A senior Russian diplomat said on Thursday that U.S. President Donald Trump's administration's contradictory actions and words made it difficult though Moscow was dedicated to working on improving ties with Washington.

Marco Rubio met with Sergei Lavrov on Thursday with an acknowledgment that talks between Moscow and Kyiv for peace in Ukraine have not progressed much.

An audio recording from 2024 run by CNN in which Trump said he had threatened Putin with bombing Moscow if he entered Ukraine, plus the U.S. leader's latest criticism, could mean a tougher stance by Washington toward Moscow is on the cards.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday that the United States and Russia have exchanged new ideas for Ukraine peace talks after he met with his Russian counterpart in Malaysia.

Trump has warned that if any country introduces retaliatory duties, Washington would increase its tariff rates. Tokayev's comments suggest that like other countries, Kazakhstan will seek to get a deal with the U.S. over the line in the next three weeks.

A bipartisan Russia sanctions bill is gaining momentum in the Senate and could soon come to a vote as Republican lawmakers attempt to strike a careful balance with President Donald Trump.

Latest news and live updates as Marco Rubio meet with Russian foreign minister amid tensions over Ukraine and Trump releases tariff letters to trading partners.