President Vladimir Putin told some of Russia's top businessmen that he wanted the whole of Donbas, the Kommersant newspaper reported.

In 2026, the very definition of the collective West will change after Washington’s withdrawal from the “global policeman’s” role and the end of the “Western hegemony” over the rest of the world, according to Kyiv-based analyst Ihar Tyshkevich.

Ukrainian forces say they have hit an oil terminal, a pipeline, two parked jet fighters, and two ships in a series of strikes on Russian soil

Russia sees slow but steady progress in peace talks with the United States on Ukraine, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday.

In essence, Putin wants the whole of Donbas but outside that area "a partial exchange of territories from the Russian side is not ruled out," Kolesnikov wrote in the newspaper.

Ukraine has tried to evacuate areas of Sumy region near the Russian border, but many civilians have refused to leave.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signaled new willingness to make concessions on several key negotiating points that have threatened to stall a nascent peace process with Moscow, effectively putting the ball in Russia’s court.

Russia has ordered a winter troop surge to break the stalemate in Ukraine, but Ukrainian drone attacks on logistics and resupply channels will undermine this offensive.

Proposals that emerged in recent negotiations with the United States were “rather unconstructive,” a Kremlin official said on Sunday.

Ukrainian president says Kyiv expects Moscow's comments on proposal later Wednesday, expresses readiness for a meeting with US counterpart to 'resolve sensitive issues' - Anadolu Ajansı

Ukraine Strikes Airbase Deep Inside Russia. On Dec. 21, Ukrainian intelligence announced it conducted a major strike on a Russian airbase near