Vaughn Cockayne

Witkoff, Kushner to discuss Ukraine peace strategy with Russian President Putin in Moscow

White House special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Trump's son-in-law, are expected to meet Tuesday with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss ending the war with Ukraine.

December 2, 2025

Ukrainian delegation en route to Washington after previous negotiator resigns

Ukrainian officials led by Security Council Secretary Rustem Umerov are on their way to Washington on Saturday ahead of negotiations the next day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced.

November 29, 2025

Moldova sounds alarm after Russian drones enter airspace for third time

Moldovan airspace was closed for over an hour on Friday evening after authorities discovered two Russian drones flying over the Eastern European country.

November 29, 2025

Value of State Department press briefings in question as Trump trims them

The State Department has not held a public press briefing in over three months, even as Washington's rivals intensify their communication campaigns to shape opinion and undermine U.S leadership narratives on the world stage.

November 29, 2025

Israeli anti-terrorist incursion into southern Syria kills 10

An Israeli military incursion to track down suspected terrorists in southern Syria killed 10 people and left five Israeli troops injured Friday morning, according to Syrian state media.

November 28, 2025

Leaked audio shows envoy Steve Witkoff coaching Putin adviser on how to pitch peace plan to Trump

White House special envoy Steve Witkoff advised a senior official close to Russian President Vladimir Putin last month on how best to pitch a Ukraine peace plan to President Trump, according to transcripts of leaked audio released Tuesday.

November 26, 2025

Ukraine, U.S. reach ‘understanding’ on Trump-backed peace deal, but major hurdles remain

Ukraine has agreed to the core terms of a U.S.-backed peace deal to end its war with Russia, but a final agreement still appears distant because of questions about whether Kyiv is willing to cede any of its territory to Moscow.

November 25, 2025

Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Dan Caine tours Puerto Rico as Caribbean tensions percolate

Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is visiting Puerto Rico this week to meet with troops in U.S. Southern Command amid growing tensions between the United States and Venezuela.

November 25, 2025

Kremlin says U.S. has not discussed details of Ukraine peace plan with Moscow

The Kremlin insisted Friday that the U.S. has not disclosed the details of President Trump's 28-point Ukraine peace plan with Russia but hoped that negotiations could begin soon.

November 21, 2025

Syrian Jewish group wants Congress to end Caesar sanctions

Rabbi Yusuf Hamra, a founding member of the Jewish Heritage in Syria Foundation, called on Congress to repeal the Caesar Act sanctions this week, echoing calls from Trump administration officials and activists looking to eliminate economic burdens on Damascus.

November 20, 2025

Rare-earth magnet maker to build $1B factory in North Carolina in bid to expand domestic supply

Rare-earth magnet company Vulcan Elements revealed plans Tuesday to build a $1 billion factory in Benson, North Carolina, as U.S. companies look to compete with China over rare-earth dominance.

November 20, 2025

Zelenskyy meets with Erdogan, will see top U.S. military officials as push for peace intensifies

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in Ankara on Wednesday and will get together with U.S. military leaders in Kyiv on Thursday amid reports that Washington is quietly working with Russia to iron out a peace deal.

November 19, 2025

Iran releases tanker seized in the Strait of Hormuz, ship’s manager confirms

Iran has released a Marshall Islands-based fuel tanker, the Talara, after holding the ship for five days, the vessel's manager announced Wednesday.

November 19, 2025

Syria begins trial over ethnic violence in March

Syrian troops and Alawite minority members were on trial Tuesday as Damascus started legal proceedings against those accused of participating in violence that struck the country's coast in March.

November 18, 2025

China, Russia blast U.S.-drafted Gaza resolution after abstaining from U.N. vote

The foreign ministries of Russia and China sharply critiqued the U.S.-drafted resolution on Gaza, which passed a U.N. Security Council vote on Monday, arguing the measure is too vague and inconsistent with international law.

November 18, 2025

Ukraine’s leader Zelenskyy to travel to Turkey for peace talks; Russia declines to participate

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced he would travel to Turkey on Wednesday to restart peace negotiations, but Moscow has denied that it is sending any representatives.

November 18, 2025

Canadian intelligence agency says it foiled Iranian, Russian plots

Canada's spy agency this year stopped a plot by Iranian intelligence services to target dissidents living in Canada, the director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service announced on Thursday.

November 14, 2025

EU officials debate training 3,000 Palestinian police officers from Gaza

Foreign ministers from across the European Union are reportedly considering a plan that would see the body train 3,000-strong Palestinian police officers who would eventually help keep the peace in Gaza, according to a paper circulated among member nations this week.

November 14, 2025

Damascus to intensify attacks on Hezbollah, Iranian forces in Syria, says U.S. envoy

Syria will step up its attacks on foreign terrorists in its country as Damascus looks to assist the U.S. in its goal of curbing the regional influence of the Islamic State, Hezbollah and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, U.S. Special Envoy Tom Barrack announced Wednesday.

November 13, 2025

China planning to block U.S. military contractors from rare earth imports: Report

China is reportedly working on a plan to block U.S. defense contractors from accessing rare-earth metals, despite efforts to ease import restrictions for other Western companies.

November 13, 2025