Ukraine

At a recent meeting with his US counterpart, Russian President Vladimir Putin once again suggested that full control of Donbas was a central criterion for ending the war in Ukraine. Why is the region so important to him?

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has welcomed recent diplomatic efforts spearheaded by the United States towards a peaceful settlement in Ukraine, his Spokesperson said on Tuesday in New York.  … Asked what role the UN could play in this process, he said the global body will be “supportive and ready to engage in a role that may or may not be given to us based on the principles that the Secretary-General has often reiterated.” 

U.S. President Donald Trump threatened "severe consequences" if Russia's Vladimir Putin does not agree to peace in Ukraine but also said on Wednesday that a meeting between them could swiftly be followed by a second that would include the leader of Ukraine.

Azerbaijan has warned that it could lift its arms embargo on Kyiv if Russia keeps targeting energy infrastructure in Ukraine linked to the South Caucasus country, officials familiar with the matter informed the Azerbaijani news outlet Caliber. … Since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022, Azerbaijan has refrained from transferring weapons to either side. Instead, it has sent over $40 million in humanitarian assistance to Ukraine.

Russia and Ukraine exchanged drone strikes in the early hours of August 7, a day after a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US special envoy Steve Witkoff that US President Donald Trump said "made a lot of progress."

U.S. President Donald Trump says he will shorten the cease-fire deadline given to Russian President Vladimir Putin to 10 to 12 days amid growing frustration over Russia's continue bombardment of Ukraine and lack of progress toward peace.

Ukraine proposed direct talks within weeks between Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Vladimir Putin, but Russia tempered prospects for progress.

Almost four years after Russia’s full-scale invasion, criminal groups in Ukraine are adapting their business models amid displacement, rising trafficking risks and an increased demand for synthetic drugs, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said in a report published on Friday. 

Ukrainian lawmakers have approved Yulia Svyrydenko, the economy minister and first deputy prime minister who led talks with the United States on a critical minerals deal, as prime minister in a cabinet shuffle aimed at boosting relations with Washington and breathing new life into the war-torn country.

Relentless missile and drone strikes by Russian forces have killed and injured hundreds of civilians in Ukraine this month, continuing a devastating pattern of attacks far from the frontlines. According to the UN human rights office, OHCHR, at least 139 civilians have been killed and 791 injured so far in July alone.