Ukraine returns 8 civilians from Syrian captivity

9:46 AM

Top Putin aide's son investing in the West despite sanctions, media reports.

Vladimir Kiriyenko, son of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s Deputy Chief of Staff Sergei Kiriyenko, has continued making investments in the West through offshore companies despite sanctions, The Moscow Times reported on Jan. 21.

9:08 AM

US seeks 'sustainable' peace in Ukraine to avoid new war in '2-4 years,' Rubio says.

"We are going to engage in making it end in a way that is sustainable, meaning we don't just want the conflict to end and then restart in two, three, or four years down the road," U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on the CBS Mornings program.

8:22 AM

General Staff: Russia has lost 823,980 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022.

This number includes 1,950 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.

7:35 AM

Nominee for US ambassador to UN says Trump needs 'maximum flexibility' to end Ukraine war.

Elise Stefanik said during her confirmation hearing that she would "use this position at the United Nations to support (Trump's) strategy and give him maximum flexibility to bring this to a resolution."

6:07 AM

Indian banks block Russian oil payments after new US sanctions.

Following the new restrictions, financial institutions in India began blocking payments for Russian crude, Energy Intelligence reported. India is currently the leading importer of Russian oil.

5:00 AM

Trump claims he urged China's Xi to help end Russia's war in Ukraine.

"He's not done very much on that," Trump told reporters at the White House on Jan. 21. "He's got a lot of ... power, like we have a lot of power. I said, 'You ought to get it settled.' We did discuss it."

3:41 AM

Ukraine's energy grid may suffer from Trump aid freeze, Politico reports.

A freeze on USAID funds could affect Ukraine's ability to rebuild damaged energy infrastructure, conduct demining operations, and fund civil society programs, officials said.

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.