Assadโs downfall โ the winners and losers
Across the region and beyond, POLITICO assesses the prospects of key players after the ouster of Syrian dictator Bashar Assad.
Sergei Lavrov
Syrian rebels storm into Damascus, claim Assad has fled
Assad had been in power for 25 years and his family ruled Syria for half a century.
Lavrov says Russia ready to ‘use any means’ to defend itself
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said his country is ready to “use any means” to defend itself, in an interview with US media personality Tucker Carlson released Thursday. He urged the West to take Russian missile attacks ‘seriously’.
Accusations and walkouts as Ukraine, Russia ministers clash at Malta meeting
Ukraine’s foreign minister called Russia’s top diplomat Sergei Lavrov a “war criminal” Thursday as they both attended an international meeting in Malta, the latter’s first visit to an EU country since the 2022 invasion. FRANCE 24’s Emily Boyle reports.
First EU visit for Russian foreign minister since invasion
Sergei Lavrov is in Malta for a two-day summit of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
First EU visit for Russian foreign minister since invasion
Sergei Lavrov is in Malta for a two-day summit of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
OSCE prepares for sanctioned Lavrovโs first EU visit since start of Ukraine war
Host country Malta said it invited Lavrov in order to “keep some channels of communication open”.
Russia’s Lavrov attends OSCE summit in Malta on first EU trip since Ukraine invasion
Russiaโs Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived in Malta on Thursday to attend an OSCE summit, in his first trip to the European Union since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Although Moscovโs top diplomat has been slapped with EU sanctions, including an …
Ukraine war briefing: North Korea says it will back Russia until it achieves victory
Foreign ministersโ meeting in Moscow forges closer ties amid imminent deployment of thousands of North Korean troops against Ukraine. What we know on day 983See all our coverage of the Russia-Ukraine warThe North Korean foreign minister, Choe Son Hui, …
Top Russia diplomat warns west not to fight โnuclear powerโ in UN speech
Sergei Lavrov accuses west of using Ukraine โto defeatโ Russia days after Putin shifts Moscowโs nuclear postureRussiaโs top diplomat warned on Saturday against โtrying to fight to victory with a nuclear powerโ, delivering a UN general assembly speech p…
Ammunition from India enters Ukraine, raising Russian ire
Artillery shells sold by Indian arms makers have been diverted by European customers to Ukraine and New Delhi has not intervened to stop the trade despite protests from Moscow.
Lavrov warns US not to mock Russiaโs โred linesโ
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, responding to a question about the potential delivery of long-range US missiles to Ukraine, warned the United States on Wednesday (4 September) not to joke about Russia’s “red lines”.
French authorities charge Telegramโs Durov in probe into organised crime on app
A French judge put Telegram boss Pavel Durov under formal investigation on Wednesday (28 August) in a probe into organised crime on the messaging app, but granted the entrepreneur bail.
Free speech and โhomelandโ: Russia’s โopportunisticโ response to Telegram boss Durovโs arrest
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday said relations with France are at their โlowestโ level following the arrest of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov at an airport outside Paris on Saturday. The arrest has prompted a stream of condemnations from t…
Ukraine war briefing: Germany to halve military aid to Kyiv, draft budget reportedly shows
Weโll fight on regardless of Washington support, says Ukrainian defence minister; US jails Russian military parts smuggler. What we know on day 876Germany plans to halve its military aid to Ukraine in 2025, to โฌ4bn, despite concerns over continued US s…
Ukraine war briefing: Biden to meet Zelenskiy beside D-day shore of Normandy
Russia focused on Donetsk rather than Kharkiv, says Zelenskiy; Ukrainian president to meet Emmanuel Macron in Paris. What we know on day 833The US president, Joe Biden, will sit down for talks with Ukraineโs president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, after they a…
China could arrange Russia-Ukraine peace conference, Lavrov says
China could arrange a peace conference in which Russia and Ukraine would participate, the RIA news agency cited Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as saying on Thursday (30 May).
โSorry, no one is inโ: few are at home for Margaret Hodgeโs โkleptocracy walking tourโ
Campaigning Labour MP knocks on doors of wealthy London homes bought by foreign leaders who are subject to sanctionsMargaret Hodge, the veteran Labour MP and former minister, is on a mission to knock on the doors of multimillion-pound London properties…
Russia-Ukraine war: Russia to make further bid to carve out โbuffer zoneโ in coming weeks, warns US defence secretary โ as it happened
Lloyd Austin, speaking at the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, praises troopsโ courage in โhard and dangerous fightโ. This live blog has closedRussiaโs foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, held a meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, in Kazakhstanโs…
Putinโs inauguration set to kickstart Kremlin reshuffle
The aftermath of the ritual will show how far Russia’s leader is willing to go in changing his aging old guard.
Ukraine war briefing: Three killed in second day of Russian attacks on Zaporizhzhia region, says governor
At least nine injured in strikes on region, with industrial facility among targets, official says; Russia has attacked up to 80% of Ukraineโs conventional power plants, says energy minister. What we know on day 776See all our Ukraine war coverageRussia…
Russia-Ukraine war: Operators say another drone downed at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant โ as it happened
Russian-controlled power station says drone shot down over roof over reactor number six, which is currently shut downThe head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has condemned a drone strike on one of six nuclear reactors at the Russian-co…
Russia: voters use petrol bombs and dye to protest against elections at polling stations โ video
Russia’s presidential elections were marked by a number of incidents across polling stations on Friday, as people used dye, molotov cocktails and fires to protest against the elections which are certain to extend Vladimir Putinโs 24-year rule until at …
Czech Republic to suspend talks with Slovakia over Russia ties
Slovakian foreign minister criticises โdouble standardsโ in the reaction to his meeting with Sergei LavrovUkraine war โ live updatesSlovakiaโs foreign minister has defended a controversial decision to meet his Russian counterpart, after the Czech Repub…
Turkey hopes Ukraine ceasefire talks can start soon
Turkey hopes talks for a ceasefire in Ukraine will start soon, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Sunday (3 March), at the end of a diplomatic forum in the southern city of Antalya.
Slovak foreign minister Blanar meets with Russiaโs Lavrov in Turkey
A senior member of Slovakia’s government met his Russian counterpart on Saturday (2 March) in a rare high-level encounter between a European Union member state and a country the EU has sought to isolate.
Russia-Ukraine war at a glance: what we know on day 738
Netherlands signs security pact with Kyiv; drone attack in occupied Kherson kills three; anti-war chants at Alexei Navalny funeral in MoscowSee all our Ukraine war coverageThe Dutch prime minister, Mark Rutte, signed a security deal with Ukraine in Kha…
G20 says two-state solution only answer to Israel-Palestinian conflict
Foreign ministers at the G20 group of nations meeting in Brazil were nearly unanimous in their support for a two-state solution as the only path to peace in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Brazilian minister hosting the event said on Thursday (22…
Russia-Ukraine war at a glance: what we know on day 729
US prepares to unveil hundreds of sanctions against Russian โwar machineโ; Zelenskiy tells US conservatives that sending aid now is cheaper than confronting Putin again laterSee all our Ukraine war coverageThe US is set to unveil hundreds of sanctions …
Russia gearing up for decade-long duel with West, Estonia warns
Intelligence service notes significant rise in Russian military production.
We need to be ready for war withย Putin, Romaniaโs top general says
Gheorghiศฤ Vlad issued a stark warning about the state of the nation’s army, calling for immediate action.
Putin willing to visit North Korea at โearly date,โ Pyongyang says
North Korea’s foreign minister visited Moscow last week in a follow-up to the Russia-North Korea summit in September.
Russia-Ukraine war at a glance: what we know on day 691
Volodymyr Zelenskiy heads to Davos amid multinational push to find a formula for peace; Ukrainians urged to build DIY drones for the military See all our Ukraine coverageUkraine pushed ahead with its peace formula to end nearly two years of war with Ru…
Russia-Ukraine war at a glance: what we know on day 673
Head of Ukraineโs armed forces calls for โdifferent warโ in 2024; stop Putin or all of Europe at risk, says Moldova presidentThe US government has announced the release of what it said was its last available package of weapons available for Ukraine, wi…
Russia-Ukraine war: Kremlin trying to quell dissent from soldiersโ wives with money and online attacks, says UK โ as it happened
This live blog is now closed, you can read more of our Ukraine war coverage hereAssociated Press have provided a little more detail of the Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrovโs earlier comments in which he said Moscow saw no signs that Kyiv was read…
Russia voices indifference over OSCEโs future as Skopje summit concludes
The world’s largest regional security organisation concluded its annual summit on Friday (1 December) with Russia expressing indifference over the body’s future.
Russia-Ukraine war at a glance: what we know on day 647
Russia to increase size of armed forces by 170,000; Zelenskiy admits counteroffensive did not achieve โdesired resultsโSee all our Russia-Ukraine coverageUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy told the Associated Press that โwinter as a whole is a new…
Russia controversy overshadows OSCE security summit
The world’s largest regional security group opened its Skopje summit Thursday (30 November) with Russia and Ukraine’s allies in open conflict, rattling the organisation created to overcome tensions during the Cold War.
Russia-Ukraine war at a glance: what we know on day 646
Volodymyr Zelenskiy calls for faster fortifications as he tours frontline; Hungary says it will not support opening of discussions on EU membership for UkraineSee all our Russia-Ukraine coveragePresident Volodymyr Zelenskiy called for faster constructi…
Russia accuses Bulgaria of malice and stupidity over diplomatic overflight ban
Russia accused Bulgaria of malice and stupidity on Thursday (30 November) for refusing to allow Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s plane to fly through its airspace to attend a meeting in Skopje, North Macedonia.
Russiaโs Lavrov sparks rift at European security meeting
Member countries are divided over the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s (OSCE) annual foreign ministers’ meeting on Thursday (30 November) with Baltic nations and Ukraine refusing to attendย over the presence of Russia’s Sergei Lavrov.
Russia-Ukraine war at a glance: what we know on day 644
Poisoning of Ukraine spy chief Kyrylo Budanovโs wife, Marianna; Black Sea storm forces Russian fleet back to base and slows down war effort Marianna Budanova, the wife of Ukraineโs intelligence head, Kyrylo Budanov, was poisoned and received treatment …
Baltics, Ukraine to boycott OSCEโs Skopje meeting over Lavrov attendance
Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania as well as Ukraine said on Tuesday (28 November) they will boycott an Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) ministerial meeting in Skopje later this week if Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is …
Malta tipped for OSCE chair as body faces Russia show-down over leadership
Amid worries over institutional deadlock, the 57-member Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) agreed on Monday (27 November) that Malta should take over the organisation’s rotating chairmanship after Russia barred Estonia fro…
Russia-Ukraine war at a glance: what we know on day 643
Violent storms lash Russia and occupied territories, as well as Ukraine and Moldova; Russians โtrying to storm Avdiivka from all directionsโSee all our Russia-Ukraine war coverageHurricane-force winds, snowfall and flooding have lashed Russiaโs souther…
Evidence mounts of North Korean arms to Russia in threat for Ukraine
Despite questions over quality, scale of munition shipments indicates Moscow plans to continue conflict for long timeRussia-Ukraine war โ latest news updatesIn pouring rain, a jubilant crowd waving pompoms and flowers greeted the Russian foreign minist…
Russia-Ukraine war at a glance: what we know on day 609
Volodymyr Zelenskiy says it is a โquestion of timeโ before Ukraine regains control over Crimea; Russian forces continue pounding eastern Ukrainian city of AvdiivkaSee all our Ukraine war coverageUkraineโs president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, vowed to mainta…
Russia: Tehran meeting settles Karabakh conflict โon the wholeโ
The foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan met in Iran, their first talks since Azerbaijan secured control over the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, with Russia saying the main issue had been resolved pending further work on a peace treaty.
Russia-Ukraine war: Putinโs โcynicalโ comments on civilian casualties criticised by Germany โ as it happened
This live blog is now closed, you can read more of our Ukraine war coverage hereRussian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov met North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during his visit to Pyongyang, the Russian foreign ministry said on Thursday.The ministry did not…
Russiaโs foreign minister hails โnew levelโ of ties during North Korea trip
Sergei Lavrov praises Kim Jong-un for โunambiguous supportโ for Ukraine war on visit that could pave way for summit with Vladimir PutinRussiaโs foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, has said Moscowโs relations with North Korea have reached a โnew levelโ, as…
Russia’s Lavrov hails deeper ties in N Korea visit
Foreign minister Sergei Lavrov’s ongoing trip to Pyongyang may pave the way for a visit by Vladimir Putin.
Russia-Ukraine war at a glance: what we know on day 603 of the invasion
Putin calls delivery of ATACMS long-range missiles โanother mistakeโ by US; Russian foreign minister arrives in North Korea ahead of expected Putin tripSee all our Ukraine war coverageVladimir Putin called the US delivery of long-range tactical ballist…
Russia-Ukraine war at a glance: what we know on day 601 of the invasion
Russia testing defences around Kupiansk-Lyman as its Avdiivka offensive wanes, says Ukraine; Moscow admits reliance on China for dronesRussia hopes to break through Ukrainian defences in the Kupiansk-Lyman sector of the frontline in north-eastern Ukrai…
Russia-Ukraine war as it happened: Putin to meet Xi Jinping in Beijing in first visit outside former Soviet Union since March
Russian president and his Chinese counterpart will hold talks in Putinโs furthest visit since international arrest warrant issued in MarchWhat we know on day 600 of the invasionThe US special representative for Ukraine’s economic recovery, Penny Pritzk…
Russia-Ukraine war at a glance: what we know on day 600 of the invasion
Russiaโs biggest offensive in months is failing, says Ukrainian commander; at least six people killed in Russian strikesSee all our Ukraine war coverageRussiaโs president, Vladimir Putin, will meet his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, in Beijing for ta…
Russiaโs Lavrov accuses West of direct fighting in Ukraine
New York – Largely glossing over Ukraine, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov onย Saturday (23 September) accused Western powers through their support to Ukraine of effectively having entered direct fighting against Moscow. “You c…