Two African states are frustrating Moscow's efforts to establish a stronger military presence in the continent following the fall of Assad.

Volunteers helping to clean up a major oil spill along Russia's Black Sea coast appealed in a video released on Monday for President Vladimir Putin to urgently send federal aid, saying that they and local authorities were overwhelmed.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday hosted Slovakia’s prime minister, Robert Fico, in a rare visit to the Kremlin by an EU leader since Moscow’s all-out invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

'It smells like treason' In Slovakia's capital, Bratislava, people took to the streets to protest after the meeting, with banners in support of Ukraine as well as unflattering depictions of Mr Fico on display. One sign simply read: "It smells like treason."

Putin has suggested missiles could be used to hit Kyiv's allies who have given Ukraine permission to use Western-supplied weapons to hit targets.

There are currently no prerequisites for arranging a meeting between Russian leader Vladimir Putin and US President-elect Donald Trump. Source: Russian state agency TASS, citing Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin spokesperson,

"President Putin said that he wants to meet with me as soon as possible," Trump said during his remarks at Turning Point's America Fest convention.

Russia's Vladimir Putin, in his annual marathon news conference, laments "serious blunders" by his security forces and says he'll meet Trump "any time" about Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is holding talks with Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico in Moscow, state TV channel Rossiya 24 reported.

Russia's war on Ukraine dominated the opening stages of President Vladimir Putin's annual marathon press conference on Thursday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said he would enquire about the whereabouts of Austin Tice, the American journalist missing in Syria, while responding to a question from an NBC correspondent at his lengthy end-of-year press conference.