European leaders are expected to decide on Dec. 18–19 whether to proceed with a "reparations loan," a plan to lend up to 210 billion euros in frozen Russian assets to Ukraine.

Igor Taro, the interior minister of the Baltic nation, said it remains unclear whether the incident was intentional but emphasized that there is no threat to Estonia's security.

Ukrainian drones reportedly struck an oil tanker in the Port of Rostov overnight on Dec. 18, local officials in Russia's Rostov Oblast reported.

Kyiv has signed several new defense agreements with Berlin totaling 1.2 billion euros ($1.4 billion), Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal announced on Dec. 17, a day after the Ramstein-format meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG).

Russia attacked the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia with KAB bombs the morning of Dec. 17, injuring at least 26 people, including a child, Governor Ivan Fedorov said.

U.S. and Russian officials are set to meet in Miami this weekend to discuss efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine, Politico reported on Dec. 17, citing two unnamed sources.

The U.S. Senate on Dec. 17 approved a $900 billion defense spending bill that includes $800 million in military assistance for Ukraine, following the House of Representatives’ passage of the legislation last week.

As dust settles from a historic deal that saw Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko free 123 political prisoners in exchange for a partial U.S. sanctions relief, the main question remains unanswered — what now? Trump’s newly appointed special envoy, John Coale, arrived in Minsk on Dec. 12 and secured the biggest prisoner release so far, with Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski and leading opposition figures Viktar Babaryka and Maria Kalesnikava walking free the following day. The inc

Ukrainian forces have regained control over 16 square kilometers (6.2 square miles) in the northern part of Pokrovsk, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Dec. 17 following his participation in the 32nd Ramstein-format Defense Contact Group meeting.

"The clock is ticking on Roman Abramovich to honor the commitment he made when Chelsea FC was sold and transfer the 2.5 billion pounds to a humanitarian cause for Ukraine," Starmer said on Dec. 17.

The man is suspected of helping Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) coordinate strikes on Ukrainian Armed Forces' warehouses with ammunition and drones.

If Russia's demands were not met through diplomatic efforts, Vladimir Putin warned that Russia would "liberate" what he claimed were its "historical lands" on the battlefield.

Oleksandr Korniyenko was appointed deputy speaker of the parliament in 2021. Since then, the party has been led by lawmaker Olena Shuliak.

ODESA, Ukraine — Rolling into Odesa’s downtown, the constant hum of hundreds of generators drowns the ability to converse. Just days earlier, the region came under a massive strike involving Shahed-type attack drones, ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles. The city, home to one million residents, was plunged into near-complete darkness on Dec. 13, with hundreds of thousands of residents left without electricity, while water and heating services became scarce. “The emergency situation that a

The U.S. is planning new sanctions on Russia’s energy sector to ramp up pressure on Moscow if President Vladimir Putin rejects a peace deal with Ukraine, Bloomberg reported citing sources familiar with the situation.

The Kyiv Independent’s Martin Fornusek sits down with Denmark’s European Union Affairs Minister Marie Bjerre and Sweden’s European Union Affairs Minister Jessica Rosencrantz to discuss Ukraine’s progress toward EU accession, Hungary’s continued block on opening negotiation clusters, and the impact of Ukraine’s latest major corruption scandal.

Mstyslav Chernov’s "2000 Meters to Andriivka," a documentary chronicling Ukrainian troops’ perilous advance to retake a strategically important village from Russian forces, has been nominated for best documentary feature.

As Ukraine abandons hope of joining NATO anytime soon, it seeks the next best alternative: security guarantees based on the alliance's Article 5. President Volodymyr Zelensky and other officials have been clear: any peace deal not backed up by real force invites future Russian aggression — much like the infamous Budapest Memorandum. Following recent meetings in Berlin between Ukraine, U.S. and European officials, Washington appears open to providing the so-called "Article 5-like" security guar

"The lesson will be that European solidarity ends where fear of action begins, even in self-defense,” Iryna Mudra, Zelensky’s top legal advisor, told the Kyiv Independent.

"We would secure a demilitarized zone between the belligerent parties and, to be specific, we would also move against corresponding Russian violations and attacks," German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said.

Explosions rocked an oil refinery in the Russian city of Slavyansk-on-Kuban amid a Ukrainian drone attack overnight on Dec. 17, media reported.

The bill would impose targeted sanctions on anyone dealing in Russian oil, effectively barring them from the U.S. financial system.

Editor’s note: This is an open letter by Vlad Skots, a Ukrainian American businessman and public activist, which was sent to U.S. President Donald Trump. A petition linked to the letter is available for signing. Dear President Trump, Right now America is punishing the good people who did everything right and rewarding the chaos. This is already happening, and you can stop it with one phone call. My name is Vlad Skots. Twenty-five years ago I came to America as a refugee from Ukraine with not

Kyiv Mayor Vitalii Klitschko reported at the time of the attack that air defenses were operating in the Obolonskyi district.

Alexander Kleytman, a Holocaust survivor originally from Ukraine, and a 10-year-old girl named Matilda, whose parents immigrated to Australia from Ukraine, were both killed in the terrorist attack on Dec. 14.

Ukraine requires its partners to cover half of its projected $120 billion of defense spending to stay in the fight against Russia in 2026, Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Dec. 16.

The funds will be used to purchase "thousands of air defense systems, missiles, and automated turrets to shoot down drones," U.K. Defense Minister John Healey said.

European leaders will decide on Dec. 18–19 whether to proceed with a "reparations loan," a plan to lend up to 210 billion euros in frozen Russian assets to Ukraine.

The incident comes as Ankara rebukes both Kyiv and Moscow over escalating hostilities in the Black Sea amid Russia's all-out war against Ukraine.

Bakhmutka River emerges as Siversk’s last line of defense as Russia presses assault

Since early December, the Russian ruble has continued to strengthen against global currencies: on Dec. 7, it reached a value of only 76 rubles for one U.S. dollar, a figure unseen since May 2023. It soon dropped to 79 rubles per U.S. dollar, an exchange rate close to one seen on the eve of Russia's full-scale war. Ruble's strength came despite increasing sanction pressure by the Trump administration, which began targeting Russian oil giants Lukoil and Rosneft in October. The measures, which f

President Volodymyr Zelensky, together with 35 leaders, signed off Tuesday, Dec. 16 on the creation of an international body that would decide on compensation claims tied to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but left unanswered the question of how the organization will be funded. During a meeting in The Hague, leaders from the European Union, Canada, Mexico, and Japan gave the formal go-ahead to establish the International Claims Commission, which aims to reimburse Ukrainians for financial damage c