Vladimir Putin surprised the world by speaking in English, a rarity for the Russian president. Evidence of this is the recent conversation between Putin and Donald Trump, which occurred through interpreters.

US special envoy Steve Witkoff has arrived in Russia, where he is expected to meet with President Putin. Meanwhile, European defense ministers are meeting in Brussels at NATO headquarters. DW has more.

Putin's envoy said discussions have touched on cooperation in the Arctic and with rare earth metals, with future talks scheduled.

We continue to work on developing relations with the USA and achieving potential peace in Ukraine, said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov when asked about US President Donald Trump's statement that he is "angry" with Vladimir Putin for questioning the legitimacy of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Stock markets down again after China raises tariffs to 125% in retaliation - ‘Going against the world will only lead to self-isolation,’ Chinese Premier Xi Jinping warns

A second round of talks between Russia and the U.S. was "constructive," the U.S. State Department said after delegations from both sides concluded discussions in Istanbul lasting nearly six hours. The Russian delegation was headed by Aleksandr Darchiyev,