BEIJING/MOSCOW, Feb 4 (Reuters) - Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin hailed their ties during a video call on Wednesday held in the run-up to the fourth anniversary of Moscow's war in Ukraine.

Russia is failing in its war against Ukraine, both on the battlefield and in the economic sphere. Throughout 2025, it suffered massive losses, while the pace of territorial occupation remained minimal,

Welcome to The Hill’s Defense & NatSec newsletter beacon Defense &National Security The Big Story US, Ukraine disagree on whether Russia following ceasefire President Trump defended Russian President Vladimir Putin as holding to the terms of his personal request to halt attacks on Ukraine for seven days.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed to U.S. President Donald Trump's request to pause attacks on Ukraine's power grid for a week.

The calls were held within hours of each other, with the main agenda items being the Russia-Ukraine war and the deteriorating Iran situation.

First lady Melania Trump said on Wednesday she is hoping for progress on her talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin to release more Ukrainian children amid the war between the two countries. “I’m working on it,

Zelenskyy says Ukraine will "take corresponding steps" as Trump says Putin agreed to stop bombing Ukrainian cities for a week.

Ukraine rushes to boost air defenses as brief Russian airstrike pause on Kyiv nears end. Experts warn the temporary halt may strengthen Moscow's position.

The Russian death toll may be as high as 325,000 in four years.

Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, also writing after the daily meeting, said 217 Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy system had been recorded since the beginning of the year. She p