China said today that its purchases of Russian oil were “legitimate” and decried recent “unilateral bullying” measures by the United States as the

President Vladimir Putin on Thursday urged the leaders of five Central Asian states to boost their trade with Russia, as Moscow seeks to build back its influence in a region that is also being courted by China.

Russia and Ukraine are accusing each other of deadly drone strikes on civilian areas as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy anticipates a busy week at the U.N.