Even before the aggression against Ukraine, Russia faced serious challenges with declining birth rates. The war has only exacerbated these issues. Fewer children are being born, while deaths are rising at an alarming rate.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that the United States needed to formulate its policy on ending the conflict in Ukraine and that Moscow could then base its own position on specific U.S.

President Donald Trump says his administration has already had “very serious” discussions with Russia about its war in Ukraine and that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin could soon take “significant” action toward ending the grinding conflict.