Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said late on Tuesday that no one would give peace to his country as a gift, but he believed the United States would stand alongside Kyiv as it fights to stop Russia's 34-month invasion.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov rejected proposals Monday floated by President-elect Trump’s allies to end the war in Ukraine, dealing a major setback for the incoming president’s hopes to freeze the conflict.

Speaking on the 25th anniversary of his rule, President Vladimir V. Putin delivered an upbeat and vague New Year’s Eve message that did not address casualties in Ukraine or rising inflation at home.

President Vladimir Putin told Russians in a New Year address that the country would move forward with confidence in 2025, though he offered no specific promises on the economy or the war in Ukraine. At a time when many ordinary people are worried about rising prices and the central bank's 21% interest rate is squeezing businesses and homebuyers,

Twenty five years ago today, a somewhat undemonstrative technocrat became the acting president of Russia. In a surprise announcement, Boris Yeltsin handed over to Vladimir Putin, a former KGB officer whom he had chosen a few months earlier to be his prime minister.

Russia has launched several large-scale attacks on Ukraine this month, firing hundreds of missiles and drones at its neighbor.

Ukraine has confirmed that Russia launched a series of missile attacks over the capital and other regions on Tuesday morning.

In a powerful New Year’s message to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping reaffirmed the enduring strength of the China-Russia partnership, vowing to continue fostering global peace and development.

Xi Jinping also said that he is ready to maintain close exchanges with President Putin to continue consolidating and deepening China-Russia ties.