As scattered details of the apparent suicide of Russia’s former transport minister Roman Starovoit trickled in via state media on Monday, one stood out. Near his body, the Kommersant newspaper reported,

President Donald Trump said he plans to make a "major statement" on Russia on Monday amid Vladimir Putin's continued attacks on Ukraine.

A bipartisan U.S. bill that would hit Russia with sanctions in a bid to pressure Moscow into good-faith peace negotiations with Ukraine has gained momentum this week in Congress, but it still lacks the presidential push it needs to get over the finish line.

Marco Rubio and Sergei Lavrov exchanged new ideas for ending the Ukraine conflict amid Trump's consideration of increased sanctions against Russia and military aid to Ukraine

Poland and the Baltic states also withdrew from the Ottawa Convention despite pleas from some leaders to maintain decorum in the face of Russian aggression.

During a rare news conference on Friday, the head of the French military, Thierry Burkhard, said Russia remains a “lasting, close” threat.

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

Between January and June, the number of Russian drone and missile attacks exceeded 23,000, a roughly 605% increase compared to the same period last year.