Senate Majority Leader John Thune says Republicans will vote on a Russia sanctions bill once Trump approves it, as pressure mounts on Moscow to negotiate peace in Ukraine.

"Putin's criminal war is getting closer to our borders," Polish Foreign Minister, Radosław Sikorski, said on Wednesday.

By Elena Fabrichnaya MOSCOW (Reuters) -Prolonged high interest rates in Russia may drive mergers and acquisitions of distressed assets, a study by leading law firms showed, though Western-led sanctions and a liquidity shortage among buyers are likely to restrain growth in deals for now.

Georgia was the poster child of post-Soviet countries on their way to democracy and freedom. US lawmakers hope a bill will help combat democratic backsliding.

A bipartisan bill in Congress would enable President Trump to slap "bone-crushing sanctions" on Russia, says Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut.

The European Union failed for a second day to approve a new package of sanctions against Russia on Wednesday as Slovakia continued to seek concessions over gas supplies, four EU diplomats told Reuters.

President Donald Trump is downplaying the possibility of sending Ukraine long-range weapons as Kyiv awaits an injection of U.S. weaponry that it hopes will help it beat back an intensifying Russian air offensive.

Japan is facing its most severe security environment since World War II as three potential adversaries in East Asia – China, Russia and North Korea – ramp up military activities in the region, the country’s defense minister said Tuesday.

Daniel Martindale helped the Kremlin target Ukrainian troops and was then spirited out of eastern Ukraine by Russian special forces.