After Russia unilaterally declared that it would recognise the independence of the two Ukrainian breakaway regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, Germany heavily condemned the move and pledged support to Ukraine. German chancellor Olaf Scholz held a phone call with his French and US counterparts immediately after the Russian announcement and …

At the end of a bitter and bellicose speech in which he took aggressive aim at Kyiv and the West, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he was recognizing the Moscow-backed separatist entities that control parts of eastern Ukraine as independent countries — and quickly signed a decree making it official. …

Over the past few days, the Iraqi people have reiterated their rejection of the Iranian products being sold in the country, culminating in the launch of an awareness-raising campaign — the second in two years — on social media platforms.