Russian President Vladimir Putin's special envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, is heading to Miami for a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner, a Russian source told Reuters.

The European official said the man accused of coordinating a plot to put explosives in packages on cargo planes, for example, was recruited by Russian intelligence after involvement with smuggling guns and explosives. The man is linked to at least four other plots.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an address on Wednesday that Russia is preparing "the coming year as a year of war," despite ongoing peace talks.

Russia's foreign ministry said on Thursday that an International Claims Commission for Ukraine launched by some European powers had no legal force for Russia and was driven by an attempt by European countries to spread propaganda against Russia.

The move comes days after a deal with Washington that lifted U.S. sanctions against the Belarusian potash industries, a key source of export earnings.

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

Ordinary Russians got the chance to question their leader at his year-end call-in show, with queries focused on an end to the Ukraine war and boosting the economy.

Putin said at an annual meeting with top military officers that Moscow will move to expand a “buffer security zone” along the border.

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.

Russian border guards crossed into Estonia without permission using hovercrafts, authorities in Tallinn have said, in a move which will add to concerns about Moscow’s provocations near the border with NATO.

Danish authorities say Russia carried out cyberattacks against Denmark's infrastructure and websites in 2024 and 2025.

The Kremlin said on Thursday that Russia was preparing for contacts with the United States to get details about U.S. talks with European powers and Ukraine on a possible peace settlement to end the Ukraine conflict.