The European Union is on the precipice of a momentous decision on whether to use frozen Russian assets to finance more support for Ukraine. Critics argue the plan is legally questionable and risks retaliation by Moscow.

China buys Russian oil and gas at steep discounts while supplying Moscow with machinery and electronics as Western sanctions tighten.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told ABC News during an exclusive interview in Moscow on Monday that he believes the warring parties are close to a deal.

Ukraine’s president said Moscow is signalling plans to prolong the war into 2026, responding to Vladimir Putin’s vow that Russia will achieve its objectives by force if diplomacy fails.

Ukraine’s president says Moscow is preparing for another year of war, as US and Russian teams plan fresh talks on a possible peace framework.

The Kremlin said on Wednesday that Russia's position on the deployment of any European troops to Ukraine under a possible future U.S.-brokered peace deal was widely known but that the subject could be discussed.

The attack appeared to have been inspired by white supremacist ideology, Telegram channels close to intelligence agencies reported.

Residents of Moscow were jolted awake in the early hours of December 15 by a series of loud explosions, as Ukrainian drones mounted what Russian officials described as a major aerial attack on the capital spanning the nights of December 14–15.

The United States is preparing a further round of sanctions on Russia's energy sector to increase the pressure on Moscow should President Vladimir Putin reject a peace agreement with Ukraine, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday,