Putin on trial? Dutch minister on EU-led tribunal
Dutch Justice Minister David van Weel speaks about the future of the EU-led special tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine and its role in bringing Russia to justice.
Alexander Zabolotnyi
Articles
Putin’s Victory Day and White House chaos | Ukraine This Week
This week, the world watched in anticipation for Russia’s Victory Day parade after President Volodymyr Zelensky commented that he could not guarantee the safety of those attending. Meanwhile, the European Union moves one step forward to banning Russian gas from the European continent. It is also revealed this week that U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has fallen out of step with the White House.
Crunch time for Republicans on Ukraine, says ex-US State Senator
The Kyiv Independent's Francis Farrell sits down with retired U.S. Army officer and former Nebraska State Senator Tom Brewer in the front-line city of Kramatorsk, Donetsk Oblast, to discuss U.S.-Ukraine relations under the Trump administration, why Nebraska is interested in Ukraine's post-war recovery and why it's important for U.S. politicians to visit Ukraine to counter myths by Russian propaganda.
Chornobyl isn’t safe anymore... again
Chornobyl disaster occurred in the early hours of April 26, 1986, in Soviet Ukraine. Nearly 39 years after the worst nuclear disaster in history, Russia’s brazen attack on the $2 billion New Safe Confinement (the sarcophagus enclosing the destroyed reactor) in February 2025 poses a new potential radioactive danger as engineers race to repair the damage. The Kyiv Independent’s Kollen Post dives into why the restoration is not as simple as it may seem.
How Trump ends wars
U.S. President Donald Trump’s negotiation strategy in Afghanistan resulted in a capitulation to the Taliban and abandoning U.S. allies. As the world awaits a potential ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, what could a deal brokered by Trump actually look like? The Kyiv Independent’s Masha Lavrova dives into the last time Trump sought to end a war and what it could mean for Ukraine.
Azov ex-commander on the need to reform Ukraine's army
The Kyiv Independent's Francis Farrell sits down with the former commander of Ukraine's Azov Brigade, Lieutenant Colonel Bohdan Krotevych, to discuss the situation on the front line after three years of Russia's full-scale war, why he thinks Ukraine should change its culture of military leadership, why the U.S. army doctrine wouldn't work for Russia's war against Ukraine, and shares his takes on Russia's next steps after a potential ceasefire.
We tried to buy US chips as a Russian company. Here's what happened
The Kyiv Independent's Alisa Yurchenko went undercover as a representative of a Russian defense manufacturer to try buying American chips through Russian suppliers. Our investigation reveals how China helps Russia obtain the Western weapon components through gray import schemes.
Fierce battles in Kursk amid ceasefire talks | Ukraine This Week
The Kyiv Independent’s Anna Belokur covers the top stories impacting Ukraine this week. First in everyone’s concerns is the ongoing ceasefire negotiations and the latest developments in Ukraine’s Kursk operation.
Ex-envoy to Russia slams Trump's negotiating strategy as 'incredibly bad'
The Kyiv Independent's Chris York sits down with Michael McFaul, former U.S. ambassador to Russia and political scientist, to discuss the Ukraine-Russia peace negotiations, U.S. President Donald Trump's approach to Russian President Vladimir Putin, and the ideological parallels between Putinism and MAGA.
Ukrainians react to Trump-Zelensky clash
In the wake of the Feb. 28 clash between U.S. President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office, the Kyiv Independent went to the streets of Kyiv to ask Ukrainians what they think of the now infamous meeting.
Trump-Zelensky clash and US talks with Russia | Ukraine This Week
In the latest episode of Ukraine This Week, the Kyiv Independent’s Anna Belokur breaks down the shocking argument that took place in the Oval Office on Friday, in which U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance berated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for a perceived lack of gratitude for American assistance to Ukraine.
Three years of Russia's full-scale war: a conversation with Rob Lee
The Kyiv Independent’s Francis Farrell sits down with Rob Lee, former U.S. marine infantry officer and senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute’s Eurasia Program. They discuss the evolving battlefield realities as Russia’s war on Ukraine enters its 4th year and why peace negotiations are unlikely to bring results any time soon.
How Russia profits from arms exports despite sanctions
The Kyiv Independent analyzed leaked emails of a Russian defense company revealing Russia’s arms trade after the beginning of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The letters confirm that Russia continued to fulfill a huge contract signed shortly before the attack on Ukraine to supply its air defense systems and missiles to Saudi Arabia.
How will Russia’s war end?
Incoming U.S. President Donald Trump promised to end the Ukraine-Russia war during his campaign. As inauguration approaches on Jan. 20, the Kyiv Independent’s Francis Farrell lays out the four scenarios that could see an end to the war in Ukraine — for better or worse.
What we know about North Korean POWs captured by Ukraine
Ukrainian forces captured two North Korean soldiers as prisoners of war (POWs) in Russia's Kursk Oblast on Jan. 9. The Kyiv Independent's Anna Belokur breaks down everything we learned from the POWs' interrogation video released by President Volodymyr Zelensky.
New Kursk offensive and French-trained brigade scandal | Ukraine This Week
This Sunday, the Kyiv Independent’s Anna Belokur covers the trending news of the week from developments on the front lines to the Ramstein meeting with top officials. And what happened with the new brigade trained in France?
Ukraine This Year: the top moments that shaped 2024
In this year-end wrap up of Ukraine This Week, host Anna Belokur covers the 2024 events in Ukraine and what they meant.
Russia will reach 1 million killed and wounded soldiers in 2025, Latvian foreign minister says
The Kyiv Independent’s Francis Farrell sat down with Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braze to look back at 2024 and discuss the country’s support for Ukraine amid political uncertainty before the inauguration of Donald Trump in the U.S. and Russia’s gains on the frontline.
Exposing the diamond industry — How Russia funds its war on Ukraine
While the diamond industry markets itself as a beacon of luxury, the complex web of global trade hides dark, brutal reality. Despite sanctions and growing scrutiny, Russian diamonds continue to enter the global market, funding Moscow’s war against Ukraine.
Russia’s wars, from Syria to Ukraine | Ukraine This Week
In the latest episode of Ukraine This Week, host Anna Belokur dives into Russia’s withdrawal from Syria after the dictator Bashar al-Assad’s downfall, as well as a front line update from Ukraine and the controversy surrounding mobilizing younger men.
How the downfall of Russia-backed Assad in Syria may affect Ukraine war
The Kyiv Independent’s Natalia Yermak sat down with Neil Quilliam, a Middle East expert at Chatham House, to talk about what it means for Russia’s war in Ukraine and how it might put Kyiv and the West in a more favorable position in the potential peace negotiations with Moscow.
When Ukraine was the third-largest nuclear power
For the 30th anniversary of the Budapest Memorandum, The Kyiv Independent’s Daria Shulzhenko visits a former Soviet-era nuclear missile silo in south Ukraine.
We shouldn't overestimate Russia's power, EU top diplomat Kallas says
In an exclusive interview with the Kyiv Independent, Kaja Kallas, the newly appointed vice-president of the European Commission and top EU diplomat, discusses Ukraine support and recent EU sanctions against Russia. Kallas visited Kyiv on Dec. 1, the first day in her new role.
Russia’s ballistic missile test and Musk’s mockery of Zelensky | Ukraine This Week
In the latest episode of Ukraine This Week, the Kyiv Independent’s Anna Belokur reports on Russia’s recent missile strike using a new ballistic weapon. Meanwhile, Twitter owner and Donald Trump ally Elon Musk throws an online jab at President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Trump wouldn’t want ‘major Russian victory,’ says ex-US ambassador
The Kyiv Independent sat down with the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, John Herbst, to discuss the future of the U.S. policy towards Ukraine as it continues its defense against Russia’s aggression.
What do Trump's team picks mean for Ukraine-Russia war?
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has already announced the first appointments for his cabinet, who will advise him on everything from foreign policy to national security. We break down how these individuals may influence Trump's policies on Ukraine and Russia.
Ukrainian troops overstretched as Russia picks up speed on battlefield
With Donald Trump's U.S. presidential win set to shape the future of Russia’s war against Ukraine, the Kyiv Independent examines the current situation on the battlefield, where Russia is making its fastest gains since the early days of the full-scale invasion.
Ukrainians react to Trump's US election victory
A few hours after Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky congratulated Donald Trump on winning the 2024 U.S. presidential election, we asked Ukrainians on the streets of Kyiv what they thought about Trump's victory and his most controversial quotes about Ukraine and Russia's war.
McFaul on Ukraine's future with Trump vs. Harris
Ahead of the Nov. 5 U.S. election, the Kyiv Independent sat down with U.S. academic and former ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul to discuss what the future of U.S. politics for Ukraine looks like with both presidential candidates Donald Trump and Kamala Harris
These Ukrainian women down Russian drones
The Kyiv Independent joined one such unit that refers to themselves as the Witches of Bucha, after a suburb in Kyiv Oblast where they are based. Since all of them are volunteers, these women combine their combat duties with civilian lives.
The little-known obstacle to Ukraine's mobilization effort
Can Ukraine actually lower the mobilization age? There’s a complication many don’t know about.
Investigation: Shattering secrecy of Putin’s top spy chief
The Kyiv Independent fills in the gaps in the story of Sergey Korolev, Vladimir Putin’s second-main spy chief, stripping him of a significant portion of his long-lived anonymity.
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Hated, tainted, and covertly pro-Russian — Andriy Portnov, the top Ukrainian ex-official shot dead in Spain
