Category: World

U.S. President Donald Trump signaled the possibility of placing additional sanctions on Russia for its war in Ukraine. Asked about the prospect while speaking to reporters Tuesday, Trump responded, “Sounds likely.” Trump said his administration has been in talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and would be speaking with Russian President Vladimir Putin “very soon.” …

Read more “ Trump expresses possibility of more sanctions against Russia for Ukraine war”

ANKARA, TURKEY — Turkey has detained nine people, including the owner of the hotel, in connection with a deadly fire that claimed the lives of 76 people and injured dozens at a ski resort in western Turkey, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said early Wednesday. Yerlikaya also reported that the bodies of 45 victims had been handed …

Read more “Turkey detains nine people over ski resort hotel fire that killed 76”

WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he would likely impose sanctions on Russia if its president, Vladimir Putin, refuses to negotiate about ending the war in Ukraine.  Trump gave no details on possible additional sanctions. The United States has already sanctioned Russia heavily for its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.  Trump said …

Read more “Trump says he would sanction Russia if Putin does not negotiate on Ukraine”

U.S. President Donald Trump pledged Tuesday to hit the European Union with tariffs, adding that a 10% duty on Chinese imports could also come as soon as February 1.  Trump, who was speaking to reporters at the White House a day after being sworn in, cited the need to rectify the EU’s trade imbalances with …

Read more “Trump says EU ‘in for tariffs,’ warns of 10% rate on China”

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s mid-January press conference “on the performance of Russian diplomacy in 2024” was filled with false and misleading claims, many previously debunked, highlighting the Kremlin’s broader disinformation tactics. Russia’s disinformation aims to legitimize its war, undermine NATO and erode Western support for Ukraine. By targeting domestic and international audiences — especially …

Read more “Lavrov echoes debunked Kremlin narratives to justify war, undermine NATO”

Six Kurdish journalists have been detained in Turkey, charged with being members of a “terrorist organization” with no word from their lawyers. Journalists and activists say opposition media outlets are being targeted more and more every day. Click here for the full story in Kurdish. …

Russian lawyer practice could face existential risks after the recent guilty verdict against three lawyers who had represented late opposition leader Alexey Navalny in court. VOA Russian spoke to legal experts who voice concern about the ability of Russian activists to get proper legal representation in the future after Navalny lawyers got up to 5½ years …

Read more “Navalny lawyers get jail time for doing their job”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday that if a ceasefire deal were enacted with Russia, “at least 200,000 European peacekeepers” would need to be on the ground in Ukraine to defend the Eastern European country against a possible attack by Russia.   Zelenskyy, speaking a day after Donald Trump’s return to the U.S. presidency, said Europe …

Read more “Zelenskyy: Ukraine would need at least 200,000 peacekeepers for ceasefire”

Geneva — United Nations agencies say the imminent U.S. withdrawal from the World Health Organization and Paris climate agreement will have serious consequences for global health and efforts to slow down climate change. “The World Health Organization regrets the announcement that the United States of America intends to withdraw from the organization,” the WHO said Tuesday …

Read more “US withdrawals from WHO, Paris Agreement met with regret, calls for reversal”

NUUK, GREENLAND — U.S. President Donald Trump reiterated his assertion Monday that the United States needs to take control of Greenland from Denmark in the interests of “international security.” His repeated calls in recent weeks are raising concerns and stirring debate among the Arctic island’s 57,000-strong population as well as alarm among the United States’ European …

Read more “Trump repeat of need to take control of Greenland raises concerns, stirs debate”

U.S. President Donald Trump repeated his assertion Monday that the United States needs to take control of Greenland from Denmark, in what he described as a move necessary for international security. As Henry Ridgwell reports from Greenland’s capital, Nuuk, the U.S. leader’s stated intentions have raised concerns among the island’s tiny population, as it tries …

Read more “Trump repeat of need to take control of Greenland raises concerns, stirs debate”

Davos, Switzerland — EU chief Ursula von der Leyen declared Tuesday that Europe was ready to negotiate with the United States and seek to improve ties with China as Beijing warned against damaging trade wars in the face of Donald Trump’s protectionism. Trump returned to the White House on Monday, and while he may not be …

Read more “EU, China warn against trade friction at Davos after Trump return “

Moscow — Russian President Vladimir Putin had a call Tuesday with Chinese President Xi Jinping, emphasizing the two countries’ close ties, a day after Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th U.S. president. The two leaders have developed strong personal links that helped bring relations between Moscow and Beijing, growing even closer after Putin sent …

Read more “Russia’s Putin discusses ‘multipolar global order’ with China’s Xi hours after Trump inauguration “

ANKARA, Turkey — A fire at a ski resort hotel overnight killed at least 10 people and injured 32 others in northwestern Turkey, authorities said on Tuesday, as TV footage showed crews fighting flames and smoke that engulfed the 11-story building. The blaze began on the restaurant floor of the hotel at Bolu’s Kartalkaya ski resort …

Read more “Fire at ski resort in Turkey leaves 10 dead, 32 hurt”

Ukrainian officials said Tuesday that Russian drone attacks damaged residential buildings in several parts of central and southern Ukraine. The attacks were part of an assault that Ukraine’s military said involved 131 Russian drones and four ballistic missiles. Ukrainian air defenses shot down 72 of the drones, the air force said. Dnipropetrovsk Governor Serhiy Lysask …

Read more “Ukrainian officials say Russian drones damaged residential buildings”

Davos, Switzerland — With Donald Trump back as US president with his confrontational style, Chinese, European and Ukrainian leaders are expected to defend global cooperation on Tuesday at the annual gathering of the world’s elites in Davos. There will no doubt be a Trump-sized elephant in the rooms at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in the …

Read more “China, EU, Ukraine leaders take Davos stage under Trump shadow”

World leaders on Monday are congratulating President Donald Trump on his inauguration as the 47th president of the United States. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was among those who congratulated Trump. “President Trump is always decisive, and the peace through strength policy he announced provides an opportunity to strengthen American leadership and achieve a long-term and …

Read more “World leaders congratulate Trump on inauguration”

Ukraine’s military said Monday it shot down 93 of the 141 drones that Russian forces launched overnight in attacks targeting regions across the country. The intercepts took place over the Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Khmelnytskyi, Kirovohrad, Kyiv, Mykolaiv, Poltava, Sumy and Vinnytsia regions, Ukraine’s air force said. Dnipropetrovsk Governor Serhiy Lysak said on …

Read more “Ukraine reports downing 93 Russian drones”

Vatican City — Pope Francis called Sunday for a ceasefire in Gaza to be “immediately respected,” as he thanked mediators and urged a boost in humanitarian aid as well as the return of hostages. “I express gratitude to all the mediators,” the Argentine pontiff said shortly after the start of a truce between Israel and Hamas …

Read more “Pope calls for Gaza ceasefire to be ‘immediately respected’”

At 23, American Army veteran Manus McCaffery volunteered to join the fight against Russian aggression in Ukraine. In 2022, a Russian shell left him partially blind, but despite his wounds he continues to fight for those on the front lines. Ivanna Pidborska met with McCaffery. Anna Rice narrates her story. VOA footage by Iurii Panin. …

Read more “23-year-old American loses nearly all eyesight defending Ukraine”

PARIS — France’s President Emmanuel Macron has paid tribute to former French Resistance activist and author Genevieve Callerot, who has died at age 108. Callerot, who was among the last survivors of the groups that fought the country’s World War II occupation by Nazi Germany, died Thursday in a care home in Saint-Aulaye-Puymangou, a town in …

Read more “Macron praises World War II French Resistance activist, author”

WARSAW, POLAND — Hundreds of Swedish troops arrived in Latvia on Saturday to join a Canadian-led multinational brigade along NATO’s eastern flank, a mission Sweden is calling its most significant operation so far as a member of the Western defense alliance. A ship carrying parts of a mechanized infantry battalion arrived early Saturday in the port …

Read more “Swedish forces in Latvia make their largest NATO deployment to date”

PRAGUE — “Are you going to ask why I brought you here?” asked Alexey Levchenko as he arrived in Prague’s Smichov neighborhood. It was a brisk October morning, and the editor of the Russian outlet The Insider had suggested the meeting place: a small park with a Baroque fountain featuring the Roman god Neptune held aloft by …

Read more “Far from home, exiled journalists say Russia is always on their minds”

Ukrainian officials say at least four people were killed early Saturday in a nighttime Russian attack in the capital, Kyiv. Timur Tkachenko, head of the Ukrainian capital’s military administration said on Telegram that the deaths occurred in the city’s Shevchenkivsky district.  He said the Holosiivsky district on the west bank of the Dnipro River that …

Read more “Ukraine officials say 4 killed in Russian strike on Kyiv”