Washington

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday will seek to rouse allies from war fatigue and step up their financial and military backing at a critical juncture in his country's battle against Russia.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a security deal with Germany on Friday in Berlin, hailed by Chancellor Olaf Scholz as a "historic step" amid Kiev's raging battles against Russia.

Day 723 of the invasion of Ukraine. Summary of key events in the last 24 hours:

Russia is developing a space-based anti-satellite weapon that is "troubling" for the United States but poses no immediate threat to people on Earth, the White House said Thursday.

The announcement came a day after a wave of speculation sparked by U.S. lawmakers making a cryptic warning of an unspecified but serious national security threat to the country.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky travels Friday to Berlin and Paris where he is due to sign security deals with the two European giants and seek further support for Kiev's battle against Russia.

Ukraine said Friday there was fierce fighting in the beleaguered frontline city of Avdiivka and that it was preparing new positions around the industrial hub as Russia steps up attacks.

Ukraine has rushed soldiers to the embattled eastern town of Avdiivka, surrounded on three sides by Russian forces, where the military said the situation was "extremely critical".

Russian President Vladimir Putin described U.S. counterpart Joe Biden on Wednesday as more "predictable" than Donald Trump but said the Kremlin was prepared to work with whoever wins November's election.

A deal between Türkiye and the United States on the sale of 40 new F-16s to the former creates a window of opportunity for further improving the bilateral ties should the latter show more respect to the Turkish sensitivities in combatting terrorism.

NATO said on Wednesday that Europe had increased its spending on defense and the United States needed allies, days after former US President Donald Trump suggested that Washington might not protect countries that did not spend enough.

The Russian parliament has embarked on proceedings to vote on the country's withdrawal from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) come February 21.