Ukraine

Trump calls Putin ‘absolutely crazy’ following Russia’s latest barrage on Ukraine

Trump's remarks were a rare rebuke of the Russian president and followed a storm of drone and missile attacks on Ukrainian cities on Sunday evening.

Inside Ukraine’s last maternity ward in a region surrounded by Russian forces

NPR visits a hospital in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region, in a town where many residents have fled but some young couples are holding on and hoping to raise their children one day in peace.

Ukraine and Russia begin the largest prisoner-of-war exchange since the invasion

Ukraine and Russia have begun the exchange of 1,000 prisoners of war, the largest such swap since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Ukraine’s Zelenskyy arrives in Turkey for talks with Russia, without Putin

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is in Turkey for direct talks with Russia. But the Kremlin sent a lower-level delegation that doesn't include President Vladimir Putin.

As Russia and Ukraine prepare for possible direct talks, cue President Trump

There are lots of unknowns ahead of potential direct talks between Russia and Ukraine in Turkey.

Zelenskyy challenges Putin to meet him in Turkey ‘personally’ for ceasefire talks

Ukraine and European allies had demanded Russia accept a 30-day ceasefire starting Monday before holding talks, but Moscow effectively rejected the proposal and called for direct negotiations instead.

Ukraine’s allies push for 30-day ceasefire starting Monday

U.K. Prime Minister says Europe and the U.S. are "calling out" Putin, by proposing a 30-day unconditional ceasefire starting Monday.

How this teen fled Russian occupation to become an unassuming hero in Ukraine

An 18-year-old from Russian-occupied Luhansk tells NPR how and why he escaped to Kyiv.

Which celebrity was allegedly robbed by the elderly? Find out in the quiz

This week, we're light on popes and presidents — but if you've been keeping up with the Kardashians, you'll get at least one question right.

Putin declares a 3-day ceasefire for May’s WWII anniversary. Ukraine says why wait?

Russia declared a three-day ceasefire in Ukraine starting May 8 for the anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany. Ukraine called for an immediate, 30-day truce instead.

Ukrainian families divided by Russian occupation hang on and hope to be reunited

Ukrainians displaced by Russian occupation are helping the war effort — and longing for the homes they fled and the loved ones they left behind.

Russia launches airstrikes on Kyiv as Trump pushes for Kremlin-favored peace deal

The Ukrainian military says Russia launched at least 215 drones and missiles at Ukraine, most aimed at the capital.

Officials from U.S., Europe meet in London for Ukraine peace talks

The U.S. is showing signs that it is increasingly willing to withdraw from a peace process that has grown more complex in recent months.

Putin calls an Easter ceasefire as Russia and Ukraine swap hundreds of POWs

The Russian president announced a temporary ceasefire, citing humanitarian reasons, as Russia and Ukraine swapped hundreds of captured soldiers.

Trump may abandon Ukraine peace talks ‘within days,’ Rubio warns

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday that the U.S. would walk away from efforts to broker a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine if progress isn't made within days.

Rubio leads a U.S. team for Paris talks as Macron seeks unity on Ukraine

France hosted top diplomats from the U.S., Germany, the U.K. and Ukraine to discuss efforts toward a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine.

Ukraine’s DIY drone makers are helping fighters on the front lines

The war in Ukraine is now largely being fought with drones. Ukraine made 2 million last year. Drone makers churn them out in factories and mom-and-pop operations like one in a Kyiv basement apartment.

Ukrainians face fears during the country’s darkest nights

All over Ukraine, war has made nighttime darker. Satellite imagery shows a significant dimming of lights since 2022. Darkness has spread indoors too, with power cuts becoming common during the war.

Ukrainians in front line regions reel from losses, but say hope dies last for them

Into their fourth year of war, Ukrainians living in or near front line regions of their country grapple with their losses and contemplate an uncertain future.

The U.S. and Russia are holding talks in Saudi Arabia on a Black Sea ceasefire

The closed-door talks at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Riyadh follow U.S. consultations with a Ukrainian delegation on stabilizing the front lines and implementing a proposed 30-day armistice.

European military leaders discuss Ukraine peacekeeping force

The number of troops that would help enforce a peace in Ukraine is vague. Officials have cited figures of between 10,000 and 30,000 troops as part of what's been termed a "reassurance force."

Zelenskyy and Trump speak after Trump’s call with Putin

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke for about an hour with President Trump on Wednesday, following Trump's call on Tuesday with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

What Russia and Ukraine want out of talks, as Trump speaks to Putin Tuesday

President Trump will speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, as the U.S. pursues a ceasefire deal in Ukraine.

Zelenskyy wants U.S. to hit Russia with ‘maximum’ sanctions if it refuses a ceasefire

Ukraine's president said he hopes the U.S. applies "maximum additional sanctions" on Russia if it refuses to accept a 30-day ceasefire, describing the Russian leader's "bravado" as a stalling tactic.

A Putin aide rejects Trump’s 30-day Ukraine ceasefire proposal

As U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff enters talks in Moscow on a Trump administration proposal for a 30-day ceasefire with Ukraine, an adviser to the Russian president rejected the idea.

Ukraine wants ‘constructive, friendly’ talks with the U.S. as they meet in Saudi Arabia

Diplomatic teams from Ukraine and the United States are holding talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday in steps toward ending a full-scale war started by Russia in 2022.

Five takeaways: China’s foreign minister slams Trump’s ‘two-faced’ policies

China's top foreign policy official addressed the escalating trade war with the U.S. and promoted China as an "anchor" on the global stage as America retreats from international involvement.

Europe considers a major defense spending package as Trump signals disengagement

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed an $840 billion plan to build up the bloc's defense, as President Trump pauses military aid to Ukraine.

European leaders renew support for Ukraine after Zelenskyy’s stormy meeting with Trump

Leaders from across Europe came quickly to the defense of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, after his televised clash with President Trump and Vice President Vance.

Trump and Zelenskyy’s meeting turns into a heated argument

A meeting between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy grew contentious, with Trump telling Zelenskyy that "you're not acting at all thankful" for U.S. support.

Meeting Trump at White House, Zelenksyy hopes for continued aid in war with Russia

It's the first face-to-face meeting between Zelenskyy and Trump since Trump's inauguration, and it comes about a week after Trump called Zelenskyy a dictator and repeated Kremlin talking points, including suggesting that Ukraine started the war with Russia.

GOP senators fact check Trump’s Ukraine rhetoric, while still backing his strategy

Lawmakers sought to dispel Kremlin talking points echoed by the president that Ukraine was responsible for the war with Russia. But they said Trump should be given room to negotiate.