Russia used Iran as a base from which to launch air strikes against Syrian militants for the first time on Tuesday, widening its air campaign in Syria and deepening its involvement in the Middle East.

• August 16, 2016

Germany's foreign minister urged Russia and Ukraine on Monday to reduce tensions over Crimea and stick to the troubled Minsk peace accords as a way of ending hostilities in eastern Ukraine.

• August 15, 2016

The Philippines wants formal negotiations with China to explore pathways to peace and cooperation, the Southeast Asian nation's special envoy, Fidel Ramos, said on Friday, after a meeting with former Chinese deputy foreign minister Fu Ying.

• August 12, 2016

Philippine Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay called on China on Thursday to respect maritime law and security as well as the rule of law, to resolve disputes in both the South China Sea and the East China Sea.

• August 11, 2016

A build-up of Russian military on Ukraine's border with the Crimean region, which has been annexed by Moscow, could reflect "very bad intentions," Ukraine's U.N. envoy warned on Thursday after the U.N. Security Council discussed the growing tensions.

• August 11, 2016

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson told his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on Thursday that the two countries needed to build a constructive relationship despite their significant differences.

• August 11, 2016

The European Union and NATO remain Turkey's key partners despite its rapprochement with Russia, and differences with the EU on the application of a deal on migrants can be soon ironed out, Turkey's ambassador to the bloc said on Wednesday.

• August 10, 2016

Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine on Wednesday of using terrorist tactics to try to provoke a new conflict and destabilize annexed Crimea after Russia said it had thwarted two armed Ukrainian attempts to get saboteurs into the contested peninsula.

• August 10, 2016