"Putin's remarks about the legitimacy of Ukraine's President are absurd. During his quarter-century stay in the Kremlin, Ukraine saw three presidents change in fair elections; President Trump returned for a second term after an impressive victory. This is democracy and legitimacy," Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote on Feb. 2.
"We have meetings and talks scheduled with various parties, including Ukraine and Russia. And I think those discussions are actually going pretty well," Trump told reporters late on Feb. 2.
In an interview with the Associated Press on Feb. 2, Zelensky added that while these countries had previously cooperated on weapons and technology, they are now openly engaged in Russia’s war against Ukraine.
The removals are part of a broader effort by Trump’s team to strip USAID of its independence. Nearly 100 senior career staff members have been placed on leave as discussions continue about shifting the agency under State Department control.
A U.S. Justice Department investigation found that Russia funneled billions of dollars through American banks to Turkey in 2022, using the Akkuyu nuclear power plant project as cover to evade sanctions, according to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ).
Ochamchire, more than 700 kilometers southeast of the nearest Ukrainian-controlled territory, could provide Moscow with a naval base that remains largely beyond the range of Ukraine’s existing long-range strikes.
"At the time of the attack, dozens of local residents were inside the building preparing to evacuate," Ukraine's military said on Feb. 1, adding that nearly 95 people could be trapped under the rubble.
Keith Kellogg, Trump's special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, told Reuters that presidential and parliamentary elections, suspended since the all-out war began, "need to be done."
The attack destroyed all five floors of one of the building's sections, caused a fire, and damaged neighboring buildings. Search and rescue operations are ongoing at the site.
In an interview with the Associated Press, Gitanas Nauseda warned that a peace settlement without proper deterrents would allow Russia to consolidate its forces and prepare for further military action.
"We will be speaking, and I think we will perhaps do something that’ll be significant," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Jan. 31. "We want to end that war. That war would not have started if I was president."
Ukrainian journalist and director Mstyslav Chernov won the Best Documentary Direction award at the Sundance Film Festival on Jan. 31 for his "2,000 Meters to Andriivka" film in the World Cinema category.
Drone strikes were reported across several Russian regions, including the Nizhny Novgorod, Smolensk, Tver, and Bryansk regions, causing fires and prompting air defense responses.
In a video message to the World Economic Forum in Davos last week, U.S. President Donald Trump expressed his desire for "denuclearisation" and reiterated his call for trilateral discussions involving the U.S., Russia, and China.
In preparation for the transfer, U.S. Air Force cargo planes recently transported the interceptors from an air base in southern Israel to Rzeszów, Poland, a key logistics hub for military aid to Ukraine.
"Today, Putin once again proved that he is afraid of negotiations, afraid of strong leaders, and is doing everything possible to drag out the war. Every step he takes, every cynical maneuver, is aimed at making this war endless," Zelensky said on Jan. 28.
Several explosions were heard overnight on Jan. 27 in the western Ukrainian cities of Ivano-Frankivsk and Khmelnytskyi as Russia launched a drone attack on Ukraine.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio identified the U.S. citizen as Anastassia Nuhfer, who was detained in early December 2024.
Without unanimous support from all 27 EU countries, EU chief diplomat Kaja Kallas issued her own statement, declaring that the January 26 election in Belarus was "neither free nor fair."
Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko has reportedly secured 86.82% of the vote, according to preliminary results announced by the country’s Central Election Commission.
While the specifics of a potential agreement under U.S. President Donald Trump remain unclear, Zelensky emphasized that Vladimir Putin has no interest in ending the war.
President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized that Azerbaijan has significant export capacity, with the ability to send up to 25 billion cubic meters of gas, and that Ukraine can provide the necessary infrastructure to transport it.
Senior diplomats in the State Department’s Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs requested a full waiver to exclude U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) operations in Ukraine from a 90-day foreign aid freeze, the Financial Times reports.
"Bratislava is not Moscow, Slovakia is Europe," President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on X on Jan. 25, voicing support for protests against Slovakia's government.
The majority of these losses—15,051 units—were destroyed, while 852 were reported as damaged. Russian troops abandoned 1,113 units, and over 3,000 were captured by Ukrainian forces, according to an analysis by the Oryx project.
President Volodymyr Zelensky’s warning came after Putin expressed willingness to engage in talks with Donald Trump on Jan. 24 and praised the U.S. leader.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Jan. 24 new guidance that halts spending on most foreign aid grants for 90 days. This directive, which took State Department officials by surprise, appears to include funding for military assistance to Ukraine, according to Politico.
The State Department described arms sales and transfers as "important U.S. foreign policy tools with potential long-term implications for regional and global security."
Speaking at a European Defense Agency meeting on Jan. 22, EU's chief diplomat Kaja Kallas stressed that the bloc must act decisively to counter Russia's growing militarization. "We are running out of time. The Ukrainians are fighting for their freedom and ours. They are buying us time."
"It can’t be without the United States," President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with Bloomberg on Jan. 22. "Even if some European friends think it can be, no it can’t be. Nobody will risk without the United States."
The European Union will provide 35 billion euros ($36 billion) in financial assistance to Ukraine in 2025 through the G7 ERA credit initiative and the Ukraine Facility program, European Commission's vice-president and trade commissioner announced on Jan. 22.
"It is essential to provide Ukraine with the means to endure and to negotiate from a position of strength in the future," French President Emmanuel Macron said on Jan. 20.
