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.

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.

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

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.

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.

On Jan. 22, posts on the social media platform X alleged that Russian President Vladimir Putin wanted to extradite Dr. Anthony Fauci, the chief medical adviser to the U.S. president from 2021 to 2022, to Russia as part of a deal to stop the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The posts provided no evidence to support the claim.

President Trump jabs at the Russian leader with threats; Vladimir Putin responds with flattery. But there are notable signals in their jousting, including a revived discussion about nuclear arms control.

Poland's foreign minister said Putin used to criticize the Soviet approach that helped bankrupt it, but now he's repeating the mistake.

The Russian leader is reportedly facing growing pressure from Russia's elite to engage in peace talks to end the war.