Russian Chess grandmaster Garry Kasparov tells RFE/RL Putin is set on “liquidating Ukraine” and will not concessions. Slamming a proposed US deal to buy Russian diesel, Kasparov said that if Ukraine wins the war Putin will fall – giving a chance for democracy in Russia.
Russia continued to pound Ukraine with missiles and drones, killing civilians and damaging residential buildings and energy sites, as Kyiv described disruptions to the satellite communications of US company SpaceX, crucial to the country's defense, as a deliberate "operation."
Iran’s Islamic republic has survived war, economic crisis, and widespread protests. So why is the system still standing? Vahid Pourostad of RFE/RL's Negah-e-Farda (Iran Tomorrow) program explains that its survival rests on entrenched networks of power and a fractured opposition.
US President Donald Trump has waived nearly all substantive sanctions, tariffs, and restrictions included in a bipartisan law aimed at pressuring Russia to end its war against Ukraine, prompting sharp criticism from Ukraine advocates and US lawmakers from both parties.
As Secretary of State Marco Rubio heads to Uzbekistan, Washington is hoping the high-level diplomatic engagement translates into concrete economic and security cooperation.