Lloyd Austin

The Pentagon rejected a request from the District of Columbia seeking National Guard assistance in what the mayor has called a "growing humanitarian crisis" prompted by thousands of migrants being bused to the city from two southern states.

Chinese Defence Minister Wei Fenghe met his US counterpart Lloyd Austin on the sidelines of an Asian security summit in Singapore

We are already in the third month of Russia's murderous war against Ukraine that has proved disastrous for the entire world, and there is no end in sight.

On the contrary, the conflict is deepening and is tending to expand dangerously, to the point that one cannot rule out the use of tactical nuclear weapons.

Despite mounting difficulties and growing concerns over the humanitarian situation in Ukraine, Turkey is still hopeful of a summit between Russian and Ukrainian leaders as a result of the continued mediation efforts by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Turkey's defense minister has said. 

Here are the highlights of events in Ukraine over the past 24 hours:

Putin has "hope" for negotiations

Russian President Vladimir Putin told visiting UN chief Antonio Guterres that there is still hope for talks to end the conflict in Ukraine.

Nuclear threat and World War III, new attacks and casualties, more aid to Kyiv. Here are the highlights of events in Ukraine over the past 24 hours:

Five victims of attacks on railway stations

Russia has warned of the "real" threat of World War III breaking out, ahead of a Tuesday meeting between the United States and allies over sending further arms to war-torn Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky talked with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Minister Lloyd Austin, who arrived in Kyiv last night.

United States diplomats will begin a gradual return to Ukraine this week, Washington's secretary of state and defence chief said on April 25, as they announced $700 million in military aid during their first war-time visit to Kyiv.

Ukraine's leader petitioned for more powerful Western weapons as he prepared to meet with top U.S. officials in the war-torn country's capital Sunday and Russian forces concentrated their attacks on the east, including trying to dislodge the last Ukrainian troops holding out in the battered port city of Mariupol.