Donald Trump is ramping up pressure on Volodymyr Zelensky to accept a U.S.-brokered peace deal that would hand over control to vast Ukrainian mineral reserves.

A resurfaced clip of Kamala Harris warning that Trump would side with Putin over Ukraine is going viral amid escalating tension between the US and Ukraine.

Vice President JD Vance defended Trump as the "president of peace" amid bipartisan backlash over Trump's claim that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is a "dictator."

Thomas Graham, a top official during the George W. Bush administration, wondered if the statements are preparing the ground "for the American public to accept basically a capitulation to Putin"

Some GOP lawmakers distanced themselves from Trump's statements calling Zelensky a "dictator without elections" and blaming Ukraine for the war

The remarks came after Trump branded the Ukrainian president a "dictator" who refuses to hold elections and said the Russians "have the cards" in any negotiation to end the war.

Trump's social media post disparaging Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky—a longtime ally to the United States—sparked a harsh rebuke from Sen. Blumenthal.

Both sides downplayed expectations of a breakthrough in this first high-level meeting between the countries since US President Donald Trump took office.

The U.S. proposed Ukraine allow the U.S. use of its rare earth minerals as "compensation" for previous military aid as well as future aid

"I don't know who wrote the speech," said Senator Wicker of Hegseth's comments on Ukraine. "It's the kind of thing Tucker Carlson could have written, and Carlson is a fool"

Declining international support is driving many refugees into "severe hardship", warned the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

Trump announced early Thursday that he had "great talks" with both Putin and Zelenskyy, raising hopes of a possible end to the nearly three-year war in Ukraine.

The US president said he expected to meet his Russian counterpart in Saudi Arabia "in the not too distant future" to find a route to ending the three-year conflict, which has fanned geopolitical fears and energy costs.

"There is no betrayal there. There is a recognition that the whole world and the United States is invested and interested in peace," US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said ahead of a meeting with his NATO counterparts in Brussels.

North Korea could "additionally supply troops, weapons and ammunition going forward", said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Russia stated its relationship with the US is "balancing on the brink of a breakup," during a press conference Monday morning.

Both Moscow and Kyiv use them for armed attacks as well as surveillance, making it hard for combatants to hide.

Donald Trump revealed Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to see the Russia-Ukraine war end before taking a swipe at former President Joe Biden.

A Russian musician who repeatedly condemned Russia's war on Ukraine mysteriously "fell" out of a window, marking the latest inexplicable death of a public figure criticizing the Russian government.

The United States has been Ukraine's biggest military backer since Russia invaded in February 2022, and President Volodymyr Zelensky said it would have lost the war without that support.

While simultaneously commending him for his bravery, President Donald Trump criticized Ukrainian President Zelensky for not striking a deal with Russia at the start of the war.

A North Korean soldier nearly died after refusing to surrender his sausage at gunpoint when captured by Ukrainian forces.

Expectations are high that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Trump will soon hold a phone call to discuss the conflict, after the Republican pledged on the campaign trail to bring a swift end to the fighting.

Trump urges Putin to end the Ukraine war by threatening sanctions against Russia.

President Trump faces criticism for breaking his campaign promise to end the Russia-Ukraine war in 24 hours.

Russia is running out of money and could lose its ability to continue funding its war with Ukraine, according to a top economist.

Seoul has previously claimed North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has sent more than 10,000 soldiers as "cannon fodder" to help Moscow fight Kyiv, in return for Russian technical assistance for Pyongyang's heavily sanctioned weapons and satellite programmes.

The allegation -- which Kyiv has not commented on -- comes amid an escalating energy row between the two countries, almost three years after Russia launched its full-scale military offensive.

US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin is expected to announce a substantial new military aid package for Kyiv at the 25th such talks at Ramstein Air Base that will include representatives from some 50 countries.

Moscow has been pressing hard in eastern Ukraine, and the claimed capture of the industrial town is a major boost for its forces just two weeks before US President-elect Donald Trump comes to power, having vowed to strike a peace deal.