President Donald Trump walked into a summit with Russia’s Vladimir Putin pressing for a ceasefire deal and threatening “severe consequences” and tough new sanctions if the Kremlin leader failed to agree to halt the fighting in Ukraine.

By saying Ukraine’s NATO membership is “impractical” and the return of Russian-occupied territories to Kyiv is “unrealistic,” the Trump administration is giving its blessing to key items on President Vladimir Putin’s wish list — even before a potential settlement of the conflict.

Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who was sworn into his third presidential term, has reappointed an internationally respected former banker as finance minister in a sign that his new government might pursue more conventional economic policies.

When the United Kingdom walked out of the European Union two years ago, Brexit supporters believed that British pragmatism and common sense would not only see them through but would allow their country to flourish as it stood alone.

A top aide to Russian President Boris Yeltsin who helped prepare and signed the 1991 pact that led to the formal breakup of the Soviet Union has died.

Through the Cold War and the decades since, nothing could persuade Finns and Swedes that they would be better off joining NATO — until now.

She stayed up all night, watching and worrying at her home in Delhi as the chaos unfolded many time zones away. Both have to play their role with decency and responsibility so that democracy itself remains the winner,” Merkel said. Iran, which faces routine U.S. criticism over violations of human rights and democratic values, jumped on the chaos as proof of American hypocrisy. Ally after ally expressed shock, followed by affirmations that U.S. democratic institutions would withstand the turmoil. “American democracy is obviously limping on both feet,” said Konstantin Kosachev, head of the foreign affairs committee in Russia’s upper house of parliament.