long conversation, which touched on tariffs, rare earth exports.
In a grey government building near Tiananmen Square, a small team within China’s Ministry of Commerce is quietly shaping the future of the global auto, aerospace, and tech industries—one export permit at a time. With rare earth magnets now under strict export control.
Armenia's unchecked mining pollution poses a severe environmental crisis, imperilling water resources and health across the South Caucasus, including Azerbaijan. Heavy metal contamination in shared rivers threatens ecosystems and human well-being, demanding urgent international action.
As peace talks progress, voices from Yerevan, Tbilisi, and Baku reveal hopes, concerns, and expectations for a future shaped by trade, trust, and generational change in the South Caucasus.
A bridge collapse in the Vygonichsky district of Russia’s Bryansk region, near the Ukrainian border, caused a train derailment and a traffic accident early Sunday, killing at least seven people and leaving 30 injured, according to emergency services.
Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) has confirmed it carried out a third targeted attack against the Crimean Bridge, also known as the Kerch Bridge, early Tuesday morning, marking a new escalation in the ongoing conflict with Russia.
A strong 6.3 magnitude earthquake shook Japan’s Hokkaido prefecture early Monday, causing no reported injuries or damage, and no tsunami warning was issued, officials confirmed.
Federal authorities have arrested 14 suspects in Los Angeles linked to an Armenian organized crime ring accused of stealing $30 million in COVID relief and Small Business loans intended to support American taxpayers.
Albania’s Parliament has approved a bilateral agreement to enhance security cooperation and provide long-term support to Ukraine, marking a new phase in Tirana’s alignment with Kyiv amid ongoing regional instability.
In a sweeping new proclamation issued late Wednesday night, President Donald Trump has announced an immediate ban on the enrollment of new Chinese and other foreign students at Harvard University.
In a rare direct call, U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping addressed escalating trade tensions and a critical minerals dispute that threatens global supply chains. The hour-long conversation, which touched on tariffs, rare earth exports.
In a grey government building near Tiananmen Square, a small team within China’s Ministry of Commerce is quietly shaping the future of the global auto, aerospace, and tech industries—one export permit at a time. With rare earth magnets now under strict export control.
President Donald Trump announced a "very good" phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping, centred on the recently finalised trade deal and rare earth product agreements. Both leaders expressed optimism, and high-level delegations are set to meet soon.
Albania’s Parliament has approved a bilateral agreement to enhance security cooperation and provide long-term support to Ukraine, marking a new phase in Tirana’s alignment with Kyiv amid ongoing regional instability.
In a sweeping new proclamation issued late Wednesday night, President Donald Trump has announced an immediate ban on the enrollment of new Chinese and other foreign students at Harvard University.
In a rare direct call, U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping addressed escalating trade tensions and a critical minerals dispute that threatens global supply chains. The hour-long conversation, which touched on tariffs, rare earth exports.
In a grey government building near Tiananmen Square, a small team within China’s Ministry of Commerce is quietly shaping the future of the global auto, aerospace, and tech industries—one export permit at a time. With rare earth magnets now under strict export control.
Armenia's unchecked mining pollution poses a severe environmental crisis, imperilling water resources and health across the South Caucasus, including Azerbaijan. Heavy metal contamination in shared rivers threatens ecosystems and human well-being, demanding urgent international action.
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