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Russia has scrambled a fighter jet to escort away a US spy aircraft flying over the Black Sea, amid growing concerns over the risk of a major military confrontation with the Western forces near the Russian border.

As tensions persisted over Russia's military buildup on its western flank and its designs on Ukraine, U.S. President Joe Biden held talks with Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, and the leaders of nine NATO nations as he sought "de-escalation of the current crisis through deterrence, defense, and dialogue."

The American Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD) intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) is being developed as a replacement for the ageing LGM-30G Minuteman series of ICBMs, which have been in service since 1962. The Pentagon has been eyeing 2023 for conducting the first test flights of the GBSD at Vandenberg Air Force Base.

As White House phone calls go, the one that Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskiy had this week may end up being among the most consequential of his presidency.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has denounced the oppression against ethnic Russians in Ukraine's east as "certainly looking like genocide."

The European Union has warned Russia it would face consequences if it invaded Ukraine, as Germany and France called for talks to ease tensions amid growing concerns over Russia's troop buildup near the border with its southwestern neighbor.

The U.S. Treasury Department has imposed sanctions on former Ukrainian government official Andriy Portnov, accusing him of buying influence in Ukraine's judiciary.

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Thirteen Chinese military aircraft flew into the southwestern and southeastern parts of Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on Friday, following the severing of diplomatic ties between Nicaragua and Taiwan.

China has the means to launch a disabling cyberattack against political rival Taiwan ahead of any military invasion, experts say, as the technology is already targeting the island's political leadership.

Taiwanese naval ships could join next year's Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC) for the first time under a defense policy bill for fiscal year 2022 passed by the U.S. House of Representatives.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) has denied that loans were pledged to Nicaragua in the lead up to the Central American nation's Nov. 7 election, following the country's diplomatic switch to Beijing Friday.

Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) on Friday blamed Beijing for former ally Nicaragua's decision to switch diplomatic recognition to China earlier in the day.

Ned Price, the spokesperson for the United States Department of State, condemned Nicaragua's breaking of diplomatic relations with Taiwan on Thursday, while encouraging all democratic countries to expand engagement with Taiwan.

Analysts say that Nicaragua and China timed their announcements of Managua's diplomatic break with Taiwan to be "a great gift" from Beijing to Washington on the first day of the U.S. Summit for Democracy.

The government of Taiwan hit out at Beijing on Friday after former diplomatic partner Nicaragua announced it would sever ties in favor of Beijing.

China and Nicaragua announced the resumption of diplomatic relations on Friday, 3.5 hours after the Central American country announced severing "diplomatic ties" with Taiwan island, and experts said the resumption with lightning speed not only pricked the bubble made by the US and secessionists on the island, which involved them pretending that the island was enjoying wider international recognition, but also showed the world

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said "it is the right choice" that Nicaragua now recognizes and commits to abiding by the one-China principle, severing so-called "diplomatic ties" with Taiwan. It is in line with the global trend, and China highly appreciates it.

Nicaragua has re-established diplomatic relations with China after severing ties with US-backed island territory of Chinese Taipei (Taiwan), boosting Chinese presence in a region Washington has long claimed as the US backyard.

Taiwan deeply regrets Nicaragua's decision to cut off ties with the island and disregard the long-standing friendship between the countries in favour of establishing relations with mainland China, the Taiwan Foreign Ministry said on Friday.