
US, Ukraine close to signing deal on minerals worth 'hundreds of billions of dollars,' Axios reports
According to the draft obtained by Axios, the U.S. would express its desire to keep Ukraine "free, sovereign and secure."
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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.
According to the draft obtained by Axios, the U.S. would express its desire to keep Ukraine "free, sovereign and secure."
Losses from Russian attacks amount to "billions of dollars," according to Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko.
"We are ready to continue to provide military assistance and equipment with even more determination than we have in the past," Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez said.
Sergey Lavrov's comments come as the White House announced that a peace deal with Russia could be hashed out this week.
The Nordic governments' statements coincided with their leaders' visits to Kyiv on the anniversary of the beginning of the all-out war.
"Europe is here to strengthen Ukraine in this critical moment. I can announce that a new 3.5 billion euros ($3.7 billion) payment for Ukraine will arrive already in March," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.
Kaja Kallas suggested that "the messages coming out of the U.S." regarding the elections in Ukraine suggest that "the Russian narrative is very strongly represented there."
The Ryazan Oil Refining Company's facility was previously struck overnight on Jan. 24 and Jan. 26.
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.