2025 was a year of heightened conflict, amid wars in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan

In plan for Ukraine, Trump faces fundamental differences with Russia

Russia invaded Ukraine to restore it to Moscow’s orbit, but President Donald Trump’s peace plan would increase Kyiv’s security, economic and other ties with the West....

In Russia, plans to cut mobile internet on New Year’s Eve draw fury

One Russian official called the outage “a break from the endless viewing of unnecessary videos” and urged citizens to deliver holiday greetings in person....

Saudi Arabia strikes Yemen port over alleged UAE weapons shipment

The airstrike marks an unprecedented escalation of tensions between Saudi Arabia and the UAE, whose goals in war-torn Yemen have increasingly diverged....

As Russia’s war grinds on, its society is fraying

The Kremlin paints a picture of a society united by war, but underneath, frustration is festering as all avenues of creativity and dissent or controlled or blocked....

Taiwan condemns China as ‘biggest destroyer of peace’ as drills continue

Beijing’s military launched a massive simulated blockade of Taiwan, sending a warning to the independent island after the U.S. approved an $11 billion arms sale....

Tensions flare between Russia and Ukraine after Trump’s peace talks

Russian allegations of an attack on one of Putin’s residences, denied by Ukraine, injected new uncertainty into U.S.-sponsored peace talks....

Trump and Zelensky strike hopeful tone after talks as hurdles remain

The United States will help facilitate Russia-Ukraine talks in January, as Trump called the peace process “very complicated stuff.”...

China expands nuclear warhead manufacturing capacity, research finds

Satellite images suggest China is growing the sites where it makes warheads, while also preparing to retaliate faster — signs of its nuclear ambitions....

Russian attack pummels Kyiv as Zelensky prepares to meet Trump

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the attacks make clear Russia does not want to end the war and that the world must do more to pressure Moscow....

Zelensky says he will meet Trump soon, citing progress in peace plan

The Sunday meeting suggests that Washington and Kyiv are closing in on a joint position to end the war. Russia, however, will probably reject the plan....

She spent the war planning to stay in Gaza. Now she is ready to leave.

Displaced seven times, Diana Shams intended to return to her home, which survived years of war in Gaza only to be destroyed in the final hours before the ceasefire....

Pope Leo speaks about Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan in his first Christmas address

The pope called for peace, especially for the victims of “forgotten” wars, naming several conflicts in Africa....

‘Carol of the Bells’ was born in a Ukrainian city destroyed by Russia

The music school dedicated to the song’s Ukrainian composer, Mykola Leontovych, was destroyed in Pokrovsk but has been reborn in exile....

Zelensky open to withdrawing troops in new peace draft, awaits Russian reply

It is the first time Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky has inched toward any compromise on the issue of territory in the eastern Donbas region, which Russia claims....

Pentagon says China’s nuclear warhead growth slows, commits to stabilizing tensions

The Department of Defense’s new China Military Power Report notes China’s continued buildup, while taking a more conciliatory approach to tensions with Beijing....

War-weary Ukrainians seek healing nature in their vast national parks

With mental health resources in short supply, the traumatized children, wounded veterans and grieving widows turn to Ukraine’s national parks for solace....

Gaza’s Christians, battered by war, celebrate first Christmas in 3 years

The Christian population in Gaza has dropped by nearly half since 2023. But with a ceasefire in place, Christmas will be celebrated once again....

Car bomb in Moscow kills senior Russian general, third such attack in a year

Lt. Gen. Fanil Sarvarov’s death comes amid U.S.-led peace talks pushing for a deal to end the war in Ukraine....

Russia’s economy keeps driving its war, but it could break in 2026

Problems in the oil sector, a possible banking crisis and consumer woes lie ahead for Russia’s economy as prices for Russian oil plummet over sanctions....

E.U. agrees to loan Ukraine $105B after bid to use Russian assets fails

E.U. leaders struck the deal on a loan backed by the bloc’s budget after the collapse of a plan to tap Russia’s frozen assets to finance Ukraine’s state and army....

Putin says Europe out of step with an increasingly Moscow-friendly U.S.

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....

A Russian missile, filled with U.S. tech, rips a Ukrainian boy’s life apart

An 8-year-old boy survived one of Russia’s worst attacks on Ukrainian children. After, investigators — and his family — struggled to find answers....

As Europe eyes Russia’s frozen assets, Belgium fears Moscow’s revenge

Most of Russia’s billions in frozen assets are in Belgium, which fears bearing the brunt of Russian lawsuits — and worse....

Killing the ‘brain trust’: How Israel targeted Iran’s nuclear scientists

A Washington Post-PBS Frontline investigation reveals new details about Israel’s Operation Narnia, targeting Iran’s nuclear scientists during the 12-day war....

U.S. offers Ukraine security guarantee in bid to strike peace deal

Ukrainian leaders said Monday they appreciated White House efforts to reach a deal even as significant gaps appeared to remain between the sides....

Rising tensions with Israel have Lebanon fearing return to all-out war

Israel accuses Hezbollah of refusing to disarm. Lebanese officials hope their efforts to rein in the militant group will head off Israeli military escalation....

As peace talks grind on, Russia zeroes in on Ukraine’s power

Every winter Russia targets Ukraine’s energy sector, but this year the attacks are fiercer, and the power outages are worse than ever....

When asked by reporters whether he had failed to heed Jewish Australians’ warnings of the...

With an army of yes-men, how Putin’s world turned into an echo chamber

The Russian president has little incentive to compromise in the ongoing peace talks because everyone around him keeps reassuring him that Russia is winning....

Secret meetings between FBI and Ukraine negotiator spark concern

FBI Director Kash Patel and his deputy, Dan Bongino, have met with Ukraine’s top delegate amid a U.S. pressure campaign on Kyiv to trade land for peace....