Right now, the air between Washington and Moscow feels heavy. You can almost taste the static. If you’ve been scrolling through the headlines, you’ve probably seen the chaos: missiles over Kyiv, quiet envoys in the Kremlin, and a ticking clock on a nuclear treaty that everyone seems to have forgotten until this very second. Honestly, keeping up with us russia news today feels like trying to read a map in the middle of a hurricane.
The big story this morning isn't just about the fighting. It's about the shadows. We just learned that Trump’s key envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, are basically eyeing another trip to Moscow. This isn't some casual diplomatic tea party. They are trying to hammer out a 20-point peace plan to stop the bleeding in Ukraine. They’ve already spent five hours in a room with Putin back in December, and let's just say, it wasn't exactly a breakthrough.
The Oreshnik Factor and the Escalation Loop
Russia isn't making it easy. Just a few days ago, the Kremlin authorized the use of an Oreshnik missile. It's a nuclear-capable intermediate-range ballistic missile that hit close to the Polish border. The U.S. called it a "dangerous escalation." You think?
It’s a terrifying game of chicken.
While the diplomats talk, the drones keep flying. Overnight, Russia launched over 300 drones and missiles at Ukraine. Eight regions were hit. Kyiv is shivering. Thousands of people are sitting in the dark because the power grid is essentially a pile of scrap metal at this point. The UN says civilian casualties jumped in 2025, and 2026 is looking even bleaker.
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Why the New START Expiration is the Real Ghost in the Room
Here is the thing nobody is talking about at the dinner table, but they should be: the New START Treaty. It expires on February 5, 2026. That is just weeks away.
Since 2011, this treaty has been the only thing keeping the U.S. and Russia from building as many nukes as they want. It limits them to 1,550 deployed warheads each. If this thing dies, the guardrails are gone. Gone.
Trump said in a recent interview that if it expires, it expires, and he’ll just make a "better agreement." But "better" takes time, and time is something we don't have. Putin suggested a one-year extension back in September, but the White House hasn't officially bitten yet. Without this treaty, we lose the right to go into Russian bases and actually count their missiles. We’d be flying blind.
The Venezuela Side-Show
Wait, it gets weirder. You’ve probably heard about the U.S. intervention in Venezuela and the capture of Nicolás Maduro.
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- Russia has been Maduro’s best friend for years.
- The Kremlin has stayed surprisingly quiet lately.
- Experts think Putin is prioritizing Ukraine so much that he’s letting his Latin American influence rot.
It shows that Russia might be overextended. They’ve lost the initiative. When you're spending billions on a war in Europe, you can't really afford to play world police in Caracas anymore.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Peace Talks
Everyone wants to know when the war ends. The truth about us russia news today is that "peace" is a dirty word for both sides right now because nobody can agree on the fine print.
The U.S. and Ukraine have this 20-point framework. They say it’s 90% done. But that last 10%? That’s the hard part. Russia wants Ukraine to hand over the rest of the Donetsk region. Ukraine wants a buffer zone and security guarantees that look a lot like NATO membership. Putin hates NATO. It's a stalemate wrapped in an enigma.
And don't forget the money. There is $300 billion in frozen Russian assets sitting in Western banks. Russia wants it back. The West wants to use it to rebuild Ukraine. It’s a massive tug-of-war where the rope is made of billion-dollar bills.
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Breaking Down the Current Realities
- The Energy War: Russia is hitting substations specifically to freeze out the population. It’s "Phase Zero" of a campaign to make Europe scream.
- Diplomatic Silence: Despite the envoys, official lines are thin. The U.S. embassy in Kyiv even issued a "security alert" last week that suggested Russia is skipping the usual notifications.
- The Iran Connection: With protests rocking Tehran and the U.S. threatening intervention, Russia’s allies are feeling the heat. This distracts everyone from the Moscow-DC pipeline.
Where Do We Go From Here?
Honestly, the next three weeks are everything. If Witkoff and Kushner actually land in Moscow this month, we might see the first real draft of a ceasefire. If they don't, and New START expires on February 5, we are entering a "Third Nuclear Era" where the rules are written in sand.
Watch the Oreshnik test sites. If Russia fires another one, it’s a sign they aren't ready to talk. If the White House suddenly announces a summit, the markets will rally, but the soldiers on the ground in the Donbas will still be waiting to see if the "peace" is real or just a pause for breath.
Keep an eye on the following moves:
- Monitor the New START Deadline: Watch for any last-minute "bridge agreements" before February 5th to prevent a total lack of transparency.
- Track the Energy Repairs: Follow reports on Ukraine's generating capacity; if it stays below 14 GW, the humanitarian crisis will force the West's hand.
- Watch the $300 Billion: Any movement on seizing these assets usually signals that peace talks have failed.
The world is watching a high-stakes poker game where the chips are cities and the stakes are radioactive. It’s messy, it’s complicated, and it’s happening right now.