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Zelensky appears to hold on to embattled chief of staff Yermak, faces weakened grip on parliament as a result
Politics

Zelensky appears to hold on to embattled chief of staff Yermak, faces weakened grip on parliament as a result

Volodymyr Zelensky's hold over parliament has apparently weakened following a major corruption scandal that hit close to the president. The president's meeting with his parliamentary faction on Nov. 20, which could have gone either way, ended up without any result, according to lawmakers present at the meeting. Hours before the meeting, reports began to emerge that the president would not oust his Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak, despite growing calls from lawmakers to do so. Around 10 pro-gover
New US peace plan pushes Ukraine toward capitulation — here's what we know so far
 (Updated:  Trump & Russia

New US peace plan pushes Ukraine toward capitulation — here's what we know so far

* Ukrainian officials say the plan closely mirrors Russia's maximalist demands and revives previously dropped concessions. * The framework calls for Ukraine to cede Donbas, halve its military, suspend NATO ambitions, and grant certain political concessions to Russia. * Kyiv and European partners were largely excluded from drafting the plan, though President Volodymyr Zelensky has received the draft. * A senior U.S. official said some reported elements could still change. * The negotiations
Ukraine war latest: Russia will test NATO's Article 5 soon, top Swedish general warns
 (Updated:  

Ukraine war latest live: Russia will test NATO's Article 5 soon, top Swedish general warns

Hello, this is Chris York reporting from Kyiv on day 1,366 of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Today's top story so far: Russia will soon test NATO's Article 5 collective defense treaty and Europe must be prepared to use force to deter Moscow, Swedish Chief of Defense Gen. Michael Claesson has said. "I'm sure and I'm convinced that they would be ready to test Article 5 of NATO at any point in the Baltic states or in some other part of Europe as well," he said in an interview with Poli
Ukraine's northern fortress city of Chernihiv braces for a worst-case scenario winter

Ukraine's northern fortress city of Chernihiv braces for a worst-case scenario winter

As evening settles over Chernihiv in northern Ukraine, the city plunges into darkness, broken only by the noise of generators. Their constant hum is now so common that it sometimes obscures even the sound of Russian drones moving across the night sky. But Nataliia Svyrydenko, who has lived in Chernihiv's Bobrovytsia district for 26 years, can still identify the sound instantly. "It is impossible to describe what you feel inside. You do not know whether it will pass over or come down on your ho
What Are Ukraine’s 2026 Scenarios? Exclusive briefing by KI Insights

What Are Ukraine’s 2026 Scenarios? Exclusive briefing by KI Insights

As Ukraine approaches a decisive political and strategic crossroads, questions about the country’s possible trajectories in 2026 are becoming increasingly urgent. What scenarios might shape Ukraine’s future, and how could domestic, military, and international factors interact in the year ahead? Join an exclusive KI Insights briefing exploring the key pathways Ukraine could take in 2026, featuring in-depth analysis and forward-looking assessments to help make sense of the rapidly evolving landsc
Why I won’t encourage my Ukrainian child to speak Russian
Opinion

Why I won’t encourage my Ukrainian child to speak Russian

As a foreigner in Ukraine, I often hesitate to speak on certain social issues. Despite living here for nearly a decade, I know that my American upbringing still limits how deeply I can feel what my Ukrainian friends and colleagues experience, no matter how much I sympathize. Still, now that I have given birth to a Ukrainian citizen, I feel I have the right to say at least this: I will never allow my child to believe there isn't a difference between speaking Ukrainian and Russian. Recently, I w
Kyiv alarmed as US pushes Ukraine peace framework aligning with Moscow's maximalist demands
 (Updated:  

Kyiv alarmed as US pushes Ukraine peace framework aligning with Moscow's maximalist demands

U.S. President Donald Trump is mounting yet another push to end Russia's war against Ukraine, as Washington begins testing a new peace framework that has already sparked unease among Ukrainian officials. A source in the President's Office told the Kyiv Independent that a new peace plan is being crafted by U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, who's been in direct contact with Kirill Dmitriev, Russia's senior economic negotiator. An Axios source in the Trump administration confirmed that the U.S. i
What the $105m US-Ukraine Patriot deal actually means

What the $105m US-Ukraine Patriot deal actually means

As Russian aerial attacks show no sign of slowing, Ukraine’s ability to not just maintain, but modernize its air defense systems like the U.S.-made Patriot, has become essential for long-term survival. A new $105 million U.S. package aims to do just that — help Ukraine upgrade and sustain its most advanced air defense system in what promises to be a long and grinding war. The U.S. Department of State greenlit the potential Foreign Military Sale (FMS) on Nov. 19, following a request from the Uk
Ukraine war latest: Ukraine strike on Novorossiysk snarls Russian Black Sea oil exports
 (Updated:  

Ukraine war latest: Ukraine strike on Novorossiysk snarls Russian Black Sea oil exports

Hello, this is Kateryna Hodunova reporting from Kyiv on day 1,365 of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Today's top story so far: Ukraine’s Nov. 14 strike on Russia’s Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, one of Moscow’s main oil export hubs, has delayed oil shipments by two to three days after damaging a jetty at the Sheskharis oil harbor, Reuters reported on Nov. 18, citing its sources. Novorossiysk and a neighboring Caspian Pipeline Consortium terminal, which together handle about one-fift
As corruption scandal hits, Zelensky's party lawmakers side with opposition, demand answers, powers
Politics

As corruption scandal hits, Zelensky's party lawmakers side with opposition, demand answers, powers

Some lawmakers from President Volodymyr Zelensky's party called on Nov. 19 for creating a government of national unity that would include members of the opposition. Around 10 pro-government lawmakers have allegedly signed an open letter urging the president to restore the parliament's authority and the power of the cabinet of ministers, long overshadowed by the President's Office, now embroiled in the biggest corruption scandal of Zelensky's presidency. David Arakhamia, head of the governing S
Ukraine’s biggest wartime corruption scandal, explained
Video

Ukraine’s biggest wartime corruption scandal, explained.

The Kyiv Independent’s Oleksiy Sorokin sits down with Daria Kaleniuk, executive director of Ukraine’s Anti-Corruption Action Center, to discuss Ukraine’s biggest wartime corruption scandal, which involves people from President Volodymyr Zelensky's circle and several government officials.
Serbia’s indirect arms sales to Ukraine highlight fractures in its longstanding relationship with Russia
Europe

Serbia’s indirect arms sales to Ukraine highlight fractures in its longstanding relationship with Russia

Serbia's foreign policy has long been one of multiple vectors, rooted in a balancing act between the West, Russia, and China. But the war in Ukraine and mounting pressure from both sides suggest this strategy may no longer be sustainable. Caught between U.S. sanctions, stalled EU accession, and Russian gas blackmail, Belgrade uses indirect arms sales to Ukraine as leverage — as well as a chance to fill the pockets of Serbian arms makers. Just months after freezing arms exports under pressure
Reporting from the front is getting even harder
Opinion

Reporting from the front is getting even harder

Over the past few years, I’ve spent much of my time on the road — from Pokrovsk, Kupiansk, Sudzha, and the villages and fields in between — documenting what Russia’s war looks like for the people fighting it and caught in its storm. Our trips out in front-line areas can get a bit hairy sometimes, whether it’s glide bombs hitting a few hundred meters away in Vovchansk, our driver disappearing in Selydove, or nearly falling out of a speeding pick-up truck while chased by Russian drones on our way
Why Russia cannot help but invade
Opinion

Why Russia cannot help but invade

The planned Trump-Putin summit in Budapest has been shelved. The White House says there's no point meeting unless "we're going to make a deal." Some view this as a setback for diplomacy, but it may well be the clearest moment in a long struggle to curb Russia's appetite for war. Russian President Vladimir Putin made the decision to invade first in 2014 and then again in 2022. Western policy has long assumed that peace depends on his will. Under U.S. President Donald Trump, that belief was paire
Is Zelensky finally ready to fire his notorious right-hand man, Andriy Yermak?
 (Updated:  Politics

Who is Andriy Yermak and can Ukraine’s new corruption scandal finally sink him?

President Volodymyr Zelensky's chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, has consolidated an unprecedented level of power within Ukraine's government — wielding influence across parliament, the Cabinet, and key state institutions. Despite his dominance, however, Yermak has remained a controversial figure, often viewed with skepticism both inside Ukraine and abroad. Yermak's reach extends into law enforcement through trusted deputies and places him at the center of high-level diplomatic meetings, frequent