Erdogan says Crimea should be returned to Ukraine

2:05 AM

US 'likely' to sanction Russia if Moscow refuses peace negotiations, Trump says.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Jan. 21 that he would likely impose additional sanctions against Russia if Russian President Vladimir Putin refused to negotiate a peace deal with Ukraine.

12:59 AM

Supervisory board extends arms procurement head's contract, initiates audit following proposed merger.

The contract extensions comes after Defense Minister Rustem Umerov walked back on plans to merge the Defense Procurement Agency and the State Logistics Operator into one agency, following a NATO statement said that the two agencies should be kept separate and two separate supervisory boards established "to perform their tasks and supporting their independence and anti-corruption policies."

11:46 PM

Albania signs 10-year security cooperation agreement with Ukraine.

The wide-ranging agreement includes cooperation between the two countries in areas including defense, intelligence sharing, cyber security, nuclear safety, as well as mutual support for each others accession into the European Union, among other topics.

11:30 PM

Syria reportedly cancels deal with Russian construction firm following Assad's downfall.

The contract, signed in 2019, had committed Moscow to invest at least $500 million in modernizing the port. With the agreement now void, all revenues from the port's operations will go directly to the Syrian state, and its management will revert to local authorities.

11:06 PM

Ukraine-Russia peace deal would require at least 200,000 peacekeepers, Zelensky says.

At least 200,000 European soldiers would be required to serve as peacekeepers on Ukraine's eastern front for a peace deal to be enforced, President Volodymyr Zelensky said during a panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Jan. 21.

10:44 PM

Trump Russia

Following Trump's inauguration, Russian pundits and politicians show some enthusiasm, some reserve.

Donald Trump was long seen as Russian candidate of choice, in Moscow, however, reactions following inauguration are mixed.

10:20 PM

Israel proposes sending seized Russian weapons in Lebanon to Ukraine, deputy FM says.

Israel's Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel proposed transferring Russian weapons seized by Israel in Lebanon to Ukraine during a Jan. 21 meeting with Ukrainian Ambassador Yevhen Korniychuk, Ukraine's embassy reported.

10:18 PM

Ukraine war latest: Ukrainian soldier reports harsh conditions, fatal accidents in regiment; unit launches investigation.

10:14 PM

Early voting begins in Belarusian presidential election.

Alexander Lukashenko announced last year that he intended to run again in the presidential election.

10:09 PM

Germany's KNDS launches joint venture with Ukraine for military equipment repair, minister says.

Germany's KNDS Deutschland, a manufacturer of Leopard 2 tanks, has officially opened a joint venture with a Ukrainian defense company, Ukraine's Strategic Industries Minister Herman Smetanin reported on Jan. 21.

8:52 PM

Zelensky says he wants to end war 'quickly but fairly and reliably' in 2025.

"We want to end the war this year - not just quickly but fairly and reliably for all of us, for Ukrainians," he said. "So that they can return home, live in safety, and work."

8:40 PM

Donald Trump

‘A team of attention-seekers’ — Ukrainian soldiers and politicians react to Trump's Inauguration speech

7:39 PM

Zelensky says Ukraine working on arranging his meeting with Trump.

"The teams have been working on a meeting; they are currently in the process," Zelensky said, emphasizing Ukraine's commitment to ending the war with Russia.

6:44 PM

Trump team may meet Ukrainian delegation in early February, MP says.

We are now working to ensure that the relevant meetings are held at the inter-parliamentary level and other levels," he said, as cited by Interfax Ukraine.

5:42 PM

Ukraine Reforms Tracker Weekly — Issue 10

5:21 PM

Europe must become stronger in face of Russian hostility, Zelensky says.

"Europe must establish itself as a strong global player," Zelensky said, adding that, while the United States remains an indispensable ally, Washington doubts Europe's ability to contribute meaningfully to global security.

5:05 PM

Ukrainian soldier reports harsh conditions, fatal accidents in regiment; unit launches investigation.

The 78th Air Assault Regiment on Jan. 21 announced an internal investigation after a soldier of the unit pointed to excessive demands on his comrades that supposedly lead to exhaustion and fatal accidents when handling explosives.

4:22 PM

EU has reduced Russian gas imports by 75%, von der Leyen says.

The EU has reduced Russian gas imports by 75%, while only 3% of its oil is imported from Russia, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Jan. 21.

3:31 PM

Kyiv court arrests former host of pro-Russian channels Max Nazarov.

Former host of shuttered pro-Russian news channels, Max Nazarov, was taken into custody on suspicions of spreading pro-Kremlin propaganda, Suspilne reported on Jan. 21, citing a court ruling.

2:57 PM

Trump Ukraine

‘It needs to end’ — State Secretary Rubio’s position on Russia’s war against Ukraine.

As state secretary, Marco Rubio will oversee the implementation of the president's foreign policy, including that relating to Russia's full-scale war — which wasn't directly referred to during Donald Trump's inauguration speech.

2:30 PM

Chinese imports of Russian coal reportedly dropping due to sanctions, price.

China has been decreasing coal imports from Russia despite a steady growth in demand, turning instead to Australian and Mongolian supplies, The Moscow Times reported on Jan. 21, citing Chinese customs data.

2:11 PM

Opinion

Russia’s Baltic Sea sabotage is no accident, it’s strategy

11:04 AM  (Updated:  January 21, 2025 1:43 pm)

Trump pauses US foreign development aid for 90 days, orders review.

In the executive order, Donald Trump wrote that "the United States foreign aid industry and bureaucracy are not aligned with American interests and in many cases antithetical to American values," without mentioning specific examples.

1:32 PM

Xi declares readiness to bring China-Russia ties to 'new height' in call with Putin.

Xi Jinping stressed that bilateral cooperation between Beijing and Moscow is gradually expanding and that joint trade is trending upward.

1:14 PM

Zelensky arrives in Davos to participate in World Economic Forum.

Zelensky's itinerary will include bilateral talks with leaders of Latin American and Asian countries and meetings with top business officials.