Vladimir Putin is facing mounting anger from Russia's elite as the war in Ukraine drags on and the country's economy continues to suffer under the weight of Western sanctions

Donald Trump said talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin were in the works and while the president-elect provided no timeline, he stressed that his preference would be for after his Jan. 20 inauguration.

Trump said a meeting between himself and Putin was being set up, however, Putin's spokesman said Moscow had received no requests to set up a meeting.

Thousands of protesters in the Slovak capital held banners and chanted slogans on Friday accusing Prime Minister Robert Fico of dragging the country towards Russia after he met President Vladimir Putin last month amid a gas dispute with Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin promised Slovakia that Russia's Gazprom would find alternative ways to deliver contracted gas to Slovakia after the end of transit through Ukraine, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said on Friday.

The Nato alliance has been rocked by a warning from Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico who threatened to retaliate against Ukraine if a solution is not found to Kyiv's decision to shut off Russian