
Australia, New Zealand impose new sanctions against Russia
Australia has introduced the most extensive package of sanctions since the beginning of the all-out war, while New Zealand imposed restrictions on over 50 individuals and entities.
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Kateryna Hodunova is a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a sports journalist in several Ukrainian outlets and was the deputy chief editor at Suspilne Sport. Kateryna covered the 2022 Olympics in Beijing and was included in the Special Mentions list at the AIPS Sport Media Awards. She holds a bachelor's degree in political journalism from Taras Shevchenko University and a master's degree in political science from the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.
Australia has introduced the most extensive package of sanctions since the beginning of the all-out war, while New Zealand imposed restrictions on over 50 individuals and entities.
Prague and Warsaw are seeking to prepare a "rough version of the proposal," as the decision should be made later at the EU level, Czech Interior Minister Vit Rakusan told Czech news website Novinky on Feb. 18.
Moscow suggested that American oil companies may return to the country, Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev said before the talks started in Riyadh.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio assured a group of European colleagues that sanctions would not be lifted earlier. The phone call took place on Feb. 18.
"Ukraine is ready for investment, provided that the occupied territories are liberated and natural resources are protected," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Answering a journalist's questions at a press conference in Mar-a-Lago about whether the meeting would take place before the end of the month, Trump said "probably" without mentioning a specific date.
European foreign ministers and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas spoke to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio after the U.S.-Russia talks in Riyadh, Kallas said on X on Feb. 18.
Residents posted videos on social media purportedly showing a large blaze at the refinery. Sounds of explosions were reported at around 2:45 a.m. local time.
"Only three countries — Ukraine, Russia, and North Korea — are gaining direct experience in full-scale 21st-century warfare," Kyrylo Budanov said.
Yuri Ushakov, an advisor to Russia's President Vladimir Putin, said it was a "very serious discussion of all the issues we wanted to touch upon."
Russia has widely used the claim that Volodymyr Zelensky is illegitimate in its propaganda to discredit the Ukrainian government.
"If you don't invest, if you're not strong, they handle you like kids," Armin Papperger said.
Ursula von der Leyen discussed the situation in Ukraine with Keith Kellogg on the day when talks on ending the war between Russia and the U.S. began in Riyadh.
Russian forces launched 176 drones from the Russian cities of Orel, Bryansk, Kursk, Shatalovo, Millerovo, Primosk-Akhtarsk, and Russian-occupied Crimea at Ukraine overnight, according to Ukraine's Air Force.
Europe is ready and willing to take a leadership role in providing Ukraine with security guarantees, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte wrote on Feb. 17 on X.
The film "Rock, Paper, Scissors" won the Best British Short Film nomination at the British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) on Feb. 16.
The Ukrainian president's visit coincides with the U.S.-Russia talks on ending the war in Ukraine, which will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Residents earlier posted videos on social media purportedly showing explosions at the refinery in the Seversky district of Krasnodar Krai.
The summit will be held on the same day a U.S. delegation arrives in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for talks with Russian officials on ending the war in Ukraine.
Russian forces launched 147 drones from the Russian cities of Orel, Bryansk, Kursk, Shatalovo, Millerovo, and Primosk-Akhtarsk at Ukraine overnight, according to Ukraine's Air Force.
Nearly 380,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been injured since the start of the all-out war, President Volodymyr Zelensky told NBC.
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Kellogg mentioned the Minsk II deal of 2015, saying that it involved "a lot of people" but didn't work out.
Zelensky told Newsmax that U.S. President Donald Trump could end Russia's war if Europe supports his plan.
Estonia's Defense Minister Hanno Pevklur said that European allies are "in a very early stage" of developing the plan to deploy peacekeeping troops to Ukraine.
"The signing of the Joint Declaration of Intent to open the Ukrainian 'Unity Hub' in Berlin is an important step to support our citizens abroad. This is a professional space that brings together community, business, and cultural initiatives," National Unity Minister Oleksii Chernyshov said.
President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed that Moscow lost nearly 20,000 soldiers in the battles for Russia's Kursk Oblast alone.
President Volodymyr Zelensky's speech on the second day of the Munich Security Conference on Feb. 15 was met with several rounds of applause. The Ukrainian president called for the creation of an "army of Europe" and emphasized the changes in relations between Europe and the U.S. during Donald Trump's
President Volodymyr Zelensky hasn't yet signed the document, calling it "a memorandum," not a security agreement.
"Let's be clear: We cannot rule out the possibility that America may refuse to cooperate with Europe on issues that threaten it," Volodymyr Zelensky said at the Munich Security Conference.
Russian forces launched 70 drones from the Russian cities of Orel, Millerovo, and Primosk-Akhtarsk, as well as from Cape Chauda in occupied Crimea, at Ukraine overnight, according to Ukraine's Air Force.
The draft memorandum is part of broader discussions on a potential minerals agreement, which Trump has suggested could involve access to Ukraine's mineral reserves in exchange for continued military and financial support.
Some 36 Ukrainian POWs are being sought and may be in the city of Grozny, Chechnya, according to Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of POWs.