https://www.scmp.com/rss/524524/feed The latest news and top stories on Dmitry Peskov, a seasoned Russian diplomat and the long-serving Press Secretary for President Vladimir Putin, a role he has held since 2012. He graduated from Moscow State University with a specialisation in History and Eastern studies, beginning his career in the Soviet Foreign Ministry and serving in diplomatic posts in Turkey. Peskov joined the Russian presidential press service in 2000, steadily rising to become a key figure in Kremlin communications. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Reuters Reuters Russia said on Monday that an oil tanker carrying ‌100,000 tonnes of crude oil had arrived in Cuba and that Moscow would stand by its friends by working on further supplies despite a US blockade of the Communist-run island. The US cut off Venezuela’s oil exports to Cuba after toppling Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on January 3, and US President Donald Trump threatened to slap punishing ⁠tariffs on any other country that sent crude to Cuba. But Trump on Sunday signalled he ‌was reversing... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3348420/russian-oil-tanker-arrives-cuba-moscow-vows-stand-havana?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3348420/russian-oil-tanker-arrives-cuba-moscow-vows-stand-havana?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 10:58:32 +0000 Reuters Reuters Peace talks between the United States, Russia and Ukraine on ending the Ukraine war, the deadliest European conflict since World War II, were on a “situational pause”, the Kremlin said on Thursday. Moscow’s statement followed a report by Russia’s Izvestia newspaper that the Iran war had temporarily ‌halted negotiations between ⁠Moscow, ⁠Washington and Kyiv. Kremlin ‌spokesman Dmitry Peskov said ‌Russia hoped ‌the ‌pause would end and ⁠another round of ⁠negotiations can be held. US President... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3347151/russian-report-says-ukraine-peace-talks-paused-amid-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3347151/russian-report-says-ukraine-peace-talks-paused-amid-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Mar 2026 08:27:27 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Russia has provided Iran with information that could help Tehran strike American warships, aircraft and other assets in the region, according to two officials familiar with US intelligence on the matter. The officials, who were not authorised to comment publicly on the sensitive matter and spoke on the condition of anonymity, cautioned that US intelligence has not uncovered that Russia is directing Iran on what to do with the information as the US and Israel continue their bombardment and Iran... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3345785/us-says-russian-intelligence-iran-not-making-any-difference-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3345785/us-says-russian-intelligence-iran-not-making-any-difference-war?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Mar 2026 02:05:07 +0000 Reuters Reuters Negotiators from Ukraine and Russia met for the first of two days of US-mediated peace talks in Geneva on Tuesday, with US President Donald Trump pressing Kyiv to act fast to reach a deal. Trump is urging Moscow and Kyiv to reach a deal to end Europe’s biggest war since 1945, though Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has complained that his country is facing the greatest pressure to make concessions. Ukraine’s lead negotiator Rustem Umerov said ahead of the talks that the two sides would... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3343847/ukraine-and-russia-meet-geneva-trump-piles-new-pressure-kyiv?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3343847/ukraine-and-russia-meet-geneva-trump-piles-new-pressure-kyiv?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Feb 2026 18:30:01 +0000 Reuters Reuters Russia launched a barrage of ballistic missiles and drones at Ukrainian cities in overnight attacks, officials reported on Thursday as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Moscow was “hesitating” about another round of US-brokered talks on stopping the fighting. Washington has proposed further negotiations next week between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Miami or Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates, which was the location of the last meeting, Zelensky said late on... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3343358/russia-launches-missile-drone-barrage-ukraine-peace-talks-stall?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3343358/russia-launches-missile-drone-barrage-ukraine-peace-talks-stall?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Feb 2026 12:29:18 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin The balance of power in the Russia-China relationship has evolved to the point that Beijing is now the dominant partner and the primary threat to the United States, according to US Congressman Pat Fallon. Speaking at the Hudson Institute during a discussion about the first year of US President Donald Trump’s foreign policy, Fallon said while Russia and China have long had a strategic partnership, the world has now “seen that senior partnership shift”. “It was clearly the Soviets. Now it’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343120/beijing-dominant-partner-russia-china-relationship-us-congressman-fallon-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343120/beijing-dominant-partner-russia-china-relationship-us-congressman-fallon-says?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 23:37:40 +0000 Junaid Kathju Junaid Kathju The United States’ latest trade deal with India may be linked to a freeze on discounted Russian oil purchases, but analysts say it is unlikely to upset New Delhi’s decades-old defence ties with Moscow. Announcing the agreement last week, US President Donald Trump said tariffs on India imports would be cut from 18 to 50 per cent, tying the reduction to India halting its intake of Russian crude. “India has committed to stop directly or indirectly importing Russian Federation oil,” Trump said in an... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3342912/why-us-tariff-deal-cannot-sever-india-russia-defence-ties-structural-reality?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3342912/why-us-tariff-deal-cannot-sever-india-russia-defence-ties-structural-reality?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Feb 2026 08:30:16 +0000 Reuters Reuters Ukrainian and Russian officials wrapped up a “productive” first day of ‌new US-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi, Kyiv’s lead negotiator said on Wednesday, as fighting in Europe’s biggest conflict since World War II raged on. The ‍two-day trilateral meetings come after Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia had exploited a US-backed energy truce last week to stockpile munitions, attacking Ukraine with a record number of ballistic missiles on Tuesday. “The work was substantive and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3342428/ukraine-and-russia-wrap-productive-first-day-us-backed-peace-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3342428/ukraine-and-russia-wrap-productive-first-day-us-backed-peace-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Feb 2026 17:24:41 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Syria’s interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa visited Moscow on Wednesday for the second time in less than four months, and Russian President Vladimir Putin emphasised his readiness to help the country rebuild its war-battered economy. “I know that there is a lot that’s necessary to restore in Syria, and our economic operators, including the construction sector, are ready for this joint work,” Putin said. The talks also were expected to focus on the future of Russian military bases in Syria, a key... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3341631/syrian-leader-meets-putin-moscow-russian-military-bases-agenda?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3341631/syrian-leader-meets-putin-moscow-russian-military-bases-agenda?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Jan 2026 04:32:32 +0000 Reuters Reuters Ukraine and Russia ended a second day of ‍US-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi on Saturday without a deal but with more talks expected next weekend, even as overnight Russian air strikes knocked out power for over a million Ukrainians amid sub-zero winter cold. Statements after the conclusion of the talks did not indicate that any agreements had been reached, but Moscow and Kyiv both said they were open to further dialogue. “The central focus of the discussions was the possible parameters for ending... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3341133/us-brokered-ukraine-peace-talks-end-no-deal-russian-strikes-continue?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3341133/us-brokered-ukraine-peace-talks-end-no-deal-russian-strikes-continue?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 Jan 2026 20:31:03 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Russian attacks on Ukraine killed at least one person and wounded 31 overnight into Saturday as negotiators from Ukraine, Russia and the United States were to meet in the United Arab Emirates for a second day of talks to end Russia’s nearly four-year full-scale invasion. One person died and four were wounded in drone attacks on the capital, Kyiv, according to Kyiv City Military Administration head Tymur Tkachenko. In Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, drone attacks wounded 27 people, said... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3341083/russian-air-attack-kills-1-injures-15-ukraine-while-negotiators-discuss-ending-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3341083/russian-air-attack-kills-1-injures-15-ukraine-while-negotiators-discuss-ending-war?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 Jan 2026 03:03:17 +0000 Reuters Reuters Ukrainian and Russian negotiators met ‌in Abu Dhabi on Friday to tackle the vital issue of territory, with no sign of a compromise, as Russian air strikes plunged Ukraine into its worst ‍energy crisis of the nearly four-year war. Kyiv is under mounting US pressure to reach a peace deal in the war triggered by Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, with Moscow demanding Kyiv cede its entire eastern industrial area of Donbas before it stops fighting. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3341073/russia-and-ukraine-sit-tense-talks-thorny-territorial-issue?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3341073/russia-and-ukraine-sit-tense-talks-thorny-territorial-issue?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Jan 2026 22:02:10 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the settlement in Ukraine with US President Donald Trump’s envoys during marathon overnight talks, and the Kremlin insisted that the territorial issue needs to be resolved to reach a peace deal. The Kremlin meeting, which lasted past 3am on Friday, came hours after Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky sharply criticised his European allies on Thursday for what he cast as their slow and fragmented response to Russia’s nearly four-year full-scale... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3340936/putin-meets-us-envoys-midnight-talks-ukraine-settlement-hinges-key-issue?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3340936/putin-meets-us-envoys-midnight-talks-ukraine-settlement-hinges-key-issue?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Jan 2026 04:45:09 +0000 Reuters Reuters Russia is watching with glee as US ‌President Donald Trump’s drive to acquire Greenland widens splits with Europe even though his moves could have serious security ramifications for Moscow, which covets its ‍own presence in the Arctic. The Kremlin said Trump would go down in history if he took control of Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory. President Vladimir Putin’s special envoy Kirill Dmitriev hailed the “collapse of the transatlantic union”. Former President Dmitry Medvedev joked about... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3340555/russia-cheers-trump-greenland-rift-while-fearing-arctic-risks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3340555/russia-cheers-trump-greenland-rift-while-fearing-arctic-risks?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Jan 2026 09:30:04 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Russian President Vladimir Putin has been invited to join US President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace” aimed at resolving conflicts globally and overseeing governance and reconstruction in Gaza, the Kremlin said on Monday. Moscow for years tried to balance relations with all major players in the Middle East – including Israel and the Palestinians. But since the Israel-Gaza war and Russia’s assault on Ukraine, Putin has moved away from Israel, boosting ties with its foes like Iran. Moscow has... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3340456/putin-invited-trumps-board-peace-gaza-and-global-conflict-kremlin-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3340456/putin-invited-trumps-board-peace-gaza-and-global-conflict-kremlin-says?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Jan 2026 12:31:45 +0000 Reuters Reuters President Vladimir Putin is mediating in the Iran situation ‍to try to quickly de-escalate tensions, the Kremlin said on Friday, after the Russian leader spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. Moscow, an ally of Tehran, has condemned US President Donald Trump’s threats of new military strikes after Iran cracked down on protests that broke out late last month. Israel and the US last ⁠year both bombed Iranian nuclear sites, and Iran fought a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3340197/putin-offers-moscow-mediator-iran-crisis-amid-tensions-israel-trump-threat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3340197/putin-offers-moscow-mediator-iran-crisis-amid-tensions-israel-trump-threat?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Jan 2026 11:45:36 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The Kremlin said on Thursday that Ukraine was running out of options to strike a deal to end almost four years of war with Russia, as thousands were without heating in Kyiv in -12 degrees Celsius (10 degrees Fahrenheit) temperatures following waves of Russian strikes on the country’s energy grid. Moscow has not backed down from its intention to seize the rest of east Ukraine as the fourth anniversary of its offensive – Europe’s worst war since World War II – looms. “The situation is... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3340046/kremlin-warns-ukraine-running-out-time-accept-peace-terms-winter-crisis-deepens?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3340046/kremlin-warns-ukraine-running-out-time-accept-peace-terms-winter-crisis-deepens?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Jan 2026 12:41:49 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday he will meet US President Donald Trump in Florida over the weekend. Zelensky told journalists the two leaders will discuss security guarantees for Ukraine during Sunday’s talks, and that the 20-point plan under discussion “is about 90 per cent ready”. An “economic agreement” also will be discussed, Zelensky said, but he was unable to confirm “whether anything will be finalised by the end”. The Ukrainian side will also raise “territorial... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3337849/zelensky-meet-trump-florida-discuss-90-ready-russia-peace-plan-ukraine-security?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3337849/zelensky-meet-trump-florida-discuss-90-ready-russia-peace-plan-ukraine-security?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Dec 2025 14:21:22 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Inside an abandoned control room at Ukraine’s Chernobyl nuclear power plant, a worker in an orange hard hat gazed at a grey wall of seemingly endless dials, screens and gauges that were supposed to prevent disaster. The 1986 meltdown at the site was the world’s worst ever nuclear incident. Since Russia invaded in 2022, Kyiv fears another disaster could be just a matter of time. In February, a Russian drone hit and left a large hole in the New Safe Confinement (NSC), the outer of two radiation... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3337774/inside-chernobyl-ukraine-races-repair-radiation-shield-war-drags?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3337774/inside-chernobyl-ukraine-races-repair-radiation-shield-war-drags?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Dec 2025 04:50:42 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Moscow has made an offer to Paris regarding jailed French researcher Laurent Vinatier, who is facing espionage charges that could see him sentenced to 20 years in a Russian prison, the Kremlin said on Thursday. The surprise public overture comes as both Russia and France have expressed interest in possible talks between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Emmanuel Macron. Vinatier, who works for a Swiss conflict mediation NGO and was jailed in June 2024, is serving a three-year sentence for failing to... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3337745/russia-makes-proposal-france-over-jailed-ngo-researcher-vinatier?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3337745/russia-makes-proposal-france-over-jailed-ngo-researcher-vinatier?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Dec 2025 15:37:34 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US and Ukrainian envoys issued a joint statement on Sunday that hailed “productive and constructive” talks in Miami but did not announce any apparent breakthrough in efforts to end the war with Russia. Top representatives from both Ukraine and Russia, as well as Kyiv’s European allies, have been in southern Florida over the past several days for a series of separate talks hosted by US President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff. The meetings were the latest in a weeks-long diplomatic... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3337262/no-ukraine-ceasefire-breakthrough-despite-productive-and-constructive-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3337262/no-ukraine-ceasefire-breakthrough-despite-productive-and-constructive-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Dec 2025 03:30:27 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Vladimir Putin is ready to talk to France’s Emmanuel Macron over the war in Ukraine, the Russian president’s spokesman said in an interview published on Sunday. Putin has “expressed readiness to engage in dialogue with Macron”, Dmitry Peskov told state news agency RIA Novosti. “Therefore, if there is mutual political will, then this can only be assessed positively.” Macron said this week he believed Europe should reach back out to Putin over ending the war. “I believe that it’s in our interest... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3337214/russia-says-putin-open-ukraine-war-talks-frances-macron?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3337214/russia-says-putin-open-ukraine-war-talks-frances-macron?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Dec 2025 05:20:05 +0000 dpa dpa Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed confidence in victory for his war in Ukraine during a meeting with senior military officials on Wednesday amid a renewed diplomatic push to achieve a peaceful solution to the conflict. He said that more than 300 localities in the neighbouring country have been conquered this year alone. “Among them are also large cities that have been turned by the enemy into fortress nodes with permanent defensive installations,” Putin said. The Russian president said... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3336865/putin-vows-victory-ukraine-us-and-russia-prepare-miami-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3336865/putin-vows-victory-ukraine-us-and-russia-prepare-miami-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Dec 2025 05:10:15 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Top European officials including President Volodymyr Zelensky agreed on Tuesday to set up an international body to decide on tens of billions of euros of eventual reparations to compensate Ukraine over Russia’s invasion. The International Claims Commission for Ukraine, signed by 35 countries, will assess and decide on claims for reparations, including any amount to be paid out. The commission’s establishment follows the setting up of a so-called “Register of Damages”, which has already received... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3336674/zelensky-demands-justice-35-nations-back-ukraine-reparations-fund-will-russia-pay?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3336674/zelensky-demands-justice-35-nations-back-ukraine-reparations-fund-will-russia-pay?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Dec 2025 13:39:17 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The United States has agreed to provide unspecified security guarantees to Ukraine as part of a peace deal to end Russia’s nearly four-year war, and more talks were likely this weekend, US officials said on Monday following the latest discussions with President Volodymyr Zelensky in Berlin. The officials said talks with President Donald Trump’s envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, led to narrowing differences on security guarantees that Kyiv said must be provided, as well as on Moscow’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3336549/us-officials-say-washington-has-agreed-give-ukraine-security-guarantees-peace-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3336549/us-officials-say-washington-has-agreed-give-ukraine-security-guarantees-peace-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Dec 2025 21:18:02 +0000 Reuters Reuters The path ahead for Ukraine peace talks is unclear, US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday, after what he called “reasonably good” talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US envoys. The Kremlin said on Wednesday that Putin accepted some US proposals aimed at ending the war in Ukraine and was prepared to keep working to find a compromise. US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner spent hours at the Kremlin, departing in the early hours of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3335122/trump-says-next-steps-ukraine-talks-unclear-after-putin-meeting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3335122/trump-says-next-steps-ukraine-talks-unclear-after-putin-meeting?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Dec 2025 23:53:19 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press European officials said on Monday they were comforted by the outcome of discussions on US peace proposals for Ukraine that they had viewed as tilted in Russia’s favour, but they didn’t disclose details of the weekend talks and warned of a long road to peace. “The negotiations were a step forward, but there are still major issues which remain to be resolved,” Finnish President Alexander Stubb wrote on social media about Sunday’s meeting in Switzerland between US and Ukrainian officials. US... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3333999/europe-demands-rework-us-peace-deal-russia-ukraine-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3333999/europe-demands-rework-us-peace-deal-russia-ukraine-war?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Nov 2025 16:00:12 +0000 Reuters Reuters President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday that Ukraine faced losing its dignity and freedom or Washington’s support over a US peace plan that endorses key Russian demands and which Donald Trump said Kyiv should agree to by Thursday. The US president told Fox News Radio he believed next Thursday was an appropriate deadline for Kyiv to accept the plan. In a solemn address to the nation which he delivered in the street outside his office, a location he uses only rarely for major addresses,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3333762/trump-wants-ukraine-accept-peace-deal-russia-thursday?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3333762/trump-wants-ukraine-accept-peace-deal-russia-thursday?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Nov 2025 17:53:59 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Ukraine is working to resume prisoner exchanges with Russia that could bring home 1,200 Ukrainian prisoners, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday, a day after his national security chief announced progress in negotiations. “We are … counting on the resumption of POW exchanges,” Zelensky wrote on social media. “Many meetings, negotiations and calls are currently taking place to ensure this.” Rustem Umerov, Secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council, said on Saturday he held... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3332980/ukraine-seeks-bring-home-1200-prisoners-russia-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3332980/ukraine-seeks-bring-home-1200-prisoners-russia-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Nov 2025 09:02:02 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Russia targeted Ukraine’s capital with drones, killing three people in their homes, authorities said early on Sunday. At least 29 people were wounded, seven of them children, in the second consecutive nighttime attack on Kyiv to claim civilian lives. Ukraine’s Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said a 19-year-old woman and her 46-year-old mother were among the dead. Russian drones caused fires in two residential buildings in the capital’s Desniansky district. Emergency crews evacuated civilians... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3330401/3-dead-29-wounded-russia-targets-kyiv-drone-strikes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3330401/3-dead-29-wounded-russia-targets-kyiv-drone-strikes?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Oct 2025 17:15:59 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg European nations are working with Ukraine on a 12-point proposal to end Russia’s war along current battle lines, pushing back against Vladimir Putin’s renewed demands to the US for Kyiv to surrender territory in return for a peace deal. A peace board chaired by US President Donald Trump would oversee implementation of the proposed plan, according to people familiar with the matter. Once Russia follows Ukraine in agreeing to a ceasefire and both sides commit to halting territorial advances, the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3329850/europe-and-ukraine-prepare-12-point-plan-end-war-including-peace-board-headed-trump?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3329850/europe-and-ukraine-prepare-12-point-plan-end-war-including-peace-board-headed-trump?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Oct 2025 16:55:01 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Russia attacked Ukraine’s power grid overnight into Sunday, part of a continuing campaign to cripple Ukrainian energy infrastructure before winter. This came as Moscow expressed “extreme concern” over the United States potentially providing Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine. Kyiv regional Governor Mykola Kalashnyk said two employees of Ukraine’s largest private energy company, DTEK, were wounded in Russian strikes on a substation in the region. Ukraine’s Energy Ministry said energy... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3328716/russian-attacks-ukraines-power-grid-intensify-winter-approaches?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3328716/russian-attacks-ukraines-power-grid-intensify-winter-approaches?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Oct 2025 13:35:12 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to visit India in December, a trip that could test New Delhi’s delicate balancing act between Moscow and Washington amid escalating pressure from the United States over oil and weapons purchases from the sanctioned country. Analysts say the visit is likely to deepen India’s defiance of Western demands as it strengthens energy and defence ties with Russia. But it could also complicate Delhi’s strategic ambitions – including a potential trade deal with... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3327828/putins-visit-test-india-us-sticky-ties-amid-pressure-over-oil-weapons-trade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3327828/putins-visit-test-india-us-sticky-ties-amid-pressure-over-oil-weapons-trade?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Oct 2025 11:34:27 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A French court is to try the Chinese captain of a tanker from Russia’s “shadow fleet” early next year, prosecutors said on Thursday, after it was intercepted off the coast of France. Boracay, a Benin-flagged vessel blacklisted by the European Union for being part of Russia’s sanction-busting “shadow fleet” of ageing oil tankers, was stopped by French authorities on Saturday, according to a military source who asked not to be named. Shipping data showed it was positioned off Denmark during... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3327659/france-arrests-crew-russian-shadow-fleet-tanker-linked-denmark-drone-incidents?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3327659/france-arrests-crew-russian-shadow-fleet-tanker-linked-denmark-drone-incidents?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Oct 2025 10:35:58 +0000 Agence France-Presse,Reuters Agence France-Presse,Reuters The Kremlin on Wednesday said it had no choice but to continue its military offensive on Ukraine, as Moscow rejected US President Donald Trump’s claim that Russia was a “paper tiger”. The comments come a day after Trump said Ukraine could win back all of its territory from Russia, which he characterised as a “paper tiger” with a failing economy – a major pivot in his stance on the three-and-a-half-year conflict. “We are continuing our special military operation to ensure our interests and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3326679/russia-dismisses-trumps-paper-tiger-insult-vows-continued-ukraine-offensive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3326679/russia-dismisses-trumps-paper-tiger-insult-vows-continued-ukraine-offensive?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Sep 2025 08:49:15 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Large drones that flew over Copenhagen Airport for hours and caused it to shut down were the “most serious attack on Danish critical infrastructure” to date, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on Tuesday. Airports in Copenhagen and Oslo reopened early on Tuesday, hours after unidentified drones in their airspace caused dozens of flights to be diverted or cancelled, disrupting thousands of passengers. “This is part of the development we have recently observed with other drone attacks, airspace... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3326565/mystery-drones-over-copenhagen-airport-spark-sabotage-fears-massive-delays?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3326565/mystery-drones-over-copenhagen-airport-spark-sabotage-fears-massive-delays?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Sep 2025 10:06:43 +0000 Reuters Reuters Nato announced plans to strengthen the defence of Europe’s eastern flank on Friday, two days after Poland shot down drones that had violated its airspace in the first known action of its kind by a member of the Western alliance during Russia’s war in Ukraine. Warsaw has portrayed the drone incursions as an attempt by Russia to test the capabilities of Poland and Nato to respond. On Friday, Poland rejected Donald Trump’s suggestion that the incursions could have been a mistake, a rare... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3325409/nato-boosts-defence-europes-eastern-flank-after-poland-shoots-down-russian-drones?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3325409/nato-boosts-defence-europes-eastern-flank-after-poland-shoots-down-russian-drones?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Sep 2025 23:16:50 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Russia and its key ally Belarus began major joint military drills early Friday, putting Nato on edge two days after Poland accused Moscow of escalating tensions by firing attack drones through its airspace. The “Zapad” exercises also come as Russian forces grind across the sprawling front line in Ukraine and escalate aerial attacks on Ukrainian cities. Nato’s eastern flank members that border Belarus - Poland, Lithuania and Latvia - are on high alert over the drills, which Belarus says will be... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3325314/nato-high-alert-russia-and-belarus-launch-major-war-games?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3325314/nato-high-alert-russia-and-belarus-launch-major-war-games?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Sep 2025 07:06:46 +0000 Laura Zhou Laura Zhou China and Russia have withstood the test of international changes and will continue to support each other, President Xi Jinping told his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in a high-profile meeting that demonstrated solidarity amid growing pressure from the United States and its allies. “Chinese-Russian relations have stood the test of international circumstances and serve as a model of interstate relations, eternal good-neighbourliness, friendship, comprehensive strategic interaction, mutually... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3323994/xi-and-putin-meeting-talks-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3323994/xi-and-putin-meeting-talks-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Sep 2025 03:31:09 +0000 Agencies Agencies Europe is drawing up “pretty precise plans” for a multinational troop deployment to Ukraine as part of post-conflict security guarantees that will have the backing of US capabilities, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told the Financial Times in an interview published on Sunday. “President Trump reassured us that there will be [an] American presence as part of the backstop. That was very clear and repeatedly affirmed,” von der Leyen told the newspaper. The deployment is set to... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3323839/europe-drawing-precise-plans-send-troops-ukraine-says-von-der-leyen?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3323839/europe-drawing-precise-plans-send-troops-ukraine-says-von-der-leyen?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 31 Aug 2025 19:51:37 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday praised US President Donald Trump’s efforts to end the war in Ukraine, more than three years after Moscow launched its invasion, as the two leaders prepared for a pivotal US–Russia summit on Friday in Alaska. Following a meeting on Thursday with top government officials on the summit, Putin said in a short video released by the Kremlin that the Trump administration was making “quite energetic and sincere efforts to stop the hostilities” and to “reach... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3321912/putin-praises-trumps-efforts-end-ukraine-war-ahead-alaska-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3321912/putin-praises-trumps-efforts-end-ukraine-war-ahead-alaska-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Aug 2025 18:54:01 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The Kremlin said on Monday it was anticipating “important” talks with Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, later this week, ahead of the US president’s looming deadline to impose fresh sanctions on Moscow if it does not make progress towards a peace deal with Ukraine. Trump confirmed on Sunday that special envoy Steve Witkoff will visit Russia, likely on “Wednesday or Thursday”, where he is expected to meet President Vladimir Putin. Speaking to reporters, Trump also said that two nuclear... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3320711/russia-calls-trump-envoys-visit-important-ukraine-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3320711/russia-calls-trump-envoys-visit-important-ukraine-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 Aug 2025 11:16:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters Russian national flag carrier Aeroflot was forced to cancel dozens of flights on Monday after a crippling cyberattack claimed by a shadowy pro-Ukrainian hacking group, which one lawmaker called a wake-up call for Moscow. The Kremlin said the situation was worrying and prosecutors confirmed the disruption was the result of a hack and opened a criminal investigation. Senior lawmaker Anton Gorelkin said Russia was under digital attack. “We must not forget that the war against our country is being... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3319882/russias-aeroflot-cancels-flights-after-massive-cyberattack-claimed-pro-ukrainian-hackers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3319882/russias-aeroflot-cancels-flights-after-massive-cyberattack-claimed-pro-ukrainian-hackers?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Jul 2025 12:45:08 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Russia on Sunday scaled down the festivities honouring its navy, citing security concerns as continuing Ukrainian drone attacks posed a challenge to the Kremlin. Russian authorities cancelled the parades of warships in St. Petersburg, in the Kaliningrad region on the Baltic and in the far-eastern port of Vladivostok that are usually held to mark the annual Navy Day celebrations. Asked about the reason for the cancellation of the parade in St. Petersburg even as President Vladimir Putin arrived... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3319769/russia-downsizes-navy-celebrations-ukraine-strikes-near-st-petersburg?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3319769/russia-downsizes-navy-celebrations-ukraine-strikes-near-st-petersburg?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Jul 2025 16:01:08 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg US President Donald Trump has privately encouraged Ukraine to step up strikes deep in Russian territory, even asking Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky whether he could hit Moscow if the US provided long-range weapons, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday. Details of the alleged conversation emerged a day after Trump pledged fresh weapons supplies to Kyiv that would be paid for by European allies. He also threatened to impose stiff economic penalties on Russia if it doesn’t end the war on... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3318327/could-ukraine-hit-moscow-report-claims-trump-asked-zelensky-about-long-range-strikes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3318327/could-ukraine-hit-moscow-report-claims-trump-asked-zelensky-about-long-range-strikes?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Jul 2025 12:20:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US President Donald Trump accused his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Tuesday of talking “b******t” about Ukraine, saying that the United States would send Kyiv more weapons to defend itself. Trump’s expletive reflected his growing frustration with the Kremlin leader over the grinding war that Moscow launched nearly 3½ years ago. “We get a lot of b******t thrown at us by Putin, if you want to know the truth,” Trump told reporters during a televised cabinet meeting at the White House. “He’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3317457/swearing-trump-crudely-slams-putin-says-us-will-send-weapons-ukraine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3317457/swearing-trump-crudely-slams-putin-says-us-will-send-weapons-ukraine?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Jul 2025 18:30:39 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Russian’s transport minister was found dead from a gunshot wound in an apparent suicide, investigators said Monday – news that broke hours after the Kremlin announced he had been dismissed by President Vladimir Putin. The Kremlin did not give a reason for the firing of Roman Starovoyt, who served as transport minister since May 2024, and it was unclear when exactly he died and whether it was related to an investigation into alleged corruption, as some Russian media suggested. Russia’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3317285/ex-russian-transport-minister-found-dead-after-being-fired-putin?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3317285/ex-russian-transport-minister-found-dead-after-being-fired-putin?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Jul 2025 14:31:34 +0000