RUSSIA

Harris made the announcement at the Ukraine peace summit in Lucerne, Switzerland, where she met with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

A Russian nuclear-powered submarine and other naval vessels arrived in Cuba Wednesday for a five-day visit to the communist island off Florida's coast in a show of force amid spiraling US-Russian tensions.

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban agreed on Wednesday that Budapest would "not block" the defense alliance from contributing more to Ukraine's fight against Russia's invasion.

The expanded measures, which are likely to be announced Wednesday, are part of the Biden administration's efforts to stop Russia's attempts to bypass Western sanctions and diminish its war capabilities against Ukraine.

Ukraine on Thursday ordered the evacuation of children and their guardians from several towns and villages in the eastern Donetsk region, where fighting with Russia is intensifying.

Russia's central bank chief called Thursday for Russia to be an "open economy" despite the barrage of Western sanctions and trading restrictions it has been hit with over its Ukraine offensive.

Zelenskyy will deliver an in-person speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue, considered Asia's premier defense summit.

It is "vital and urgent" for the United States and allies to find a way to tap immobilized Russian assets in helping Ukraine, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in prepared remarks released Monday.

Leaders Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin framed their nations' ties as a stabilizing force in a chaotic world as they met Thursday in Beijing, where the Russian president is seeking greater Chinese support for his war effort in Ukraine and isolated economy.

It is Putin's first trip abroad since his March re-election and the second in just over six months to China, an economic lifeline for Russia after the West hit it with unprecedented sanctions over its military offensive in Ukraine.

Ukraine on Wednesday warned of possible power shutdowns across the country after a "massive" wave of Russian missiles and drones targeted the battered Ukrainian energy system.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel announced Monday he is heading to Russia on a "working visit," as old allies Havana and Moscow strengthen ties under a recently initiated rapprochement.

Russia has added Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to its list of wanted criminals, a move Kyiv dismissed as a sign of Moscow's "desperation".

Russia's wanted list also encompasses numerous officials and lawmakers from Ukraine and NATO countries.

Five people were killed Wednesday as Russia struck Ukraine's eastern Kharkiv and Donetsk regions, local officials said.

Kyiv authorities on Tuesday began taking down a Soviet-era monument celebrating friendship with Russia -- more than two years into an invasion by Moscow which has cost tens of thousands of lives.

A cyber specialist who briefly worked at the top secret US National Security Agency (NSA) was sentenced to more than 21 years in prison on Monday for attempting to spy for Russia, the Justice Department said.

Navalny's allies have accused Putin of orchestrating his murder and have pledged to furnish evidence supporting their claim.

At least three electrical substations and a fuel storage base were reported to be struck, resulting in ignited fires at various sites.

The House Rules Committee advanced a set of foreign aid bills, overcoming resistance from some Republicans with crucial support from Democrats.

The pair, identified only as Dieter S. and Alexander J., were arrested in Bayreuth in the southeastern state of Bavaria on Wednesday, federal prosecutors said in a statement.