Russian senior diplomat, adviser on foreign policy since 2012
U.S. President Donald Trump has offered to help end the Russia-Ukraine war in a nearly 90-minute call with Vladimir Putin and has agreed with Volodymyr Zelenskyy to continue negotiations at next week’s NATO summit in Ankara. Ukraine has struck oil and naval facilities near St. Petersburg, and Russia has responded with heavy missile and drone strikes on Kyiv.
Trump has reiterated his push for the United States to control Greenland, in the context of a NATO summit in Turkey. He says Denmark’s reluctance should not block U.S. security goals, and hints at possible U.S. troop realignments in Europe. Zelenskyy and other leaders are seeking clarity on Ukraine’s security assistance amid continuing war and regional tensions.
North Korea has reinforced its strategic partnership with Russia as Moscow and Pyongyang expand military and political cooperation. Choe Son Hui’s Moscow visit follows high-level exchanges with China, underscoring a widening alignment against the West. Experts say Kim Jong Un’s regime is pursuing tech and defense gains in exchange for economic and diplomatic support.
Leaders have convened in Bishkek for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation's 25th‑anniversary summit. Xi Jinping has told Vladimir Putin bilateral ties have grown "more solid" and promised "even brighter" prospects. The summit has drawn over a dozen heads of state while bilateral talks are focusing on economic cooperation, visa regimes and security topics as wars in Ukraine and between the US and Iran shape the agenda.
Developments show US envoys Witkoff and Kushner are engaging Moscow and Kyiv to push for a diplomatic end to the Ukraine war, while attacks persist. Zelensky signals openness to negotiations as Washington presses for a settlement; Kyiv remains cautious on terms.
Envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have arrived in Moscow to revive talks aimed at ending Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Despite weekend diplomacy, Moscow and Kyiv show deep gaps on terms. Ukraine halts airstrikes during the visit; Russia has escalated strikes elsewhere.
President Donald Trump has spoken by phone for one hour with Vladimir Putin after US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner visited Moscow and Kyiv. The Kremlin has said both leaders discussed possible steps to end the war in Ukraine and praised the envoys' diplomacy, while Russian strikes on Ukrainian cities have resumed.
US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have met Ukrainian President Zelensky in Kyiv amid renewed efforts to end the war. Talks in Moscow yesterday ended without breakthroughs as both sides pause strikes on capitals. Kyiv reports ongoing drone and missile threats; concerns rise over winter and Patriot shortages.
China is calibrating its Tehran relationship ahead of Xi’s Washington visit. Xi meets Iran’s Pezeshkian on the sidelines of SCO, signaling Beijing’s careful diplomacy while avoiding a public show of alignment. The SCO communique supports civilian nuclear development but stops short of concrete commitments.
Kushner and Witkoff have travelled from Moscow to Kyiv for talks with Ukrainian officials and other European representatives. They have met Zelensky and stressed security guarantees as crucial for a post-war peace. Attacks continue on front lines as fighting remains active.
President Donald Trump has spoken by phone with President Vladimir Putin for about an hour after US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff visited Moscow and Kyiv. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov has said the call was "constructive and quite candid," that Trump wants a quick end to the war, and that Putin outlined Russia's battlefield view.