Also known as: President Putin · Russian President Vladimir Putin · President Vladimir Putin · Russian leader Vladimir Putin
Russian President whose government is engaged in ongoing conflict with Ukraine and has rejected direct peace talks with Ukrainian President Zelensky as of June 2026.
… mocracy,” said the director, considered a defining figure of contemporary European cinema. “We are obliged to become a kind of shield against these monsters like Trump, Netanyahu or the Russian,” he said, referring to Israel’s prime minister and Russian President Vladimir Putin …
… The policy has been criticised by many US and UK allies who say it helps the government of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his invasion of Ukraine, which has been ongoing since 2022. …
… The policy has been criticised by many US and UK allies who say it helps the government of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which has been ongoing since 2022. …
… Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to arrive in the Chinese capital Tuesday for a state visit clearly calibrated to show Beijing and Moscow’s alignment in the face of global geopolitical upheaval. …
… Within a day of Trump’s departure, multiple outlets reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin was expected to visit Beijing the following week for meetings with Xi Jinping, with some reports pointing to May 20 as the likely date. …
… When Trump asked about other foreign leaders who had been inside the compound, Xi said it’s “extremely rare”, before adding that Russian leader Vladimir Putin had been there. …
… The swoop was instigated by a vigilante group, called Russkaya Obshina, that wants to accelerate President Vladimir Putin’s agenda to stamp out what he describes as Western liberalism, and promote traditional family-oriented values. …
… also coming under fire, Prime Minister Svyrydenko said. “Ukraine needs help in strengthening its air defense,” she wrote on social media. “This is the only way to save our people and our cities.” Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin …
Niger has submitted its formal withdrawal request from the ICC, nine months after announcing its intent to leave in September 2025 alongside Mali and Burkina Faso, calling the court an "instrument of neo-colonialist repression." The withdrawal takes effect one year after notification, with Niger remaining bound to the court's obligations until then.
Niger has submitted its formal withdrawal request from the ICC, nine months after announcing its intent to leave in September 2025 alongside Mali and Burkina Faso, calling the court an "instrument of neo-colonialist repression." The withdrawal takes effect one year after notification, with Niger remaining bound to the court's obligations until then.
Robert Kuzovkov, a 44-year-old Russian artist known by the pseudonym Semyon Skrepetsky who created caricatures of Putin and other political leaders, was shot five times and killed in Biała Podlaska, Poland on Monday morning. Polish police have detained two Belarusian citizens and are investigating the murder.
The UK government has committed to banning imports of diesel and jet fuel made from Russian oil by 1 January 2027 as part of its sanctions package following the war with Ukraine. The temporary licence will be reviewed every two weeks and could be revoked sooner than the end date.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in the UK for talks with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at Downing Street, focusing on defence, air defence cooperation, and diplomatic prospects for ending the war. The UK and France lead a "coalition of the willing" to provide security guarantees for Ukraine as part of any future peace process.
A Russian drone struck a spent nuclear fuel storage facility near Chornobyl, partially destroying a building; Kyiv said a fire was extinguished, there were no injuries, and radiation levels remained stable. Zelensky called it a deliberate and "vile" Russian strike on critical nuclear infrastructure.
Russia says Ukraine launched an "unprecedented attack" on St Petersburg and surrounding areas during an economic forum, with over 140 drones shot down; Ukraine's President Zelensky said his forces targeted Russian arsenals and a naval base in Kronstadt as a response to Russian attacks.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said he sees "no point" in meeting Volodymyr Zelensky after the Ukrainian president requested direct negotiations to end the war. Zelensky responded that Russia "was choosing war again," saying Putin does not want to end the conflict.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for face-to-face talks with Vladimir Putin in an open letter, proposing a full ceasefire during negotiations to end the war in Europe. The Kremlin confirmed receiving the letter but reiterated its earlier position that Zelensky would need to travel to Moscow for talks.
China's President Xi Jinping will visit North Korea on June 8–9 at Kim Jong Un's invitation, his first trip in nearly seven years. The visit comes as China, North Korea's largest trading partner and sole defence-pact ally, seeks to manage its relationship with Pyongyang amid growing ties between North Korea and Russia.
Volodymyr Zelensky has written an open letter to Vladimir Putin proposing face-to-face talks and a full ceasefire during negotiations, arguing that peace can only come through direct engagement between Ukraine and Russia. The Kremlin confirmed receipt of the letter and responded that Putin would be welcome to meet Zelensky in Moscow.
Russian-backed authorities in occupied Crimea say at least four people have been killed in recent Ukrainian strikes, including three in Simferopol and one on a commuter train to Kerch. Ukraine has not commented on the accusations, which come as Kyiv has expanded attacks inside Russia, striking targets near St Petersburg including an oil terminal and naval base.
A drone struck a passenger bus traveling through a Russia-controlled part of Ukraine's Donetsk region early Wednesday, killing seven people and injuring 11 others. The attack comes as Ukraine also struck an oil terminal in St Petersburg.
Ukrainian drones hit the outskirts of St Petersburg hours before President Putin was to address a major economic forum attended by thousands of guests from 130 countries. Local authorities said air defences shot down 59 drones overnight and three districts were hit, with no casualties reported, while Zelensky confirmed strikes on an oil terminal and naval base in nearby Kronstadt.
A Russian drone struck a residential building in Galați, Romania on Friday, causing a fire and injuring two people — the first time Romanian citizens have been hurt in such an incident. Nato and EU allies condemned the attack; Romania scrambled fighter jets but had only four minutes from detection to impact.
Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama will attend the third Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow on October 28–29, 2026, to strengthen bilateral relations and explore economic partnerships in agribusiness, energy security, and digital technology, according to Ghana's Ambassador to Russia.
A gas explosion at the Liushenyu Coal Mine in Shanxi province killed at least 82 people and left two missing, with 128 being treated in hospitals. The blast, which occurred Friday with 247 workers on duty, is China's worst mining disaster since 2009.
A large wave of Russian missile and drone strikes on Kyiv and surrounding areas overnight into Sunday killed four people and injured more than 50 others, with damage reported across the capital's districts including residential buildings and schools. The strikes follow Russian President Vladimir Putin's vow to retaliate after Ukraine's armed forces acknowledged carrying out an attack near Starobilsk in Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine.
Russia launched a wave of missile and drone strikes on Kyiv, killing one person and injuring 21 others, with damage reported across all districts including residential buildings and schools. The strikes follow Ukraine's acknowledgment of an attack near Starobilsk in Russian-occupied territory on Friday, which Russia says killed 18 people in a student dormitory.
Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine of attacking a student dormitory in occupied Starobilsk, Luhansk region, killing six people and injuring 39, with 15 missing. Ukraine's military said it targeted the headquarters of Russia's elite Rubicon drone unit in the same town, without confirming it was the same building.
President Donald Trump announced the US will send an additional 5,000 troops to Poland, citing his relationship with Polish President Karol Nawrocki, a week after the Pentagon had cancelled a planned deployment of 4,000 troops. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte welcomed the move, though the White House has signalled it intends to reduce overall troop levels in Europe as part of its "America First" agenda.
At the Cannes Film Festival, Oscar-winning director Pedro Almodovar said artists have a moral duty to speak out against crises facing society, naming Trump, Netanyahu, and Putin as "monsters" and warning that silence and fear erode democracy.
The UK government has watered down plans to ban imports of diesel and jet fuel made from Russian oil in third countries, instead phasing in sanctions over coming months amid concerns over supplies and price rises following the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Ukraine's sanctions commissioner said he understands the rationale but disagrees with the approach, citing concerns that temporary exemptions may generate additional revenues for Russia's war machine.
The 2nd Open Dialogue convened in Russia brought together more than 100 authors from 43 countries to present ideas on investing in people, connectivity, technology, and the environment. Experts and researchers from 120 countries participated in the essay competition and forum, which Putin addressed, emphasizing that no country can develop in isolation and that global challenges require joint responses.
The UK government has relaxed sanctions on Russian oil refined into diesel and jet fuel in third countries, effective Wednesday, citing growing supply concerns and rising fuel prices. The move also loosens restrictions on Russian liquefied natural gas transport, allowing imports of jet fuel from India and other refiners despite the government's stated commitment to impose severe economic pressure on Russia over its war in Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to arrive in Beijing for a state visit days after Donald Trump's departure, signaling Beijing and Moscow's alignment as both navigate shifting relationships with Trump's United States and weigh their roles in resolving the US-Iran conflict.
Ukrainian forces are defending the strategic city of Kostyantynivka and surrounding areas from Russian advance, with rotating soldiers on the front line made extremely difficult by constant drone threats. Ukrainian intelligence says Putin wants to capture the Donbas region this year, though Russia's territorial gains have slowed recently.
US President Trump visited Zhongnanhai, the heavily guarded 14th Century compound where China's top leaders live and work, in a tour led by Xi Jinping. The visit, part of a two-day summit focused on resolving trade and Iran-related tensions, emphasized pageantry with both leaders describing the relationship warmly, though few policy details emerged.
A Russian vigilante group called Russkaya Obshina, which operates in alignment with President Putin's agenda against Western liberalism, raided a woman's birthday party at a nightclub, attacking guests and searching for evidence of LGBT "propaganda." The woman was later convicted for blasphemy based on a red neon crucifix in the venue, and the group has significantly increased its raids over the past two years with alleged funding from Kremlin-linked charities.
At least four people were killed and 44 injured, including children, after Russia launched more than 670 drones and 56 missiles across Ukraine overnight, with three bodies pulled from a partially destroyed Kyiv apartment building where a rescue operation is ongoing.