And it is Moscow who currently controls around a fifth of Ukraine’s sovereign land, and is continually trying to push forward to take more. According to the US, more than 1.2 million people have been killed or injured since the war begun.

Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk has called Pakistan and Russia "natural allies" and confirmed that President Vladimir Putin sees Pakistan as a key partner in energy and economic growth.

Rubio and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held talks in Kuala Lumpur on the sidelines of the annual Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Forum, which brings together 10 ASEAN members and their most important diplomatic partners including Russia, China, Japan, South Korea, European nations and the U.S.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Malaysia amid Russia’s latest strikes on Ukraine. The meeting signals a tougher US stance, with Trump reversing course on Putin by approving new arms for Kyiv and blaming Moscow for stalled peace talks.

Russia is using gold and crypto to bypass Western sanctions, a top regulator said on Tuesday. "Netting" is another offbeat way Russia is using to beat sweeping sanctions. Russia's economy faces challenges, with a potential recession and slowing GDP growth.

President Donald Trump ripped Russian leader Vladimir Putin's "bull----" during his Cabinet meeting, saying additional sanctions remained on the table amid the three-year war with Ukraine.