Ukraine
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.
U.S. and Russia discuss ending Ukraine war, without Kyiv
The talks build on last week's phone call between President Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin during which the two leaders agreed to work together toward a negotiated end to the war.
European leaders scramble ahead of Trump’s Ukraine summit with Putin
European leaders were hopeful they could work with the Trump administration on the Ukraine war and other issues. But comments last week by several U.S. officials have poured cold water on such hopes.
Trump says he spoke to Putin about the Ukraine war
President Trump said he spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the war in Ukraine and other issues, and that they agreed to visit each other's nations and have their teams start negotiations immediately on the conflict.
Vance to attend international AI and security summits as Ukraine war and tariffs loom
Vance will likely use the summits to resist further AI regulation while reiterating a common Trump refrain: that military allies need to further ramp up spending that supports NATO and Ukraine.
Ukrainian baker reconnects to Birmingham by sharing her sweet treat
Vasilisa Strelnikova fled to Birmingham following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year. When she arrived, baking became a refuge . But she also wanted to use baking to show her love of Birmingham, and her love for her friends.
A Ukrainian dressmaker and his family find refuge and a new beginning in Vestavia Hills
Mykola Vyshyvanyuk and his family were forced to flee Ukraine when Russia invaded in 2022. Thanks to local support, they’ve found a new place to call home.
‘It’s a fight for freedom.’ Ukraine backers call for continued arms support 1 year into war
A group of supporters gathered at Railroad Park in Birmingham to draw attention to human rights violations in the country and call for continued arms support from the U.S.
‘We got our miracle’: Freed Americans back home in Alabama
Alex Drueke and Andy Huynh had gone missing June 9 in the Kharkiv region of northeastern Ukraine while while fighting with Ukrainian forces against Russia.
Russian separatists release 2 U.S. veterans as part of a prisoner exchange
Alex Drueke and Andy Huynh went missing in the Kharkiv region of northeastern Ukraine near the Russian border June 9. They had traveled to Ukraine on their own and became friends because both are from Alabama.
Biden visits Alabama Lockheed plant as weapons stockpile strained
President Joe Biden credited the assembly line workers at a Javelin missile plant in Troy for doing lifesaving work in building the antitank weapons that are being sent to Ukraine.
