The presidents of Russia and Iran have held talks in the Kremlin before the signing of a broad cooperation pact to deepen their partnership amid stinging Western sanctions.

The agreement is focused more on trade than military issues, but it will bring two countries with a shared desire to challenge the West closer together.

Vladimir Putin and Masoud Pezeshkian, the Russian and Iranian presidents, announced closer ties between their nations at an event in Moscow. View on euronews

The European Union should end sanctions against Russia because Donald Trump’s administration is poised to usher in a “new era” from next week, said Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

The European Union (EU) faces a critical challenge as Hungary signals it may veto the extension of sanctions against Russia. These sanctions, introduced in response to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022,

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban warned the bloc’s other 26 leaders he might block the sanctions’ renewal, citing his expectation of Donald Trump’s inauguration as U.S. president on Jan. 20. Orban argued that if Trump eased U.