The effective confirmation by five European countries that Russia did kill opposition leader Alexei Navalny in 2024 did not surprise those familiar with the Kremlin's track record. But the Feb. 14 statement, which blames Russia for the murder and specifies the kind of poison used, represents a new milestone in the deterioration in Russian-European relations. Previously European countries were more reluctant to antagonize Russia. But Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine and Kremlin-linked

"The U.K., Sweden, France, Germany, and the Netherlands are confident that Alexei Navalny was poisoned with a lethal toxin," the countries' governments said in a joint statement. "Navalny died while held in prison, meaning Russia had the means, motive and opportunity to administer this poison to him."

Heraskevych, who is expected to be represented by Yermak, said on Feb. 10 that he had been barred from using a custom helmet at the 2026 Winter Olympics that honors Ukrainian athletes killed in Russia’s war.

Some of the meetings could have been linked to Yermak's role in a corruption case involving state nuclear power monopoly Energoatom, the biggest corruption investigation during Zelensky's presidency, Ukrainska Pravda reported.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk became the first high-ranking official to ask the question on everyone’s mind on Feb. 4 — Was convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein working with Russia? He added that Poland would investigate possible links between Epstein and Russian intelligence services. The latest batch of Epstein-related documents, released on Jan. 30, mentions Russia 5,876 times and Russian President Vladimir Putin 1,055 times. The files show that Epstein cultivated relationships with

U.S. President Donald Trump's claim that his Russian counterpart "kept his word" by not launching mass missile and drone strikes against Ukraine's energy infrastructure for a week has been met with bewilderment and dismay in Kyiv. "I believe this is either a mockery of our misfortune, a lack of understanding of the situation, or wishful thinking," Volodymyr Ariev, a lawmaker from the opposition European Solidarity party, told the Kyiv Independent. The confusing saga of a supposed truce on stri

Pavel K., a 50-year old resident of the town of Hrubieszów, had been charged with espionage.

Rutte spoke at a meeting of the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament.

The U.S. Department of Justice on Jan. 30 published over 3 million documents in accordance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Some of them had a direct connection to Ukraine. The files linked to late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein include email conversations with at least two modeling agencies in Ukraine, travel arrangements for women from Kyiv and Odesa, booking arrangements in the Hyatt hotel in downtown Kyiv allegedly involving the hotel's owner, a plan to purcha

Under immense pressure by weeks of Russian missile strikes, blackouts, and freezing cold, Ukrainians may get a few days of reprieve — at least, according to Washington. Trump surprisingly announced on Jan. 29 that Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed not to strike Ukrainian cities for a week, though Moscow said that this would concern only Kyiv, and last only until Feb. 1 — just before another cold snap. The halt on strikes — provided it would be prolonged — could indicate Russia is feeling

U.S. President Donald Trump issued another ultimatum to Iran on Jan. 28, threatening to strike the regime if it does not agree to a deal on limiting its nuclear weapons program. Earlier in January, Iran was rocked by nationwide protests fueled by high inflation and the sharp depreciation of the Iranian rial. The protests quickly took a political turn, with demonstrators calling for the removal of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The scale of the unrest was unusually broad, with demonstra

The Kremlin has sought to strengthen ties with the new leadership in Damascus after the toppling of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, a Russian ally, in 2024.

Orban cited a confidential document on Ukraine's accession allegedly presented at an EU summit in Brussels on the previous day.

Law enforcement sources confirmed to the Kyiv Independent that the official involved is Serhiy Deineko, who headed the State Border Guard from 2019 to Jan. 4, 2026.

"Focus on Ukraine should be our number one priority, and then we can discuss on all the issues, including Greenland," Rutte said. "But it should be Ukraine first, because it is crucial for our European and U.S. security."