Volunteers are grappling with environmental havoc across more than 35 miles of coastline, after at least 3,700 tons of heavy oil spilled into the Kerch Strait.
Two African states are frustrating Moscow's efforts to establish a stronger military presence in the continent following the fall of Assad.
The administration is considering major new financial sanctions on energy, in part to give the new Trump team leverage in Ukraine talks. But Biden may not want to drive gas prices up, even in his final days in office.
Russia's natural-gas transit deal with Ukraine is set to expire soon, which would cut billions in revenue.
The BBC's Russia Editor, Steve Rosenberg, has challenged Vladimir Putin on whether he has "taken care" of Russia during his 25-year rule. At the president's annual end-of-year press conference, Rosenberg reminded Putin about how his predecessor, Boris Yeltsin, told him to take care of the country when he handed over power.
"President Putin said that he wants to meet with me as soon as possible," Trump said during his remarks at Turning Point's AmericaFest convention.
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Vladimir Putin wants a sit-down with Donald Trump as equals in which they divide the world into spheres of influence.
Volunteers helping to clean up a major oil spill along Russia's Black Sea coast appealed in a video released on Monday for President Vladimir Putin to urgently send federal aid, saying that they and local authorities were overwhelmed.
Russia's war on Ukraine dominated the opening stages of President Vladimir Putin's annual marathon press conference on Thursday.
Russia’s central bank has left its benchmark interest rate at a record 21%, holding off on further increases despite high consumer inflation fueled by the Kremlin’s war against Ukraine.