SERGEY LAVROV

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Putin could use any portion of his force of an estimated 100,000 troops to seize Ukrainian cities.

The United States and its NATO allies worry that the concentration of about 100,000 Russian troops near Ukraine signals Moscow's intention to attack.

High-stakes diplomacy continues to try to avert a war in Eastern Europe.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin says Russia has arrayed enough military forces along Ukraine's borders to provide Moscow with a complete range of options, including moves short of a full-scale invasion.

The United States and NATO have made no concessions to the main Russian demands to resolve the crisis over Ukraine.

The White House says President Joe Biden warned Ukraine's president on Thursday that there is a “distinct possibility” Russia could take military action against Ukraine in February.

The Biden administration and NATO have told Russia there will be no U.S. or allied concessions on Moscow's main demands to resolve the crisis over Ukraine.

Russia warned Wednesday it would quickly take “retaliatory measures” if the U.S. and its allies reject its security demands and continue their “aggressive” policies, ratcheting up pressure on the West amid concerns that Moscow is planning to invade Ukraine. Russia has repeatedly denied it has any such designs, but the United States and its NATO allies are worried because Russia has massed an estimated 100,000 troops near Ukraine's border and launched a series of war games in the region.

The State Department is ordering the families of all American personnel at the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv to leave the country and allowing non-essential staff to leave Ukraine.

The British government on Saturday accused Russia of seeking to replace Ukraine’s government with a pro-Moscow administration, and said former Ukrainian lawmaker Yevheniy Murayev is being considered as a potential candidate.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says the current world is “much more chaotic, much less predictable” than during the Cold War between the former Soviet Union and the United States, and it’s dangerous because there are no “instruments” to deal with crises.

Secretary of State Blinken told his Russian counterpart that the Kremlin could defuse concerns about an invasion by moving troops away from Ukraine's borders.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said it was an exchange of concerns and not a negotiation as Russia gathers more troops near the Ukraine border.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, acknowledged that any breakthrough on the crisis was unlikely during their discussions on Friday in Geneva.

Top U.S. and Russian diplomats agreed to keep talking in the standoff over Ukraine, even though their meeting produced no movement in the crisis that has seen Moscow mass tens of thousands of troops at the border and the West ramp up supplies of weapons to Kyiv.

U.S. President Joe Biden says any Russian troop movements across Ukraine’s border would constitute an invasion, saying Moscow would “pay a heavy price” for such an action.

Russia has announced sweeping naval drills in several parts of the world this month, and claims the West is plotting “provocations” in neighboring Ukraine where the Kremlin has been accused of planning aggressive military action.

French President Emmanuel Macron says the European Union should quickly draw up a new security plan containing proposals to help ease tensions with Russia.

President Joe Biden says he thinks Russia will invade Ukraine and is warning President Vladimir Putin that his country would pay a “dear price” in lives lost and a possible cutoff from the global banking system if it does.

President Joe Biden has rallied European allies to pledge as one that they will take tough measures against Russia if it rolls troops into Ukraine.

Russian officials say Moscow is sending an unspecified number of troops from the country’s far east to Belarus for major joint military drills.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet with his Russian counterpart in Switzerland this week as tensions between the U.S. and Russia escalate over a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Russian officials are defending its military buildup along the Ukrainian border, calling it a tense situation with NATO.

Russia’s top diplomat has angrily rejected the U.S. allegations that it was preparing a pretext to invade Ukraine as Russian troops have remained concentrated near the border.

The failure of last week’s high-stakes diplomatic meetings to resolve escalating tensions over Ukraine has put Russia, the United States and its European allies in uncharted post-Cold War territory.

Russia has strongly repeated its demand that NATO doesn't expand eastward despite the rejection of that by the military alliance amid a Russian troop buildup near Ukraine.

Russia on Friday strongly reaffirmed its demand that NATO doesn't expand eastward despite the rejection of that by the military alliance amid a Russian troop buildup near Ukraine. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned that Moscow wouldn't wait indefinitely for the Western response, saying he expects the U.S. and NATO to provide a written answer next week. Lavrov described Moscow’s demands for binding guarantees that NATO will not embrace Ukraine or any other ex-Soviet nations, or station its forces and weapons there as essential for the progress of diplomatic efforts to defuse soaring tensions over Ukraine.

After tough talk between Presidents Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin over the Russian troop buildup on the Ukraine border, both sides insist they are hopeful that a pathway to easing tensions could open during diplomatic talks set for January.

Russia’s top diplomat says talks between Russia and the United States on Moscow’s demand for Western guarantees precluding NATO’s expansion to Ukraine will start immediately after the New Year holidays

Russia's top diplomat says talks between Russia and the United States on Moscow’s demand for Western guarantees precluding NATO’s expansion to Ukraine will start immediately after the new year holiday period.

Russia’s top diplomat says that Russian and U.S. negotiators will sit down for talks early next year to discuss Moscow’s demand for Western guarantees precluding NATO’s expansion to Ukraine.

President Joe Biden has pledged to make it “very, very difficult” for Russia’s Vladimir Putin to take military action in Ukraine as U.S. intelligence officials have determined that Russian planning is underway for a possible military offensive that could begin as soon as early 2022.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has met face-to-face with his Russian counterpart to demand Russia pull back troops from the border with Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin says that Moscow would seek Western guarantees that would preclude any further NATO expansion and the deployment of its weapons near Russia's borders.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is warning that the U.S.-led military organization must prepare for the worst as concern mounts that Russia could be preparing to invade Ukraine.

The Kremlin has rejected the U.S. claims of a Russian troop buildup near Ukraine as a ruse intended to cover up what it described as Ukrainian leadership’s aggressive intentions.

Russian officials are rejecting accusations that they endangered astronauts aboard the International Space Station by conducting a weapons test that created more than 1,500 pieces of space junk.

Thousands of migrants and refugees in Belarus are trying to enter the European Union through Poland.

Nicaragua’s President Daniel Ortega holds a commanding lead in preliminary results from Sunday’s election against a field of little known challengers.

Russia has hosted talks on Afghanistan involving senior representatives of the Taliban and neighboring countries.

NATO withdrew the accreditation of eight Russian officials, saying it believes they have been secretly working for Russian Intelligence.

NATO withdrew the accreditation of eight Russian officials, saying it believes they have been secretly working for Russian Intelligence.

Russia says it's suspending its mission at NATO and ordering the closure of the alliance’s office in Moscow in retaliation to NATO’s expulsion of Russian diplomats.

China’s U.N. ambassador says he hopes President Joe Biden will translate his statement that the United States has no intention of starting a “new Cold War” with China into actions

Nuclear disarmament might seem like a must-discuss topic in world leaders' annual speeches at the U.N. General Assembly, which has espoused that cause since its founding.

Russia's foreign minister says the United States, China, Russia and Pakistan are working together to ensure that Afghanistan’s new Taliban rulers keep their promises, especially to form a genuinely representative government and prevent the spread of extremist groups.

Catch the rise of the Harvest Moon on Sept. 20. This particular full moon is given the nickname when it's the closest to the changing season. Let's find out why.

Russian Foreign Ministry/TASS/GettyRussian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has reportedly bankrolled his mistress’s travel abroad with him on official diplomatic trips to almost two dozen countries around the world, according to a new bombshell report from Russian opposition activist Alexei Navalny’s team. The report, entitled “Yachts, bribes and a mistress. What Minister Lavrov is hiding,” details a plethora of luxury digs and yachts enjoyed by the couple, including a yacht owned by the notoriou

Austria’s conservative People’s Party has voted overwhelmingly to reelect Chancellor Sebastian Kurz as its leader at a party gathering.

Mexico has accepted its first group of refugees from Afghanistan.

When the Taliban swept over Afghanistan, Russia was ready for the rapid developments after working methodically for years to lay the groundwork for relations with the group that it still officially considers a terrorist organization.

China says it's willing to hold talks with the U.S. to promote a “soft landing” in Afghanistan, while heavily criticizing Washington and again demanding that the Biden administration halt its attacks on China.

A Taliban surge has put the insurgents in control of key border posts, opened up fresh sources of revenue and rattled many of Afghanistan's neighbors.

Russia has strongly warned the United States against deploying its troops in the former Soviet Central Asian nations following their withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Russia has strongly warned the United States against deploying its troops in the former Soviet Central Asian nations following their withdrawal from Afghanistan, a senior diplomat said in remarks published on Tuesday. Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said that Moscow conveyed the message to Washington during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s summit with U.S. President Joe Biden in Geneva last month. The warning comes as the U.S. military said last week that 90% of the withdrawal of U.S. troops and equipment from Afghanistan is complete.

U.S. climate envoy John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov have expressed hope that climate change talks could act as a springboard to help reduce escalating tensions between the two rival nations.

Islamic State militants are “actively acquiring territory” in northern Afghanistan as U.S. and NATO forces withdraw, Russia’s top diplomat complained.

Russian President Vladimir Putin says his foreign minister and his defense minister will head the candidates' list for the dominant United Russia party in September's parliamentary election.

The European Union's top diplomat is warning that the bloc's testy relations with Russia will probably get worse and that EU member countries must not let Moscow divide them.

Geneva can breathe a sigh of relief after hosting a U.S.-Russia summit.

President Joe Biden and Russia’s Vladimir Putin have exchanged cordial words and plotted out modest next steps on arms control and diplomacy.

I had the rare opportunity to watch Vladimir Putin in action during my four-year stint serving as a senior communications aide to former Secretary of State John Kerry.Why it matters: From his timing to his baiting techniques and his postgame spin, Russia's president commands an array of tactics aimed at putting U.S. leaders on the defensive and in response mode — and has decades of experience fine-tuning them.Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with Axios Markets. Subsc

The U.N. Security Council has given unanimous backing to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for a second term, assuring his election as the next U.N. chief by the General Assembly, most likely on June 18.

Issues in the meeting are expected to include the ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline and U.S. sanctions over the Kremlin's treatment of Alexei Navalny.

The discussion between Blinken and Lavrov, the highest-level in-person talks between Washington and Moscow under the Biden administration.

The Biden administration is leading a campaign against Russian attempts to assert authority over Arctic shipping lanes and reintroduce a military dimension to discussions over international activity in the area.

The Biden administration is leading a campaign against Russian attempts to assert authority over Arctic shipping and reintroduce a military dimension to discussions over international activity in the area. As Russia assumed the rotating chairmanship of the Arctic Council on Thursday, the U.S. rallied other members to oppose Moscow’s plans to set maritime rules in the Northern Sea Route, which runs from Norway to Alaska, and its desire to resume high-level military talks within the eight-nation bloc. The effort reflects growing concerns in Washington and among some NATO allies about a surge in Russian military and commercial activity in the region that is rapidly opening up due to the effects of climate change.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov huddled on the sidelines of Arctic Council meetings in Reykjavik, Iceland.

Top diplomats from the United States and Russia have sparred firmly but politely in Iceland in their first face-to-face encounter.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken tells his Russian counterpart the U.S. seeks a “predictable” relationship with Moscow.

Top diplomats from the United States and Russia are set to square off in Iceland for their first face-to-face encounter.

Once a desolate home mostly to polar bears, Russia’s northernmost military outpost is bristling with missiles and radar.

Russia's top diplomat said Wednesday that relations with the United States are now even worse than during Cold War times because of a lack of mutual respect. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow stands ready to normalize ties with Washington but that the U.S. should stop posturing like a “sovereign” while rallying its allies against Russia and China. Lavrov said if the U.S. shuns a mutually respectful dialogue on the basis of a balance of interests, “we would live in conditions of a Cold War or worse."

(Photo by Russian Foreign Ministry/Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)LONDON — Russia has said it is ready to cut ties with the European Union, according to a fragment of an interview published on Russia's foreign ministry website Friday morning. When asked if Russia was heading for a break with the European Union, Russia's Foreign Affairs Minister Sergey Lavrov said: "We proceed from the fact that we are ready (for that). Neither the Russian foreign affairs ministry nor the European Commission, the executive arm of the EU, was immediately available for comment when contacted by CNBC on Friday. In remarks to the press, Lavrov said that, "the EU is not a reliable partner, at least at the current stage." As a result, he has suggested that the EU should impose fresh sanction on Russia — a decision that needs to be approved by European governments.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell visited Moscow on Friday to voice the EU's opposition to the arrest of Alexei Navalny, a fierce critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin. However, Borrell failed to rebuff his Russian counterpart's comments when standing next to him at the press conference. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had claimed the EU was an "unreliable partner." It seems that Russia is progressively disconnecting itself from Europe," Borrell said in a blog post two days after the press conference. There is no point in having a reset with Russia when Russia does not want it," she said.

FILE - In this Friday, Jan. 17, 2020 file photo, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov listens for a journalist's question during his annual roundup news conference in Moscow, Russia. Russia denied breaching the pact, which came into force in 2002, and the European Union has urged the U.S. to reconsider. The treaty helps deescalate the situation and avoid a wrong interpretation of the parties' military intentions, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement Tuesday. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov argued that the limits on flights over Kaliningrad were permissable under the treaty's terms. Lavrov asserted that the U.S. has imposed more sweeping restrictions on observation flights over Alaska.

MOSCOW Russia's foreign minister said Tuesday that Moscow has scaled down its military drills amid the coronavirus pandemic. Sergey Lavrov said that the Russian military also has decided not to conduct any war games near the country's borders with NATO member nations during the outbreak. Russia-West relations have sunk to post-Cold War lows after the 2014 Russian annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula and Moscow's support for a separatist insurgency in eastern Ukraine. Moscow has repeatedly voiced concern over the deployment of NATO forces in the Baltics, describing it as a threat to its security. Russia and the alliance also have blamed one another for conducting destabilizing military exercises near the borders.

The official said the Trump administration has committed to providing more than 15,000 ventilators to more than 60 countries. President Donald Trump was asked Tuesday if he sees ventilator shipments as a way to strengthen ties with other countries. I'm looking to save lives," Trump said. If we can save lives in another country, that's a great thing. So, I'm only looking to save lives.

President Trump claims he discussed election meddling with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during their closed-door Oval Office meeting Tuesday, tweeting out a picture of him and the Russian official en route to a rally in Pennsylvania. Lavrov decried allegations of election meddling in 2016 as baseless during a press conference with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo earlier in the day. Discussed many items including Trade, Iran, North Korea, INF Treaty, Nuclear Arms Control, and Election Meddling. Pompeo emphasized that he made it clear to Lavrov the U.S. will not tolerate election meddling. "We think we've shared plenty of facts to show what happened in the 2016 election with our Russian counterparts.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov walks to address the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York City, New York, U.S., September 27, 2019. REUTERS/Lucas JacksonUNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Friday said the controversy over a phone call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has been blown out of proportion and dismissed a suggestion that Russia was behind it. (U.S. House Speaker) Nancy Pelosi said today that behind the incident - that is being blown out of proportion - around the telephone conversation between President Trump and President Zelenskiy, that it was Russia behind it all, he told reporters at the United Nations. In an interview on Friday, Pelosi suggested Russia may have been behind the matter. By the way, I think Russia has a hand in this, Pelosi told MSNBCs Morning Joe program on Friday.

Ukraine diplomacy deal aims to ease tensions In Switzerland, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry reached a deal with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to take steps to de-escalate the tension in Ukraine. The U.S. has accused Russia of playing a role in escalating Ukraine's crisis, which Russia denies, and Washington is considering more sanctions. Craig Boswell reports.

Kerry and Lavrov meet in Geneva to ease Ukraine tensions Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, are meeting in emergency talks in Geneva, to try to quiet the tension inside Ukraine. Margaret Brennan reports.

Russia dismisses U.S. proposals in Ukraine talks Secretary of State John Kerry met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in London. Kerry issued a set of proposals, including for Russia to call off Crimea’s referendum on joining the Russian Federation, but Lavrov dismissed virtually every one. Margaret Brennan reports.

Kerry gives Russia options to avoid sanctions Secretary of State John Kerry and Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov are meeting in London to discuss the crisis in Ukraine. Kerry is urging Lavrov to pullback in Crimea and negotiate, or Russia will face sanctions from the U.S. and Europe. CBS News State Department correspondent Margaret Brennan reports.