Riyadh

Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov said that Russia would cease hostilities only after reaching “firm” agreements. He rejected the option of an immediate ceasefire without specific agreements.

Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov will visit Turkey for talks on the war in Ukraine with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan. They will also discuss the situation in Gaza and Syria.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Rrbkov denied that a meeting with U. S. representatives was being prepared for February 25 in Riyadh. This denial followed Trump's announcement of a new stage of negotiations on Ukraine.

The Russian Foreign Ministry has announced a new meeting with U. S. officials at the level of department heads within two weeks. The meeting will be held in a third country to discuss bilateral relations.

IBF champion Daniel DuBois refused to defend his title against Joseph Parker due to a viral infection. The organizers are considering Okolie, Adeleke and Aliyev as replacements.

Steve Witkoff, Trump's Middle East envoy, spoke about the development of a “friendship” with Putin. The statement was made after a secret trip to Moscow to release American citizen Mark Fogel.

Electricity consumption remains high in Ukraine, with restrictions in place for industry until 20:00. In Odesa, due to the Russian attack, there are forced power outages.

Donald Trump has said that World War III is “not that far away,” but it will not happen under his presidency. At the Miami summit, he also criticized Zelenskyy and thanked Saudi Arabia for organizing the US-Russia talks.

The President of Ukraine had a conversation with U. S. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham on security guarantees for Ukraine. Zelenskyy thanked for the bipartisan support of the U.S. Congress and noted Graham's constructive approach.

Putin claims that Russia has not abandoned negotiations on Ukraine, blaming Kyiv and Brussels. He also expressed readiness to meet with Trump after proper preparation.

An air alert has been declared in Ukraine due to the threat of ballistic missile use. Yermak said that this was a response from the Kremlin, which “understands only the language of force.

The winner of the fight between Daniel DuBois and Joseph Parker on February 22 in Riyadh will become Usyk's next opponent. The fight will be for the title of absolute world heavyweight champion.

A KIIS poll shows that 57% of Ukrainians trust President Zelenskyy, while 37% do not. The level of trust has increased by 5% compared to December 2024.

After Russian officials in Riyadh claimed that there were no strikes on the energy sector, Odesa was attacked. 160,000 Odessans were left without electricity and heat at -6°C, and schools and hospitals were damaged.

The United States will maintain sanctions against Russia until an agreement is reached to end the war in Ukraine. Secretary Rubio discussed this issue with European leaders after meeting with Russian representatives in Riyadh.

EU countries plan to provide Ukraine with military aid worth 6 to 10bn euros. The package includes artillery shells and air defense systems and may be presented by 24 February.

The Hungarian Foreign Minister called the talks between the US and Russia in Riyadh “great news”. He also said that it was good that the EU was not invited because “supporters of war” should not be at peace talks.

U. S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the meeting with Russian officials in Riyadh was the first step in a long and difficult journey to bring a just and lasting end to the war in Ukraine

US Presidential Advisor Mike Volz has announced his intention to quickly start negotiations on a peace agreement in Ukraine. According to him, the issues of territory and security guarantees will be discussed, and the United States is consulting with its allies.

In Saudi Arabia, diplomats from the Russian Federation and the United States held four-hour talks. The parties discussed economic cooperation and energy prices.

The U. S.-Russian talks lasted 4.5 hours.

The first session of the Russian-American talks with a working lunch took place in Riyadh. After the break, the delegations are to return to the negotiating table for the final session.

Putin is ready to negotiate with Zelensky, but with due regard to the “legal aspects of the legitimacy” of the Ukrainian president. Earlier, the Kremlin claimed that Ukraine does not have sovereignty and that future agreements are invalid.

In the capital of Saudi Arabia, American-Russian negotiations have started. Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine will not participate in them, but announced a separate visit to Saudi Arabia.

Russian diplomats Lavrov and Ushakov arrive in Riyadh for bilateral talks with US representatives. The Ukrainian side will not take part in the talks, and the Kremlin expects normalization of relations.

Saudi Arabia supported the idea of holding a meeting between Trump and Putin on its territory. The UAE also offered to organize talks to end the war in Ukraine with a possible summit between Putin and Zelenskyy.

Dynamo Kyiv goalkeeper Heorhiy Bushchan has signed a 2. 5-year contract with Al-Shabab for €3 million. During his 16 years at Dynamo, the goalkeeper played 181 matches and won a number of trophies.

Saudi Arabia is in talks with composer Hans Zimmer to rework the national anthem. It is also planned to create a new composition “Arabia” and hold a concert in Riyadh.

Italy signed a five-year memorandum of energy cooperation with Saudi Arabia. The agreement provides for the possibility of supplying Saudi hydrogen to Europe through Italy as a transit hub.

EU foreign ministers will meet in Brussels at the end of January to discuss the lifting of sanctions against Syria. This was announced by Kaja Kallas during her visit to Saudi Arabia.