News
China's Xi Confident In Future Of 'One Belt, One Road' Plan

Chinese President Xi Jinping has expressed confidence in the future of his One Belt, One Road initiative, a plan that could increase Beijing’s global influence on trade and geopolitics.
At the end of a two-day summit in Beijing on the project, Xi said the One Belt, One Road plan could lead to "peace and prosperity" if all involved make joint efforts.
The Chinese leader said the summit reached a broad consensus and achieved positive outcomes, insisting that the initiative would work to ensure an open world economy, rebalance globalization, and work toward trade liberalization.
However, he cautioned that the undertaking still had a long way to go.
Addressing officials from 30 countries in Asia, Europe, and Africa earlier on May 15, Xi appealed to foreign governments to pursue "greater openness and cooperation" and "reject protectionism" in seeking global economic growth.
"In a world of growth, interdependence, and challenges, no country can tackle the challenges or solve the world's problems on its own," said Xi, who was seated next to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
On May 15, Xi pledged an additional $124 billion for China's trade initiative, which seeks to connect the country with Africa, Asia, and Europe through a network of ports, railways, roads, and industrial parks.
Beijing is promoting itself as a champion of free trade at a time when U.S. President Donald Trump has been questioning trade deals as he pursues an "America First" foreign policy.
In one of his first actions after taking office in January, Trump signed an order to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a major trade pact that was negotiated under President Barack Obama but never ratified by the U.S. Congress.
Russia has reacted cautiously to the One Belt, One Road initiative, which analysts say has the potential to increase Beijing's influence in regions such as Central Asia at the expense of Moscow.
But Putin voiced support for the plan on May 15 and said Russia intends to be heavily involved.
"Everything that is being proposed is part of the trend of modern development and is very much needed and in demand to a high degree," Putin said at the forum.
"This is precisely why Russia not only supports One Belt, One Road, but will actively participate in its implementation together with our Chinese partners and, of course, with other countries that are interested."
Putin also said that the One Belt, One Road project provides “hope for some stability” amid economic uncertainty.
He said that what he called the "internal political struggle” in the United States, Britain’s decision to leave the European Union, and other issues were causing jitters in the world economy.
Other leaders of former Soviet republics who attended the summit were Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyaev, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev, Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambaev, and Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka.
Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic were also among those in attendance.
Few Western leaders were there, although Britain, France, and Germany were represented by top finance officials. The United States sent a senior White House adviser.
With reporting by AP, Reuters, AFP, TASS, and RIA
More News
Tate Brothers Arrive In U.S. Despite Pending Human Trafficking Cases In Romania

Controversial Internet influencer Andrew Tate and his brother have arrived in Florida after leaving Romania, where they have been embroiled in a legal case alleging human trafficking and sexual misconduct, after authorities lifted a travel ban on them.
A spokesperson for the brothers confirmed their arrival on a private jet on February 27 at the airport in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Several media outlets were camped outside the aiport awaiting the pair.
Romania's organized crime unit, DIICOT, said earlier in the day that magistrates had lifted the ban on the dual British-U.S. citizens, who had been under house arrest because they were suspects in a criminal case.
NGOs and some of those involved in the cases expressed outrage over the removal of the travel ban, even though the brothers are reportedly obliged to return to Romania by the end of March.
DIICOT gave no details on the reasoning behind dropping the travel ban but it comes after Romanian Foreign Minister Emil Hurezeanu said the case had been brought up by Richard Grenell, U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy, earlier this month.
Both Hurezeanu and Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu have said, however, that there was no pressure from U.S. officials to release the brothers.
The departure of the brothers "was decided on a legal basis," government spokesman Mihai Constantin said.
"As for the departure itself...I have no basis to comment in any way that it had any justification or that it was the consequence of any pressure from any entity external to our country," he added.
The Romanian website BoardingPass said a private Gulfstream G550 jet took off from Bucharest early on February 27 that was bound for the United States.
Officials and prosecutors said that, while the Tate brothers were free to travel, "all of the other obligations have been maintained, including the requirement to check in with judicial authorities every time they are called."
"Judicial control is still in place over them, and they will have to respect an agreed legal path," Constantin said.
What Are The Charges Against Andrew Tate?
DIICOT filed charges against Tate, his brother, Tristan Tate, and two Romanian women after they were arrested in December 2022 on suspicion of human trafficking.
The four suspects were formally indicted last year and the Bucharest Tribunal ruled last year that a trial could start but did not set a date. All four deny the charges.
5 Things To Know About The Tate Brothers
Case In Romania: Andrew Tate, 38, and his brother Tristan, 36, are dual U.S.-U.K. citizens. They were arrested in December 2022 and indicted with two Romanian women on charges that include human trafficking and sexual misconduct. In December, a Bucharest court ruled the case couldn’t proceed due to legal and procedural irregularities but it remained open, alongside a separate case against them.
Infamy And Fame: Former kickboxers turned influencers, the brothers gained notoriety for Andrew’s controversial views and self-proclaimed misogyny. He has 10.7 million followers on X (formerly Twitter) but was banned from platforms like Facebook and TikTok for hate speech.
Support For Trump: During the 2024 U.S. presidential election, the Tates endorsed Donald Trump, and they have ties to his administration. One of Andrew’s lawyers, Paul Ingrassia, was recently appointed White House liaison for the Department of Justice.
A Sudden Departure: The Tates left Romania after Foreign Minister Emil Hurezeanu’s said that a U.S. official in Trump’s administration showed interest in their case at the Munich Security Conference. He denied any political pressure. The Tates have rejected all the charges they are facing, with Andrew claiming a political conspiracy against him.
Charges In Britain: Pending the resolution of their Romanian case, Britain is also seeking the extradition of the Tates in connection with rape and human trafficking allegations. Andrew also faces a civil lawsuit from four British women alleging sexual violence.
However, the Bucharest Court of Appeals said on December 19 that it found "irregularities" in the indictment issued by the Prosecutor-General's Office and sent the case back to prosecutors.
The court said prosecutors can now bring forth new evidence to back up their charges or amend the existing ones.
Andrew Tate, 38, has amassed more than 10 million followers on the social media platform X but has been kicked off other platforms, including Facebook and TikTok, over accusations of posting hate speech and misogynistic comments.
He has complained bitterly about the case, accusing prosecutors of trying to "target everyone I know, and even subpoena the mother of my child," while still having "nothing."
Andrew Tate in August was placed under house arrest and Tristan Tate under judicial control for 30 days after they were interrogated by Romanian anti-corruption prosecutors as part of an investigation into new allegations against them.
During the criminal investigation, prosecutors said they identified seven women who were sexually exploited "forcibly, in order to obtain significant financial benefits" for the defendants from people who accessed content on social media.
Prosecutors accused the Tate brothers of recruiting their victims using the so-called "lover boy" method -- seducing them and claiming to want a relationship or marriage.
The victims were then taken to properties outside Bucharest, where they were sexually exploited through physical violence and psychological intimidation as they were forced to produce pornographic content, the prosecutors said.
Romanian investigators carried out the interrogations and fresh searches at the brothers’ residences as part of the investigation into the new charges.
DIICOT said at the time that the new accusations included charges of forming an organized crime group, trafficking of minors, a sexual act with a minor, influencing statements, and money laundering.
They had been barred from leaving Romania as the proceedings against them continued but were set to be extradited to Britain once their case in Romania concludes.
They face further allegations of rape and human trafficking in Britain, where a court ruled on December 18 that police can seize more than 2.6 million pounds ($3.3 million) to cover years of unpaid taxes.
Also on February 18, four British women who allege they were victims of sexual violence by Andrew Tate and filed a civil suit against him, urged the United States not to intervene in legal proceedings, saying, “We hope that the Romanian and the U.K. authorities will be left alone to do their jobs.”
“We are extremely concerned about reports that figures in Donald Trump’s administration are pressuring the Romanian authorities to relax travel restrictions on Andrew Tate and his brother, which would increase the risk of the Tate brothers evading justice or fleeing from the authorities in Romania and the U.K.,” the women said in a statement -- obtained by RFE/RL's Romanian service -- through their law firm, McCue Jury & Partners.
In an open letter to DIICOT, the VIF Network, an NGO dedicated to preventing and combating violence against women, demanded the publication of reasons why the travel ban was lifted "so that any doubt about the independence and impartiality of the Romanian judicial system is removed."
VIF added that it feared the removal of the travel ban could "undermine the trust in the judicial system of victims of crimes of sexual violence and human trafficking."
The Tate brothers have stated previously that they did not want to be extradited from Romania, which they said they consider their home.
- By Ray Furlong,
- Neil Bowdler and
- Current Time
Exclusive: Boris Nemtsov’s Mother Shares Memories, 10 Years After His Killing

The family of Boris Nemtsov, a Russian opposition leader gunned down in Moscow 10 years ago, has shared with Current Time an intimate video in which his mother shares memories of her son.
The video was recorded by Nemtsov’s daughter, Zhanna, in 2023, in the final months of his mother’s life. It provides a unique insight into a man who rose close to the summit of Russian politics under Boris Yeltsin, before becoming a prominent critic of President Vladimir Putin.
'The Important One'
“The teachers at school loved him. The girls called him ‘the important one,’” Dina Nemtsova says in the video. She herself died aged 96 in February 2024.
She paints a picture of a talented boy who rose from humble beginnings.
“It was very hard for him to work at home. He had a small place in the kitchen, but someone would always interrupt his work. Sometimes, when he needed to find space to work, he would lock himself in the bathroom.”
Nemtsov was raised in Gorky, which was renamed Nizhny Novogorod after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and studied physics at the city’s university.
“He was critical about what was happening in the country,” Dina says. “It was during [Soviet leader Leonid] Brezhnev's time when Boris was already aware that things were happening.”
But it was under a later Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev, that Nemtsov became politically active. Gorbachev’s policies of glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring) changed the political climate in the country, making it easier to speak out.
Political Awakening
“We started following politics when perestroika started. I can say it was that moment when he entered politics.”
Nemtsov had a successful career in the chaotic conditions of 1990s post-Soviet Russia, eventually rising to be deputy prime minister under Yeltsin.
But when Yeltsin appointed Putin as his successor, Nemtsov became a regular face at street protests against the Kremlin’s new, authoritarian turn.
“Putin is a KGB man full of Soviet manners,” he said in one interview.
Nemtsov was a major figure who gave Russia’s increasingly beleaguered opposition a face with global recognition and respect. In Western capitals, he was associated with the brief promise of a new, democratic Russia after decades of communism.
When he was gunned down in 2015, it was widely seen as a political assassination. Five Chechens were convicted for a contract killing, but Russian law enforcement never prosecuted anyone for ordering it.
In 2016, his mother wrote that she had last seen him in December 2014.
“He looked thin and distracted….” she said. “It just never occurred to me that everything was so dangerous.”
- By RFE/RL
North Korea Has Sent More Troops To Russia, Says South Korean Intelligence

North Korea has sent more soldiers to Russia and redeployed several to the front line in the Kursk region bordering Ukraine, Seoul's intelligence agency said on February 27.
The scale of the contingent was not immediately known, South Korea's YTN television reported, citing the intelligence agency.
South Korean and Western intelligence agencies have said that about 11,000 North Korean soldiers were sent to Russia last year to help it fight a Ukrainian offensive into the Kursk border region.
Seoul said earlier this month that North Korean soldiers previously fighting alongside Russia forces on the Kursk front line had not been in combat since mid-January. Ukraine said they had been withdrawn following heavy losses.
An official from Seoul's National Intelligence Agency was quoted by AFP as saying that said they had been "redeployed" to the region.
"Some additional troop deployments" appear to have taken place, the official added. "The exact scale is still being assessed."
Neither Moscow nor Pyongyang have confirmed the deployment.
But the two countries signed an agreement, including a mutual defense clause, when Russian President Vladimir Putin made a rare visit to North Korea last year.
Some intelligence sources have said many of the troops that arrived in Kursk last year have been rotated out of the front lines after suffering horrific losses in fighting against Ukrainian forces.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on February 8 vowed to maintain his country's support for Russia in the war.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on the same day that Russia's "cooperation with North Korea will continue to expand."
With reporting by Reuters and AFP
Putin 'Hopes' Meeting Between U.S., Russian Officials Helps Thaw Relations

Diplomats from Russia and the United States have ended their talks on resolving disputes over their respective diplomatic missions in Washington and Moscow that Russian President Vladimir Putin said "inspire certain hopes."
The two sides held more than six hours of discussions in Istanbul on February 27 focused on mending diplomatic ties that coincide with recent bilateral talks to end the Ukraine war. Those talks have raised fears the two countries may reach a peace deal without the involvement of Kyiv or Brussels.
"I note that the first contacts with the new American administration inspire certain hopes," Putin said at a meeting he was attending at the Federal Security Service (FSB).
"There is a reciprocal mood to work to restore intergovernmental ties and to gradually resolve the huge number of systemic and strategic problems that have built up in the world's security architecture."
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova added that Moscow hopes the meeting will be the first in a series of expert consultations "to bring the U.S. side and us closer to settling differences, building confidence."
Speaking to reporters before the meeting, a State Department spokesperson told reporters that there were "no political or security issues on the agenda" and Ukraine too was not on the agenda.
Five weeks after assuming office, U.S. President Donald Trump has upended his predecessor Joe Biden’s policy, which was aimed at isolating Moscow internationally for invading Ukraine three years ago.
The Istanbul discussions are part of an understanding between U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. On February 18 delegations led by the two agreed in Saudi Arabia to begin discussions on diplomatic missions.
The Riyadh meeting followed a phone call between Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Trump described the call as “highly productive” and announced the beginning of talks to end the war “immediately.”
Rubio said on Fox News that the U.S. delegation which went to Riyadh asked the Russians whether they wanted to end the war or continue fighting, and they agreed to a follow-up involving teams of diplomats to talk about what it would take the end the war.
“If what they insist on is unrealistic, then we know they’re not real about it. But we have to test that proposition,” Rubio said.
“We need to know, and the president wants to know early in his presidency, are the Russians interested in ending this war or are they not,” Rubio said. “President Trump has made deals his entire life. He’s not going to get suckered into a bad deal.”
Earlier, Lavrov said the talks would focus on creating better conditions for Russian diplomats in the United States and their U.S. counterparts in Russia. The two countries have expelled diplomats and limited the appointment of new staff at each other's missions in a series of tit-for-tat measures since the war began three years ago.
The State Department spokesperson said the embassies and Russian consulates in New York and Houston would be discussed, but not Russia's mission to the United Nations.
The issues on the agenda include staffing levels, visas, diplomatic banking, and other operational issues, the spokesperson said.
Lavrov said the outcome of the talks "will show how quickly and effectively we can move."
The Istanbul talks took place a day before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is due in Washington to sign an agreement on rare earth minerals.
Under the deal, Kyiv would hand some revenue from its mineral resources to a fund jointly controlled by the United States.
The agreement is central to Ukrainian attempts to win strong support from Trump as he seeks a quick end to Russia's war. Trump said Zelenskyy would sign the agreement on rare earths and other topics during his visit.
With reporting by Reuters, AP, Interfax
Romanian Police Take Far-Right Presidential Frontrunner In For Questioning

Romanian far-right politician Calin Georgescu has been taken in by police for questioning as part of an investigation surrounding last November's presidential election, which was annulled by the Constitutional Court after he won the first round of voting.
Georgescu, who is critical of NATO and opposes Romanian support for Ukraine against Russia's invasion, was stopped and taken in for questioning by police while driving on February 26, his communications team said in a post on Facebook.
Hundreds of supporters greeted Georgescu with cheers and applause as he left the Prosecutor-General’s Office after hours of questioning. Addressing the crowd, Georgescu reaffirmed his intention to run in the upcoming presidential elections in May.
Although prosecutors did not detain him, they placed Georgescu under judicial supervision for 60 days. His restrictions include a travel ban preventing him from leaving Romania, a prohibition on using the Internet to post hate content, a ban on carrying weapons, and a requirement to report regularly to the police and appear before a judge when summoned.
The General Prosecutor’s Office said it charged Georgescu with six offenses, including "founding or supporting fascist, racist, xenophobic, or anti-Semitic organizations, as well as publicly promoting war criminals and extremist ideologies."
Georgescu and his supporters claim the prosecution is attempting to block his candidacy, which he planned to officially register on February 26.
The first round of the presidential election was canceled by the Constitutional Court on December 6 after Romanian intelligence reports said foreign actors had manipulated social-media platforms, especially TikTok, to benefit Georgescu, a far-right, pro-Russian candidate.
Prosecutors reportedly carried out 47 searches in five Romanian districts on February 26 with regard to the case, which prosecutors say involves crimes against the constitutional order, false information about the sources of campaign financing, and public incitement to commit a crime.
“Calin Georgescu was going to file his new candidacy for the presidency. About 30 minutes ago, the system stopped him in traffic […] Where is democracy, where are the partners who must defend democracy?” the statement on Facebook said.
Romanian news channel Digi24 reported that the prosecution has issued a warrant for Georgescu's arrest and started searching the premises of his aides, including his personal bodyguard, ex-mercenary Horatiu Potra.
Georgescu claimed the searches were aimed to block his new presidential candidacy.
The court ruling was followed by an announcement by Romanian prosecutors that an investigation into alleged computer-related crimes had been launched amid allegations of Russian influence on the election results.
Georgescu was a little-known figure in Romania until he unexpectedly won the first round of the presidential election on November 24 with about 22 percent of the vote.
The 62 year-old was to face pro-European centrist candidate Elena Lasconi in a runoff, which had been seen as a referendum on the future course of Romania, a member of NATO and the European Union.
While the annulment of the vote has exacerbated deep divisions in Romanian politics and sparked international concern, a new presidential election is scheduled for May 4, with a possible runoff on May 18.
Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, who supported the Constitutional Court's decision to annul the election, said the authorities have the right to present the public with extremely solid evidence in the investigation, "which involves a potential candidate in the May elections."
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on February 10 said he was resigning from his post amid an effort by the opposition to have him impeached after he stayed in power following the Constitutional Court's election annulment.
On February 14, speaking at the Munich Security Conference, U.S. Vice President JD Vance criticized Romania for canceling the election, saying the decision was based on the "flimsy suspicions of an intelligence agency.”
"You can believe it’s wrong for Russia to buy social-media advertisements to influence your elections. We certainly do. You can condemn it on the world stage, even," Vance said.
"But if your democracy can be destroyed with a few hundred thousand dollars of digital advertising from a foreign country, then it wasn’t very strong to begin with.
Just days before the vote, Georgescu launched a TikTok campaign calling for an end to aid for Ukraine, apparently striking a chord with voters. He has also sounded a skeptical note on Romania's NATO membership.
His anti-Western messaging is routinely amplified on Russian, state-run media and Kremlin-friendly social media.
His other stances included supporting Romanian farmers, reducing dependency on imports, and ramping up energy and food production.
With reporting by AP and Agerpres
Bosnian Serb Leader Dodik Sentenced To Prison, Banned From Politics

SARAJEVO/BANJA LUKA -- A court in Sarajevo sentenced Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik to a year in prison and banned him from politics for six years for his defiance of an international peace envoy's orders, a ruling Dodik warned would radicalize the situation in the country.
Bosnia's top court in Sarajevo handed down the sentence on February 26 in a trial that began just over a year ago.
Dodik, who rejected the charges, was accused of failing to execute the decisions of the High Representative to Bosnia-Herzegovina Christian Schmidt in 2023.
"They say I am guilty, but now people here will say why I am not guilty," Dodik told a crowd that had gathered in Banja Luka, the capital of Republika Srpska.
"There is no reason to worry. I have learned to deal with tougher situations. It is important that you are here."
The indictment said Dodik, who has close relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, signed decrees on laws that had been annulled by Schmidt "even though he was aware that the decisions of [Schmidt] are legally binding."
Dodik's defense said that the evidence of the Prosecutor-General's Office wasn't "based on facts."
The court had guidelines to sentence Dodik to between six months and five years in prison, as well as implementing a ban on public duties. Dodik can appeal the court's February 26 ruling.
Dodik said the Bosnian Serb parliament will ban the operations of the state prosecutor, the state court, and the intelligence agency in the Serb area of Bosnia in response to the case.
The legislature has already instructed Serb representatives in state institutions to block decision-making and law reforms crucial for Bosnia's EU integration.
However, Dodik's stance did not receive the expected support from the opposition, which openly criticized him during an assembly session, highlighting tensions and divisions within the political landscape of Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Dodik is under U.S. and U.K. sanctions for actions that Western governments say are aimed at the secession of Republika Srpska from Bosnia. He has denied that the Serb entity of Bosnia has ever pursued a policy of secession.
Bosnia has been governed under a power-sharing system established by the Dayton agreement, which ended the 1992-95 Bosnian War. It consists of a Bosniak-Croat Federation and the predominantly Serb Republika Srpska.
The country is overseen by a civilian high representative with UN backing and sweeping powers. That position is currently held by Schmidt.
Bosnia was given the status of candidate for European Union membership in December 2022 but has not fulfilled the criteria necessary to start accession talks.
- By RFE/RL
U.S. To Sell 'Gold Card' Visas For $5 Million

U.S. President Donald Trump on February 25 unveiled plans to sell "gold card" residency permits for $5 million each and said Russian oligarchs may be eligible.
Trump announced the program at the White House, saying the “gold cards” will be available in about two weeks.
"You have a green card; this is a gold card. We're going to be putting a price on that card of about $5 million," Trump said.
Proceeds from sales will be used to reduce the deficit, Trump said. The program will be aimed at “people with money” who will create jobs, the president said.
"They’ll be wealthy and they’ll be successful, and they’ll be spending a lot of money and paying a lot of taxes and employing a lot of people, and we think it’s going to be extremely successful,” Trump said.
Applicants for the new gold cards would be carefully vetted and it may be possible for wealthy Russians to apply.
"I know some Russian oligarchs that are very nice people. It's possible," Trump said. "They're not as wealthy as they used to be. I think they can. I think they can afford $5 million."
U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told reporters that the “Trump Gold Card” would replace the EB-5 Immigration Investor Program, which was created by Congress in 1990 to generate foreign investment. EB-5 visas are available to people who spend about $1 million on a company that employs at least 10 people.
Lutnick said the new "gold card" would raise the price to $5 million and do away with fraud in the EB-5 program. He emphasized that money from the sale of the new cards will be used to reduce the deficit.
The Congressional Research Service reported in 2023 that some members of Congress and other observers have long expressed concerns about fraud in the EB-5 program. It said this occurs when applicants misrepresent their wealth, lie about their identity, or fail to make the required investments.
More than half of the EB-5 visas approved in 2022 went to citizens of China, according to the report.
Trump, who has made the deportation of undocumented migrants a priority, said the new card would be a route to U.S. citizenship.
"A lot of people are going to want to be in this country, and they'll be able to work and provide jobs and build companies," Trump said. "It'll be people with money."
Trump estimated that the United States would be able to “sell maybe a million of these cards.”
About 8,000 people obtained investor visas through the EB-5 program in the 12-month period ending September 30, 2022, according to the Homeland Security Department's most recent Yearbook of Immigration Statistics.
With reporting by Reuters and AFP
- By RFE/RL
U.K.'s Starmer Announces Defense Spending Boost Ahead Of Trump Meeting

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer pledged the "biggest sustained increase" in defense spending since the end of the Cold War as he readies to meet NATO-skeptic U.S. President Donald Trump later this week in Washington.
Starmer, speaking before parliament on February 25, said defense spending would rise to 2.5 percent of economic output by 2027 from 2.3 percent this year, funding the increase with cuts in international aid.
European countries have ramped up defense budgets since Russia's all-out invasion of Ukraine in 2022. And many leaders have said the increased spending must continue to counter the growing military threat from Moscow.
"We must go further still. I have long argued that...all European allies must step up and do more for our own defense," he said, adding the UK should aim for 3 percent by the end of the decade.
Starmer is on the eve of departing for Washington where he is set to meet Trump on February 27 to discuss ending Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, becoming the second major European leader to travel to Washington this week.
Trump met French President Emmanuel Macron on February 24 to discuss the same issue.
Since taking office a little over a month ago, Trump has aggressively pursued negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, starting his European allies by opening direct talks with Moscow and accusing Ukraine of starting the war.
European leaders are now scrambling to get a seat at the negotiating table to influence a deal that will directly impact European security.
Macron organized an emergency meeting with his European counterparts on February 17 -- the eve of the first official U.S.-Russia meeting in years -- before agreeing to fly to Washington a week later to meet Trump.
Trump, who has berated European allies for not spending enough on their own defense, shaking the foundations of the 75-year-old NATO alliance, has said he will not supply U.S. troops for any peacekeeping mission in Ukraine.
“We must reject any false choice between our allies. Between one side of the Atlantic or the other. That is against our history, country and party,” Starmer said, calling Britain’s relationship with America his country’s “most important bilateral alliance.”
“This week when I meet President Trump, I will be clear: I want this relationship to go from strength to strength.”
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who spoke with British Defense Minister John Healey on February 25, reacted positively to the announcement, saying in a post on X that it was "a strong step from an enduring partner."
Ukraine has demanded Western security guarantees be part of any negotiated settlement to deter Russia from invading again. Macron told Trump at their White House meeting that European leaders are willing to put peacekeeping troops in Ukraine as part of the security guarantee.
Starmer may seek to leverage his commitment to boost defense funding and deploy peacekeeping forces to Ukraine to convince Trump to backstop European security guarantees for Kyiv.
With reporting by Reuters
Serbian Police Raids Target NGOs Supported By USAID

Serbian police raided the offices of several NGOs after prosecutors opened an investigation into their usage of funds from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
The Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade said police on February 25 "began collecting information" regarding the work of four NGOs -- the Center for Research, Transparency and Accountability (CRTA), Civic Initiatives, the Center for Practical Politics, and the Trag Foundation.
Chief Public Prosecutor Nenad Stefanovic said there were orders that "for the time being, all documentation related to USAID donations be removed from these four organizations, as well as that interviews be conducted with the responsible persons."
CRTA and Civic Initiatives confirmed that police entered their premises on the morning of February 25. The Center for Practical Politics reportedly doesn't currently receive money from USAID.
"This is a serious attack on basic civil rights and the continuation of illegal pressure on civil society in Serbia. The ruling structures are trying to implement mechanisms of intimidation and persecution," Civic Initiatives said in a statement.
The raids came after U.S. President Donald Trump curtailed the work of USAID work when he ordered a 90-day spending freeze on January 24.
On February 3, employees were locked out of USAID's offices in Washington and many staff have been pulled from overseas deployments.
The administration is conducting a review of the agency, which was founded in the early 1960s to coordinate U.S. aid abroad.
Since Trump's return to the White House, his administration and people close to it have repeatedly called USAID a "criminal organization."
A day before the raids, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said Serbia "will assist" the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in its investigation into the financing of Serbian NGOs by USAID and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED).
"There is no doubt, we will cooperate very closely with the FBI on this issue," Vucic told Happy Television, adding that the FBI will receive any information it requests from Serbia.
Since 2000, USAID has invested more than $1 billion in Serbia, according to data from the U.S. State Department and USAID's website on foreign assistance.
In order to assist economic and democratic development, the agency cooperated primarily with state institutions in Serbia, as well as the private sector, civil society organizations, and the media.
Hope And Fear In Iran As Russia's Lavrov Visits Tehran

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, after a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, said Tehran would not bow to pressure from the United States, a day after Washington imposed new sanctions on Iran's oil industry.
Lavrov's one-day trip to Tehran on February 25 comes a week after the first high-level talks between Moscow and Washington in three years.
The talks in Saudi Arabia on February 18 have raised hopes of a reset between Russia and the United States after tensions soared following the Kremlin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Analysts said the meeting in Tehran could be the Kremlin checking in to make sure Iran's stance on key issues is in line with Moscow -- especially regarding relations with Washington -- or that Lavrov could be delivering a message from the Saudi Arabian talks.
The potential rapprochement has fueled concerns in Iran that Moscow could abandon Tehran, an ally, to revive relations with Washington. Others in the Islamic republic hope Moscow can mediate an end to the standoff between Iran and the United States.
“They tend to send some diplomats to Iran at least assuage concerns because as you know there is a long-standing apprehension in Iran that the Russians may potentially sell out Iran to the United States,” Nicole Grajewski, a fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace’s Nuclear Policy Program, told Radio Farda.
Lavrov's visit came a day after Washington imposed a new round of sanctions targeting Iran's oil industry, the main source of the country's income.
Earlier this month, Trump restored his "maximum pressure" campaign on Iran, saying Tehran was "too close" to weaponizing its nuclear program.
In 2018, during his first term in office, Trump pulled the United States out of an agreement between Tehran and world powers that placed limits on Iran's nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions. Since then, the Islamic republic has ramped up its uranium enrichment, raising fears that it is close to developing a nuclear warhead.
"There is no possibility of direct negotiations with the U.S. as long as maximum pressure is being applied in this way," Araghchi said at a joint news conference with Lavrov
Lavrov said diplomatic measures were still on the table for resolving issues around Iran's nuclear program.
The prospect of improved relations between Washington and Moscow have raised concern among some in Tehran who feel it could impact Iran.
Iran's conservative daily Jomhuri Eslami on February 25 warned of a "grand bargain" between Washington and Moscow that could result in Russia "turning a blind eye" to any potential U.S. military action against Iran.
The daily Etemad suggested this week that Lavrov could carry a message from Washington that includes proposals for reducing tensions between Iran and the United States and paving the way for a new round of talks between the two countries.
The daily also said the aim of Lavrov's trip to Iran could be to become acquainted with Tehran's positions before a potential meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in the future.
"What Putin is pursuing is not a deal regarding Iran but merely the national interests of Russia," Hossein Shalevarzi, a former head of Iran's Chamber of Commerce, said on X last week.
Despite deep mistrust, Tehran and Moscow have grown closer and enhanced military cooperation since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and Moscow was hit by a slew of Western sanctions.
Iran has provided Russia with cheap but deadly drones that have been used against Ukraine, though both Tehran and Moscow deny it.
“The aim of the trip is to put pressure on Tehran to be in line with Moscow,” Damon Golriz, a lecturer at the Hague University of Applied Sciences, told Radio Farda.
Other Iranian observers say a potential U.S.-Russia reset could be an opportunity for Tehran.
Tehran-based analyst Abdolreza Farajirad said in an interview with Etemad that Lavrov's trip to Iran comes amid "a deadlock" between Tehran and Washington and a worsening economy that has turned into a major challenge for the Islamic republic.
"If Russia can act as a mediator between Tehran and Washington, it can be considered a positive development," Farajirad said.
Ukraine's Lawmakers Back Zelenskyy After Trump 'Dictator' Barbs

Ukraine's parliament, in a symbolic show of support, has approved a resolution reconfirming President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's legitimacy as the country's leader amid questions from the United States and Russia over his legal standing.
The resolution highlights tensions between Washington and Kyiv after U.S. President Donald Trump last week called Zelenskyy a "dictator without elections" for failing to hold a vote during wartime while also falsely accusing Kyiv of starting the war.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has also widely claimed there can't be peace talks with Ukraine because Zelenskyy is not the country's legitimate leader because his term was originally supposed to end in May 2024.
However, under the constitution, Zelenskyy is bound to remain in office as the country is under martial law because of Russia's full-scale invasion, a point Ukrainian lawmakers underlined in approving the resolution at a meeting of parliament, called the Verkohona Rada, in Kyiv on February 25.
"Martial law in Ukraine, introduced in response to Russia's full-scale invasion, does not allow for elections by Ukraine's constitution. At the same time, the Ukrainian people are united in the opinion that such elections should be held after the war's end," the resolution says.
Martial law was imposed by Kyiv just a day after the Kremlin launched its all-out war in February 2022.
Ukrainian officials have repeatedly noted that practical considerations, along with legal ones, make it impossible to hold elections.
They point to major security concerns saying packed polling stations would make tempting targets for a Russian military that has repeatedly struck civilian targets including schools, hospitals, and apartment buildings over the past three years.
In addition, millions of Ukrainians have fled the country because of the war and their participation must be accounted for, officials say.
Those concerns have been backed by dozens of civic groups, which last week issued issued a joint statement declaring the impossibility of holding elections under current circumstances.
"Only after the end of the war and the achievement of a stable peace…will it be possible to organize elections freely, fairly, democratically, and accessibly," they wrote.
Zelenskyy, who has not said whether he would run in a vote, has said elections could take place this year if martial law is lifted -- something that would be possible after a deal to stop the fighting.
Talk of a peace settlement has intensified in recent weeks, though how it will be achieved is unclear.
Top U.S. and Russian officials held talks last week in Saudi Arabia on ending the war -- the first formal high-level talks between Washington and Moscow since before the February 2022 invasion.
Despite some assurances, and calls from European leaders, to make sure Ukrainian officials are involved in the negotiations, Ukraine was pointedly been left out of those talks.
French President Emmanuel Macron on February 24, speaking to Fox News after meeting with Trump earlier in the day, said a truce between Ukraine and Russia could be agreed "in the weeks to come."
"After speaking with President Trump, I fully believe there is a path forward," Macron said.
Ukraine Scores Diplomatic Win With Passage Of Resolutions At UN

The United States on February 24 split with its European allies at the United Nations by rejecting wording that blamed Russia for its invasion of Ukraine in resolutions seeking an end to the war.
In a major shift of its position on the conflict, the United States joined Russia and Belarus in the UN General Assembly in voting against a Europe-backed Ukrainian resolution that calls out Moscow's aggression. The vote was 93-18 with 65 abstentions.
The United States then abstained from voting on its own competing resolution after language was added making clear that Russia had invaded its smaller neighbor in violation of the UN Charter. The vote on that resolution in the 193-nation world body was 93-8 with 73 abstentions. Ukraine voted yes and Russia voted no.
The United States sided with Russia a second time when it pushed for a vote on its original draft resolution in the UN Security Council. The vote in the 15-member council was 10-0 with five European countries -- Britain, France, Denmark, Greece, and Slovenia -- abstaining.
Senator John Curtis (Republican-Utah) said he was "deeply troubled" by the U.S. vote that "put us on the same side" as Russia and North Korea.
"These are not our friends. This posture is a dramatic shift from American ideals of freedom and democracy," Curtis said on X. "We all want an end to the war, but it must be achieved on terms that ensure Ukraine's sovereignty and security and that deter [President Vladimir] Putin from pursuing further territorial ambitions."
Resolutions passed by the General Assembly are not legally binding but are a closely watched way to gauge world opinion. Those passed by the UN Security Council are legally binding.
The divide represented a dramatic shift in transatlantic relations under President Donald Trump and follows his decision to open direct negotiations with Russia on ending the war in Ukraine without representatives of Ukraine and Europe at the table.
The votes also reflect tensions between Washington and Kyiv after Trump last week called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a “dictator" for not holding elections during wartime and falsely accused Kyiv of starting the war.
The U.S.-drafted resolution acknowledged "the tragic loss of life throughout the Russia-Ukraine conflict" and called for "a swift end to the conflict and further urges a lasting peace between Ukraine and Russia" but didn’t mention Moscow's aggression.
In a surprise move, France, on behalf of European states, proposed three amendments which added references to Moscow's full-scale invasion, Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the need for a "just, lasting and comprehensive peace" between Ukraine and the Russian Federation in line with the Charter of the United Nations.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, a strong ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, apologized on February 25 for his country's support for a resolution reaffirming support for Ukraine and its territorial integrity, saying the vote cast was a "mistake."
He told Happy Television that Serbia should have exercised restraint by abstaining from the vote, as it did with the U.S.-backed proposal.
"I think Serbia made a mistake, I apologize to the citizens for that and I bear the blame for it myself," Vucic said.
In the Security Council, Russia used its veto to prevent any changes to the U.S. resolution.
Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Mariana Betsa said her country is exercising its "inherent right to self-defense" following Russia's invasion. She told the General Assembly that the way Russian aggression is answered "will define the future of Ukraine…Europe and our common future."
As Ukraine marked the anniversary of the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, Kyiv called on all nations "to stand firm and to take…the side of the Charter, the side of humanity, and the side of just and lasting peace, peace through strength," she said.
U.S. Deputy Ambassador Dorothy Shea said multiple UN resolutions condemning Russia and demanding the withdrawal of Russian troops "have failed to stop the war" that "has now dragged on for far too long and at far too terrible a cost to the people in Ukraine and Russia and beyond."
"What we need is a resolution marking the commitment from all UN member states to bring a durable end to the war," Shea said.
Shea called it "a first step, but a crucial one," saying it "puts us on the path to peace."
- By RFE/RL
Macron Says Russia-Ukraine Truce Could Be Weeks Away, After Talks With Trump

French President Emmanuel Macron on February 24 said a truce between Ukraine and Russia could be agreed "in the weeks to come" but also warned that peace cannot mean the "surrender" of Ukraine.
Macron spoke in an interview with U.S. broadcaster Fox News following a meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House on the third anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion.
Trump said earlier in the Oval Office that the war could end soon.
"I think we could end it within weeks if we're smart. If we're not smart, it will keep going," Trump said alongside Macron after welcoming him to the White House.
Macron said he had spoken with European leaders and many of them are ready to provide security guarantees, a key demand of Ukraine in any peace deal.
Both Macron and Trump said there had been progress on the idea of sending peacekeepers to Ukraine, although Macron insisted the United States join Europe in the pledge, saying it would be critical for Washington to offer "backup" for any European peacekeeping force.
Trump claimed Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to "accept" European troops deployed in Ukraine as guarantors of a deal to end fighting.
"I have specifically asked him that question. He has no problem it," Trump said when asked by a reporter about Putin's position on the matter.
The French leader said any European forces sent to Ukraine would be there to "maintain peace" and would not be placed along the front lines or become part of the conflict.
Macron said he would work with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who is scheduled to visit the White House on February 27, on a proposal to send peacekeeping troops to Ukraine in the event of a deal.
"After speaking with President Trump, I fully believe there is a path forward," Macron said.
Macron told journalists that the war had cost a lot of money and that it was the "responsibility of Russia because the aggressor is Russia." The statement contrasted with Trump's comment last week in which he suggested Ukraine started the war.
Trump said he expected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House in the next two weeks to sign a deal granting Washington access to Ukraine's rare minerals.
In response to a reporter's question, the American president declined to call Putin a dictator despite using the word to describe Zelenskyy last week.
Zelenskyy, who has said he would step down in exchange for peace with a guarantee that Ukraine could join NATO, called on February 24 for a "real, lasting peace" this year.
Putin on February 24 indicated a shift in his stance, saying in an interview with state television that European countries can "participate" in talks to resolve the conflict in Ukraine. He also said that U.S. and Russian companies were "in touch" on joint economic projects -- including strategic minerals in occupied Ukraine.
Trump said his team is "constantly" speaking with the Russians, including about potential U.S.-Russian business deals, representing a shocking change in U.S. policy.
"My administration is making a decisive break with the foreign policy values of the past administration, and frankly the past," said Trump, who has demanded the United States be paid back for the billions of dollars in aid it has given Kyiv.
The Biden administration's strategy was to isolate Russia politically and economically, disengaging from communication and imposing sweeping sanctions on the country following its invasion of Ukraine.
- By RFE/RL
Trump Says Putin Ready To Accept European Peacekeepers

U.S. President Donald Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin is willing to accept European peacekeepers ahead of talks with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, on ways to end the war in Ukraine.
"I have specifically asked him that question. He has no problem it," Trump said, when asked by a reporter about Putin's position on the matter.
Macron said European countries "are ready and willing to provide" Ukraine with security guarantees "which could perhaps include troops."
The French leader said any European forces sent to Ukraine would be there to "maintain peace" and would not be placed along the front lines or become part of the conflict.
Trump said his team is “constantly” speaking with the Russians, including about potential U.S.-Russian business deals, representing a shocking change in U.S. policy. The Biden administration sought to isolate Russia politically and economically, disengaging from communication and imposing sweeping sanctions on the country, following its invasion of Ukraine.
“My administration is making a decisive break with the foreign policy values of the past administration, and frankly the past,” Trump said.
He said the two sides were close to signing a deal on Ukrainian mineral resources.
"Once it is signed, Russia will go back to its business and Ukraine with Europe will go to their business. Things will be very good," Trump said after welcoming Macron to the White House.
Macron's visit to Washington comes on the third anniversary of the war sparked by Russia's full-scale invasion. He and Trump attended a virtual meeting with fellow leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) economies to discuss the war in Ukraine prior to holding one-on-one talks.
The trip to Washington comes on a day of high-stakes diplomacy, where Macron's visit, along with a summit in Kyiv and a showdown over diplomatic language at the United Nations over how to refer to the war have laid bare Western divisions over how to end it.
Ahead of his trip, Macron said he would present a European action plan to help achieve a durable peace deal with solid security guarantees for Ukraine.
During a press conference streamed on social media before departing for Washington, he said he would also present the case to Trump that how he handles Putin in Ukraine will either dissuade or embolden China, the United States' largest geopolitical competitor.
"You can't be weak in the face of President Putin. It's not you, it's not your trademark, it's not in your interest," Macron said, outlining the argument he planned to make to the U.S. president. "How can you then be credible in the face of China if you're weak in the face of Putin?"
Addressing G7 leaders virtually, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he hoped to finish the war "this year" as he appealed to Trump for continued U.S. support and argued for allowing Ukraine to join NATO, which the Trump administration opposes.
“If Ukraine remains outside NATO, it will be a much more expensive and complicated path for everyone because NATO provides the simplest and most cost-effective security guarantees," the Ukrainian president said.
Zelenskyy added that Kyiv is working "productively" on an economic deal with Washington amid ongoing tense talks on access to Ukrainian mineral resources in exchange for continued aid.
Trump has roiled America's traditional allies in Europe with his readiness to restart diplomatic ties with Putin and negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine, raising concerns that Europe -- and even Kyiv itself -- will be sidelined in the process.
Macron's trip comes after Zelenskyy met with at least 13 foreign officials in Kyiv on February 24 -- with another two dozen or more joining online -- to discuss support for Ukraine in the face of questions over U.S. assistance.
Those concerns -- which have expanded since U.S.-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia last week -- were borne out in comments from European governments at a summit in Kyiv where leaders looked to reaffirm their support for Ukraine.
"It is Russia that started this war," German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said via video link. "Russia may have gained an open ear in the White House but they have not gained an inch of legitimacy."
During the summit in Kyiv, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen vowed to "speed up the delivery of weapons and ammunition" to Ukraine and announced 3.5 billion euros in new aid. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez also promised 1 billion euros in new military support and equipment, while Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Ottawa would contribute new military support and donate frozen Russian funds to Kyiv.
The European Union also announced a new sanctions package against Russia and von der Leyen said Ukraine could join the bloc before 2030 if the country continues its reforms at their current speed and quality.
"President Trump has changed the global conversation over the last few weeks, and it has created an opportunity," British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told world leaders over video connection. "If we want peace to endure, Ukraine must have a seat at the table, and any settlement must be based on a sovereign Ukraine backed up with strong security guarantees."
The prospect of a normalization of ties between Russia and the United States, Trump's stated desire to quickly end the war, and a public war of words between the U.S. president and Zelenskyy have worried European leaders and launched a wave of outreach to Washington.
"If you look at the messages that come from the U.S., then it's clear that the Russian narrative is there, very strongly represented," Kaja Kallas, the EU's top diplomat, told reporters in Brussels. She is scheduled to travel to Washington on February 25 and meet with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Kallas will follow Macron in visiting Washington, and Starmer is also set to meet with Trump on February 27 at the White House.
Polish President Andrzej Duda also met with Trump over the weekend.
During a trip to Turkey on the war's anniversary, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow remains open to negotiations but its military campaign will only stop if the outcome is satisfactory to Russia.
Lavrov added he believes many countries have become more "realistic" in their position around the war and that the recent meeting in Saudi Arabia raised hopes of having normal dialogue between Moscow and Washington.
Alongside Lavrov, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Turkey -- a NATO member that has previously helped broker agreements between Moscow and Kyiv -- was ready to host future peace talks on ending the war in Ukraine.
In addition to unfolding Western divisions at the G7, a diplomatic battle over Ukraine took place at the United Nations in New York City, where the United States proposed a draft resolution that uses less critical language of Russia's full-scale invasion than a draft resolution put forward by the EU and Ukraine.
The United States abstained during a vote at 193-member UN General Assembly on February 24, allowing the body to reaffirm Ukraine's territorial integrity and adopt a strongly worded resolution condemning Russia's invasion.
But Washington also joined Russia in voting against a UN resolution proposed by Ukraine and European countries that refers to "the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation" and demands that Russia immediately withdraw its forces.
The U.S. then abstained from voting on its own resolution after three amendments proposed by France passed. One of the amendments added that the conflict was the result of a “full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation." Another reaffirmed the assembly’s commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence, unity, and territorial integrity, and the third called for peace that respects the UN Charter.
All the amendments were approved and the resolution passed 93-8 with 73 abstentions. Ukraine voted yes, the U.S. abstained, and Russia voted no.
The UN Security Council later approved the original U.S.-sponsored resolution. The vote in the 15-member council was 10-0 with five countries abstaining. In order to be adopted, a council resolution needs at least nine votes in favor and no vetoes by permanent members Britain, China, France, Russia, and the United States.
In contrast, the General Assembly has no vetoes and despite being a closely watched way to gauge world opinion, its resolutions are legally nonbinding unlike those adopted by the Security Council.
Grief, Anger, And Pride As Ukraine Marks Third Anniversary Of Russia's Full-Scale Invasion

- By RFE/RL
Germany's Merz 'Hopeful' On U.S. Ties Despite Recent Trump Moves

Friedrich Merz, the presumptive next German chancellor and a longtime supporter of transatlantic ties, said he now seeks security "independence" from the United States and expressed doubts about the future of NATO, the alliance that has underpinned Western defense interests since World War II.
The 69-year-old, who faces tough coalition talks after his party's first-place finish in Germany's parliamentary elections over the weekend, said on February 24 that the country can't afford political paralysis at a time when Washington's foreign policy is shifting and the German economy is slumping.
"For me, the absolute priority will be to strengthen Europe as quickly as possible so that, step by step, we can really achieve independence from the USA" in defense matters, Merz said.
Merz, leader of the center-right CDU/CSU alliance, said he had "no illusions at all about what is coming out of America."
"After Donald Trump's statements in the last week, it is clear that the Americans are largely indifferent to the fate of Europe," he said in a televised postelection discussion with other party leaders, a traditional event following German elections.
"I'm very curious to see how we head toward the NATO summit at the end of June -- whether we will still be talking about NATO in its current form or whether we will have to establish an independent European defense capability much more quickly," Merz added.
In one of Germany's most important elections in the post-World War II era, the CDU/CSU finished on top with 28.5 percent of the vote, according to official figures, which isn't enough to form a government alone.
However, in what likely caused a major sigh of relief in many EU capitals as well as inside Germany, the results will likely allow mainstream parties to keep the far-right AfD party out of government.
Coalition partner candidates are the center-left SPD of Chancellor Olaf Scholz, which lost nearly 10 percentage points compared with four years ago, receiving 16.4 percent, and the Greens, who finished fourth with 11.6 percent. AfD was second with 20.8 percent.
Scholz will likely remain in place as a caretaker chancellor until a new government is formed.
Despite the recent tensions within the transatlantic alliance, Trump hailed the results, posting on his social media platform that the conservatives' victory was "a great day for Germany."
"Much like the USA, the people of Germany got tired of the no common sense agenda, especially on energy and immigration," Trump wrote.
Left-leaning British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and centrist French President Emmanuel Macron, both key NATO allies, congratulated Merz on his party's victory and also underlined the need for enhanced European security efforts.
"I look forward to working with the new government to deepen our already strong relationship, enhance our joint security, and deliver growth for both our countries," Starmer posted on X.
Macron, who is due to meet Trump in Washington on February 24, said, "We are more determined than ever to achieve great things together for France and for Germany and to work for a strong and sovereign Europe."
"In this period of uncertainty, we are united to face the great challenges of the world and of our continent."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also congratulated Merz, writing on social media that "Europe must be able to defend itself, develop its industries, and achieve the necessary results."
"Europe needs shared successes, and those success will bring even greater unity to Europe," he wrote.
Zelenskyy on February 23 also said he was ready to give up his position as president to bring peace, saying it could be in exchange for his country joining NATO.
"If there is peace for Ukraine, if you really need me to leave my post, I am ready.... I can exchange it for NATO," Zelenskyy told a news conference in Kyiv, adding he would depart "immediately" if necessary.
Following recent speculation about sending peacekeeping troops to Ukraine following a truce deal, Merz said it was too early to discuss such efforts.
"I see it the same way as the chancellor [Scholz]. This is not a question at all at the moment," said Merz, who has regularly backed continued aid for Kyiv.
Scholz on February 18 said discussions over sending peacekeepers were "completely premature" and "highly inappropriate" while the war is ongoing.
Trump has roiled America's traditional allies in Europe with his readiness to restart diplomatic ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin and negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine, raising concerns that Europe -- or even Kyiv itself -- will be sidelined in the process.
Trump has also long complained that European nations are not paying enough for their own defense and has often questioned the long-term viability of NATO itself.
Against the backdrop of Russia's war against Ukraine, Merz will also have to balance relations between Berlin and Moscow amid an environment of shifting geopolitical winds brought about by the new administration in the White House.
"Each time [there's a new government] we want to hope for a more sober approach to reality, for a more sober approach to what could be issues of mutual interest [between Russia and Germany], mutual benefits," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in Moscow on February 24.
"But let's see how it will be in reality."
In his postelection remarks, Merz said, "The interventions from Washington were no less dramatic and drastic and ultimately outrageous than the interventions we have seen from Moscow," referring to Trump ally Elon Musk’s remarks ahead of the vote in favor of the far-right AfD.
"We are under so much pressure from two sides that my absolute priority now really is to create unity in Europe," Merz added.
With reporting by Reuters and dpa
German Election Results Match Poll Predictions, Handing Victory To CDU/CSU

PRAGUE -- The headlines indicate that the far-right AfD party had its best-ever result in the German parliamentary elections, finishing second with some 20 percent of the vote, nearly doubling the result they got four years ago.
But there will be a sigh of relief in many EU capitals, governed by centrists, as well as inside Germany itself, that the vote results matched what polls had long predicted.
Despite vocal endorsements from the world’s richest man, Elon Musk, as well as far-right populist leaders, from both the United States and Europe, the AfD came in a distant second behind the establishment center-right CDU/CSU party.
The CDU/CSU finished top with 28.5 percent of the vote and Merz has indicated that he would prefer to have just one coalition partner, avoiding the unwieldy three-party set-up of the previous German government that was marred by infighting, which eventually led to snap elections.
As long predicted, it will be up to Friedrich Merz, leader of the CDU, to try to piece together a government.
And the only thing that is more or less sure is that the AfD -- which received 20.8 percent -- won’t be part of those talks, shunned as they are by the other major political parties in Germany.
The question is if Merz will get his way. The numbers indicate he might have to take in at least two parties to get a parliamentary majority, although seat allocations could differ slightly from the overall vote total.
The two prime candidates are the center-left SPD, led by current Chancellor Olaf Scholz, which lost nearly 10 percentage points compared to four years ago, getting just 16.4 percent and the Greens, who finished fourth with 11.6 percent.
However, some initial seat estimates indicate the CDU/CSU and the SPD together could manage a slight majority by the two groups and form a so-called "grand coalition."
Before the election, Merz said he wanted to have a new government in place by Easter, April 20.
Following the vote, he said that “we have nearly eight weeks until Easter now and I think that should be enough time — the maximum time — to form a government in Germany.”
The key thing to look out for is if the liberal FDP and Sahra Wagenknecht and her far-left BSW party clear the required 5 percent threshold to enter parliament. If both parties manage that, Merz will likely be forced to look for more than one coalition partner.
The big issue is now how long it will take to form a new government with Merz indicating that he wants it all done and dusted by the latter half of April, at the very latest.
The faster he manages, the better, given that there is a bulging in-tray waiting for the government. The German economy has endured two consecutive years of recession and many voters will expect immigration rules to be tightened, with several deadly attacks by immigrants linked to radical Islam capturing the headlines in recent months.
But the biggest immediate challenge will be how to deal with the new U.S. administration in and making sure that Europe has a say in any potential deal made between the United States and Russia over Ukraine. Merz does share certain traits with U.S. President Donald Trump: they both cut their teeth in business and are keen golfers for example, but will that be enough?
Following the release of exit polls, Trump hailed the results, posting on his social media platform that the conservatives' victory was "great day for Germany."
""Much like the USA, the people of Germany got tired of the no common sense agenda, especially on energy and immigration," Trump wrote.
A likely, impending transatlantic trade war will hit the export-oriented German economy hard, with Trump saying he will soon impose steep tariffs on German cars and most German political parties, including CDU/CSU, are adamant that they want to continue to support Ukraine both economically and politically.
Many challenges will face the new German chancellor. And Europe will be looking to Germany to take the lead on many issues. For example, other European countries will be looking to Germany to see if it is willing to send troops to oversee a potential cease-fire in Ukraine. And they will also be looking to see whether Germany is willing to drop its traditional opposition to borrowing, so that EU bonds can be issued by the union as a whole, in order to allow the continent to quickly increase its defense spending.
Following the election, Merz said it was too early to discuss the potential deployment of peacekeeping troops to Ukraine.
"I see it the same way as the chancellor (Scholz). This is not a question at all at the moment," said.
Scholz on February 18 said discussions over sending peacekeepers were "completely premature" and "highly inappropriate" while the war is ongoing.
Merz also expressed concerns about the future of the transatlantic alliance in the face of consistent remarks by Trump over the viability of NATO -- "or if we need to develop independent European defense capabilities much faster."
"That is my absolute priority, and I have absolutely no illusions about what is happening in America," said Merz, who has long favored strong U.S. ties.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy congratulated Merz on his party's victory, writing on social media that "a clear voice from the voters, and we see how important this is for Europe."
"Europe must be able to defend itself, develop its industries, and achieve the necessary results. Europe needs shared successes, and those success will bring even greater unity to Europe," he wrote.
With reporting by
Polish President Duda Meets With Trump, Discusses Ukraine, Security Cooperation

Polish President Andrzej Duda held a private discussion with U.S. President Donald Trump during which they addressed several key topics, including the ongoing war in Ukraine.
According to the Polish president’s office, Duda and Trump met on February 22 in Washington to discuss Polish-American relations, security cooperation, and the U.S. military and economic presence in Poland.
Regarding Ukraine, Duda stated that Trump shared his concise plan for resolving the conflict, emphasizing the need for negotiations as the only viable path to ending the war.
"I had a private conversation with President Donald Trump, during which he briefly outlined his plan. He said negotiations are necessary, as that is the only way to end the war," Duda's office reported.
The meeting comes against increasing tension between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who recently exchanged sharp criticism. Trump called Zelenskyy a "dictator" and suggested Ukraine bears responsibility for starting the war with Russia -- remarks that sparked concern in Kyiv, European capitals, and among some high-ranking Republican lawmakers in the United States.
Speaking to journalists, Duda emphasized Trump's interest in strengthening Ukraine, including through economic ties. He noted that the U.S. economic presence in Ukraine could serve as a form of security guarantee, ensuring Ukraine remains stable and protected.
Duda's visit to the United States followed a conversation with Zelenskyy on February 21. The Polish leader described the talk as "frank" and urged Zelenskyy to maintain a calm and constructive approach to relations with Trump amid recent diplomatic tensions.
Zelenskyy previously said Trump had been influenced by Russian disinformation and allowed the United States to help Russia escape years of international isolation by engaging in high-level diplomatic talks in Riyadh on February 18.
As Ukraine continues to defend itself against Russia's military aggression, the diplomatic landscape is becoming increasingly complex. Trump's statements and shifting U.S. policy stances have raised concerns in Kyiv and across Europe about the future of Western support for Ukraine.
Meanwhile, efforts by Poland, the United Kingdom, and the EU signal ongoing international backing for Ukraine, even as diplomatic challenges persist.
Russia Launches Largest-Ever Drone And Missile Attack On Ukraine, Casualties Mounting

Russian forces launched the largest-ever attack on Ukraine overnight, deploying 267 Shahed-type attack drones, various decoy UAVs, and three Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles, the Ukrainian Air Force said on February 23.
Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat said the night of February 22-23 had seen the highest number of Russian drone attacks since the beginning of Russia's all-out invasion on February 24, 2022
Writing on social media, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called it "the largest attack since Iranian drones began hitting Ukrainian cities and villages."
The Ukrainian military said it managed to shoot down 138 drones over multiple regions, including key cities and strategic locations such as Kharkiv, Poltava, Sumy, Kyiv, Chernihiv, Cherkasy, Kirovohrad, Zhytomyr, Khmelnytskiy, Rivne, Mykolayiv, Odesa, and Dnipropetrovsk.
An additional 119 decoy drones reportedly lost signal without causing any confirmed damage.
Nevertheless, there were reports the attack caused significant damage and numerous casualties in several regions.
The exact number of casualties and the extent of the damage were still being assessed. Still, the toll on civilians was expected to be high.
According to Ukraine’s State Emergency Service, drone strikes caused fires and structural damage in three districts of Kyiv. A private house caught fire, while two houses sustained damage. In the Pechera district, an explosion shattered the windows of a nonresidential building.
In Kryviy Rih, Dnipropetrovsk region, Russian forces struck civilian infrastructure, killing one person and injuring five others. Emergency services reported that a 60-square-meter fire broke out following the attack. Rescuers pulled a man and a woman from the rubble, but the man later died in the hospital. Among the injured were four women and one man, with three still hospitalized, one in critical condition.
Meanwhile, in Zaporizhzhya, a 53-year-old woman was injured and hospitalized following another Russian drone strike. The explosion caused a fire in a two-story residential building and a truck, with flames covering an area of 80 square meters. The blast wave and debris also damaged nearby houses.
Despite ample evidence, the Russian government denies targeting civilian infrastructure during its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Ukrainian officials and international organizations classify these strikes as war crimes, emphasizing they are not only deliberate but also indiscriminate, targeting residential areas, schools, hospitals, and essential infrastructure such as power grids and water supply facilities.
- By RFE/RL
Britain To Unveil Large Package Of Sanctions On Russia

London will unveil a significant package of sanctions against Russia on February 24, the anniversary of the start of Moscow's full-scale war with Ukraine, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said on February 23.
The sanction will be the largest package against Russia since the early days of the war, he said. They will be aimed at "eroding their military machine and reducing revenues fueling the fires of destruction in Ukraine," Lammy said in a statement.
"This is also the time to turn the screws on [President Vladimir] Putin's Russia," Lammy said.
Lammy reiterated Britain's military backing for Kyiv, which includes a pledge to provide £3 billion ($3.78 billion) annually and its readiness to provide British troops as part of peacekeeping forces if necessary.
"Off the battlefield, we will work with the U.S. and European partners to achieve a sustainable, just peace, and in doing so, remaining clear that there can be nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine," Lammy added.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on February 22 held separate phone calls with EU chief Ursula von der Leyen and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, repeating a similar message to Lammy's.
EU countries last week agreed a new round of sanctions that are set to be formally adopted on February 24. They include a ban on imports of Russian aluminum.
Starmer is scheduled to travel to Washington to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump on February 27, hoping to act as a "bridge" between the United States and Europe to ensure territorial and security guarantees for Kyiv in the event of a deal to end the war.
Lammy's announcement comes after the United States alarmed Kyiv and its European backers by starting talks with Russia on the future of the conflict without the participation Ukraine or the European Union.
"This is a critical moment in the history of Ukraine, Britain, and all of Europe.... Now is the time for Europe to double down on our support for Ukraine," said Lammy.
London already has imposed sanctions on 1,900 people and organizations with links to Putin's government since the start of the war.
With reporting by AFP
Talks 'Making Progress' As U.S. Sets Sights On Ukrainian Minerals

As Ukraine prepares to mark three years since Russia's full-scale invasion on February 24, leaders in Kyiv are weighing U.S. proposals for access to Ukrainian mineral resources.
Speaking on February 23, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said talks with the United States on the matter were "making progress." The same day, Trump aide Steve Witkoff told CNN that he expected the deal to be signed this week.
But details still need to be ironed out. Zelenskyy mentioned a potential stumbling block, suggesting that clinching the deal would require security guarantees from Washington.
According to another senior Ukrainian politician, a working group will form even as commemorations of the anniversary are taking place.
Ruslan Stefanchuk, speaker of Ukraine's parliament, has told multiple media outlets that the group would begin working on the agreement text proposed by Washington on February 24.
He added that Ukraine wants to receive specific security guarantees in exchange for signing up, something Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has also suggested.
U.S. President Donald Trump on February 22 said he wants Ukraine to pay back the billions of dollars the United States sent to the country to help it defend against Russia's full-scale invasion.
"I want them to give us something for all of the money that we put up. We're asking for rare earth and oil -- anything we can get," Trump said at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) near Washington. "I'm trying to get the money back or secured."
Trump made the comments amid negotiations between Washington and Kyiv on a deal that would involve the rights to Ukraine's mineral resources, including those used to make batteries for electric vehicles and other technology.
Trump's special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, traveled to Kyiv earlier this week and met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, saying afterward that the Ukrainian president understood signing a deal with the United States was "critical." Kellogg also praised Zelenskyy as "courageous" after the visit.
Trump told supporters at the annual CPAC gathering that he thinks a deal can be reached.
"We're going to get our money back because it's just not fair," he said. "And we will see, but I think we're pretty close to a deal, and we better be close to a deal," Trump said.
A proposed deal reportedly would grant the United States rights to Ukraine's rare earth minerals to make up for U.S. aid given to Kyiv. Zelenskyy reportedly balked at signing the initial deal, but reports on February 22 quoting unidentified Ukrainian officials said he is now seriously considering a revised version of the deal.
Some of the terms appear even tougher than those of the earlier draft, The New York Times reported on February 22. The latest proposal, which the newspaper said it had reviewed, calls for Ukraine to contribute revenue from its resources to a U.S.-held fund until the amount contributed reaches $500 billion, The New York Times said.
Trump's diplomatic overtures toward Russia, including the possibility of a summit between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, have alarmed Ukraine and Europe over the possibility that the United States would sign a deal unfavorable to them.
The conflict has reached a critical stage just ahead of its third anniversary on February 24 and with Kyiv's forces slowly ceding ground on the front line.
The Russian Defense Ministry earlier on February 22 claimed the capture of Novolyubivka in the Luhansk region.
With reporting by Reuters, AFP, and The New York Times
- By RFE/RL
First Phase Of Gaza Cease-Fire Nears End With Release Of 6 Israeli Hostages

The U.S.- and EU-designated Palestinian terrorist group Hamas has released six Israeli hostages -- the last living hostages from a group of 33 that were expected to be freed in the first phase of the Gaza cease-fire.
Hamas had held two of those released for around a decade since they entered Gaza on their own.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog in a statement on X celebrated their release "from the depths of hell to begin the process of healing and recovery alongside their loving families."
In return, Israel is set to free 602 Palestinian prisoners, including convicted felons and Gazans detained following the start of the war, to complete the final hostage-prisoner swap of the first phase of the truce. Those handed the longest sentences are not allowed back in Gaza and will be sent to a third country.
The multiphase ceasefire went into effect on January 19, but negotiations have not yet started to move to the crucial second phase, which involves a permanent end to the Gaza war.
"The completion of a hostage deal is a humanitarian, moral, and Jewish imperative," Herzog wrote on X.
The conflict broke out on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants attacked settlements in southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages to Gaza.
Israel retaliated by launching a devastating war in the Palestinian enclave that has killed tens of thousands of people, according to local authorities, and displaced most of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents.
Hamas has been strongly criticized for its stage-managed release of Israeli hostages, which have included public ceremonies during which hostages are taken on stage.
The United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross slammed Hamas this week for parading the bodies of dead Israeli hostages in Gaza.
The militant Palestinian group on February 20 handed over the bodies of four hostages to the Red Cross, after presenting their coffins on a stage surrounded by armed militants.
The bodies included two children and their mother Shiri Bibas, but Israeli authorities said the body in the coffin was not hers. This threatened the tenuous cease-fire as Israel accused Hamas of being in “serious violation” of the truce.
However, Hamas delivered another body late on February 21, which Bibas’s family confirmed to be hers.
The Palestinian group insists the family was killed in an Israeli airstrike, but Israel says forensics show the mother and her young children were “deliberately” killed by their captors.
The final four sets of remains, completing the hostage release of the first phase, will be released next week.
Mediators say both sides plan to begin a second round of negotiations focused on securing the release of about 60 remaining hostages -- fewer than half of whom are believed to be alive --and the withdrawal of Israeli forces.
However, prospects for an agreement have been complicated by disputes over Gaza’s future, further inflamed by regional outrage over U.S. President Donald Trump's proposal to remove Palestinians from the enclave and transform it into a U.S.-controlled resort.
- By RFE/RL
Trump Fires Top U.S. General In Major Shakeup Of Pentagon Leadership

President Donald Trump on February 21 fired the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and dismissed five other admirals and generals in a major shake-up of the top leadership of the U.S. military.
Air Force General CQ Brown, who had served as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff since 2023 after being appointed by former President Joe Biden, was ousted in the move, which Trump announced on his social media platform Truth Social.
Brown, the second black officer to hold the job of chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had been expected to complete his four-year term in September 2027.
A Pentagon statement said Trump would nominate retired Lieutenant General Dan "Razin" Caine to succeed Brown. A former F-16 fighter pilot, Caine is a former associate director of military affairs at the CIA.
The Pentagon announced separately that Trump will replace the head of the U.S. Navy, a position held by Admiral Lisa Franchetti, the first woman to lead a military service, and Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force General Jim Slife. The judge advocates general for the army, navy, and air force were also fired.
Slife led Air Force Special Operations Command prior to becoming the service's vice chief of staff and had deployed to the Middle East and Afghanistan.
The moves were part of a campaign led by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to rid the military of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. Hegseth said that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) would have "broad access" to root out such programs from the Pentagon.
DOGE will work to "find the redundancies and identify the last vestiges of Biden priorities" such as DEI programs. These are "not core to our mission, and we're going to get rid of it all,” Hegseth said.
SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk -- the world's richest person -- has been tasked by Trump to lead DOGE. Musk’s efforts to achieve efficiencies thus far have resulted in the firing of tens of thousands of federal workers, which in turn has sparked legal challenges.
The Pentagon is already bracing for mass firings of civilian staff in a dramatic overhaul of its budget announced by Hegseth earlier this week.
Trump did not explain his decision to replace Brown but thanked him for “over 40 years of service to our country, including his time as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
“He is a fine gentleman and an outstanding leader, and I wish a great future for him and his family," Trump wrote.
Brown’s public support of Black Lives Matter after the police killing of George Floyd in 2020 had made him a target for the administration's wars against “wokeism” in the military.
Hegseth had been skeptical of Brown before taking the helm of the Pentagon, questioning in a book he published last year whether Brown would have gotten the job if he were not black.
Representative Adam Smith (Democrat-Washington) said Trump's "Friday night massacre" unleashed even more chaos at the Pentagon. He defended Brown as intelligent, accomplished, and a true patriot.
"That wasn’t good enough for the president, who has chosen -- yet again --fealty over proven ability to do the job and loyalty to the Constitution," said Smith, ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, in a statement.
“All of this continues to play into the hands of [Russian President] Vladimir Putin and others working to exploit the weakness Trump continues to broadcast and undermine the military, our government, our national security interests, and democracy worldwide,” Smith said.
The cut to the Pentagon’s civilian workforce will begin next week. Darin Selnick, who is performing the duties of undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, said in a statement that at least 5 percent of the workforce will be cut. The layoffs will focus on recently hired employees in a workforce of about 900,000.
"We anticipate reducing the department's civilian workforce by 5-8 percent to produce efficiencies and refocus the department on the president's priorities and restoring readiness in the force," said Selnick.
The dismissal of approximately 5,400 probationary workers will be followed by a hiring freeze "while we conduct a further analysis of our personnel needs," Selnick said.
A day before the announcement, Hegseth said in a video message that "it is simply not in the public interest to retain individuals whose contributions are not mission critical."
With reporting by Reuters, AFP, and AP
- By RFE/RL
UN General Assembly Weighs Competing Resolutions Marking Third Anniversary Of War In Ukraine

The United States has proposed a draft UN resolution that uses less critical language of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine than a draft resolution put forward by the European Union and Ukraine.
Ukraine Invasion: News & Analysis
RFE/RL's Ukraine Live Briefing gives you the latest developments on Russia's invasion, Western military aid, the plight of civilians, and territorial control maps. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war, click here.
The two drafts were proposed to mark the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, when the UN General Assembly is scheduled to vote on the resolutions.
The U.S. draft, proposed on February 21, mourns “the tragic loss of life throughout the Russia-Ukraine conflict,” calls for a swift end, and urges a lasting peace. But it fails to mention territory occupied by Russia and doesn't single out Moscow as the source of the conflict.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the resolution "simple and historic," and urged UN members to support it "in order to chart a path to peace."
"This resolution is consistent with President Trump’s view that the UN must return to its founding purpose, as enshrined in the UN Charter, to maintain international peace and security, including through the peaceful settlement of disputes," Rubio said in a statement.
By contrast, the draft resolution from the European Union and Ukraine refers to “the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation” and demands an immediate and unconditional withdrawal of all of Moscow’s forces.
The Ukrainian-European text stresses the need to redouble diplomatic efforts to end the war this year, while blaming Russia for the invasion and committing to Kyiv's "territorial integrity." It also recalls the need to implement all previous assembly resolutions “adopted in response to the aggression against Ukraine.”
The draft resolutions were circulated at the UN headquarters in New York amid a rift between the United States and Europe on how to negotiate an end to the war. The long-standing transatlantic alliance has been shaken over the Trump administration's decision to open negotiations with Russia this week in Saudi Arabia without representatives of Ukraine and the European Union at the table.
After Volodymyr Zelenskyy was not invited to take part in the talks in Riyadh on February 18, the Ukrainian president said President Donald Trump was living in a Russian-made “disinformation space.”
Trump responded by falsely blaming Zelenskyy for allowing the war to start and describing him as a “dictator without elections.” The country has been unable to hold a presidential election while under martial law.
“It’s a good move,” Russian Ambassador to the UN Vasily Nebenzya told UN reporters in reference to the U.S. resolution.
Russia has also suggested an amendment to the U.S. resolution to add the phrase “including by addressing its root causes.” This would change the final line to read “implores a swift end to the conflict, including by addressing its root causes, and further urges a lasting peace between Ukraine and Russia.”
The General Assembly has become the most important UN body dealing with Ukraine. Unlike the UN Security Council, where permanent members Britain, China, France, Russia, and the United States have veto power, no member state has a veto in the General Assembly.
Resolutions passed by the 193-member body are not legally binding but are closely watched around the world.
The General Assembly adopted six resolutions on the conflict in 2022, denouncing Moscow and demanding Russia withdraw all its troops. One of the other early resolutions condemned Russia's "attempted illegal annexation" of four regions of Ukraine. It won the greatest support with 143 states voting yes.
With reporting by AP, Reuters, AFP
- By RFE/RL
Zelenskyy And Putin Must 'Get Together' To End War In Ukraine, Trump Says

U.S. President Donald Trump said on February 21 that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin will have to "get together" to end the nearly three-year-old war in Ukraine.
Ukraine Invasion: News & Analysis
RFE/RL's Ukraine Live Briefing gives you the latest developments on Russia's invasion, Western military aid, the plight of civilians, and territorial control maps. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war, click here.
"I think that President Putin and President Zelenskyy are going to have to get together. Because you know what? We want to stop killing millions of people," Trump told reporters at the White House after swearing in Howard Lutnick as commerce secretary.
“I think we have a chance to get the deal done. I had to make sure that Russia wanted to do it,” referring to a meeting on the war in Ukraine this week between the top U.S. and Russian diplomats in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Trump also said he would not go to Moscow for the May 9 Victory Day events marking the anniversary of the end of World War II and said the United States was close to signing a minerals deal with Ukraine.
“I think we are pretty close I think they want it,” Trump said. “It’s significant. It’s a big deal,” he added.
Three anonymous sources familiar with the matter told Reuters that while pursuing an agreement on critical minerals, Washington has also raised the possibility of cutting Ukraine's access to Elon Musk's Starlink satellite Internet system.
Darya Kalenyuk, an executive director of Kyiv's Anti-Corruption Action Center, told RFE/RL that the system is vital for Ukraine's defense.
"It provides an Internet connection at the frontline [...] it is very hard to fight without having access to Starlink," Kalenyuk said.
Ukraine has deposits of 117 of the 120 most widely used minerals and metals in the world. Access to these resources could be worth trillions in total.
Trump has been pushing for a deal to end the war in Ukraine soon and held separate calls this week with both leaders.
Zelenskyy referred to the minerals deal in his evening address, saying he hoped for a fair result.
"This is an agreement that can add value to our relationship, and the main thing is to work out the details so that it can work," he said two days after Trump sharply criticized Zelenskyy, calling him a "dictator" who risks losing his country if he does not "move fast."
In his evening address, Zelenskyy said he spoke by phone on February 21 with the leaders of several European countries.
"Europe must and can do much more to ensure that peace is actually achieved,” he said after calls with the leaders of Germany, Poland, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Luxembourg, Slovenia, and Croatia.
He said it would be possible to achieve an end to the war with Russia since Ukraine and its partners in Europe have "clear proposals."
"On this basis we can ensure the implementation of a European strategy, and it is important that this is done together with America," he said.
Editors' Picks
Top Trending
Exclusive: Russian Defector Leaks Files Revealing Shocking Scale of War Casualties
2After 1,700 Reported Desertions, New Ukrainian Brigade Now Fighting On The Front Line
3Exclusive: RFE/RL Obtains Copy Of U.S.-Ukraine Minerals Deal
4Belarus Selling Rapeseed Oil Sourced From Occupied Ukraine To The EU, RFE/RL Finds
5Germany's Merz 'Hopeful' On U.S. Ties Despite Recent Trump Moves
6Can Ukraine's Scandal-Hit 155th Brigade Redeem Itself?
7Britain To Unveil Large Package Of Sanctions On Russia
83 Years In: How Moscow's War In Ukraine Has Reshaped Life In Russia
9Don't Expect Quick Ukraine Deal, Says Russian Expert Back From Moscow
10Zelenskyy Willing To Step Down As President To Secure Ukraine Peace
RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.
If you are in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine, please note that you could face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us.
To find out more, click here.