Belarusian leader and Russian ally Alexander Lukashenko extended his 31-year rule on Monday after electoral officials declared him the winner of a presidential election that Western governments rejected as a sham.

Victory “demonstrates your high political authority,” the Kremlin chief gushes about his counterpart in Minsk.

Since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia’s economy has surpassed expectations. But some experts say this image of resilience is a mirage crafted by the Kremlin.

"As the risk of a financial crash rises, Russia’s imperiled economy is about to pose serious constraints on Putin’s war."

Any conversation between the two would mark the first time a sitting U.S. president and Putin have spoken since the war in Ukraine began, although former President Joe Biden held phone calls with Putin multiple times in the leadup to Moscow's invasion to urge Putin against it.

The Kremlin says a settlement in Ukraine can't be facilitated by a drop in global oil prices as U.S. President Donald Trump has suggested.

The Siberian city has a population of approximately 1.6 million people and is the third largest in Russia. It has been beset by frequent problems with its utilities, including heating and power outages, leaving residents shivering in the freezing cold over the winter.

Donald Trump still won't say whether he's had a recent conversation with Russia’s Vladimir Putin. It's not at all clear why he won't answer the question.

US President Donald Trump's urgent appeal to Russian leader Vladimir Putin to stop the war against Ukraine isn't a warning. It's a signal from a strong man, Zelensky said in an interview with Italian media outlet Il Foglio.

The Russian and Iranian presidents, Vladimir Putin and Masoud Pezeshkian, signed the Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership on January 17 following talks in the Kremlin

Alexander Lukashenko has extended his 31-year rule by winning a controversial seventh term in Belarus. Amid accusations of election rigging, political repression, and growing reliance on Russia, the autocratic leader’s grip on power remains firm.