The Taliban denied reports that representatives had met Russian officials to discuss the common threat from Islamic State in Afghanistan as a British newspaper reported that President Vladimir Putin had met the Taliban leader.

• December 27, 2015

A top Syrian rebel leader and head of the most powerful insurgent group in the eastern suburbs of Damascus was killed in an aerial raid that targeted the group's headquarters, rebel sources and the Syrian army said on Friday.

• December 25, 2015

Syria is ready to enter peace talks in Geneva, the country’s foreign minister has said during an official trip to China.

• December 24, 2015

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is heading to Moscow for an annual bilateral summit expected to focus on defense and energy cooperation.

• December 23, 2015

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has condemned a suspected Russian military attack on the Syrian city of Idlib, adding Syrian territory will not be part of “Russian imperialist goals.”

• December 22, 2015

Russian warplanes are said to have bombed a rebel-held city in northern Syria, killing scores of people.

• December 20, 2015

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he will not abandon Russians living in southeast Ukraine to what he described as Ukrainian "nationalists."

• December 20, 2015

India's prime minister is expected to promote deals for Russian nuclear reactors and military helicopters worth billions of dollars on a trip to Moscow next week, attracted by promises to transfer technology that Western nations have been slow to make.

• December 18, 2015