Browsing: Russian invasion of Ukraine

President Donald Trump has called on Saudi Arabia and other OPEC nations to reduce oil prices, warning that high costs are prolonging the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Trump expressed surprise that OPEC hadn’t acted to lower prices before the elections, emphasising the impact on global stability.  

On his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump claimed his efforts to resolve the conflict would be a “very big favor” to Russia and its president. He previously vowed to negotiate a settlement to the war, which began in 2014 and escalated with Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, within a single day.

The German government has approved measures allowing the military to shoot down suspicious drones near military installations and other critical infrastructure. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser emphasised the increasing drone threats since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, stating that the technology poses significant challenges for police forces.

Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, head of Russia’s Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Defence Forces, was killed by a bomb in Moscow on Tuesday. The device, hidden in a scooter, exploded as Kirillov and an assistant left an apartment building in southeast Moscow, about four miles from the Kremlin.  

The ousted Syrian leader Bashar Assad has reportedly fled to Moscow, where his long-term ally, Russia, has granted him asylum. It comes after a rapid rebel offensive seized Damascus, ending five decades of Assad family rule.