Western sanctions have failed to turn the uber-rich into opponents, and Putin's policies have turned them into silent backers.

Vladimir Putin dismissed Donald Trump's peace efforts as Russia launched a deadly strike on Kyiv just hours before the high-stakes summit between Trump and President Zelenskyy.

President Emmanuel Macron has previously denied that Laurent Vinatier worked for the French state and has described his arrest as part of a misinformation campaign by Moscow.

Widespread aerial attacks marked Christmas 2025 in the Russia-Ukraine war, as Russian and Ukrainian forces exchanged drone and missile strikes on civilian and energy infrastructure in border regions. The escalation followed renewed international peace talks, with negotiators struggling to overcome divides between Moscow and Kyiv.

Russia's second largest bank VTB maintained its net profit target of 500 billion roubles ($6.4 billion) for 2025 after reporting results for January-November on Friday ‍and saying it was engaged in restructuring talks with

Italian firms could lose up to €250 million after the EU renewed its ban on sanitary ware exports to Russia under the bloc’s 19th sanctions package.

The first draft essentially called for Ukraine’s surrender. The revised version includes the security guarantees Kyiv wants to prevent future Russian aggression.