Team

Oleksiy Sorokin
Deputy Chief EditorOleksiy Sorokin is the co-founder and deputy chief editor at the Kyiv Independent. He is tasked with building the organization and leading the hiring, editing, and newsletter workstreams. Oleksiy is the author of the "WTF is wrong with Russia?" newsletter, sent out every Thursday. For his work, Oleksiy was included in the 2022 Forbes 30 Under 30 list. Oleksiy holds a BA from the University of Toronto.
Articles
Latvian prime minister on Trump's NATO deal and new Russia sanctions
The Kyiv Independent's Deputy Chief Editor Oleksiy Sorokin spoke with Latvian Prime Minister Evika Siliņa during her visit to Kyiv on July 15, following U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement of his deal with NATO to arm Ukraine and his threat to impose severe sanctions on Russia if it doesn't reach a peace deal with Ukraine within the next 50 days.

Zelensky, Trump discussed replacement of Ukraine's US ambassador, source says
Oksana Markarova has held the post since April 2021, and played a central role in coordinating U.S. military and financial support during the early phases of Russia's full-scale invasion.
Why Norway is investing billions in Ukraine's victory
The Kyiv Independent’s Oleksiy Sorokin sat down with Eivind Vad Petersson, state secretary to the Norwegian foreign minister and co-chair of the joint Norwegian-Ukrainian Working Group on Nuclear Safety and Security.

'Europe hasn't decided what to do if US steps back' — key takeaways from Zelensky's closed-door briefing
"Both teams are working to ensure we meet," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

'It's our land' — Zelensky responds to Putin's call with Trump
A source in the President's Office told the Kyiv Independent that Trump and Zelensky spoke twice on May 19 — once before the scheduled call with Putin and again after it.

'Not what Putin was expecting' — What we know (and don't know) about Ukraine, Russia peace talks in Istanbul
Russian President Vladimir Putin may have gotten more than he bargained for when, on May 11, he rejected calls for a 30-day unconditional ceasefire and invited Ukraine to engage in direct talks in Istanbul later this week.
In what may have been a surprise for the Russian leader, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky responded by accepting the invitation, saying he was ready to meet Putin in Turkey on May 15.
"This is not what Putin was expecting," Oleksandr Merezhko, a Ukrainian lawmaker and

'Ready for all options' — Ukraine gears up for possible Zelensky, Putin talks
"We are ready for all options. But of course, we are separately waiting for a response on the ceasefire," a source close to President Volodymyr Zelensky told the Kyiv Independent.

Over 160 Chinese nationals fight for Russia in Ukraine, obtained documents show
The documents, obtained by the Kyiv Independent, list the names, personal data, brigades, and ranks of Chinese nationals fighting for Russia.

Ukraine-US talks on minerals deal ongoing, not tied to NATO membership, source says
Ukrainian and U.S. government and legal teams continue discussions on the mineral deal, a source in the Presidential Office told the Kyiv Independent on March 31 as U.S. President Donald Trump is escalating his rhetoric on the agreement.

200,000-500,000 men could leave Ukraine after war ends and borders open, minister says
Speaking at a press conference attended by the Kyiv Independent, Deputy Prime Minister and National Unity Minister Oleksii Chernyshov stressed the demographic challenges facing Ukraine in the fourth year of the full-scale war.

'We're ready' — Ukraine heads into US peace talks with everything at stake
Kyiv officials will meet their Washington counterparts in Jeddah on March 11 for talks which will impact the future of diplomatic relations between the two countries and likely the future of the war in Ukraine.
The Ukrainian side hopes the meeting would help mend ties with the White House and ensure that the future U.S.-led peace process doesn't pose an existential threat to Ukraine.
"The advice for Ukraine is just get yourself aligned with the United States," Ambassador Kurt Volker, who serve

Zelensky, Trump get into heated argument while speaking with journalists in Oval Office
President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Donald Trump held a 45-minute-long press briefing in the Oval Office that ended in a heated argument about American aid to Ukraine.

Trump holds talks with Zelensky following his 1.5-hour-long conversation with Putin
"The conversation went very well. He, like President (Vladimir) Putin, wants to make peace. We discussed a variety of topics having to do with the war, but mostly, the meeting that is being set up on Friday in Munich, where Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio will lead the delegation," U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Russian economy after 3 years of sanctions
The Kyiv Independent sat down with Timothy Ash, an associate fellow in the Russia and Eurasia program at Chatham House, to discuss Russia's current economic situation.
Kyiv, Damascus hold 'similar view' on Russian military presence in Syria, Ukraine's Foreign Ministry says
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha expressed Kyiv's position on Russia's military presence in Syria to leaders of the new Syrian administration during a diplomatic visit to Damascus on Dec. 30, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said at an online meeting attended by the Kyiv Independent.