Russian President Vladimir Putin told President Trump on Saturday that Moscow is prepared to resume peace talks with Kyiv after June 22, once prisoner exchanges and body repatriations are complete. This marks the fifth call between the two leaders since Trump assumed office, reflecting his effort to reshape U.S.–Russia relations.
Britain is set to implement its largest defense spending increase since the Cold War, aiming to send a clear “message to Moscow,” UK Defense Secretary John Healey said Sunday. The Labour government’s plan will push defense spending to 2.5% of national income by 2027—an increase of £13 billion ($17 billion) annually—and Healey expects it to reach 3% in the early 2030s.
Incoming officials in President-elect Donald Trump’s administration are reportedly crafting a sanctions strategy aimed at expediting a resolution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. According to Bloomberg, the plan includes options to pressure Moscow while managing global oil market stability amid existing sanctions on major producers like Russia, Iran, and Venezuela.
Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev accused Russia of shooting down Azerbaijan Airlines Flight J2-8243, which crash-landed in Aktau, Kazakhstan, on Christmas Day. The incident claimed the lives of 38 passengers and crew out of the 67 onboard. Aliyev alleged that evidence points to Russian surface-to-air missiles as the cause, though he clarified there is no indication the attack was intentional.
Ahmad al-Sharaa, leader of the rebel group Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham, stated that producing a new constitution and holding elections in Syria could take several years. In an interview with Saudi Arabian outlet Al Arabiya on Sunday, al-Sharaa explained that drafting a new constitution or amending the current one would require significant time and expertise, possibly taking two to three years or longer.
The Defense Department disclosed on Thursday that the Biden administration has more than doubled the number of U.S. troops in Syria, increasing the total from approximately 900 to around 2,000.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday promised to ask former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for help in locating missing American veteran and journalist Austin Tice.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and key European leaders in Brussels on Wednesday to strategize over Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine.
