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Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the largest country in the world by area, extending across eleven time zones and sharing land borders with fourteen countries. It is the world's ninth-most populous country and Europe's most populous country.
EU seeks to end dispute with Poland and agrees on use of Russian frozen assets to help Ukraine
Associated Press Videos8 hours agoEuropean Affairs Ministers agreed Tuesday to back the European Commission's proposal to end its 6-year dispute with member state Poland, saying Prime Minister Donald Tusk has initiated the necessary changes to reverse what the bloc called the previous government’s backsliding on democratic principles. EU Ministers also reached an agreement to use the profits earned from frozen Russian assets to provide military support to Ukraine and help rebuild the war-torn country.
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- 1:14EU seeks to end dispute with Poland and agrees on use of Russian frozen assets to help UkraineAssociated Press VideosEuropean Affairs Ministers agreed Tuesday to back the European Commission's proposal to end its 6-year dispute with member state Poland, saying Prime Minister Donald Tusk has initiated the necessary changes to reverse what the bloc called the previous government’s backsliding on democratic principles. EU Ministers also reached an agreement to use the profits earned from frozen Russian assets to provide military support to Ukraine and help rebuild the war-torn country.8 hours ago
- 0:45Ukraine firefighters tackle flames in Kharkiv after Russia carries out another strike on cityAssociated Press VideosAt least seven people were injured in another Russian strike on Kharkiv, Ukrainian officials said on Tuesday. The overnight drone attack hit transport infrastructure, damaging over 25 trucks, buses, and other vehicles, according to the regional governor.1 day ago
- 2:35Ukraine's Zelenskiy pushes allies to step up aidReuters VideosSTORY: "We are very grateful to our partners, that they are helping, but this is happening so slow." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told Reuters in an exclusive interview on Monday that his Western allies are taking too long to make key decisions on sending military support to Ukraine. "Every decision takes ages. We arrive at this decision later on, but it's like one year too late." Zelenskiy also said he was pushing Western partners to get more directly involved in the war by helping to intercept Russian missiles and to allow Ukraine to use Western weapons against enemy military equipment at the border and further inside Russian territory. "I'm sure we can have a proper dialogue and we can reach the consensus [regarding] the long-range missiles to hit the weapons of Russians located alongside the Ukrainian border. I believe we will reach this decision. Because the same happened with giving us tanks and armored vehicles, Patriots, right?" The United States has resisted Ukrainian calls to use its missiles against internationally recognized Russian territory, reflecting concerns in the West about the risk of escalation. "Everybody is afraid of escalation. So Ukrainians are dying. Well, everybody got used to that. That's not escalation." Zelenskiy's remarks come at a perilous time for his forces. They are outnumbered and outgunned by Russia's army, which recently crossed the border into the city of Kharkiv. Zelenskiy acknowledged Ukraine was losing territory in the northeast but he said the situation on the battlefield had improved. "Today the situation is controlled. A week ago it was more difficult." The United States finally passed a bill to provide military aid to Ukraine in late April, but it had been held up for months by opposition from some Republicans in Congress. Zelenskiy said he didn't see big risks to future aid if Republican Donald Trump, a Ukraine aid skeptic, wins the November election, but that didn't mean there were no concerns. "Both parties supported this package, which is why I wouldn't say that as of today I don't see some maximal risks. I don't believe that Republicans are against support for Ukraine, but some messages we can hear from them, well, they are causing concerns, in any case."2 days ago
- 1:50Western aid to Ukraine too slow -ZelenskiyReuters VideosSTORY: He described the delivery of military aid, in particular of air defenses like the Patriot systems which Ukraine relies on heavily in its war with Russia, as "one big step forward, but before that, two steps back." "Every decision to which we, then later everyone together, comes to is late by around one year," he said, wearing his trademark khaki T-shirt and trousers and raising his voice at times. His tough remarks come at a perilous time for his forces, which are outnumbered and outgunned by Moscow's army and losing territory in the northeast and east of the country.2 days ago
- 0:56Deadly Russian strike on outskirts of Kharkiv, Ukraine, causes widespread destructionAssociated Press VideosMoscow has been pushing ahead with an offensive in the region - at least 11 people were killed in recent attacks, according to reports.2 days ago
- 3:21Ukraine’s second-largest city under bombardment by RussiaABC News VideosABC News’ James Longman reports on the latest in Ukraine on “This Week.”3 days ago
- 2:32Fighting rages near Ukraine’s 2nd-largest cityABC News VideosABC News’ James Longman reports from Kharkiv, where the latest Russian offensive threatens Ukraine’s second-largest city.3 days ago
- 2:08Fighting in Ukraine rages near KharkivABC News VideosThousands have fled Ukraine's second-largest city as Ukrainian troops struggle to hold Russia at bay in the east.4 days ago
- 1:10Ukraine's divisive mobilization law comes into force as a new Russian push strains frontline troopsAssociated Press VideosA divisive mobilization law in Ukraine came into force on Saturday, as Kyiv struggles to boost troop numbers after Russia launched a new offensive that some fear could close in on Ukraine’s second-largest city. (AP video shot by Alex Babenko)4 days ago
- 1:17Fighting rages near Ukraine's 2nd largest cityABC News VideosVladimir Putin says Russia wants a buffer zone outside Kharkiv with no plans to take the city.4 days ago
- 0:44One dead and 8 wounded after Russian airstrikes on Ukraine's OdesaAssociated Press VideosOne dead and 8 wounded after Russian airstrikes on Ukraine's Odesa5 days ago
- 0:40Putin says Russia wants buffer zone in Ukraine's Kharkiv but has no plans to capture the cityAssociated Press VideosRussian President Vladimir Putin says that Moscow’s offensive in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region aims to create a buffer zone but has no plans to capture the city.5 days ago
- 1:03Pope Francis speaks to Norah O'Donnell about Ukraine, church scandals, migrant crisisCBS News VideosNorah O'Donnell's conversation with Pope Francis is the first interview of a pope with an American TV network. The 87-year-old pontiff speaks about the Israel-Hamas war and Ukraine. They also touch on the church's handling of sexual abuse scandals and the migrant crisis on the U.S.-Mexico border. The interview airs this Sunday on "60 Minutes."5 days ago
- 1:32Putin Meets Xi in Beijing as Russian Forces Advance in UkraineWSJVladimir Putin and Xi Jinping reaffirmed ties between Russia and China. Putin is on his first trip abroad since securing a rubber-stamp election victory in March. Photo: Sergei Bobylyov/AFP/Getty Images6 days ago
- 0:30Putin 'grateful' to Xi for trying to solve Ukraine crisisReuters VideosSTORY: :: Putin tells China's Xi he is grateful for Beijing's efforts to try to solve the Ukraine crisis ::Beijing, China ::May 16, 2024 ::Vladimir Putin, Russian President: “I will of course inform the President of China on the situation around the Ukrainian crisis. We are grateful to Chinese friends and colleagues for the initiatives they put forward to solve this problem.” ::Xi Jinping, Chinese President: “...We both agreed that a political settlement of the Ukrainian crisis is the right direction.” Putin arrived early on Thursday for a two-day state visit including detailed talks on Ukraine, Asia, energy and trade with Xi, his most powerful political backer and fellow geopolitical rival of the United States. The two leaders also oversaw the signing of several bilateral agreements in sectors such as trade and infrastructure. China and Russia declared a "no limits" partnership in February 2022 when Putin visited Beijing just days before he sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine, triggering the deadliest land war in Europe since World War Two.6 days ago
- 1:42Russia's Putin expresses gratitude to Xi for China’s 'initiatives' to resolve Ukraine conflictAssociated Press VideosRussian President Vladimir Putin expressed gratitude to Xi Jinping for China’s initiatives to resolve the Ukraine conflict at their Beijing summit Thursday where the Chinese leader said China hopes Europe will return to peace and stability soon and that China will play a constructive role.6 days ago
- 1:35Ukraine withdraws troops near Kharkiv; Russia enters Vovchansk in new offensiveABC News VideosRussia's new offensive gained momentum around Ukraine's second-largest city, dealing a blow to Kyiv as it struggles to contain this new front in the war amid delays from the U.S.7 days ago
- 1:49Blinken Announces Additional $2 Billion in Defense Aid to UkraineWSJSecretary of State Antony Blinken visited Ukraine to help channel the delivery of $60 billion in newly approved U.S. aid. His trip comes as Russian forces push towards Kharkiv. Photo: Brendan Smialowski/Associated Press7 days ago
- 1:02Blinken says U.S. will give Ukraine another $2 billionReuters VideosSTORY: :: Antony Blinken says the U.S. will give Ukraine another $2 billion in military financing :: May 15, 2024 :: Antony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State :: Kyiv, Ukraine :: "We will provide an additional $2 billion in foreign military financing for Ukraine. And we put this together in a first-of-its-kind defense enterprise fund, and it has three components. One, is to provide weapons today. So this will assist Ukraine in acquiring those weapons. Two, is to focus as well on something that Dmytro (Kuleba) just talked about, investing in Ukraine's defense industrial base, helping to strengthen even more its capacity to produce what it needs for itself, but also to produce for others. And finally, using this fund to help Ukraine purchase military equipment from other countries, not just the United States, for Ukraine's use." :: "Of course, everyone's eyes are focused on the situation in the east and northeast, Kharkiv in particular. And so the newest support that I just announced, but particularly the $60 billion supplemental, we know is coming at a critical time." The top diplomat is the most senior U.S. official to visit Ukraine since the U.S. Congress passed a long-delayed $61 billion aid package last month. A U.S. official said $1.6 billion of the $2 billion was earmarked in the supplemental funding bill signed by U.S. President Joe Biden last month and the remaining $400 million is from existing foreign military financing funds that had not yet been allocated.7 days ago
- 0:55US to send additional $2 billion in Ukraine aid, Secretary of State Blinken saysABC News VideosThe foreign military financing will be used not only for purchasing weapons from the U.S., but also by Ukraine as it invests in manufacturing its own machinery and weapons, Antony Blinken said.1 week ago
- 2:13Blinken says Putin must pay for damage in UkraineReuters VideosSTORY: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Ukrainian President Volodmyr Zelenskiy in Kyiv on Tuesday, the first visit by a senior U.S. official since Congress passed a long-delayed $61 billion aid package for the country. Blinken acknowledged that the delay had made Ukraine more vulnerable to Russian attacks, but he pledged unwavering U.S. support going forward. "We know this is a challenging time, but we also know that in the near term the assistance is now on the way, some already arrived, more that will be arriving. And that’s going to make a real difference against the ongoing Russian aggression on the battlefield." U.S. military aid had been blocked by Republicans in Congress until they finally allowed a vote last month, when it passed with support from both parties. "...big appreciation from Ukrainians to Americans for this." Zelenskiy said his country was thankful for the bipartisan support but added that more help was needed, as Russia mounts fresh attacks in eastern Ukraine. "The first, the decision on the package was crucial. For us, it’s very important to get it as quick as possible. The second one, point, it's air defense, the biggest deficit for us. I think that’s the biggest problem, yes. We need, really we need today two Patriots for Kharkiv, for Kharkiv region because people there are under attack, civilians and warriors, everybody there is under Russian missiles." Blinken’s visit comes days after Russia launched a ground incursion into the north of Kharkiv, opening a new front and stretching Ukraine's soldiers. During a speech, Blinken took aim at Russian President Vladimir Putin, and said the U.S. intends to seize Russian assets. "What Putin destroyed, Russia should and must pay to rebuild. [FLASH] Our Congress has given us the power to seize Russian assets in the United States. We intend to use it." Russia now controls about 18% of Ukraine and has been gaining ground since the failure of last year's counter-offensive to make serious inroads against Russian troops.1 week ago
- 1:23Sec. Blinken says Ukraine is not alone in surprise visitABC News VideosSecretary of State Antony Blinken pledged that the U.S. would swiftly provide much-needed weapons to Ukraine, highlighting Washington and the West's alliances with Kyiv.1 week ago
- 1:37Blinken tastes pizza at Ukraine war veteran's restaurantReuters VideosSTORY: :: Antony Blinken and Dmytro Kuleba taste a 'Ukrainian' pizza at a restaurant founded by a war veteran :: May 14, 2024 :: Kyiv, Ukraine :: Dmytro Kuleba, Ukrainian Foreign Minister :: "I am pleased to inform you that we enjoyed two Ukrainian pizzas. One of them is actually called 'Ukrainian.' And we had a productive conversation over this meal. Last time Tony and I went to McDonald's in Kyiv which reopened its doors in Ukraine. But some people criticized me on social media that I took you to McDonald's, not to Ukrainian place. So now we are correcting this and complementing McDonald's with a pizza place that was founded by Ukrainian veterans and became a legendary place already. I hope you enjoyed the pizzas because you definitely have more experience in trying pies all over the world." :: Antony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State :: "Well, I have to say some of the most knowledgeable person about pizza is mostly Americans are. The pizza here is superb, I highly, highly recommend it. The "Ukrainian" pizza as you called was excellent, could not have been better. And look, I think it's appropriate that yes, we went to McDonald's last time, now a Ukrainian pizza place, next time we'll have to figure out what cuisine to try. But I could not be more pleased that my friend has taken me on this culinary tour of Kyiv that I expect to continue in the months and years ahead." The two visited "Veterano Pizza" restaurant founded by a war veteran where they were served Ukrainian variation of pizza with ham and onion. Blinken arrived in Kyiv by train early on Tuesday morning on the previously undisclosed visit, which comes days after Russia launched a ground incursion into the north of the region of Kharkiv, opening a new front and stretching Ukraine's soldiers. Kyiv has been on the back foot on the battlefield for months as Russian troops have slowly advanced, taking advantage of Ukraine's shortages of troop manpower and artillery shells.1 week ago
- 2:08Lessons begin at Ukraine's first underground schoolReuters VideosSTORY: For some children in Ukraine's Kharkiv, the school day now begins with a twenty feet decent down concrete staircases and through blast doors to classrooms beneath the city. This is the war torn country's first purpose-built underground school designed to protect students from Russian drone and missile attacks. The return to in-person learning in windowless classrooms brings smiles to children's faces and relief to parents. Until now, lessons had been online or frequently interrupted by air raid sirens and evacuations to safe places. Headmaster Ihor Voznyi says the difference is immense. "It is like day and night, our schools do not have shelters, there are basements, underground spaces which are totally inadequate to conduct any teaching. The spaces here are designed to provide quality, modern spaces." The school will eventually operate two shifts over the day for 900 pupils in total. Parents told Reuters they couldn't wait for the opening day. "I am very happy that my kids have the opportunity to come to school, socialize with their class mates and teachers. My elder daughter, a third grader couldn't wait to come here, dress up for the occasion, meet her friends that she missed very much. For my son, who is a first grader, it is like a festive day, a chance to meet his class mates in real life, not online and play with them." Kharkiv has been under relentless Russian attack since Moscow's invasion was halted at its ramparts 26 months ago. In recent weeks the fighting has grown closer and the airstrikes more constant. The city's mayor hopes three more underground schools will be built in the area, as a population under attack continually adapts its daily life.1 week ago
6 days ago · Russia has highlighted two main areas in this recent disinformation push, the intelligence indicates: Ukraine’s painful withdrawal from the eastern city of Avdiivka and the fact that Ukraine...
5 days ago · Russia is pushing into northeastern Ukraine after a surprise assault there last week. More than 7,500 people have been evacuated from the Kharkiv region.
- Overview
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Russia, country that stretches over a vast expanse of eastern Europe and northern Asia. Once the preeminent republic of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R.; commonly known as the Soviet Union), Russia became an independent country after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in December 1991.
Russia is a land of superlatives. By far the world’s largest country, it covers nearly twice the territory of Canada, the second largest. It extends across the whole of northern Asia and the eastern third of Europe, spanning 11 time zones and incorporating a great range of environments and landforms, from deserts to semiarid steppes to deep forests and Arctic tundra. Russia contains Europe’s longest river, the Volga, and its largest lake, Ladoga. Russia also is home to the world’s deepest lake, Baikal, and the country recorded the world’s lowest temperature outside the North and South poles.
The inhabitants of Russia are quite diverse. Most are ethnic Russians, but there also are more than 120 other ethnic groups present, speaking many languages and following disparate religious and cultural traditions. Most of the Russian population is concentrated in the European portion of the country, especially in the fertile region surrounding Moscow, the capital. Moscow and St. Petersburg (formerly Leningrad) are the two most important cultural and financial centres in Russia and are among the most picturesque cities in the world. Russians are also populous in Asia, however; beginning in the 17th century, and particularly pronounced throughout much of the 20th century, a steady flow of ethnic Russians and Russian-speaking people moved eastward into Siberia, where cities such as Vladivostok and Irkutsk now flourish.
Russia’s climate is extreme, with forbidding winters that have several times famously saved the country from foreign invaders. Although the climate adds a layer of difficulty to daily life, the land is a generous source of crops and materials, including vast reserves of oil, gas, and precious metals. That richness of resources has not translated into an easy life for most of the country’s people, however; indeed, much of Russia’s history has been a grim tale of the very wealthy and powerful few ruling over a great mass of their poor and powerless compatriots. Serfdom endured well into the modern era; the years of Soviet communist rule (1917–91), especially the long dictatorship of Joseph Stalin, saw subjugation of a different and more exacting sort.
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Russia is bounded to the north and east by the Arctic and Pacific oceans, and it has small frontages in the northwest on the Baltic Sea at St. Petersburg and at the detached Russian oblast (region) of Kaliningrad (a part of what was once East Prussia annexed in 1945), which also abuts Poland and Lithuania. To the south Russia borders North Korea, China, Mongolia, and Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. To the southwest and west it borders Ukraine, Belarus, Latvia, and Estonia, as well as Finland and Norway.
Extending nearly halfway around the Northern Hemisphere and covering much of eastern and northeastern Europe and all of northern Asia, Russia has a maximum east-west extent of some 5,600 miles (9,000 km) and a north-south width of 1,500 to 2,500 miles (2,500 to 4,000 km). There is an enormous variety of landforms and landscapes, which occur mainly in a series of broad latitudinal belts. Arctic deserts lie in the extreme north, giving way southward to the tundra and then to the forest zones, which cover about half of the country and give it much of its character. South of the forest zone lie the wooded steppe and the steppe, beyond which are small sections of semidesert along the northern shore of the Caspian Sea. Much of Russia lies at latitudes where the winter cold is intense and where evaporation can barely keep pace with the accumulation of moisture, engendering abundant rivers, lakes, and swamps. Permafrost covers some 4 million square miles (10 million square km)—an area seven times larger than the drainage basin of the Volga River, Europe’s longest river—making settlement and road building difficult in vast areas. In the European areas of Russia, the permafrost occurs in the tundra and the forest-tundra zone. In western Siberia permafrost occurs along the Yenisey River, and it covers almost all areas east of the river, except for south Kamchatka province, Sakhalin Island, and Primorsky Kray (the Maritime Region).
On the basis of geologic structure and relief, Russia can be divided into two main parts—western and eastern—roughly along the line of the Yenisey River. In the western section, which occupies some two-fifths of Russia’s total area, lowland plains predominate over vast areas broken only by low hills and plateaus. In the eastern section the bulk of ...
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the largest country in the world by area, extending across eleven time zones and sharing land borders with fourteen countries.
Russians Poured Over Ukraine’s Border. There Was Little to Stop Them. The stunning incursion into the Kharkiv Region lays bare the challenges facing Ukraine’s weary and thinly stretched forces ...
Russia gives British diplomat a week to leave. The expulsion of Capt Adrian Coghill comes after his counterpart was removed from Britain last week. All the latest content about Russia from the...