Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected a proposal by his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy, to meet for talks to end the war as senseless, calling for the country's military to "do the job."

The United States has reaffirmed its support for Armenia's sovereignty and democratic institutions amid growing concerns over what Western officials describe as an intensifying Russian campaign to weaken Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian ahead of the country's upcoming elections.

Armenians go to the polls on June 7 in parliamentary elections in which the country’s basic foreign policy orientation is at stake. While Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian has pulled the country towards the West, Russia has responded with multiple moves aimed at halting the shift.

RFE/RL spoke with Lisa Gable, a former US ambassador who served during the George W. Bush administration and is now the chairwoman of World In 2050, about the prospects for diplomacy with Iran, the challenges of verification, and the broader geopolitical stakes of the current conflict.

Gas stations across Russian-occupied Crimea are facing worsening fuel shortages, with long queues, rationing, and voucher-based distribution reported by residents. Ukrainian strikes on fuel-supply routes to the peninsula are cited as one of the contributing factors to the crisis.

Riding into Russia on a motorcycle to see his ailing father, Mikhail Loshchinin was detained at the border, tortured, and tried on a treason charge over a $245 transfer to a Ukrainian ex-girlfriend, he and relatives and supporters say. This week, he was convicted and sentenced to 16 years in prison.

From Ukraine to Tehran, asymmetric warfare is redefining the modern battlefield. Superiority is no longer measured solely by jets and naval fleets, but by inexpensive unmanned drones.

WASHINGTON -- In a rare display of bipartisan cooperation and a rebuke to the administration's approach toward Ukraine, the US House of Representatives approved a sweeping Ukraine aid and Russia sanctions package, with 18 Republicans joining Democrats to pass the legislation.

US President Donald Trump said the United States will win the conflict with Iran either “militarily or on paper,” referring to the fitful negotiations with Tehran, and he suggested he could meet with Iran’s reclusive supreme leader “if it was to make a deal.”