A Russian official said Moscow is ready to respond with military measures if the United States deploys its missile defense program to Greenland.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping held a video call Wednesday to discuss the burgeoning economic cooperation between Moscow and Beijing and their relations with the United States.

Syria’s interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa has arrived in Moscow for his second time in less than four months for talks, and Russian President Vladimir Putin emphasized his readiness to help the country rebuild its war-battered economy.

President Donald Trump last week announced he had negotiated a weeklong ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, highlighting his personal relationship with President Vladimir Putin. Trump said last Thursday that he had persuaded his Russian counterpart to halt attacks on Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure during a brutal cold snap.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has been added to Ukraine’s controversial Myrotvorets database after remarks in which he suggested that Russian footballers, particularly at the youth level, should be allowed back into international competitions.

In a video-link call broadcast on Russian state television, Putin said the Moscow-Beijing relationship was an important stabilizing factor at a time of growing global turbulence.

Dmitry Medvedev, a senior Kremlin security official, said in remarks released for publication on Monday that the world was getting very dangerous, but

Belgorod, a Russian city near the Ukrainian border, was plunged into darkness on the night of February 3, after Ukrainian drones struck key energy facilities, causing widespread power outages. Explosions were heard across Belgorod shortly before midnight as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy directed the attack.