https://www.rferl.org Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty is an international news organization serving Central and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, Central Asia, Russia, the Middle East and Balkan countries https://www.rferl.org/Content/responsive/RFE/en-US/img/logo.png https://www.rferl.org en Copyright 2026 - RFE/RL, Inc. 60 Wed, 15 Apr 2026 11:36:36 +0200 Pangea CMS – RFE/RL The US-Israeli attack on Iran will likely have little effect on the battlefield in Ukraine, but it may make Russian President Vladimir Putin “even more adamant that he has to come out on top” in the full-scale war he launched four years ago, Hanna Notte, an expert on Russia-Iran ties, told RFE/RL. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-attacks-russia-war-ukraine-putin/33691264.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-attacks-russia-war-ukraine-putin/33691264.html Sun, 01 Mar 2026 16:43:43 +0100 IranFeaturesRussiaUkraineRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown Stories Moscow-backed Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov’s health is in question, and speculation about succession is rife. The Kremlin wants to keep Chechnya quiet, especially amid the war on Ukraine. Kadyrov wants his family to maintain its grip on power and wealth. Here's a list of potential successors. https://www.rferl.org/a/chechnya-kadyrov-kremlin-succession-risks-stability/33663761.html https://www.rferl.org/a/chechnya-kadyrov-kremlin-succession-risks-stability/33663761.html Thu, 29 Jan 2026 15:51:06 +0100 RussiaFeaturesRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown Stories Adam Kadyrov, the 18-year-old son of Chechnya’s Kremlin-backed leader, has been hospitalized after a deadly car crash, multiple sources say, adding to uncertainty about the future in the volatile Russian region. Authorities in Grozny and Moscow are silent. Here’s what we know and why it matters. https://www.rferl.org/a/ramzan-kadyrov-son-adam-car-crash-chechnya/33653937.html https://www.rferl.org/a/ramzan-kadyrov-son-adam-car-crash-chechnya/33653937.html Mon, 19 Jan 2026 17:46:11 +0100 RussiaFeaturesThe Rundown StoriesNews Analysis With the sides far apart on key issues as Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine approaches the four-year mark, analysts say the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War II is unlikely to end in 2026. They also caution that a halt in hostilities would not necessarily lead to sustainable peace. https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-invasion-ukraine-war-future-2026/33644095.html https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-invasion-ukraine-war-future-2026/33644095.html Mon, 12 Jan 2026 10:14:15 +0100 UkraineFeaturesRussiaRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown Stories As the US presses for an end to Russia’s war on Ukraine, the fate of territory in the Donbas and a massive nuclear power plant may be the biggest barriers to a peace deal. Here’s a look at these and other obstacles, including the mechanics of security guarantees and a potential vote in Ukraine. https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-invasion-ukraine-peace-talks-us/33637276.html https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-invasion-ukraine-peace-talks-us/33637276.html Wed, 31 Dec 2025 14:50:56 +0100 UkraineFeaturesRussiaRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown HeadlineNews Analysis Russian President Vladimir Putin used a marathon annual appearance to project confidence about Russia's position on the battlefield in its war on Ukraine and gave no signal that Moscow is ready to make substantial concessions in the name of peace. https://www.rferl.org/a/war-peace-putin-press-conference-show/33627811.html https://www.rferl.org/a/war-peace-putin-press-conference-show/33627811.html Fri, 19 Dec 2025 10:12:23 +0100 NewsRussiaUkraineRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown Headline The specific wording of Russian President Vladimir Putin's address to a military meeting on December 17 is telling. His use of the street slang term "podsvinki" seemingly deliberately plays to his domestic audience by suggesting European leaders are submissive to US machinations. https://www.rferl.org/a/putin-pigs-swine-moscow-europe-us-ukraine-military-provocation-insult-podsvinki-war/33627325.html https://www.rferl.org/a/putin-pigs-swine-moscow-europe-us-ukraine-military-provocation-insult-podsvinki-war/33627325.html Thu, 18 Dec 2025 19:52:08 +0100 UkraineRussiaVideo ArchiveVideosRussia Invades Ukraine Russia wants all of the Donbas, and more. Ukraine is loath to cede any land to Moscow, let alone areas Kyiv’s forces control. The US is pushing for an end to the war. Here’s a look at the tense issue of territorial control in Ukraine, perhaps the highest hurdle on the path to peace. https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-war-peace-land-territory-donbas/33618338.html https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-war-peace-land-territory-donbas/33618338.html Tue, 09 Dec 2025 15:55:45 +0100 UkraineFeaturesRussiaRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown Headline After a US framework for peace in Ukraine abruptly emerged last week, Europeans scrambled to draft a counterproposal that is easier on Kyiv. From territorial and financial issues to the possibility of NATO membership and a sweeping amnesty, there are crucial differences. Here they are. https://www.rferl.org/a/us-europe-ukraine-russia-peace-plans/33603387.html https://www.rferl.org/a/us-europe-ukraine-russia-peace-plans/33603387.html Mon, 24 Nov 2025 16:00:52 +0100 Russia Invades UkraineFeaturesRussiaUkraineThe Rundown Stories The death of Roman Sopin has focused heightened attention on Ukraine’s manpower problems and the violence that recruiters sometimes use against men they are seeking to bring into the military. https://www.rferl.org/a/kyiv-conscription-death-sopin-questions-military-recruitment/33577229.html https://www.rferl.org/a/kyiv-conscription-death-sopin-questions-military-recruitment/33577229.html Fri, 31 Oct 2025 08:01:17 +0100 UkraineFeaturesRussiaRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown Stories Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wants Tomahawk missiles for the war against Russia's invasion. US President Donald Trump says Washington might provide them. And Russia is warning against an escalation. Here's what to watch when Trump hosts Zelenskyy in Washington on October 17. https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-us-missiles-trump-zelenskyy-putin/33561898.html https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-us-missiles-trump-zelenskyy-putin/33561898.html Fri, 17 Oct 2025 08:01:33 +0200 Russia Invades UkraineFeaturesRussiaUkraine Here’s a look at the main figures in the opposition to Russian President Vladimir Putin, most of them driven abroad by a relentless clampdown. https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-opposition-exile-figures-factions-putin-navalny/33555227.html https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-opposition-exile-figures-factions-putin-navalny/33555227.html Thu, 09 Oct 2025 14:50:47 +0200 RussiaFeaturesRussia Invades Ukraine The deadly fighting between Israel and Iran is unlikely to bring Moscow closer to ending its invasion of Ukraine, and there are several ways it could play into Russia’s hands. But they may not move the dial dramatically in a war that seems destined to continue for months to come, or more. https://www.rferl.org/a/33443724.html https://www.rferl.org/a/33443724.html Mon, 16 Jun 2025 00:01:00 +0200 Russia Invades UkraineFeaturesIranRussiaUkraineThe Rundown Stories After a second round of direct peace talks in Istanbul on June 2, it seemed like Russia and Ukraine were even further from an agreement to end Russia’s war on Ukraine than they had been when they sat down for the talks. Days later, the hurdles to peace may be even higher. https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-war-trump-putin-zelenskyy-drones-talks/33434945.html https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-war-trump-putin-zelenskyy-drones-talks/33434945.html Thu, 05 Jun 2025 15:59:19 +0200 UkraineFeaturesRussiaRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown Headline A flurry of diplomacy over Russia’s war against Ukraine, centered around the first direct peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow in three years and a long phone call between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, ended this week without a breakthrough. Now what? https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-war-next-steps-trump-putin-zelenskyy/33420448.html https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-war-next-steps-trump-putin-zelenskyy/33420448.html Thu, 22 May 2025 00:09:32 +0200 Russia Invades UkraineFeaturesRussiaUkraineThe Rundown Headline Amid whirlwind diplomacy this week over the Kremlin’s war on Ukraine, it seemed like Volodymyr Zelenskyy had gotten the better of his adversary. Now Vladimir Putin has found what he presumably sees as the best way out of a tight spot by sending a lower-level delegation to peace talks. https://www.rferl.org/a/putin-zelenskyy-peace-talks-russia-ukraine-turkey/33414977.html https://www.rferl.org/a/putin-zelenskyy-peace-talks-russia-ukraine-turkey/33414977.html Thu, 15 May 2025 13:27:20 +0200 UkraineFeaturesRussiaRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown Headline Ukraine and Russia are expected to hold their first direct peace talks since the weeks following Moscow’s full-scale invasion three years ago, but little is known aside from the date and the place: May 15 in Istanbul. Here’s a look at how the talks may shape up -- and what the result might be.   https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-war-russia-peace-talks-trump/33412657.html https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-war-russia-peace-talks-trump/33412657.html Wed, 14 May 2025 00:15:54 +0200 UkraineFeaturesRussiaRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown Headline