President Volodymyr Zelensky reaffirmed the refusal during a press conference on Dec. 19, saying that Kyiv would not enable Moscow to earn additional revenue while continuing its war.
The strike killed Ryan Evans, a British security adviser for Reuters, and injured six others, including two Reuters journalists.
To rein in accelerating inflation fueled by war spending, Russia's Central Bank has been raising its interest rate — from 7.5 percent in July 2023 to the current 21% - the highest level since the early 2000s.
The organization also criticized a proposed bill in the Verkhovna Rada that could impose harsher criminal penalties for publishing information from public databases during martial law, saying that it threatens investigative journalism.
Discussions reportedly include lowering the current $60-per-barrel cap to approximately $40 or even implementing a complete ban on Russian oil supplies.
Two Belarusians and one Ukrainian were sentenced to prison terms ranging from 11 to 25 years by Belarusian authorities for their alleged involvement in preparing terrorist acts, the Viasna Human Rights Center reported on Dec. 19.
Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces reported on Dec. 19 that they had killed 12 North Korean soldiers and injured 20 others, preventing their advance in Russia's Kursk Oblast.
“We will not engage in extending the transit of Russian gas. We will not give (Russia) the opportunity to earn additional billions on our blood,” Zelensky said.
“We need coordinated work for a lasting peace, not just the suspension of hostilities that Putin seeks in order to buy time,” Zelensky said.
The announcement comes amid intensified Russian attacks against Ukraine, including one of the largest aerial strikes on Dec. 13, which targeted energy infrastructure across Ukraine.
At a press conference in Brussels on Dec. 19, President Volodymyr Zelensky blasted Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent threats of using the new Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile against Kyiv to test Western air defense systems in what he called a "high-tech duel" with the West.
Russian shopping centers have been hit hard by the departure of major foreign companies, rising operational costs, and increased competition from online marketplaces.
Russian state media later claimed that the presence of Tu-95MS military aircraft near Alaska was part of a planned operation.
U.S. General Keith Kellogg, nominated as Ukraine peace envoy by President-elect Donald Trump, criticized the recent assassination of Russian Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov during an interview with Fox News on Dec. 18.
“It was at the start of the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ military operation in Kursk Oblast. I believe the Kursk operation provided strong arguments in favor of Ukraine,” Ukrainian Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said.
Two European Union accession clusters for Ukraine are expected to open during the first half of 2025 under Poland’s presidency of the EU Council, a high-ranking EU official told The Kyiv Independent on Dec. 18.
In response to a question over whether Sweden would potentially take part in a more direct physical presence in Ukraine amid talks of potentially deploying peacekeepers to monitor a possible ceasefire, Jonson said he doesn't "exclude that possibility."
The EU does not anticipate potential negotiations or a ceasefire deal between Ukraine and Russia in the near future, a high-ranking EU official told the Kyiv Independent on Dec. 18.
President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk in Lviv on Dec. 17 to discuss bilateral cooperation, historical reconciliation, and coordination with Western partners.
“I do not want my words to be used by the Russian Federation or war criminal Putin to justify their aggression against our country,” Boyko said. "If my words insulted some Ukrainians who are fighting on the front line or working on the home front to achieve victory, I want to apologize."
NATO has assumed responsibility for coordinating Western military aid to Ukraine through the NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine center, Reuters reported on Dec. 17, citing its sources.
According to DeepState's map, Ukrainian troops in Makarivka south of Velyka Novosilka have been almost surrounded. Analysts warn that the situation around Makarivka is becoming more critical as Russian troops continue their advances.
The survey found that 55% of respondents prioritized ending the conflict over Ukraine’s territorial integrity, up from 39% in September 2024 and 26% in April 2022.
“Ukraine is a strong country and has proven it on the battlefield throughout Putin's aggression. Does anyone else in Europe have this experience now? No. Does Orban have such an army? No. How will he put pressure on Putin? With a joke, a smile? Let him keep it,” Zelensky said, as reported by Interfax-Ukraine.
“During Poland’s EU presidency, we expect to open at least two clusters and six in total. To be honest, our goal is very ambitious — to open all the clusters next year,” Zelensky said at the All-Ukrainian Congress of Local and Regional Authorities.
The bureau said it had completed the investigation against Tyshchenko on charges of illegally detaining and assaulting a war veteran in Dnipro.
Hungary, which maintains close ties with Moscow despite Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, has consistently criticized EU sanctions against Russia and blocked initiatives to provide military aid to Kyiv.
North Korean troops have joined combat operations in the Kursk Oblast, marking the first confirmed engagement of North Korean soldiers alongside Russian military, Pentagon spokesperson Major General Patrick Ryder said on Dec. 16.
President-elect Donald Trump confirmed he had not invited President Volodymyr Zelensky to his January inauguration but noted that Zelensky would be “welcome” if he chose to attend.
Launched in October 2022, the European Union Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine (EUMAM) has already trained approximately 60,000 Ukrainian troops as of August 2024, primarily in Germany and Poland.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz failed a confidence vote in the Bundestag on Dec. 16, paving the way for early parliamentary elections scheduled for Feb. 23.
Speaking on Dec. 16, Colonel Vadym Sukharevskyi said Ukraine’s laser system, called Tryzub, can down aircraft at altitudes exceeding 2 kilometers.
