Russia

Putin agrees next steps with US envoys but Kremlin says territory is key

Russia, the US, and Ukraine hold security talks in Abu Dhabi, with Moscow stressing the need to resolve territorial issues for lasting peace, despite ongoing military operations.

|ByREUTERS
(From L-R) Russia's President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with US President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff, son-in-law Jared Kushner and Josh Gruenbaum, Commissioner of the US Federal Acquisition Service, at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, January 22, 2026.
US Vice President JD Vance speaks at Royalston Square in Minneapolis, Minnesota, January 22, 2026.

WATCH: Vance: US power stops Russia, China from invading Greenland, not Denmark

"Our entire missile defense system could be destabilized if you don't control the Arctic," the vice president told Newsmax's Carl Higbie on Thursday.

|ByJAMES GENN
US President Donald Trump speaks with members of the media aboard Air Force One, January 11, 2026; illustrative.

WATCH: Trump: Watching Iran closely, we have a massive armada heading in that direction

Trump added that he threatened Iran with US airstrikes if the Islamic Republic's regime carried out hangings of protesters and political dissidents as planned, and Tehran backed down as a result.

|ByJAMES GENN
An aerial view shows the oil tanker named Boracay (also called Pushpa), a vessel being investigated by French authorities and suspected of belonging to the so-called "shadow fleet" involved in the Russian oil trade, off the coast of the western France port of Saint-Nazaire, France, October 2, 2025.

French Navy intercepts sanctioned Russian tanker in Mediterranean

The interception was carried out on high seas in the Western Mediterranean, between the southern coast of Spain and the northern coast of Morocco.

|ByREUTERS

Putin establishes Soviet genocide memorial day, erasing Jewish victims of Nazis

The bill - and subsequent reporting - speaks extensively about the "genocide" of Soviet prisoners, the concentration camps, and the extermination camps, without mentioning Jewish victims.

JANUARY 6, 2026ByMATHILDA HELLER
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with Kazbek Kokov, head of the North Caucasus region of Kabardino-Balkaria, in Moscow, Russia December 16, 2025.

Russia welcomes Venezuela's interim president, says Venezuela should determine own destiny

Moscow's foreign ministry said in a statement that it welcomed the Venezuelan authorities' efforts to protect their sovereignty and national interests.

JANUARY 6, 2026ByREUTERS
Venezuela's Vice President Delcy Rodriguez presents the government's 2026 budget proposal to the National Assembly, urging lawmakers to approve spending of some $19.9 billion, in Caracas, Venezuela December 4, 2025.

Maduro’s fall shows how US power is reshaping Latin America’s future - opinion

Nicolas Maduro’s capture shows Trump’s bold Latin America policy, raising the stakes for regional stability.

JANUARY 6, 2026BySEBASTIAN KLOR
VENEZUELA'S PRESIDENT Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores attend a year-end salutation to military forces in La Guaira, Venezuela December 28, 2025.

Moscow and Tehran’s new partnership is bad news for the West - opinion

New Russia-Iran treaty deepens cooperation, challenging Israel's influence in the Middle East.

JANUARY 5, 2026ByNEVILLE TELLER
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian attend a documents signing ceremony in Moscow, Russia January 17, 2025.

Iran's Khamenei has escape plan to flee to Moscow if regime falls amid protests - report

The plan, called "Plan B" by the British report, would include 86-year-old Khamenei and 20 close people, including family and aides.

JANUARY 5, 2026ByTOBIAS HOLCMAN
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks during a meeting in Tehran, Iran January 3, 2026.

Venezuela's billions in distressed debt: Who is in line to collect? - explainer

Venezuela's distressed debt has rallied since US President Donald Trump assumed office in January 2025, as speculators bet on the possibility of political change.

JANUARY 4, 2026ByREUTERS
The corporate logo of the state oil company PDVSA is seen at a gas station in Caracas, Venezuela November 16, 2017.

The American Venezuela operation marks end of era of US military hesitation - opinion

The central framing of the move is explicitly geopolitical, aimed at blocking the China-Russia-Iran axis in the US's backyard.

JANUARY 4, 2026ByRUTH PINES-FELDMAN
US President Donald Trump sits near Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth as CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Secretary of State Marco Rubio stand in front, as they watch the US military operation in Venezuela from Trump's Mar a Lago resort, in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., January 3, 2026.

President Trump’s Venezuela strategy signals a new era for US foreign policy - opinion

With Maduro captured, the US aims to stabilize Venezuela, counter regional threats, and support domestic democratic forces.

JANUARY 4, 2026ByGABRIEL ROSENBERG
A man walks past a mural showing Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, after US President Donald Trump said on Saturday the US has struck Venezuela and captured Maduro, in Caracas, Venezuela January 3, 2026

Iran, Hezbollah condemn, Russia offers mediation after US operation on Venezuela

US allies are "monitoring the situation." US President Trump will be holding a press conference later on Saturday to share more information.

JANUARY 3, 2026ByTOBIAS HOLCMAN, REUTERS
A vehicle burns at La Carlota air base in Caracas after a series of explosions on January 3, 2026.

Zelensky names spy chief to head presidential administration in big shake-up

The appointment of Kyrylo Budanov marks a significant shift for a position traditionally occupied by a civilian mainly focused on domestic politics.

JANUARY 2, 2026ByREUTERS
Chief of the Military Intelligence of Ukraine Kyrylo Budanov meets with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine, in this handout picture released January 2, 2026.