UK dismantles massive money laundering operations tied to Russian oligarchs and cybercriminals

LONDON (AP) — British authorities have dismantled two massive money laundering operations linked to Russia that were used by oligarchs, organized crime groups, cybercriminals and drug dealers, the National Crime Agency said Wednesday. The international sting, known as Operation...

Italy's Meloni and Hungary's Orbán pledge deeper cooperation on migration and Ukraine

ROME (AP) — Italy’s Premier Giorgia Meloni met her Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orbán on Wednesday in Rome, where the two discussed the situation in the Middle East, their support for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine and their commitment to the eastern country’s reconstruction. ...

New UN aid chief vows 'ruthlessness' to prioritize spending as funding for world's crises shrinks

GENEVA (AP) — The new head of the U.N. humanitarian aid agency says it will be “ruthless” when prioritizing how to spend money, a nod to challenges in fundraising for civilians in war zones like Gaza, Sudan, Syria and Ukraine. Tom Fletcher, a longtime British diplomat who took...

Hungarian official says there is 'no consensus' on inviting Ukraine to join NATO

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Hungary's foreign minister said a meeting of his counterparts from NATO member countries in Brussels on Wednesday had produced “no consensus” on the prospect of inviting Ukraine to join the transatlantic military alliance, a step Kyiv sees as an essential condition...

NATO's chief avoids talk of Ukraine's membership. He says the priority is helping Kyiv defend itself

BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on Tuesday sidestepped questions about Ukraine’s possible membership in the military alliance, saying that the priority now must be to strengthen the country’s hand in any future peace talks with Russia by sending it more weapons. ...

Blinken heads to final NATO foreign ministers meeting of Biden administration with Ukraine in focus

WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Antony Blinken is heading back to Europe on Monday for what will likely be the last high-level NATO meeting before the Biden administration leaves office next month. Shoring up allied support for Ukraine ahead of President-elect Donald Trump 's...

US will send Ukraine $725 million more in counter-drone systems, anti-personnel land mines

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. is preparing to send Ukraine an additional $725 million in military assistance, including counter-drone systems and munitions for its High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, which could indicate more of the longer-range missiles are headed to the battlefield. ...

German leader Scholz vows more Ukraine aid and defends his phone call with Putin

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited Ukraine for the first time in more than two years Monday and vowed to keep supporting Kyiv in the war, just weeks after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rebuked him for having a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. ...

US will send $725 million in new weapons to Ukraine, including counter-drone systems and anti-personnel landmines

Arms producers saw revenue up in 2023 with the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, a new report says

STOCKHOLM, Sweden (AP) — Major companies in the arms industry saw a 4.2% increase in overall revenue in 2023 with sharp rises for producers based in Russia and the Middle East, a new report said Monday. The report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, or SIPRI,...