If enacted, the bill would impose sanctions on the top five countries that purchase oil and gas from Russia. The legislation seeks to prevent Russia from using oil and gas sales to fund its war against Ukraine, which began in February 2022.

Hostilities resumed between Russia and Ukraine after a three-day ceasefire to facilitate the safe passage of peace envoys from the United States between Moscow and Kyiv expired.

Kushner said that he and Witkoff thought it would be “productive” to “go back to the trilateral format, which [all three parties] were able to do about six months ago,” referring to previous discussions between representatives from the United States, Russia

Russia and North Korea have opened the first road bridge linking the two countries, signaling closer diplomatic and economic cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang.

“That means a war with Russia.” Putin said that European countries were frightening their own citizens by warning about an “imaginary threat” from Russia. He said Russia did not present any threat to Europe.

Monday’s call follows U.S. peace envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner traveling to Russia and Ukraine over the weekend to speak with both of the countries’ leaders.

Germany’s chancellor accused Russia of planning the attempted drone attack on a Leipzig airport in August for months.

A bipartisan bill aims to expand sanctions on Russia and Iran. China, a major buyer of Russian oil, could also be targeted. Concerns about artificial intelligence are emerging in both the West and the East.

President Donald Trump held talks after U.S. envoys visited Moscow and Kyiv over the past weekend, with Trump saying he wants ties with Russia restored, according to a Putin aide.

Rutte said that Russia has grown “increasingly reckless” but that NATO stands in “full solidarity” with Germany.

Russia’s war against Ukraine began in 2014, when Russia invaded and annexed Crimea and Russian-backed separatists seized territory in eastern Ukraine. Russia expanded the conflict into a full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022.

Rutte said that Russia has grown “increasingly reckless” and that NATO stands in “full solidarity” with Germany.

Hungary labeled Russia a “threat to the global order” and formally condemned its military aggression on Aug. 25, in a move that marks a sharp shift in Budapest’s outlook under its new government.

South Korea's Defense Ministry said North Korea is continuing preparations for an additional troop deployment to Russia. South Korean lawmaker Rep.

Kyiv has also carried out drone attacks on targets in Russia, aiming to knock out oil refineries, depots, and pipelines.

“As we do not allow access to our models from Russia, they used [virtual private networks] to access our platform,” OpenAI said.

Russia ​has repeatedly imposed curbs on gasoline and diesel exports to rein in rising fuel prices and address shortages.

Third-party-compiled data estimate that there are about 35 million Telegram users in Russia—one of the largest national user bases globally.

Graham Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026 on July 16.

Russia-Ukraine Hostilities Russian and Ukrainian forces have recently been targeting each other’s facilities.

KYIV—Russia battered Ukraine’s capital Kyiv overnight with one of its biggest ballistic missile barrages of the war, killing at least one person and wounding 16 others, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday.

While Trump did not call out Russia during his primetime address on July 16 about election security, he did single out China.

NATO has stated that Russia could launch a major assault on allied territory as early as ​2029 if its armament efforts persist. Moscow has denied having any such intentions.

“We offered Russia a way to end this war long ago, and every day it chooses to prolong it should bring the reality of war back to where it began—to Russia.”

ET on July 14 on Russia sanctions.

Not to prevent Russia from winning, but because Russia wants to impose its own world and change people’s lives, which they like and choose for themselves," Zelenskyy said.

Russia, on June 25, denied putting pressure on its ally Belarus to support an expansion of the war in Ukraine.

Russia declared a three-day ceasefire in May 2025, but Ukraine accused Russia of continuing attacks during the ceasefire.

“We appreciate this decision, and the fact that Russia asked for no one in return—No exchange took place.”

In addition to sanctions, the president could implement up to 500 percent tariffs on goods imported from Russia, including oil, gas, and coal products.