Japan's minister visits Ukraine to stress mutual concern over North Korean troops

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Japan's foreign minister arrived in Kyiv on Saturday to discuss North Korea’s deepening military alliance with Russia, including the deployment of thousands of troops to support Moscow's war in Ukraine. Takeshi Iwaya will meet his Ukrainian counterpart,...

Protesters in Georgia's separatist Abkhazia region refuse to cede control of government buildings

TBILISI, Georgia (AP) — Opposition protesters in Georgia's breakaway province of Abkhazia have refused to cede control of key government buildings that demonstrators stormed to protest new measures allowing Russians to buy property in the area. Abkhazian President Aslan Bzhania...

Austria says Russia's Gazprom will cut off natural gas supply this weekend

VIENNA (AP) — Russia’s state-owned natural gas company Gazprom will cut off supplies to Austria’s OMV utility early Saturday, Austria’s chancellor said, adding that his country’s underground gas storage was full and that it had alternative, non-Russia supplies. The cutoff...

Germany's Scholz discusses Ukraine with Russia's Putin in first such call in 2 years

BERLIN (AP) — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke Friday with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin leader’s first publicly announced conversation with the sitting head of a major Western power in nearly two years. Scholz urged Putin to be open to negotiations with Ukraine, his office...

German news agency reports Chancellor Scholz had a one-hour call with Russian President Putin, first in two years

Hungary's Orbán says sanctions on Russia will 'destroy' EU economy

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — The European Union must abandon its policy of sanctioning Russia for its war in Ukraine or risk causing an economic collapse, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán told state radio on Friday. The EU has imposed several rounds of sanctions against Moscow...

Russian defense official visits China's premier military showcase in a sign of unity

ZHUHAI- China (AP) — A top Russian defense official has attended China’s premier military showcase in a show of unity between the countries as Russia continues its invasion of Ukraine. Sergei Shoigu, secretary of the Russian Federation Security Council, was in the southern city...

Biden is sending aid to help Ukraine keep fighting next year, Blinken says

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The Biden administration is determined in its final months to help ensure that Ukraine can keep fighting off Russia's full-scale invasion next year, sending it as much aid as possible so that it might hold Russian forces at bay and possess a strong hand in any potential peace...

Russian parliament advances bill to ban adoptions by gender-transition countries

MOSCOW (AP) — Russia's lower house of parliament on Tuesday passed final reading of a bill to ban adoption of Russian children by citizens of countries where gender transitioning is legal. The chamber, the State Duma, also approved a measure calling for banning the spread of...

Thousands rally outside Georgian parliament to demand a new election towards European integration

TBILISI, Georgia (AP) — Thousands of opposition supporters rallied Monday in Georgia’s capital in continuing protests against the ruling party's declared victory in the Oct. 26 parliamentary election amid allegations that Russia helped rig the vote. The protesters waved Georgian...