Russia has strongly condemned the U.S. seizure of an oil tanker. It heralds a new chill in relations between Moscow and Washington that could spread to other areas and affect President Donald Trump’s efforts to persuade Russia to end its nearly four-year war in Ukraine.

After a weekslong chase across the Atlantic, the U.S. took over the Bella 1 in an operation that defied Russian warnings.

Pavel Talankin was a school events coordinator and videographer. When Russia overhauled the curriculum to make students into patriotic soldiers, he kept his camera rolling. The footage became a film that is shortlisted for an Oscar.

The war in Ukraine has lasted as long as Soviet involvement in World War II, with no victory in sight.

Despite a close relationship with Caracas stretching back for decades, Russia has been reserved in its response to the U.S. attack on Venezuela.

For the Russian leader, courting President Trump to secure a favorable resolution in Ukraine, and possibly more, is far more important.

An image depicts the characters of Russian children's cartoon Prostokvashino, Sharik the dog and Matroskin the cat, and the animated version of Russian President Vladimir Putin delivering a New Year message to the nation in Moscow's Red Square, in the undated footage released December 26, 2025. Soyuzmultfilm Official VK Page/Handout via REUTERS

The United Nations Security Council is set to hold an emergency meeting on Monday after Russia used its new Oreshnik hypersonic ballistic missile in a major strike on Ukraine.The missile was fired on Friday at a target in western Ukraine as part of a broader overnight drone and missile assault.